With the densest herd of whitetail deer in the country, Mississippi is a popular state for hunting. Thanks to roughly 120 days per year of available whitetail hunting, hunters harvested nearly 300,000 animals during the last season. If you want to take advantage of what is one of the best whitetail management programs in the country, inform yourself on the Mississippi hunting season dates for 2022-2023 as well as license requirements, bag limits and other regulations.
Table of Contents
Mississippi 2022-2023 Hunting Season Dates
Mississippi technically has different season dates for each Deer Management Unit, or DMU, but they’re all the same except for the Southeast DMU.
| Season | Dates | Legal Deer | Other Stipulations |
| Archery | Sept. 16-18, 2022 | Bucks only | Private land only |
| Oct. 1-Nov. 18, 2022 | Either sex | ||
| Youth* | Nov. 5-18, 2022 | Either sex | Private land and certain authorized federal and state areas |
| Nov. 19, 2022-Jan. 31, 2023 | Relevant season legal deer | May hunt either sex on private land | |
| Antlerless Primitive Weapon | Nov. 7-18, 2022 | Antlerless only | Private land only |
| Gun | Nov. 19-Dec. 1, 2022 | Bucks only | Dogs allowed; May hunt either sex on private land |
| Primitive Weapon | Dec. 2-15, 2022 | Either sex | Weapon of choice on private land |
| Gun | Dec. 16-23, 2022 | Bucks only | No dogs; May hunt either sex on private land |
| Gun | Dec. 24, 2022- Jan. 18, 2023 | Bucks only | Dogs allowed; May hunt either sex on private land |
| Archery/Primitive Weapon | Jan. 19-31, 2023 | Bucks only | Weapon of choice on private land; May hunt either sex on private land |
Southeast Deer Management Unit
| Season | Dates | Legal Deer | Other Stipulations |
| Archery | Sept. 16-18, 2022 | Bucks only | Private land only; Special permit required |
| Oct. 15-Nov. 18, 2022 | Either sex | ||
| Youth | Nov. 5-18, 2022 | Either sex | Private land and certain authorized federal and state areas |
| Nov. 19, 2022-Feb. 15, 2023 | Relevant season legal deer | May hunt either sex on private land | |
| Gun | Nov. 19-Dec. 1, 2022 | Bucks only | Dogs allowed; May hunt either sex on private land |
| Primitive Weapon | Dec. 2-15, 2022 | Either sex | Weapon of choice on private land |
| Gun | Dec. 16-23, 2022 | Bucks only | No dogs;May hunt either sex on private land |
| Gun | Dec. 24, 2022- Jan. 18, 2023 | Bucks only | Dogs allowed; May hunt either sex on private land |
| Archery/Primitive Weapon | Jan. 19-31, 2023 | Bucks only | Weapon of choice on private land; May hunt either sex on private land |
| Feb. 1-15, 2023 | Bucks only | Weapon of choice on private land |
Velvet Season
Mississippi has a special velvet season that takes place on the consecutive Friday, Saturday and Sunday that falls between September 10 and 20. It is only for private land and certain Wildlife Management Areas. You may only use archery equipment to harvest one legal buck from that DMU. This counts towards the overall bag limits as described below.
Mississippi Bag Limits
Antlered Deer (Bucks)
You may take one buck per day and three bucks per season. One of these three may fail to meet the legal antler requirements on private land or in Holly Springs National Forest.
The exception is the North Central DMU where you can harvest one buck per day and four per season.
Legal Bucks
In Mississippi you have to pay close attention to the size of the antlers on the buck you’re hunting. The state has strict stipulations on what constitutes a legal buck or antlered deer. A buck whose antlers fail to meet these requirements is not a legal take even if it’s legal to take antlered deer during the given season. The only exception is the single “illegal” buck you are allowed on private land.
Each deer management unit has its own requirements. These are either requirements for the width of the inside spread or the length of at least one main beam. Note that the North Central Deer Management Unit has no minimum antler requirements beyond hardened antler.
| DMU | Inside Spread | OR | Main Beam Length |
| Delta | 12 inches | 15 inches | |
| Northeast | 10 inches | 13 inches | |
| East Central | 10 inches | 13 inches | |
| Southwest | 10 inches | 13 inches | |
| Southeast | 10 inches | 13 inches | |
| North Central | Any hardened antler |
Antlerless Deer
In Mississippi antlerless deer are defined as male or female deer with no hardened antler above the hairline. In general, you may harvest five antlerless deer per season with no daily bag limit, but there are some caveats based on DMU:
- You may harvest 10 antlerless deer per season on private land in the North Central DMU.
- You may only harvest one antlerless deer per day and two per season from the Southeast DMU.
- You may only harvest one antlerless deer per day in U.S. Forest Service National Forests and otherwise stick to the relevant DMU’s bag limits.
Mississippi Deer Hunting License Requirements and Costs
Mississippi has one of the more straightforward licensing schemes. Basically, to hunt whitetail deer, you just need an “All Game Hunting,” “Sportsman” or lifetime license plus an “Archery/Primitive Weapon/Crossbow” permit if you are going to use one of those methods of take.
