White-Tailed Deer Regulations

Season Dates and Bag Limits for White-Tailed Deer:

See more information regarding season dates and bag limits for hunting in Mississippi.

Mississippi's public lands are subject to special seasons and regulations that may vary from statewide seasons and regulations. It is always suggested to check the rules and regulations for the specific location you are interested in hunting before visiting. See more information on MDWFP's Wildlife Management Areas.

Deer Management Units:

• Delta Unit: Areas west of I-55 and north of I-20 plus areas south of I-20 and west of U.S. Hwy 61. 
• North Central Unit: All private and open public lands in Alcorn, Benton, Desoto, Marshall, Tate, and Tippah counties. 
• Southeast Unit: Areas south of U.S. Hwy 84 and east of MS Hwy. 35. 
• Hills Unit: All areas except the Delta, North Central, and Southeast Deer Management Units.

Bag limits:

Antlered Buck Deer

The statewide bag limit on antlered buck deer is one (1) buck per day and three (3) per annual season. One (1) of these three (3) may have hardened antlers that do not meet the unit legal antler requirements on private land and Holly Springs National Forest. For youth hunters fifteen (15) years of age and younger, hunting on private land and authorized state and fed- eral lands, all three (3) of the three (3) buck bag limit may be any antlered deer. Antlered buck bag limit in the North Central Deer Management Unit (DMU) is one (1) buck per day and four (4) per annual season. No antler restrictions apply to this DMU. All four bucks may have any sized hardened antlers. 

Antlerless Deer

• Private lands: The statewide annual bag limit on antlerless deer is five (5). The antlerless bag limit for private lands in the North Central DMU is ten (10) antler- less deer per season. Antlerless deer are male or female deer which do not have hardened antler above the natural hairline. Only two (2) antlerless deer may be harvested from the Southeast Unit. There is no daily bag limit on antlerless deer in the North Central, Hills, and Delta units. Only one (1) antlerless deer per day may be harvested in the Southeast DMU. 
• U.S. Forest Service National Forests: The bag limit is one (1) per day, not to exceed five (5) per annual season except in the Southeast Unit, which is two (2) per annual season. 

Spotted Fawns

Spotted fawns are not to be killed or molested at any time.

Chronic Wasting Disease:

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was discovered in Mississippi in February 2018. Since then, proactive measures have been enacted for continued surveillance and management. Some measures include: 

• Supplemental feeding of wildlife, including feeders, salt licks, and mineral licks, is banned within any MDWFP-defined CWD Management Zone. 
• Only meat from cervids (deer, elk, moose, etc.) that has been completely deboned or bone-in quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached, hides with no head attached, finished taxidermy products, antlers with no tissue attached, and cleaned skulls or skull plates may be transported outside the CWD Zones or into Mississippi from any other state or country. 
• Hunters may only transport a deer head outside of a MDWFP-defined CWD Management Zone to a permitted taxidermist participating in the CWD collection program. A CWD sample number must be obtained from the participating taxidermist prior to transporting the deer head outside of the MDWFP-defined CWD Management Zone. This sample number must accompany the deer head while in transport and be available for inspection by Law Enforcement upon request. The deer head must be delivered to the participating taxidermist within 5 days of receiving the sample number. 

MDWFP urges hunters to submit the heads of harvested deer for CWD sampling, especially if the deer was harvested in a CWD Zone. See more information on Chronic Wasting Disease.