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One hub for every Mississippi hunting page, 2026-27
Mississippi Hunting
Counties, towns, public land, seasons, fees and rules for Mississippi hunters, with 87 land records and 31 species pages behind them. The hero image is Delta scenery, a weathered tenant house beside a cotton field.
Photo: WillyBearden (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Find public ground by distance
86 of the 87 land records carry coordinates, so the panel can rank wildlife management areas, refuges and national forest tracts by straight-line distance. Pick a county if you would rather not use your location.
Open today, opening soon
12 species are in season on November 15, 2026. Duck and quail have their own opening days in late November, and spring turkey waits until March 2027.
Dates ahead of the next big openers
| Moment | Date | Counting from today |
|---|---|---|
| Archery, Delta and Hills | October 1, 2026 | Open now |
| Archery, Southeast | October 15, 2026 | Open now |
| Youth gun deer | November 7, 2026 | Open now |
| Gun deer opens | November 21, 2026 | In 6 days |
| Quail season opens | November 26, 2026 | In 11 days |
| Duck season opens | November 27, 2026 | In 12 days |
| Primitive weapon deer | December 2, 2026 | In 17 days |
| Turkey season opens | March 15, 2027 | In 120 days |
Open on November 15, 2026: 12 species, 15 dated rows
| Game | Season | License | Last day | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squirrel | Fall season | Hunting license | February 28, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Hunting license | November 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Hunting license | November 20, 2026 | |
| Rabbit | Rabbit | Hunting license | February 28, 2027 | |
| Mourning and white-winged dove | Dove | License and HIP | November 22, 2026 | |
| Furbearers | Trapping | Trapping license | March 15, 2027 | |
| Raccoon, opossum and bobcat | Food, sport and pelt | Hunting license | March 15, 2027 | |
| Crow | Crow | Hunting license | February 28, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth gun | Hunting license | November 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless primitive | Hunting license | November 20, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Regular season | Stamps and HIP | November 29, 2026 | |
| Brant | Regular season | Stamps and HIP | November 29, 2026 |
Next dated openers
| Game | Season | Opens | Closes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Gun (with dogs) | November 21, 2026 | December 1, 2026 | |
| Rails and gallinules | Season | November 22, 2026 | December 31, 2026 | |
| Rails and gallinules | Season | November 22, 2026 | December 31, 2026 | |
| Rails and gallinules | Season | November 22, 2026 | December 31, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Bobwhite quail | November 26, 2026 | March 7, 2027 | |
| Coots | Regular season | November 27, 2026 | November 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular season | November 27, 2026 | November 29, 2026 | |
| Mergansers | Regular season | November 27, 2026 | November 29, 2026 |
Delta and Hills archery opens October 1 and Southeast archery October 15 because the unit lines follow highways, not counties. Sources: 2026-27 MDWFP hunting seasons sheet; 2026-27 migratory game bird digest. Checked: agency pages and PDFs read again on November 14, 2026.
County guides, North to South
82 counties, one page each, with the region label exactly as the MDWFP county layer shows it.
Region labels come from the MDWFP county layer: North 31, Central 24 and South 26, and Monroe County carries no label. Seven counties are flagged where the district and the label disagree. Sources: MDWFP county layer; MDWFP regional offices page. Checked: agency pages and PDFs read again on November 14, 2026.
Public land from the Delta to the Gulf piney woods
2,071,555 acres are on record across the management areas, forests and refuges, though overlapping unit and ranger district records are counted only once on the place pages.
| Land hub | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Wildlife management areas | 54 wildlife management areas and 5 area units from MDWFP |
| National wildlife refuges | National wildlife refuges with a hunting statement |
| National forests | 6 national forests and 7 ranger districts |
| Land map | 86 pins on one map |
| Public land | All 87 records with acres, rules and seasons |
Two more places on the agency lists are closed to hunting and never appear as open ground; the land hub names them. The 54 management area pages repeat the rules from each MDWFP brochure, including the user permit that costs $15.00 for a resident.
Tile acres are the figure on each land record, and a record without an acreage shows none. Sources: MDWFP page; Code of Federal Regulations. Checked: agency pages and PDFs read again on November 14, 2026.
Mississippi land, mapped
Each pin opens the place page. Zoom to the Delta for the flat farmland refuges or to the south for the piney woods forests.
Hunting near your town
Towns are the quickest way in for a visitor who knows a place name but not a county.
Town populations are Census Bureau 2024 estimates; land distances are straight-line miles from each town center. Sources: MDWFP page. Checked: agency pages and PDFs read again on November 14, 2026.
Deer to dove, one page apiece
The dove season is flagged: the source page prints North and South zones with equal dates, and the page says so.
