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Are you ready for deer season? There are lots of things Mississippi hunters need to know

brian broom
·7 min read

Deer season is almost here and will kick off this month with the early, buck-only archery season followed by the traditional archery season in October then the early primitive weapon season and gun season in November. For thousands in Mississippi, it’s the most exciting time of the year.

But, as has been the case in many years, there have been some changes. Here’s what hunters need to know about chronic wasting disease, bag limits, harvest reporting and season dates for the 2024-25 deer season.

Deer hunting season dates

North Central, Delta and Hills deer management units

  • Archery: Sept. 13-15, One legal buck. Special permit, mandatory reporting and CWD sampling required. Private land and authorized state and federal lands.

  • Archery: Oct. 1-Nov. 22, Either sex on private land, open public land, and Holly Springs National Forest.

  • Youth: Nov. 9-22, Either sex on private lands and authorized state and federal lands.

  • Youth: Nov. 23-Jan. 31, Either sex on private lands. On open public lands, youth must follow below legal deer criteria.

  • Antlerless primitive weapon: Nov. 11-22, Antlerless deer only on private lands.

  • Gun with dogs: Nov. 23-Dec. 1, Either sex on private land and Holly Springs National Forest. Legal bucks only on open public land.

  • Primitive weapon: Dec. 2-15, Either sex on private land, open public land, and Holly Springs National Forest. Weapons of choice may be used on private land with the appropriate license.

  • Gun without dogs: Dec. 16-23, Either sex on private land and Holly Springs National Forest. Legal bucks only on open public land.

  • Gun with dogs: Dec. 24-Jan.22, Either sex on private land and Holly Spring National Forest. Legal bucks only on open public land.

  • Archery, primitive weapon: Jan. 23-31, Either sex on private land and Holly Springs National Forest. Legal bucks only on open public land. Weapons of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.

Southeast Deer Management Unit

  • Archery: Sept. 13-15, One legal buck. Special permit, mandatory reporting and CWD sampling required. Private land and authorized state and federal lands.

  • Archery: Oct. 15-Nov. 22, Either sex on private or open public land.

  • Youth: 15 years and under, Nov. 9-22, Either sex on private land and authorized state and federal land.

  • Youth: 15 years and under, Nov. 23-Feb. 15, Either sex on private land. On open public land, youth must follow legal deer criteria.

  • Gun with dogs: Nov. 23-Dec. 1, Either sex on private land. Legal bucks only on open public land.

  • Primitive weapon: Dec. 2-15, Either sex on private or open public land. Weapons of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.

  • Gun without dogs: Dec. 16-23, Either sex on private land. Legal bucks only on open public land.

  • Gun with dogs: Dec. 24-Jan. 22, Either sex on private land. Legal bucks only on open public land.

  • Archery, primitive weapon: Jan. 23-31, Either sex on private land. Legal bucks only on open public land. Weapon of choice may be used on private land with the appropriate license.

  • Archery, primitive weapon: Feb. 1-15, Legal bucks only on private and open public land. Weapon of choice may be used on private land with the appropriate license.

Mississippi deer hunter Hank Wentworth harvested a remarkable buck that has two double main beams and scored more than 205 inches.
Mississippi deer hunter Hank Wentworth harvested a remarkable buck that has two double main beams and scored more than 205 inches.

Deer bag limits

  • Delta DMU: The bag limit for antlered deer is one per day, three per annual season. The antlerless bag limit is five.

  • Hills DMU: The bag limit for antlered deer is one per day, three per annual season. The antlerless bag limit is five.

  • North Central DMU: The bag limit for antlered deer is one per day, four per annual season. The limit for antlerless deer is 10 on private lands.

  • Southeast DMU: The bag limit for antlered deer is one per day, three per annual season. The bag limit for antlerless deer is one per day, three per annual season.

  • U.S. Forest Service National Forests: The bag limit for antlered deer is one per day, three per annual season. The bag limit for antlerless deer is one per day, five per annual season except in the Southeast DMU where the antlerless limit is one per day, three per annual season.

