Mississippi hunting and fishing laws

All persons born on or after January 1, 1972 must satisfactorily complete a hunter education course approved by MDWFP before purchasing a Mississippi hunting license. A resident apprentice hunting license may be issued to a resident older than 16 who does not have the required certificate of hunter education, and an apprentice license may be issued only once to a resident.

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Each resident of Mississippi ages 16 to 64 must obtain a hunting license, except while hunting on lands titled in his or her name. Those under 16 are not required to have one, and a voluntary Youth Exempt license is available.

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Applies to: Deer

When hunting deer during any firearms season for deer, a hunter must wear in full view at least five hundred 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. Hunters must also wear fluorescent orange or pink while traveling to and from their stand.

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Not verified. The 2026-27 Mississippi Outdoor Digest lists no Sunday closure, and its seasons run continuously through weekends, but no MDWFP statement that Sunday hunting is allowed was found. Confirm with the official regulations before you hunt.

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Legal shooting hours for resident game are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

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It is illegal to hunt or trap any wild animal or wild bird with the aid of bait. Supplemental feeding is a separate, private land only regime. Mississippi has no open bear season, so no bear baiting rule applies.

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Applies to: Deer

Miss. Code section 49-7-33.1 directs the commission to allow the taking of deer with supplemental feed on private lands only. Under Reg. 40 Miss. Code R. 2-4-2.4 it is lawful to feed wild animals year round on private lands, and feeders may be placed no closer than 100 yards from the outermost boundary of an area of sole ownership or exclusive hunting rights.

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Applies to: Deer

From the opening day of deer archery season to the close of spring turkey season, hunters must be both 100 yards away from and not within the line of sight of feed or a feeder which contains feed. Feeding sites may not be hunted for 10 days following complete removal of all feed.

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Applies to: Deer

It is illegal to hunt any wild animal or wild bird with the aid of bait. Supplemental feeding is regulated by MDWFP: all feed and feeders must be at least 100 yards from the nearest property line, and deer hunters may hunt near a feeder with no minimum distance. MDWFP may set added timing and method rules, so check mdwfp.com before hunting over feed.

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Supplemental feeding of wildlife, including feeders, salt licks, and mineral licks, is banned within any MDWFP-defined CWD Management Zone.

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It is 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. It is unlawful to hunt, take or kill a deer at night with the aid of a light, lighting device, light amplifying device, forward-looking infrared or thermal imaging device.

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Applies to: Furbearers

Raccoons, foxes, opossums, beavers, nutrias, coyotes and bobcats may be hunted at night with or without lights and dogs, except during spring turkey season, when hunting raccoons with dogs requires an MDWFP permit. Nuisance species including beaver, coyote, nutria, fox, skunk and wild hogs may be taken year-round by licensed hunters. Wild hog night specifics were not verified.

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Applies to: Upland and small game

Wild Turkey Game Check is required by law and requires all hunters in Mississippi to report their harvest before 10 p.m. on the day of harvest.

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Applies to: Deer

Deer Game Check is voluntary, with the exception of the Velvet Season, which requires all harvests to be reported by 10 p.m. the day of harvest. Tagging and evidence of sex requirements were not verified.

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Landowner permission is required to hunt, fish, or trap on the lands of another. The paint marking statute was not verified. The exact MDWFP fishing regulations page was not verified, so the main agency site is listed for fishing, and the exact license purchase portal was not verified, so the agency license page is listed.

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