Dates and zones, tool by tool
The seasons table holds 83 dated rows from the 2026-27 sheet, and the tools around it explain units, CWD zones, draw hunts and furbearers.
| Season tool | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Season dates | 83 dated rows |
| Deer units | Four units, one county list |
| CWD zones | 3 zones, 20 counties touched |
| CWD by county | 586 positives in 18 counties |
| WMA deer draws | 293 deer hunts listed |
| WMA waterfowl draws | 147 waterfowl hunts listed |
| Furbearers and trapping | Furbearer season and rules |
| Nuisance species | Hogs, coyotes and year-round rules |
MDWFP names four deer management units. Only the North Central unit is a county list: Alcorn County, Benton County, DeSoto County, Marshall County, Tate County and Tippah County. The Delta, Hills and Southeast units follow highways and rivers, so this guide never assigns a county to one of them.
The dove page flags that MDWFP prints North and South zones with equal dates. Sources: 2026-27 MDWFP hunting seasons sheet; MDWFP CWD management zones page; 2026-27 migratory game bird digest. Checked: agency pages and PDFs read again on November 14, 2026.
Rules a visitor trips over first
License first
A resident Sportsman license is $45.00 and a nonresident all game license is $300.00; the full table lists 51 priced rows.
Stamps and permits
The Wild Turkey Stamp is $10.00 for residents, and the WMA user permit is $15.00 on state ground.
Orange and pink
When hunting deer during any firearms season for deer, a hunter must wear in full view at least 500 square inches of solid unbroken fluorescent orange or pink unless hunting in a stand at least twelve feet above ground or in a fully enclosed deer stand or blind. Orange or pink must be worn while traveling to and from the stand.
Light hours
Resident game runs half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, and migratory birds end at sunset. In Hinds County on November 15, 2026 that is 6:01 a.m. to 5:33 p.m., or until 5:03 p.m. for ducks and doves.
Hunter education
All persons born on or after January 1, 1972 must complete a hunter education course before buying a Mississippi hunting license (Mississippi Code 49-7-20; the education page says "born after January 1, 1972").
Reporting
Required by law: report every turkey before 10 p.m. on the day of harvest, starting the report before moving the bird, via the HuntFish app, the MDWFP license system website or 1-800-BE-SMART.
Feeding ban in CWD zones
Supplemental feeding (feeders, salt licks, mineral licks) is banned within every MDWFP-defined CWD Management Zone.
Sundays
The sources state no general Sunday rule, only Rule 9.1 on openers and endings, so this guide claims nothing more.
Sources: MDWFP license price page; MDWFP deer regulations page; MDWFP general hunting rules; MDWFP hunter education page; MDWFP turkey Game Check page; MDWFP CWD management zones page; Rule 9.1, 40 Miss. Admin. Code Part 2. Checked: agency pages and PDFs read again on November 14, 2026.
Management area hunts you apply for
MDWFP drew 8,973 deer applicants for 4,346 permits in the latest stats, a success rate of 40.1 percent.
| Draw | Application opens | Application closes |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | January 15 | January 31 |
| Deer | July 15 | August 15 |
| Early teal | July 15 | August 15 |
| Rabbit | July 15 | August 15 |
| Dove | July 15 | August 15 |
| Waterfowl | October 1 | October 15 |
Application windows print no year on the agency page; the 2026 periods are closed and the next turkey window is in January 2027. Sources: MDWFP WMA draw hunts page; MDWFP 2026 deer draw statistics. Checked: agency pages and PDFs read again on November 14, 2026.
The services and shooting side
700 service rows cover processors, taxidermists, guides, stores, license agents and agency offices; each directory runs by region, then county.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| November 16, 2026 | Southwest Chapter Conservation Dinner- Brought to you by Southwest Health- Magnolia | Magnolia, Pike County |
| November 17, 2026 | Jackson Academy DU 9th Annual Dinner: Madison | Madison, Madison County |
| November 18, 2026 | Southern Flyway Banquet- Brought to you by Ranchland Tractor and ATV | Poplarville, Pearl River County |
| November 19, 2026 | Canemount Youth Deer Draw Hunt 2 (2026-27) | Claiborne County |
| November 19, 2026 | Natchez Conservation Banquet- Brought to you by: Performance Contractors | Natchez, Adams County |
| November 19, 2026 | Ole Miss Dinner: Oxford | Oxford, Lafayette County |
Game processors
28 butchers and lockers, listed by region and county.
Taxidermists
130 shops, some on the CWD program list.
Guides and preserves
40 guides, outfitters and shooting preserves.
Gun and bow shops
168 stores, local shops before the chains.
License agents
269 vendors that sell hunting licenses.
MDWFP offices
65 agency rows, from headquarters to CWD drop-off freezers.
Events come from club, chapter and promoter listings; shooting dates come from ATA, NASP and club schedules, each with the page it was read from. Sources: MDWFP page. Checked: agency pages and PDFs read again on November 14, 2026.