The only exception is the new velvet season, which has its own additionally required permit. You also need a separate permit to hunt Wildlife Management Areas.
Tip: The All Game Hunting and Sportsman licenses are essentially the same as far as whitetail deer are concerned, but the Sportsman license includes both fall and spring turkey hunting while the All Game Hunting license only includes the spring turkey season. If you’re only interested in whitetail deer, the All Game Hunting license will save you some money.
Anyone hunting in Mississippi must have a license with the following exceptions:
- Residents hunting on their own land
- Resident youth under age 16
- Disabled residents, defined as blind, paraplegic, multiple-amputee, rated 100% disabled by the Social Security Administration, Veterans Administration or Railroad Retirement Board
- Residents who are members of the US Armed Forces, including the Reserves and National Guard, and who are on active duty outside of Mississippi, when they are in state on leave
- Resident seniors age 65 and older
However, note that these exempted demographics must still purchase a relevant “Exempt License,” though the fee is small.
Resident License and Permit Costs
Resident licenses are valid for one year from the date of issuance. These licenses and permits also come with a $1.00 agent fee.
| License/Permit | Price | Processing Fee |
| Sportsman | $45.00 | $1.29 |
| All Game Hunting | $25.00 | $1.29 |
| Archery/Primitive Weapon/Crossbow Permit | $10.00 | $1.29 |
| Velvet Season Permit | $10.00 | $1.29 |
| WMA User Permit | $15.00 | $1.29 |
| Youth, Senior, Disabled Exempt | $2.30 | $1.70 |
Lifetime licenses are also available that include all the privileges of the Sportsman license plus a WMA User Permit. These cost $500 for those under age 12, $1,000 for those 13 and older, and $1,500 for non-resident natives.
Non-Resident License and Permit Costs
Non-resident licenses are slightly more complicated because there are various options based on timeframe. Additionally, non-residents must purchase a deer permit to hunt whitetail deer, including during velvet season.
| License/Permit | Price | Processing Fee | Agent Fee |
| Annual All Game Hunting | $300.00 | $4.25 | $3.00 |
| 7-Day All Game Hunting | $150.00 | $4.25 | $3.00 |
| 3-Day All Game Hunting (includes Archery/Primitive Weapon/Crossbow Permit) | $150.00 | $4.25 | $3.00 |
| Archery/Primitive Weapon/Crossbow Permit | $75.00 | $4.25 | $3.00 |
| WMA User Permit | $30.00 | $4.25 | $1.00 |
| Deer Permit | $50.00 | $4.25 | $1.00 |
Hunter Education Requirements
All hunters born on or after January 1, 1972, must show proof of having completed an approved hunter education course before obtaining a Mississippi hunting license. The only exception is for youth under age 16 who may hunt under the supervision of a licensed hunter age 21 or older. However, youth hunters age 12-15 must still meet hunter education requirements to hunt alone. (Those under 12 must always be supervised.)
Residents 16 and older who don’t meet the hunter education requirements may obtain a one-time apprentice hunting license and use it to hunt supervised by a licensed hunter 21 or older. This apprentice hunting license costs $32 for the Sportsman version or $17 for the All Game version.
What Weapons Can You Hunt With in Mississippi?
Mississippi has some of the least restrictive regulations in the country regarding legal methods of take. Longbows, recurve bows, compound bows and crossbows are all permitted during archery season with no minimum draw weights or arrow lengths. There are no caliber or magazine restrictions during gun seasons, and primitive weapons and archery equipment are allowed during gun seasons as well.
Primitive weapons are defined as:
- Single or double-barreled muzzleloading rifles of at least .38 caliber
- Single-shot, breech-loading, metallic-cartridge rifles of at least .35 caliber
- Single or double-barreled muzzleloading shotguns with a single ball or slug
All muzzleloading primitive weapons must use black powder or a substitute with percussion caps, #209 shotgun primers or flintlock ignition. Archery equipment is also allowed during primitive weapons seasons.
Can You Hunt With an AR-15 in Mississippi.
You can hunt with an AR-15 in Mississippi. There are no caliber or magazine restrictions in the state, so any legally obtained AR-15 or similarly styled rifle or carbine is legal.
What Types of Deer Are Popular in Mississippi?
Whitetail deer is the only species of deer native to Mississippi. However, with a herd of 1.75 million, there are a lot of them. In fact, Mississippi has a higher population density of deer than any other state in the country and the highest total number of deer second only to Texas.
From this herd, Mississippi hunters harvest roughly 280,000 animals per year. Despite the state’s relatively high allowance for buck harvests, both antlered and antlerless deer are popular to hunt in Mississippi. The most recent data from the 2019-2020 season suggest that hunters harvested about 93,000 bucks to 107,000 does.
What Else Is Popular to Hunt in Mississippi?
Just like in the United States in general, whitetail deer is the most popular game animal in Mississippi. That doesn’t mean there aren’t many other species to hunt, though. Mississippi also has hunting seasons for:
- Wild turkey
- Small game: Squirrel, rabbit, bobwhite quail, frog, raccoon, opossum, bobcat
- Migratory birds: Teal, goose, woodcock, snipe, gallinule, rail, dove, crow, duck, merganser, coot