To use the Russell Sage Wildlife Management Area, you’ll need a WMA Access Permit, which you can buy online. You’ll also need to “Check In” and “Check Out” of the WMA at the Self-Clearing Stations. You can do that through the LDWF WMA Check-In/Check-Out app. To hunt or fish, you’ll need a fishing and/or hunting license. There are more details about what you need to legally hunt and fish at the refuge in the tabs below.
Restrooms
We haven’t stumbled across any restrooms at the WMA, but there are plenty of places to stop in Monroe.
Trail Accessibility
Trail accessibility in the northern part of Russell Sage is more slippery, but otherwise better than trail accessibility in the southern section. Because of habitat maintenance, the southern portion has more undergrowth and is more hilly.
Camping
You can camp at one of two primitive camping sites at the WMA.
Learn More
Learn more about the Russell Sage WMA at the refuge’s official website.
The Russell Sage WMA is a good place to watch otters, armadillos, raccoons, deer, sparrows, kinglets, dragonflies, hawks, egrets, herons, woodpeckers, turtles, snakes, and butterflies. You can find lists of birds sighted at the refuge with eBird’s “Ouachita WMA,” “Wham Brake Boat Launch,” and “Wham“ Trail Tracker sighting lists and iNaturalist’s “Russell Sage WMA” page for more information about other animals that have been reported there.
You can catch bass, bream, catfish, and crappie at sloughs throughout the WMA. You can also trap crawfish on the refuge. For information on getting and maintaining your fishing license and what species you can keep, check out the Wildlife and Fisheries “Recreational Freshwater Finfish and Crawfish” page. You can also learn about the crawfishing licenses there.
You can hunt for deer, waterfowl, and small game at Russell Sage. To legally hunt there, you’ll need a valid Louisiana hunting license (and a Migratory Bird Stamp for hunting waterfowl). Refresh your memory on when hunting seasons start and end at the Louisiana Wildlife Management “Seasons and Regulations” and “WMA/Refuge/Conservation Area Licenses and Permits” pages.