What people want to know before they go
Which hunters have to finish a hunter education course?
All persons born on or after January 1, 1972 must complete a hunter education course before buying a Mississippi hunting license (Mississippi Code 49-7-20; the education page says "born after January 1, 1972").
What will a hunting license run me in Mississippi?
A resident Sportsman license is $45.00 and a resident all game license is $25.00. Nonresidents pay $300.00 for all game, or $150.00 for seven days.
Do I have to report a turkey or a deer?
Required by law: report every turkey before 10 p.m. on the day of harvest, starting the report before moving the bird, via the HuntFish app, the MDWFP license system website or 1-800-BE-SMART. Deer Game Check is voluntary except for the September velvet season, which requires reporting by 10 p.m. the day of harvest (online or HuntFish app).
Where does Mississippi draw the line for a youth hunter?
Youth deer, turkey, squirrel and waterfowl-day seasons are for hunters 15 and under; youth under 16 are exempt from a hunting license and from the state duck and turkey stamp (Exempt Under 16 license $2.30 is voluntary).
Where does CWD stand among Mississippi deer?
CWD was discovered in Mississippi in February 2018. Cumulative samples in the MDWFP ArcGIS County_Info layer: 67712 tested, 586 positive, positives in 18 counties.
Is Sunday hunting allowed?
The sources contain no general statement either way. Rule 9.1 moves a Sunday opener to the preceding Saturday and extends a Friday ending to the following Sunday after sunset, and nothing beyond that is claimed.
How many public hunting places are listed?
87 records: 54 management areas, 5 area units, 6 national forests, 7 ranger districts, the federal refuges and 1 state fishing lake. 86 have map points.
Is feeding deer allowed in a CWD zone?
Supplemental feeding (feeders, salt licks, mineral licks) is banned within every MDWFP-defined CWD Management Zone.
What is a WMA draw hunt?
A permit hunt on a state management area. The application windows are turkey January 15 to January 31, deer July 15 to August 15 and early teal July 15 to August 15, and the rest are on the draw page.
When can I hunt until in the evening?
Resident game ends half an hour after sunset and migratory birds at sunset. In Hinds County on November 15, 2026 the times are 6:01 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. for deer and until 5:03 p.m. for doves and ducks.
When is the 2026-27 gun deer opener?
The youth gun week starts November 7, 2026 and general gun deer opens November 21, 2026; archery opened October 1 in the Delta and Hills units and October 15 in the Southeast.
Does Mississippi sell a lottery tag for deer or turkey?
No. MDWFP issues no lottery tag for deer or turkey on private land or open public land; the draws cover management area hunts, the nonresident public land turkey draw and alligator permits.
When does duck season open in 2026-27?
The first statewide duck dates in the MDWFP sheet begin November 27, 2026; Mississippi has one set of waterfowl dates with no zones.
Which counties are in the North Central deer unit?
Alcorn County, Benton County, DeSoto County, Marshall County, Tate County and Tippah County. The Delta, Hills and Southeast units follow highways and rivers, so no county list exists for them.
Every section of the Mississippi guide
- Public land87 places
- Land mapEvery pin
- Wildlife management areasMDWFP managed
- National wildlife refugesFederal refuges
- National forestsSix forests
- Counties82 guides
- Base towns152 pages
- Species31 pages
- Season datesEvery dated row
- Deer unitsFour units
- CWD zonesThree zones
- CWD by countySamples and positives
- WMA deer drawsHunt by hunt
- WMA waterfowl drawsFive draw periods
- Furbearers and trappingSeason and rules
- Nuisance speciesHogs and coyotes
- Open nowSeasons running today
- License fees51 priced rows
- Hunting lawsWeapons and methods
- Records and harvest dataCWD, trapping, turkey
- Shooting hours82 counties
- WMA draw huntsWindows and odds
- Youth and veteransYoung hunters first
- Hunting servicesSix directories
- EventsBanquets and trials
- Shooting rangesClubs and bays
- Shooting eventsMatches and shoots
- Range gearPacking list
MDWFP sources and the checked date
Sources were reread on November 14, 2026. MDWFP publishes seasons in one PDF and wildlife area rules in separate brochures, which is why the place pages repeat the brochure wording.
Your next click
Pick a county if you know where you will hunt, a species if you know what you want, or the land map if you are hunting for ground.
Other photos on this page: Packbj (CC BY-SA 4.0); carnavalet (CC BY-SA 2.0); NatalieMaynor (CC BY 2.0); Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0); Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel (CC BY 2.0); Phillip Stewart (CC BY-SA 2.0); Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel (CC BY 2.0); David Wipf (CC BY 2.0); John & Karen Hollingsworth, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public domain); David Williss (CC BY 2.0); Shenandoah National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Tony Alter (CC BY 2.0); Roberto González (CC BY 2.0); Deborah Freeman (CC BY-SA 2.0).