Mississippi deer hunting: 2026-27 seasons, legal bucks and WMAs
Mississippi's 2026-27 archery season opens October 1, 2026 in the Delta, North Central and Hills deer management units and October 15 in the Southeast unit; gun season with dogs opens November 21 statewide (MDWFP 2026-2027 hunting seasons). 51 WMAs have a page here; on the 47 with a 2024-25 DMAP report, hunters checked 1,652 deer that season (MDWFP's DMAP reports).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: MDWFP's 2026-27 hunting seasons. Harvest: MDWFP's DMAP report for each WMA.
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What are Mississippi's deer management units?
| Unit | Where | Legal buck |
|---|---|---|
| Delta | Areas west of I-55 and north of I-20, plus areas south of I-20 and west of U.S. Highway 61. | Inside spread of at least 12 inches or one main beam at least 15 inches |
| North Central | All private and open public lands in Alcorn, Benton, DeSoto, Marshall, Tate and Tippah counties. | Any hardened antler |
| Southeast | Areas south of U.S. Highway 84 and east of MS Highway 35. | Inside spread of at least 10 inches or one main beam at least 13 inches |
| Hills | All areas except the Delta, North Central and Southeast units. | Inside spread of at least 10 inches or one main beam at least 13 inches |
Source: MDWFP 2026-2027 hunting seasons.
When is deer season in Mississippi?
Delta, North Central and Hills units
| Season | Dates, 2026-27 | Legal deer |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sept. 11-13 | One legal buck only; special permit, mandatory reporting and CWD sampling required |
| Archery | Oct. 1 - Nov. 20 | Either sex on private and open public lands |
| Youth season (15 and under) | Nov. 7 - Nov. 20 | Either sex on private lands, authorized state and federal lands and open public lands |
| Youth season (15 and under) | Nov. 21 - Jan. 31 | Either sex on private lands; on open public lands youth follow the legal buck rule |
| Antlerless primitive weapon | Nov. 9 - 20 | Antlerless deer only on private lands |
| Gun (with dogs) | Nov. 21 - Dec. 1 | Either sex on private land and Holly Springs NF (excluding portions in Yalobusha County); legal bucks only on open public land |
| Primitive weapon | Dec. 2 - 15 | Either sex on private and open public lands |
| Gun (without dogs) | Dec. 16 - 23 | Either sex on private land and Holly Springs NF; legal bucks only on open public land |
| Gun (with dogs) | Dec. 24 - Jan. 20 | Either sex on private land and Holly Springs NF; legal bucks only on open public land |
| Archery/primitive weapon | Jan. 21 - 31 | Either sex on private land and Holly Springs NF; legal bucks only on open public land |
Southeast unit
| Season | Dates, 2026-27 | Legal deer |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sept. 11-13 | One legal buck only; special permit, mandatory reporting and CWD sampling required |
| Archery | Oct. 15 - Nov. 20 | Either sex on private and open public land |
| Youth season (15 and under) | Nov. 7 - Nov. 20 | Either sex on private lands, authorized state and federal lands and open public lands |
| Youth season (15 and under) | Nov. 21 - Jan. 31 | Either sex on private lands; on open public lands youth follow the legal buck rule |
| Youth season (15 and under) | Feb. 1 - 15 | Legal bucks on private and open public lands |
| Gun (with dogs) | Nov. 21 - Dec. 1 | Either sex on private land; legal bucks only on open public land |
| Primitive weapon | Dec. 2 - 15 | Either sex on private and open public land |
| Gun (without dogs) | Dec. 16 - 23 | Either sex on private land; legal bucks only on open public land |
| Gun (with dogs) | Dec. 24 - Jan. 20 | Either sex on private land; legal bucks only on open public land |
| Archery/primitive weapon | Jan. 21 - 31 | Either sex on private land; legal bucks only on open public land |
| Archery/primitive weapon | Feb. 1 - 15 | Legal bucks only on private and open public land |
Source: MDWFP 2026-2027 hunting seasons. WMAs set their own dates on their brochures.
How many deer can you take in Mississippi?
MDWFP allows one antlered buck a day and three a season; one of the three may have hardened antlers that do not meet the unit's legal buck rule on private land and Holly Springs National Forest, and youth 15 and under may take any antlered deer for all three. The North Central unit allows four bucks a season with no antler rule. The statewide antlerless limit is five a season on private land (ten in the North Central unit, three in the Southeast unit, where only one antlerless deer a day may be taken). National forests allow one antlerless deer a day and five a season (three in the Southeast unit). WMAs set their own rules on their brochures.
When is turkey season in Mississippi?
Spring turkey season runs March 15 to May 2, 2027, after a youth season March 8-14. Residents may take one adult gobbler or one gobbler with a beard 6 inches or longer a day and three a spring; nonresidents two a spring, only one before April 1, and nonresidents may not hunt public land before April 1 unless drawn for a public lands turkey permit or a WMA draw hunt (MDWFP 2026-2027 hunting seasons).
Where can you hunt public land in Mississippi?
51 WMAs have a page here with their 2026-27 seasons, rules and map. The most deer checked in each area's latest DMAP season came from Leaf River WMA (152), Sunflower WMA (128), Phil Bryant WMA (86) and Mahannah WMA (74). See every WMA.
Questions hunters ask
When does deer season open in Mississippi in 2026?
Archery opens October 1, 2026 in the Delta, North Central and Hills units and October 15 in the Southeast unit, after a special three-day archery hunt September 11-13 by permit. Youth season opens November 7 and gun season with dogs November 21 statewide (MDWFP 2026-2027 hunting seasons).
What is a legal buck in Mississippi?
It depends on the unit. In the Delta a legal buck has an inside spread of at least 12 inches or one main beam at least 15 inches; in the Hills and Southeast units, 10 inches or 13 inches; in the North Central unit any hardened antler is legal. Many WMAs set their own, stricter rules.
Where do the Mississippi WMA harvest numbers come from?
From MDWFP's Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) report for each WMA, which lists the bucks and does checked on the area each season. FilledTag copies them as published. MDWFP does not publish deer harvest by county.
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Where these numbers come from
- Seasons, units, legal bucks and limits: MDWFP 2026-2027 hunting seasons; each WMA's brochure (MDWFP Wildlife Management Areas).
- Harvest: MDWFP Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) reports.
- Maps: MDWFP WMA property boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. MDWFP's hunting pages are the final word on every rule.