Hope this does not happen.
TWRA is monitoring the Mississippi River stage for the juvenile turkey season that starts Saturday, March 24. Unusual events such as flooding may necessitate the immediate closure of big game hunting seasons. The Caruthersville stage is currently at 31.80 feet, and the Memphis stage is 33.98 feet. The statewide turkey season may have an emergency closure later in the season and TWRA will continue to monitor Mississippi River stages.
When the Mississippi River stage reaches thirty-four feet (34.0) at the Caruthersville gauge (
www.riverguages.com), all big game hunting will close in the Mississippi River Floodwaters Zone and will remain closed until the Mississippi River stage falls to thirty-two (32.0 ft.) at the Memphis gauge (
www.riverguages.com). This buffer ensures that big game will no longer be isolated on islands, levees, etc. when hunting season resumes. This closure is effective on both private and public lands within the zone.
The Mississippi River Floodwaters Zone includes the areas outlined in the map below and includes all lands, public, and private, from the Northern border with Kentucky (Mississippi River Mile 715) to the southern border with the Mississippi (Mississippi River Mile 905) and from the western border of Tennessee, east to the base of the Mississippi River Bluff.
