Attention Non-Residents
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission adopted new rules in 2025 that require non-residents accessing certain Oklahoma public hunting and fishing areas to check in and out of the area. By checking in and out of these areas, hunters, anglers, shooters, birdwatchers, hikers and any other users can help the Wildlife Department better understand how the area is being used. There is no additional cost associated with checking in or out of an area. There is no limit to the number of check ins for an individual in a year.
Contacts
Area Details
This area is open to residents only.
Herron Family WMA covers 17,563 acres in McCurtain County in southeastern Oklahoma. Located on the east side of Haworth along Highway 3 all the way to the Arkansas line. The majority of the WMA can be accessed from Shinewell Road. The WMA core is south of Shinewell and north of Moon Road.
Herron Family WMA is a mixture of pine and hardwood forests. Loblolly pine plantations of various age classes predominate the majority of the WMA. Interspersed within the pine plantations are hardwood bottoms and streamside management zones dominated by oaks and various hardwoods.
The land within the Herron Family WMA is owned by a private timber company and requires an annual land access permit ($100) for all residents.)
Oklahoma residents under 18 years of age on the first day of the current calendar year or 64 years of age or older are exempt from permit requirements.
- From Haworth head east, it borders the town and is spread out to the Arkansas line.
- From Idabel Highway 259/70 head east on Highway 3 approximately 11 miles.
- Quail: Present in fair numbers
- Deer: Present in great numbers
- Turkey: Present in good numbers.
- Rabbit: Both cottontails and swamp rabbits are present, with cottontails being more common.
- Squirrel: Fox and gray squirrels are both present in great numbers.
- Furbearers: Coyote, bobcat, opossum, gray fox, beaver, and raccoon are available in great numbers.
- Dove: Dove are present in good numbers.
Management efforts focus on preserving hardwood stands and maintaining travel corridors during clear-cutting. Select roads are closed and managed as linear forest openings. Small agricultural food plots are planted annually.
Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas. More information coming soon.
A land access permit is required to hunt, fish or otherwise use Herron Family WMA.
Oklahoma residents who are under 18 years of age on the first day of the current calendar year or are 64 years old or older are exempt from land access permit requirements.
Lifetime license holders are not exempt from land access permits.
Closed Seasons
Same As Statewide Seasons
Seasons w/ Special Restrictions
- Quail, Snipe, Woodcock, Duck, Merganser and Coot, Rabbit, Squirrel
Closed during the first nine days of deer gun season.
- Pursuit with Hounds for Furbearers
Dogs not permitted on WMA from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset during deer gun, deer muzzleloader, antlerless holiday deer gun, and youth deer gun seasons.
- Turkey Spring, Youth Turkey Spring
One-tom limit; seasons combined.
Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas.
The following guidelines will apply to ATV use on the area:
Any person who operates an ATV/ ORV at any time must comply with daylight florescent orange requirements as required for deer gun seasons.
If a crash helmet is worn, only the fluorescent orange chest covering is required.
ATV/ORV use is restricted to WMA roads that are on the current Herron Family WMA map unless otherwise closed.
ATV/ORV use shall be restricted to a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour. A
TV/ORV operators and passengers under the age of 18 must wear a crash helmet that complies with standards established by 49 C.F.R., Section 571.218.
Passengers in addition to the operator are not allowed on ATV/ORVs unless that ATV/ORV has been specifically designed by the manufacturer to carry passengers in addition to the operator.
Leaving any ATV/ORV unattended on Herron Family WMA without the owner’s name and Customer ID number conspicuously attached is prohibited.
Use of ATV/ORVs off of delineated roads for retrieval of lawfully taken and tagged deer is permissible only with the following restrictions:
ATV/ORVs cannot travel more than one half mile from the nearest road.
ATV/ORVs cannot cross rivers and streams unless on a road with constructed stream crossing structures.
ATV/ORVs used for deer retrieval cannot be used in areas otherwise closed to the use of motor vehicles.
Parking in any manner resulting in depriving access or egress through any gate or road is prohibited. Unlawful parking could result in towing of vehicle.
- Red Slough WMA: Area Biologist 580-513-5020
- Ouachita WMA McCurtain Unit: Area Biologist 580-513-5020
- Three Rivers WMA: Area Biologist 918-527-5308
Apprentice Designation: A Learner's Permit for Hunting
Hunter education has greatly reduced hunting accidents, but if you can’t complete a course right away, the apprentice designation allows you to hunt under supervision. It works like a learner’s permit, giving you the chance to gain real experience safely until you finish hunter education.
Exploring the New Herron Family WMA
The new Herron Family WMA is more than 17,000 acres of hunting land, it is also adventure, access, conservation, and tradition. Thanks to a unique partnership, Oklahoma residents now have a new place to chase deer, call turkeys, hear quail, and pass on the outdoors to the next generation.