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Migratory bird
Snipe Season Dates and Rules for Mississippi
1 dated season for 2026-27, November 14, 2026 to February 28, 2027; snipe is open today and runs through February 28, 2027.
Photo: Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel (CC BY 2.0)
The 2026-27 sheets give the snipe one window, November 14, 2026 to February 28, 2027, set out in 1 row below. A snipe window is open on the day we checked: snipe, ending February 28, 2027.
Snipe opens on November 14 and runs to the last day of February, with a limit of eight a day. Possession is capped at 24.
16 public areas list snipe, and the statewide ban on hunting with the aid of bait covers all of them.
From 2026-27 MDWFP hunting seasons sheet and 2026-27 migratory game bird digest (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Every snipe season row for 2026-27
Look at the day counts: snipe tops the list at 107 days.
| Season | Applies to | Dates | Day count | Bag | What to buy | Today? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snipe | Statewide |
| 107 | 8 | License and HIP |
From 2026-27 MDWFP hunting seasons sheet and 2026-27 migratory game bird digest (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
How many snipe you may take
Limits for the snipe are short on paper, but the exceptions deserve a slow read.
| Quarry | Limit as printed |
|---|---|
| Snipe | 8 a day and 24 in possession. |
From MDWFP seasons and bag limits page (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Snipe paperwork and prices
Everything on this list is sold by MDWFP; the cheapest legal path to the snipe depends on which weapon and which land you use.
| License or stamp | Resident | Non-resident | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Game license | $10.00 | $95.00 | Small game, birds |
| All Game Hunting license | $25.00 | $300.00 | All game, no bow |
| WMA user permit | $15.00 | $30.00 | Any WMA use |
Hunting snipe means: A Small Game or All Game hunting license, hunter education if born after January 1, 1972, and HIP certification for migratory game birds.
On a snipe trip: 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).
For snipe hunters: All persons born on or after January 1, 1972 must complete a hunter education course before buying a Mississippi hunting license. Rule for snipe: 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.
Snipe methods, weapons and reporting
Hunters most often trip on the method rules rather than the dates, so the snipe list puts the legal tools and the reporting duties together.
- Selling game. When snipe is the quarry: 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. Where snipe is concerned: No hunting with the aid of bait or over a baited area; an area is considered baited for 10 days after complete removal of bait (Migratory Digest, federal rules).
- Migratory birds. Note for snipe: Shotgun plugged to hold no more than three shells (except during the Light Goose Conservation Order, which allows unplugged shotguns); non-toxic shot required for waterfowl and coot; not legal: shotguns larger than 10 gauge; lead shot while waterfowl or coot hunting.
- Decoys and bait. If you hunt snipe: Illegal to hunt or trap any wild animal or wild bird with the aid of bait; liquid scents allowed; electronically operated calls may be used for nuisance animals and crow only.
- Landowner permission. Before a snipe hunt: Landowner permission is required to hunt, fish or trap on the lands of another.
- Roads and vehicles. In the snipe woods: 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).
From MDWFP general hunting rules and harvest reporting (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Sunrise, sunset and the legal window for snipe
For the snipe the sources say: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset (all migratory game birds, including doves, ducks, geese). The times are calculated, not printed, so treat them as a planning aid.
| Date | Alcorn County | Hinds County | Harrison County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 14, 2026 | 5:57 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. | 6:00 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. | 5:51 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. |
| Jan 6, 2027 | 6:32 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Feb 28, 2027 | 5:57 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. | 5:55 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. |
From MDWFP general hunting rules and 2026-27 migratory game bird digest (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Snipe on WMAs, refuges and forests
You can look for the snipe on 16 public areas (4 WMAs and 8 refuges); the table keeps to the eight biggest.
| Area | Type | Acres | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee NWR | Refuge | 44,706 | Winston, Oktibbeha, Noxubee |
| Panther Swamp NWR | Refuge | 41,448 | Yazoo, Humphreys |
| St. Catherine Creek NWR | Refuge | 21,271 | Adams, Wilkinson |
| Phil Bryant WMA | WMA | 17,689 | Issaquena, Warren |
| Yazoo NWR | Refuge | 12,784 | Washington |
| Mahannah WMA | WMA | 12,695 | Issaquena, Warren |
| Dahomey NWR | Refuge | 10,276 | Bolivar |
| Bogue Chitto NWR | Refuge | 7,360 | Pearl River |
Refuges and forests are run by federal agencies and set their own hunting rules.
From WMA brochures and 50 CFR 32.43 (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Open cotton field ready for harvest beside a roadPhoto: carnavalet (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Cotton picker working a white cotton fieldPhoto: NatalieMaynor (CC BY 2.0)
Tractor plowing a cotton field near EvansvillePhoto: Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel (CC BY 2.0)
Quick answers on snipe in Mississippi
When does the snipe season start and end?
A snipe window is open now and ends February 28, 2027; the first snipe row of the year started November 14, 2026 and the last ends February 28, 2027.
Is snipe hunting open today?
Yes, as of November 14, 2026 the snipe row was open through February 28, 2027; always confirm in the MDWFP HuntFish app.
How many snipe can I take in a day?
Daily 8, possession 24.
What license do I need for snipe?
Applies to snipe: A Small Game or All Game hunting license, hunter education if born after January 1, 1972, and HIP certification for migratory game birds.
What time does snipe hunting begin?
Planning snipe? One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
How many public areas allow snipe?
The snipe appears on 16 area records, among them Mahannah WMA, Dahomey NWR, Bogue Chitto NWR; the full list sits on the public land page.
Are Sundays closed for snipe?
If you hunt snipe: 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.
How do I certify for migratory game birds?
Applies to snipe: HIP certification required for all migratory game bird hunters. The migratory group in the digest lists doves, ducks, geese, brant, teal, coots, mergansers, woodcock, snipe, rails, gallinules and crows.
May I use an unplugged shotgun for snipe?
Planning snipe? Shotgun plugged to hold no more than three shells (except during the Light Goose Conservation Order, which allows unplugged shotguns); non-toxic shot required for waterfowl and coot.
Is baiting legal for snipe?
Before a snipe hunt: No hunting with the aid of bait or over a baited area; an area is considered baited for 10 days after complete removal of bait (Migratory Digest, federal rules).
Do I need hunter education to hunt snipe?
For snipe hunters: 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.
What number reports a wildlife violation?
When snipe is the quarry: MDWFP takes violation reports at 1-800-BE-SMART.
Other photos on this page: carnavalet (CC BY-SA 2.0); NatalieMaynor (CC BY 2.0); Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel (CC BY 2.0).