Squirrel in Mississippi, Dates, Bag Limits and Rules

When the squirrel is open, line by line

Of the rows below the biggest is fall season, 151 days long and open from October 1, 2026.

• Youth age 15 and under; private lands, authorized state and federal lands and open public lands only in those areas open for squirrel hunting.
• Printed as May 15 – June 1 on the 2026-27 seasons sheet and page; the sheet prints no year, so start and end are left null.

From 2026-27 MDWFP hunting seasons sheet (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.

What the rules say about squirrel

Keep these in mind next to the dates: the sources print them separately from the season table.

• Shining lights. For squirrel 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.
• Selling game. Rule for squirrel: 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.
• WMA Rule 1.1. On a squirrel trip: When hunting deer or hogs during any firearm season on deer on a WMA, including during special hunts, hunters must wear in full view a minimum of 500 square inches of solid unbroken fluorescent orange or pink; when hunting quail or rabbit on a WMA, hunters must wear a fluorescent orange or pink vest or cap; during any Youth Hunt for Deer, ALL deer hunters on the area must wear a minimum of 500 square inches of solid unbroken fluorescent orange or pink when hunting or walking to / from a stand / blind unless otherwise stated below; hunters shall not be required to wear five hundred (500) square inches of solid unbroken fluorescent orange or pink when: Hunting from a deer stand that is elevated twelve (12) feet or more above the ground; or hunting in a fully enclosed blind.
• Landowner permission. Before a squirrel hunt: Landowner permission is required to hunt, fish or trap on the lands of another.
• Roads and vehicles. When squirrel is the quarry: 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).
• Decoys and bait. Note for squirrel: 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.
• Sunday openers. In the squirrel woods: Rule 9.1: when a deer, quail, turkey, small game or fur-bearer season would open on a Sunday it opens the preceding Saturday; when such a season ends on a Friday it is extended to 30 minutes after sunset on the following Sunday; applies to private lands and open public lands.

From MDWFP general hunting rules and harvest reporting (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.

Public land that lists squirrel

47 WMAs and 14 refuges add up to 66 public areas where the squirrel is listed, and the biggest eight lead the table.

Check the area page before you go: a WMA user permit applies on WMAs and each brochure can add rules of its own.

From WMA brochures and 50 CFR 32.43 (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.