Mississippi has strong 2022 deer season and 2023 hunting is looking even better
Mississippi deer hunters once again enjoyed a strong harvest in the 2022-23 season and due to the weather pattern the state has experienced, the coming season could be even better.
"Our survey was 273,694 (deer harvested)," said Russ Walsh, Wildlife chief of staff for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. "That's back to around our 2012 numbers.
"It was a good year for harvests. We were back up to levels before 2018, 2019."
The estimates of deer harvested in Mississippi were on a steady decline for years until it hit its lowest number on record in the 2017-18 season when hunters harvested an estimated 195,000 deer. The following year, it was roughly the same.
Walsh said decreased opportunities on some public lands for antlerless harvests contributed to that decline. As antlerless deer bag limits and opportunities were increased, harvest numbers increased along with it. The South Delta flood of 2019 also hurt harvest numbers.
High meat prices and more deer hunters in the woods
Then came COVID-19. Hunting license sales increased as did the time hunters spent in the woods and the harvest estimate jumped to 262,000 deer. Those extra hunters are likely still contributing to higher harvests.
"I think we're still riding that wave a bit," Walsh said.
Meat prices were probably a motivation to harvest more deer, too.
"I think some people decided to put an extra deer or two in the freezer," Walsh said.
And this year is shaping up to potentially produce even more harvests. Walsh said even though the numbers of deer taken have been rising in recent years, it hasn't negatively impacted the population.
More deer in Mississippi and less food
"Data seems to indicate the population is increasing," Walsh said.
Weather will be a contributing factor as well. Parts of Mississippi experienced a hard late freeze in March that killed emerging foliage and reduced acorn production.
The extreme event was followed by the extreme heat and drought that Mississippi has been under for weeks. That has stressed and killed some of the plants deer would normally eat. So, deer should be moving more in order to keep their stomachs full and food plots should be very effective for hunters.
"I think there's potential to have a good season," Walsh said. "This fall is going to be tough on deer, but hunting should be good.
"I think they'll be on their feet more looking for food. Food plots will be particularly good for seeing and harvesting deer. If we get any significant moisture and folks can get food plots in the ground, folks are going to harvest them I would think."
Do you Have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS had a good 2022 deer season and hunting should be better in 2023
