Overview
Known For
They don’t call it the Mississippi Flyway for waterfowl without good reason. As one of the most vital wintering grounds for ducks and geese in the U.S., Mississippi is known for world-class duck hunting. Mississippi also ranks No. 1 in the country for the percentage of 3-1/2-year-old and older whitetail bucks being harvested in a season.
Terrain
Mississippi’s terrain is primarily marshlands, with nearly the entire state lying in the Coastal Plain. There are a few hills in its northeast corner, but it’s mostly major soil areas that encompass plains, prairies, river lowlands, and pine woods.
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Mississippi Hunting Seasons
Delta, North Central, Hills, and Southeast Units
Legal Bucks Only. Special permit, mandatory reporting, and CWD sampling required. Private Land Only.
Legal Bucks Only. Special permit, mandatory reporting, and CWD sampling required. Private Land Only.
Legal Bucks Only. Special permit, mandatory reporting, and CWD sampling required. Private Land Only.
Either-Sex on private lands and authorized state and federal lands.
Either-Sex on private lands and authorized state and federal lands.
Delta, North Central, Hills Units. Antlerless Deer Only on private lands.
No Limit
Special Permit Needed
No Limit
Special Permit Needed
Bag limit 2 turkeys of either sex. See regulations for open areas.
Hunters 15 years of age and younger may harvest 1 gobbler of choice (any age) per day, 3 per Spring season.
One (1) adult gobbler or 1 gobbler with a 6-inch or longer beard per day, 3 per Spring season.
Mississippi Hunting Seasons
Alligator
Bag Limit (Private Land)
- Each PLAHV together with a PLAPP possessed by a person allows the harvest of two (2) alligators four (4) feet in length or longer.
- Only one (1) alligator may exceed seven (7) feet in total length per permit.
- All alligators must be pursued/hunted/taken from the property registered by the permitted landowner.
- No alligators may be pursued/hunted/taken from public waters.”
Bag Limit (Public Land)
Each person receiving an Alligator Possession Permit will be allowed to harvest two (2) alligators four (4) feet in length or longer, only one (1) of which may exceed seven (7) feet in length.
Big Game
Shooting Hours
Legal shooting hours for resident game are one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise to onehalf (1/2) hour after sunset.
Deer
Primitive Weapons
Weapons legal for use during the Primitive Weapons season are all archery equipment and primitive firearms. “Primitive firearms,” for the purpose of hunting deer, are defined as single- or double-barreled, muzzle-loading rifles of at least .38 caliber; OR singleshot, breech loading, metallic-cartridge rifles (.35 caliber or larger) and replicas, reproductions, or reintroductions of those type rifles with an exposed hammer; OR single- or double-barreled, muzzle-loading shotguns, with single ball or slug. All muzzle-loading primitive firearms must use black powder or a black powder substitute with percussion caps, #209 shotgun primers, or flintlock ignition. “Blackpowder substitute” is defined as a substance designed, manufactured, and specifically intended to be used as a propellant in muzzleloading or other black powder firearms, excluding modern smokeless powder. Metallic cartridges may be loaded with either black powder or modern smokeless powder (cartridges purchased at sporting goods stores).
During any open season on deer with primitive weapons after November 30, a person may use any legal weapon of choice including air bows and air guns (pre-charged pneumatic weapons) on private lands only, if the person is the title owner of the land; the lessee of the hunting rights on the land; a member of a hunting club leasing the hunting rights on the land; or a guest of a person specified above. If the person is required to have a hunting license, the person must have a primitive weapon license, Sportsman’s License or a Lifetime Sportsman’s License.
Gun
There are no caliber or magazine capacity restrictions on firearms. Archery and primitive firearms may be used during Gun seasons
Antlered Buck Bag Limits
With the exception of the North Central DMU, the statewide bag limit on antlered buck deer is one (1) buck per day and three (3) per annual season. One (1) of these three White-Tailed Deer Hunting (3) may have hardened antlers that do not meet the DMU legal antler requirements on private land and Holly Springs National Forest. Antlered buck bag limit in the North Central DMU is one (1) buck per day and four (4) per annual season. No antler restrictions apply to this DMU. All four bucks may have any sized hardened antlers. For youth hunters fifteen (15) years of age and younger, hunting on private land and authorized state and federal lands, all three (3) of the three (3) buck bag limit may be any antlered deer.
Antlerless Deer Bag Limits
Private Land: With the exception of the North Central and Southeast DMUs, the statewide annual bag limit on antlerless deer is five (5). The bag limit for private lands in the North Central DMU is ten (10) antlerless deer per season. Antlerless deer are male or female deer which do not have hardened antler above the natural hairline. Only two (2) antlerless deer may be harvested from the Southeast DMU. There is no daily bag limit on antlerless deer; except, only one (1) anterless deer per day may be harvested in the Southeast DMU. U.S. Forest Service Lands: The bag limit is one (1) per day, not to exceed five (5) per annual season except in the Southeast DMU, which is two (2) per annual season.
