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Nuisance species
Skunk as a Mississippi Nuisance Species
From private fields to WMAs, this page follows the written rules on skunk for 2026-27.
Photo: NatalieMaynor (CC BY 2.0)
The 2026-27 sheet carries no dated row for the skunk, only the window and limit printed as text.
Skunk is listed as a nuisance species with no closed season on private land. The estimated statewide striped skunk trapper harvest in the 2024-25 trapping season was 603, against 568 in 2015-16 and a peak of 1,030 in 2023-24, with 55 spotted skunk.
The species sheet prints no bag limit for skunk, and anyone who traps one still follows the 36-hour check and the road setback that apply to every trapper.
From 2026-27 MDWFP hunting seasons sheet (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Skunk dates, row by row
| Row | Reach | Start and end | Days open | Limit | License kind | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuisance species (year-round) | Private land; public land by agency | No dates printed | – | Not printed | Hunting license | Year-round |
- Year-round. Landowners and leaseholders may hunt nuisance animals at any time of day or night with no weapon or caliber restrictions on property they own or lease; written-permission agents likewise. Public lands: the managing entity may or may not allow it. Wear 500 square inches of hunter orange during open gun seasons on deer unless in a fully enclosed stand. No dogs during spring turkey season.
From 2026-27 MDWFP hunting seasons sheet (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Licenses and stamps for the skunk
Buy before you go: MDWFP sells licenses online, in the HuntFish app, at vendors and by phone, and the table lists what the skunk hunt needs.
| License or stamp | Resident | Non-resident | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Game Hunting license | $25.00 | $300.00 | All game, no bow |
| Small Game license | $10.00 | $95.00 | Small game, birds |
| Trapping License | $25.00 | $205.00 | Ages 16 and older |
| WMA user permit | $15.00 | $30.00 | Any WMA use |
Applies to skunk: Hunters follow the same license rules as for other game; landowners on land titled in their name are exempt, and trappers 16 and older need a trapping license.
Before a skunk hunt: Residents who are visually impaired, paraplegic, a multiple amputee, adjudged totally disabled by the Social Security Administration or totally service-connected disabled by the VA need no hunting or fishing license (carry proof).
Rule for skunk: All persons born on or after January 1, 1972 must complete a hunter education course before buying a Mississippi hunting license. Note for skunk: Free in-person courses (10 hours of instruction; students at least 10 years old; pre-registration); residents 12 and older can complete the full requirement online.
From MDWFP license price page, license requirements and hunter education page (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Rules to know before you hunt skunk
Each rule below is paraphrased from MDWFP's general rules or from the Mississippi Administrative Code citations printed with them, and the label tells you which topic it answers.
- Roads and vehicles. Where skunk is concerned: Unlawful to hunt with a firearm that is not unloaded on or in the right-of-way of any street, public road, highway, levee or railroad maintained by a railroad corporation, city, county, levee board or state or federal entity; unlawful to hunt or kill any game animal, furbearing animal or game bird from any motorized vehicle or boat (squirrels and game birds may be hunted from a boat if the motor is off and progress has ceased).
- Selling game. In the skunk woods: No buying or selling of any game animal, game bird or game fish except skins and sinew of legally taken deer, raccoon and muskrat carcasses for food during the open trapping season, and raccoon carcasses during the gun season on raccoons.
- Bait. If you hunt skunk: It is illegal to hunt or trap any wild animal or wild bird with the aid of bait; liquid scents may be used.
- Hunter orange. Planning skunk? Persons hunting nuisance animals (including wild hogs) during any open gun season on deer must wear 500 square inches of solid unbroken hunter orange in full view unless hunting from a fully enclosed stand.
- Landowner permission. Hunting skunk means: Landowner permission is required to hunt, fish or trap on the lands of another.
- Shining lights. For skunk hunters: Unlawful to shine a light from a public road or right-of-way, or on the property of another, at night from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise; Class 2 violation, $100-$500 fine; headlighting deer: maximum fine $5,000, five days in jail, loss of hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for three years.
From MDWFP general hunting rules and harvest reporting (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
When skunk hunting starts and stops each day
For the skunk the sources print no clock range, so this page gives none and instead quotes what they do say.
When skunk is the quarry: Landowners, leaseholders and permitted agents may hunt nuisance animals year-round at any time of day or night on their own or leased property. On a skunk trip: From one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise legal weapons are limited to handguns or rifles using no larger than .22 standard rim-fire cartridges (no .22 magnums) and shotguns with shot no larger than number 6.
