| Name & Zone: |
Seven Devils Swamp - WMA Zone 570 |
PDF Map |
| County: |
Drew |
AGFC
Interactive Map
|
| Location: |
It is in southeastern Drew County 12 miles east of Monticello. |
| Phone: |
1-877-367-3559 |
| 1 |
About the
Name: |
It is named after the swamp it is a part of. |
| Ownership: |
It is part of a 6,000 acre swamp located in Drew County. 512 acres are owned by the AGFC the
remainder is owned mostly by Georgia-Pacific Corp. and other private individuals. The portion owned by
Georgia-Pacific is in the land lease system known as the Casey Jones WMA. |
| Age: |
The area was acquired in 1954. |
| Purpose: |
The area was originally purchased for a fishing lake.
The area is now managed mostly for waterfowl. |
| Description: |
It is a true wetland ecosystem, composed almost totally of cypress, tupelo, buttonbush, locust and willow. There is one main stream contributing to the area and that is Cut-Off Creek which flows through the
center of the area. |
| Access: |
Access to the west side and the parking area. Take state highway 35 east from Monticello for approximately 12 miles. A green WMA sign is located here on the left at the Cominto fire tower. A gravel road turns left here and goes 2 miles to the parking area.
Currently, there are no campsites on the Seven Devils area, however, camping is available on the adjacent Casey Jones Area 1, provided at least one of the campers has a valid Casey Jones permit.
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Hunting
Opportunities: |
The area is widely known for its good duck hunting. No permanent blinds are allowed.
Furbearer trapping is good especially for raccoon and mink.
Squirrel, deer and rabbits can be hunted on the area before the area is flooded usually in late October. |
Management
Practices: |
The area is managed as a greentree area for waterfowl and the water is controlled by a 3/4 mile dam and a stop log structure that impedes the flow of Cut-Off Creek. The gates are closed from September 15 and opened around February 15. There are 12 food plots scattered on the area that are maintained for wildlife. |
Recreation
Other Than
Hunting: |
Fishing on the area in the spring is considered good. Species include; bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish. By summer, water levels are too low for good fishing.
The swamp has a breeding population of anghinias, great blue herons, little green herons and American
herons. There are occasional sightings of eagles in the fall and winter. There are some alligators present on the area. |
Other Points
of Interest: |
There are many tales and legends of the swamp mostly of helpless strangers who wandered into the swamp and never returned. |
Restaurants
and Other
Facilities: |
There are motels, supplies and restaurants in Monticello and Dermott. Supplies and food in Collins. |
Special
Facilities: |
There are 2 boat ramps on the area. |
| Safety: |
Getting lost on the area is a problem due to water and similarity of all the terrain. The area has a good
population of mosquitoes and cottonmouths and deer flies. Access to the hunting area is by foot or boat. |