Shooting Hours:
Legal shooting hours for resident game are one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise to one-half (1/2) hour after sunset. Legal shooting hours for migratory birds are one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise to sunset.

Legal Game:
-A legal buck is a deer with antlers of four (4) points or greater. Raccoon, fox, opossum, beaver, and bobcats may be legally hunted at night, with or without the use of a light, and with dogs, except during the spring turkey season. The hunting of predatory animals shall be restricted to the open seasons for hunting any game animal or bird, using only the firearms, ammunition, primitive weapon or archery equipment legal for use during that open season. Landowners, agricultural leaseholders or their designated agents may take predatory animals year-round on lands owned or leased by them.

Weapons & Loads:
-Legal weapons for hunting from one-half (1/2) hour after sunset to one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise are restricted to handguns or rifles using no larger than .22 standard rimfire cartridges (no 22 magnums) and shotguns with shot no larger than No. 6. When hunting migratory birds, a shotgun must be "plugged" so that it can hold no more than three (3) shells at one loading. The hunting of turkeys during the spring gobbler season shall be restricted to shotguns only and with no shot larger than number two, compound, recurve and long bows. However, any quadriplegic may hunt turkey with a rifle.

Special Permits:
-Special crossbow permits may be issued at the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks' Jackson office to any person 65 or older or who has a statement on letterhead from one physician licensed to practice in Mississippi, that the applicant has a disability which totally and permanently prevents him from using a longbow or other conventional archery equipment.

Decoys & Bait:
-It is illegal to hunt or trap any wild animal or wild bird with the aid of bait. Liquid scents may be used. Electrically operated calling or sound-reproducing devices may be used for hunting coyote and crow only.

Hunting Dogs:
-Dogs are not allowed for hunting deer during archery season, primitive weapons season or still hunting season. Application for dog field trials must be made to the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks at least 14 days before the opening of the trial.

Hunting from Roads, Vehicles, & Boats:
-It is unlawful to hunt or shoot in, on or across any street, public road, public highway, railroad or the rights-of-way. It is prima facie evidence that a person is hunting if he possesses a firearm with a cartridge or shell in the barrel, magazine, or clip attached to the firearm, or if all ammunition is not located in an enclosed compartment, container, box or garment (whether or not the firearm is in or out of a motorized vehicle) while he is on any street, public road or highway, or any railroad, or right-of-way thereof any time during the open season on deer and turkey. An unloaded muzzle-loading caplock firearm is one with the cap removed.? An unloaded muzzleloading flintlock firearm is one with no powder in the flashpan. It is illegal to hunt or kill any game animal, furbearing animal or game bird from any motorized vehicle or boat. However, squirrels and game birds may be hunted from a boat if the motor is off and the progress of the boat has ceased.

Hunting Deer:
-All deer hunters must wear, in full view, a minimum of 500 square inches of solid unbroken continuous daylight fluorescent hunter orange material during open gun seasons on deer. A legal buck is a deer with antlers of four (4) points or greater. Spotted fawns are not to be killed or molested any time. Depredation permits for the killing of deer when they are destroying crops are issued only by a DWFP officer after a supervised approved field inspection. If a person is convicted of killing any deer out of season, he may be fined not less than $100, and his license may be revoked for a year by the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Anyone who hunts or kills any deer with any lighting device is subject to a maximum fine of $5,000, five days in jail, and the loss of hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for three years. This does not apply to a deer killed in an accident with a motor vehicle. Any equipment used to hunt or kill deer at night with a lighting device that is subject to seizure is considered contraband property and will be seized by the enforcement officer. This equipment is subject to forfeiture and may become property of the State of Mississippi.

*At Antler Creek Ranch, we require a buck to be an 8 point or better.

Transporting Game:
-Any game animal, bird, or fish lawfully taken may be possessed at any time.

Selling of Animals Native to Mississippi:
-Person cannot buy or sell or offer for sale, or exchange for merchandise or other consideration, any game animal, game bird or game fish (regardless of whether it was taken in or out of Mississippi), except as follows: the skins and sinew of legally taken deer may be bought or sold at any time and the carcasses of raccoons and muskrats may be sold for food during the open trapping season, and raccoon carcasses may be sold during the open gun season on raccoons. It is also illegal to buy or sell any non-game wildlife native to the State of Mississippi.

Protected Wildlife:
-All birds of prey (eagles, hawks, osprey, owls, kites and vultures) and other nongame birds are protected and may not be hunted, molested, bought or sold. English sparrows, starlings, blackbirds and crows may be taken according to regulations. The following endangered species are also protected: black bear, Florida panther, gray bat, Indiana bat, all sea turtles, gopher tortoise, sawback turtles (black-knobbed, ringed, yellow-blotched), black pine snake, eastern indigo snake, rainbow snake and the southern hognose snake.

Migratory Game Birds:
-Seasons, limits and regulations for rail, gallinule, coot, woodcock, snipe and waterfowl will be announced following release of guidelines by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Non-Resident Regulations:
-A non-resident may not kill antlerless deer except on lands he owns or on lands where he leases the hunting or fishing rights, or a non-resident who has a native son or daughter nonresident lifetime sportsman license or a resident lifetime sportsman license may take antlerless deer on private lands, wildlife management areas, or national wildlife refuges.

For more state regulations, click here.