MS deer hunting: Changes proposed for coming deer seasons in May commission meeting
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks proposed a number of changes for the coming hunting seasons and several, if adopted by the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, will affect deer hunters.
William McKinley, MDWFP Deer Program coordinator, started with the dates of the coming early archery season. McKinley said the 2024 dates are September 13-15, which is a Friday through Sunday hunt. The hunt is by permit only and is designed to offer hunters in Mississippi a chance at harvesting a buck with antlers in velvet, but any legal buck can be taken.
McKinley said another proposal is allowing the early archery season on authorized state and federal public lands where as in the past it has been limited to private land.
"That was a request from some of our partners to have the ability to allow this season on some of the state and federal lands there," McKinley said. "We're putting that in there to allow it if they so choose."
In the Southeast Deer Management Unit, hunters may see a bag limit increase.
On bag limits, we're requesting a change in the Southeast Deer Management Unit from two antlerless deer to three antlerless deer per year," McKinley said.
The Southeast DMU has been limited to two antlerless deer for a number of years because lower soil quality limits the amount of deer the area can produce and support, but the population appears to be growing.
"This is a request from hunters there, from our staff there," McKinley said. "The deer herd has increased in that part of the world."
If the bag limit is increased, hunters will still be limited to one per day.
Another change came through Legislative action. Hunters will now be able to choose to wear 500 inches of unbroken fluorescent pink for safety as an alternative to fluorescent orange.
The commission voted in favor of each of these proposals and they are now in a 30-day public comment period. A final vote will be made in the June commission meeting.
Comments may be sent by visiting https://www.mdwfp.com/apps/rules-regulations/.
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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Changes proposed for 2024-25 Mississippi deer seasons