Mississippi deer hunter James Keel of Hernando harvested a mature buck that was the size of a large dog.
Mississippi deer hunter James Keel of Hernando harvested a mature buck that was the size of a large dog.

Antler requirements

  • Delta DMU: 12-inch inside spread or 15-inch main beam

  • Hills DMU: 10-inch inside spread or 13-inch main beam

  • North Central DMU: No antler restrictions apply to this zone. Hunters may harvest bucks with any hardened antler.

  • Southeast DMU: 10-inch inside spread or 13-inch main beam

  • Youth hunters: For youth hunters 15 years of age and younger, hunting on private land and authorized state and federal lands, all of the buck bag limit may be any antlered deer.

  • Buck of choice: In the Delta, Hills and Southeast DMUs, hunters may harvest one buck that does not meet antler requirements on private land and Holly Springs National Forest.

  • Public lands: Antler requirements vary among public lands. Hunters should check regulations for the specific public land they plan to hunt before hunting.

Blaze orange

Hunters have traditionally been required to wear 500 square inches of unbroken blaze orange while deer hunting as a safety measure, but this year they have an alternative. A bill passed in the 2024 Legislative session allows hunters to choose between blaze orange or pink.

A Mississippi hunter faced a fierce looking buck recently that was not too happy, snorting at him repeatedly in the cold morning air.
A Mississippi hunter faced a fierce looking buck recently that was not too happy, snorting at him repeatedly in the cold morning air.

CWD testing

Testing deer for CWD, a disease that is considered always fatal for deer, is not mandatory other than during the early archery season, but the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks urges hunters to provide tissue samples of harvested deer for testing.

According to the department, knowing where the disease exists and how prevalent it is helps in managing and slowing the spread of the disease.

Although there has been no known case of it spreading to humans, the CDC warns against consuming infected deer. So hunters should know if their deer is infected as well.

Since the disease was first detected in Mississippi in 2018, there have been 318 cases found in the state as of September 2024.

For convenience, MDWFP has provided freezers at locations across the state where hunters can leave deer heads with six inches of neck attached for testing. The agency has also partnered with a number of taxidermy businesses that will have deer tested at the customer’s request.

CWD management zones

Counties in CWD management zones have changed with some added and a zone added this year. Within these zones, special regulations are in place to slow the spread of the disease such as a supplemental feeding ban and carcass transportation restrictions.

North CWD Management Zone

The North CWD Management Zone includes all portions of the following counties:

  • Alcorn County

  • Benton County

  • Desoto County

  • Lafayette County

  • Marshall County

  • Panola County

  • Prentiss County

  • Tate County

  • Tippah County

  • Tishomingo County

  • Union County

Portions of Coahoma, Quitman, and Tunica counties are also included and are defined as:

  • Areas south of MS 4

  • Areas east of Old Highway 61 to the intersection of US 49

  • Areas east of US 49 to the intersection of US 278

  • Areas north of US 278

  • Areas west of MS 3

Issaquena CWD Management Zone

  • Claiborne County

  • Sharkey County, east of the Mississippi River and south of MS 14

  • Warren County

Harrison CWD Management Zone

Portions of Hancock and Harrison counties are included and defined as:

  • All portions of Harrison County west of US 49

  • All portions of Hancock County east of MS 53, MS 603 and MS 43

  • All portions of Hancock County east of Nicholson Avenue

What is banned in a CWD management zone?

  • Salt licks

  • Mineral licks

  • Supplemental feeding

  • Transportation of deer carcasses outside the zone

What parts of a deer can be taken out of a CWD zone?

  • Cut/wrapped meat

  • Deboned meat

  • Hides with no head attached

  • Bone-in leg quarters

  • Finished taxidermy

  • Antlers with no tissue attached

  • Cleaned skulls or skull plates with no brain tissue

  • Hunters may transport deer heads to permitted taxidermists participating in the CWD collection program. A CWD sample number must be obtained from a participating taxidermist prior to transporting a deer head outside of the CWD management zone.