Furbearers
Wild Hog – Bag Limit
Wild hogs are classified as nuisance animals and hunters are encouraged to kill them at any lawful opportunity. Wild hogs may be killed during any open WMA hunting season with weapons and ammunition legal for that season
Coyote, Beaver, & Nutria – Bag Limit
No Limit
Opossum – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit:
- Oct. 1 – Oct. 31 (Food and sport) 5/day; 8/party
- Nov. 1 – Feb. 28 (Food, sport, and pelt) no limit
Raccoon – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit:
- Oct. 1 – Oct. 31 (Food and sport) 5/day; 8/party
- Nov. 1 – Feb. 28 (Food, sport, and pelt) no limit
Bobcat – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit:
- Oct. 1 – Oct. 31 (Food and sport) 5/day; 8/party
- Nov. 1 – Feb. 28 (Food, sport, and pelt) no limit
Migratory Birds
Woodcock – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 3 Possession Limit: 9
Snipe – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 8 Possession Limit: 24
Crow – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: No limit Possession Limit: No limit
Rails (Clapper & King) – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 15 singly or in aggregate Possession Limit: 45 singly or in aggregate
Rails (Sora & Virgina) – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 25 singly or in aggregate Possession Limit: 75 singly or in aggregate
White Winged & Mourning Doves – Bag Limit
North & South Zone: Daily Bag Limit- 15 singly or in aggregate Posession Limit- 45 singly or in aggregate
Shooting Hours
Legal shooting hours for migratory birds are one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise to sunset.
Small Game
Fall Squirrel – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 8
Shooting Hours
Legal shooting hours for resident game are one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise to onehalf (1/2) hour after sunset.
Spring Squirrel – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 4
Rabbit – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 8
Bob-White Quail – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 8
Frog – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 25/night
Raccoon – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 1 per party/night
Oppossum, Raccoon, & Bobcat
Daily Bag Limit:
- Oct. 1 – Oct. 31 (Food and sport) 5/day; 8/party
- Nov. 1 – Feb. 28 (Food, sport, and pelt) no limit
Turkey
Fall Turkey
Fall turkey season is open BY PERMIT ONLY from October 15-November 15 on private lands in the following counties or portions of counties where the landowner/leaseholder completes a fall turkey hunting application to the MDWFP Jackson Office and receives tags. The fall season bag limit is two (2) turkeys, which may be of either sex.
Bag Limits (Spring Turkey)
One (1) adult gobbler or 1 gobbler with a 6-inch or longer beard per day, 3 per Spring season. Hunters 15 years of age and younger may harvest 1 gobbler of choice (any age) per day, 3 per spring season.
Non-Residents & Public Land
Non-residents cannot hunt any public land in Mississippi between March 15-28 unless drawn for either a Non-resident Public Lands Turkey Permit or WMA Draw Hunt. See www.mdwfp.com/turkey for application dates and more information.
Waterfowl
Coots – Bag Limit
Daily limit is 15 per day. Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.
Margansers – Bag Limit
A total daily bag limit of 5, only 2 may be hooded mergansers. Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit
Ducks – Bag Limit
- A total daily bag limit of 6 ducks, including no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be females), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 1 pintail, 2 canvasbacks, 1 mottled duck, and 2 black ducks.
- The daily bag limit for scaup is 1 scaup per day Nov. 25 – 27, Dec. 2 – 4, and Dec. 9 – 17; and is 2 scaup per day Dec. 18 – Jan. 31.
- Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.
Gallinules (Common & Purple) – Bag Limit
Daily limit 15 singly or in aggregate, possession limit 45 singly or in aggregate.
Early Teal Season – Bag Limit
Daily limit 6, possession limit 18. All teal species are legal for harvest
Snow, Blue & Ross’ Geese – Bag Limit
Daily limit 20, no possession limit will be in effect.
Brant – Bag Limit
Daily limit 1, possession limit 3.
Canada Geese – Bag Limit
Daily limit 5, possession limit 15.
Non-Toxic Shot
Non-toxic shot is required for waterfowl and coot hunting in all areas of Mississippi. Hunters MAY NOT have lead shot in their possession while waterfowl and coot hunting.
Shooting Hours
Legal shooting hours for migratory birds are one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise to sunset.
White-Fronted Geese – Bag Limit
Daily limit 3, possession limit 9.
*Season dates and regulation data provided by 
Mississippi Licenses, Permits, and Regulations
Mississippi hunting licenses, permits, and regulations for resident and non-resident hunters can be purchased on the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks website. Click below to view the website.
Hunting GPS Maps
Every Mississippi hunter should have hunting GPS maps on hand. Mississippi hunting maps are available from onX Hunt. With a paid membership you can access Satellite, Topo, or Hybrid Basemaps, over which you can view maps of wildlife management areas, along with State, Forest Service, and other public and private property boundaries. You can view trails and roads, and even download maps to the Hunt App for use offline. Click below to get onX Hunt for Mississippi.
Wildlife Management Areas
The Mississippi Wildlife Management Area (WMA) system is diverse and large. It includes 54 areas that encompass over 665,000 acres or over 1,000 square miles. Click below to view Mississippi’s wildlife management areas in more detail through an interactive map.
Hunting Layers
MS Private Lands
Over 1,600,000 parcels mapped by the onX team, this layer helps you know who the property owners are in Mississippi. Tap any parcel to learn more info about the owner and acreage.
MS Gov Lands
onX has the most accurate maps of Gov Lands, covering over 2,700,000 acres in Mississippi. Not all Gov Lands offer access opportunities, check regulations before recreating.
MS Deer Zones
Mississippi Deer Management Zones. Please hunt responsibly, obey all signage and have a safe legal hunt.
MS Possible Access
onX has mapped 2,000,000 acres of possible access lands in Mississippi including timber and land conservation groups. Research rules on these private lands before recreating.
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