Seasons and Regulations

Mississippi offers sportsman more than 2 Million acres of wild game habitat within a managed system of 38 state Wildlife Management Areas, 14 National Wildlife Refuges and 6 National Forests. Throughout these areas ongoing wildlife management practices are enforced to maintain healthy and productive populations of big- and small-game species. Below you will find seasons and regulations for a number of wild game species in Mississippi.

Learn More about Seasons and Bag Limits from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks

White Tail Deer

Season: October 1st until the end of January.

Primitive weapon & conventional gun seasons begin in Mid-November and run through the middle of January.
Range and Habitat: White Tail deer is, without a doubt, the most popular big-game species in Mississippi. With an estimated deer population of approximately 2 million, sportsmen enjoy one of the most generous bag limits in the nation: up to three does and 3 bucks per season - one per day. Two additional does may be taken with a bow and arrow at any time during the legal season and do not count against the seasonal bag limit. To improve the quality of the statewide deer herd, only bucks with antlers of four points or greater may be taken.
The rutting periods occur between the end of November and the end of January, depending on the region of the state.
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Wild Hogs

Season: Wild (or feral) hog are not considered a native wild-game species, and subsequently do not have a limit and may be taken during any hunting season with the appropriate weapon allowed at that time.
Range and Habitat: While some wild hogs venture into public hunting areas, most huntable populations are limited to private hunting leases. Unlike their complacent domesticated cousins feral tuskers are generally very agile and lean and provide an exciting challenge to the sportsman who enjoys a novel hunting experience.
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Eastern Wild Turkey

Season: Spring turkey season opens in late March and runs until the first of May. Sportsman are allowed to take one gobbler per day and no more that three gobblers per season. New regulations also require that all gobblers harvested must be mature birds and have at least a six-inch beard.
Range and Habitat: Turkeys can be found on most all public hunting lands throughout the state. Due to special seasonal regulations on several state and federally owned lands, it is advisable to contact in advance the areas you plan to hunt for additional information.
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Bobwhite Quail

Season: Wild quail season in Mississippi runs from the end of November through the first of March/
Range and Habitat: Bobwhite quail can be found in every section of Mississippi. Huntable populations are now most commonly found on state and federal Wildlife Management Areas in the northeastern, north-central, plain and coastal counties of the state. Commercial shooting preserves are specifically managed for bobwhite quail productively and offer excellent shooting with minimum hassle. Many offer trained dogs and guides as well as lodging and homecooked meals. A special Shooting Preserve License is required to take part in quail hunts at these facilities.
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Waterfowl

Seasons: Statewide duck season in Mississippi is traditionally split between a season in early December and a season beginning after Christmas through the middle of January. Snow and blue goose season traditionally runs from the first of November through the end of February. Canada and white-fronted geese can be hunted from the end of November through January.
Range and Habitat: While waterfowl are huted in every part of the state, extensive concentrations of duck and geese can be found throughout the Delta's countless acres of flooded timber, oxbow lakes and seasonally flooded agriculture fields. Several state-owned Wildlife Management areas and federally owned National Wildlife Refuges provide exceptional waterfowl habitats and are open to public hunting.
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Mourning Dove

Season: Mourning dove season is usually divided into three spilt seasons between September/November and December/January. The seasons are also divided between northern and southern sections of the state. Please refer to state hunting regulations for exact dates.
Range and Habitat: The mourning dive is the most popular game bird in Mississippi. Even though the dove is a migratory species, significant numbers of dove remain in the state year-round. Populations reach their peak during the late summer and early fall as flocks of additional migratory birds travel through the state. Excellent dove hunting can be found throughout the state, but the largest concentrations of birds will be found in the agricultural areas.
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Woodcock

Season: End of November through the end of January
Range and Habitat: Mississippi is a major wintering ground for Woodstock. Preferring dense areas of new-growth timber with thick underbrush, woodcock can be found in many areas of Mississippi, particularly near the thick riverain areas of the Delta. Woodcock are generally hunted on timber company lands and found in most wildlife refuge areas.
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Common Snipe

Season: Mid-November through the end of February
Range and Habitat: Many of Mississippi's bottomland marshes and wetland areas provide a wintering home for the migratory common snipe. Snipe also use the idle rice fields as feeding areas during their time in the state. Populations are at their peak migration beginning in February as the birds gather for their migration north to breed and nest. Snipe hunting is enjoyed by many sportsmen who hunt with pointing dogs and enjoy fast wing shooting.
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Gray and Fox Squirrel

Season: The season is divided into three zones and runs from October through the end of January. Please refer to state regulations for specific zone information.
Range and Habitat: In terms of number of hunters and total harvest, squirrel are the most popular small-game species in Mississippi. Both the gray and fox squirrel are abundant on all public hunting areas throughout the state. While consistently plentiful, local specie populations are greatly influenced by seasonal weather conditions and the quality and quantity of their prime habitat-namely hardwood timber areas.
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Rabbit

Season: Mid-October through end of February
Range and Habitat: Rabbit is one of the most plentiful of all small-game animals, and can be found in every county in Mississippi. As is the case of all burrowing animals, rabbits prefer areas that are not susceptible to persistent flooding and require some thick cover to serve as a refuge from natural predators. Traditional rabbit-hunting areas include elevated river and stream banks, agriculture turn-rows and heavy briar thickets in wooded areas.
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Raccoon

Season: July 1st through February
Range and Habitat: Plentiful wherever forested areas and an abundant water supply are available, raccoons are found throughout the state and are hunted for food, sport and pelts during different portions of the season.
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