From MDWFP general hunting rules (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Skunk on WMAs, refuges and forests
No public area lists the skunk among its species, so a hunt starts with landowner permission or with the managing agency's own rules.
From WMA brochures (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Statewide skunk harvest, season by season
The survey behind these numbers estimates the statewide harvest from returned trapper surveys, and the ten seasons from 2015-16 to 2024-25 are shown below.
| Season | Striped Skunk | Spotted Skunk |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 568 | 36 |
| 2016-17 | 412 | 14 |
| 2017-18 | 564 | 30 |
| 2018-19 | 564 | 9 |
| 2019-20 | 543 | 10 |
| 2020-21 | 539 | 26 |
| 2021-22 | 794 | 60 |
| 2022-23 | 544 | 16 |
| 2023-24 | 1,030 | 37 |
| 2024-25 | 603 | 55 |
From Mississippi Trapper Harvest Estimates report (MDWFP); the report is by Boudreau 2025 for Mississippi State University and MDWFP, checked November 14, 2026.
Brochure items for skunk hunters
Public ground follows Rule 1.1 of the WMA brochures, and three of its lettered items touch the skunk.
- Rule 1.1, item Y. In the skunk woods: Other Seasons: Hunting seasons for animals not listed in individual WMA regulations are the same as statewide seasons.
- Rule 1.1, item N. Rule for skunk: Harassment of wildlife, including spotlighting, is prohibited.
- Rule 1.1, item S. Where skunk is concerned: During Raccoon, Opossum, and Bobcat Seasons, hunting is allowed without dogs during daylight hours and with dogs from one-half hour after sunset until 4 am.
From MDWFP WMA brochures (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Open cotton field ready for harvest beside a roadPhoto: carnavalet (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Plowed cotton rows glowing in low sunPhoto: Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel (CC BY 2.0)
Longleaf pine savanna with a grassy understoryPhoto: Justin Meissen (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Skunk FAQ
Is there a closed season on skunk?
The 2026-27 sheet prints no closed dates for the skunk: Year-round. Landowners and leaseholders may hunt nuisance animals at any time of day or night with no weapon or caliber restrictions on property they own or lease; written-permission agents likewise. Public lands: the managing entity may or may not allow it. Wear 500 square inches of hunter orange during open gun seasons on deer unless in a fully enclosed stand. No dogs during spring turkey season. Public land is open only as the managing agency allows.
Which permit covers skunk?
If you hunt skunk: Hunters follow the same license rules as for other game; landowners on land titled in their name are exempt, and trappers 16 and older need a trapping license.
When must skunk hunting stop for the day?
Landowners, leaseholders and permitted agents may hunt nuisance animals year-round at any time of day or night on their own or leased property.
What is the Sunday rule for skunk?
Planning skunk? The sources we read contain no general statement that Sunday hunting is allowed or prohibited; Rule 9.1 covers deer, bobwhite quail, wild turkey, small game and fur-bearer seasons only.
Do landowners have special rights for skunk?
When skunk is the quarry: Landowners, leaseholders and permitted agents may hunt nuisance animals year-round at any time of day or night on their own or leased property.
Does the orange rule cover skunk?
On a skunk trip: Persons hunting nuisance animals (including wild hogs) during any open gun season on deer must wear 500 square inches of solid unbroken hunter orange in full view unless hunting from a fully enclosed stand.
What are the bait rules for skunk?
Hunting skunk means: It is illegal to hunt or trap any wild animal or wild bird with the aid of bait. Liquid scents may be used.
Is skunk open on public land?
Applies to skunk: Public lands follow the managing agency. On MDWFP WMAs, item T of Rule 1.1 says beavers, coyotes and hogs may be killed in daylight only during any open season, with weapons and ammunition legal for that season; other animals follow the statewide seasons in item Y.
Is hunter education required for skunk hunters?
Before a skunk hunt: All persons born on or after January 1, 1972 must complete a hunter education course before buying a Mississippi hunting license; ages 12 through 15 need a certificate to hunt alone, and they may hunt without one with a licensed or exempt hunter at least 21.
Where can I report illegal skunk hunting?
Note for skunk: MDWFP takes violation reports at 1-800-BE-SMART.
Other photos on this page: carnavalet (CC BY-SA 2.0); Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel (CC BY 2.0); Justin Meissen (CC BY-SA 2.0).