Open seasons; extend those ending on a Saturday until 30 minutes after sunset on the following Sunday.

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To: Wildlife, Fisheries and
Parks
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Michel, Blackwell, England,
McCaughn, Seymour, Suber

SENATE BILL NO. 2420

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 49-7-31, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
EXTEND THE OPEN SEASON ON DEER, WHEN IT ENDS ON A SATURDAY, TO 30 2
MINUTES AFTER SUNSET ON THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY; TO AMEND SECTION 3
49-7-31.2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXTEND THE OPEN SEASONS ON 4
BOBWHITE QUAIL AND WILD TURKEY, WHEN THEY END ON SATURDAY, TO 30 5
MINUTES AFTER SUNSET ON THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY; TO AMEND SECTION 6
49-7-31.3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXTEND THE OPEN SEASONS ON 7
SQUIRREL AND RABBITS, WHEN THEY END ON SATURDAY, TO 30 MINUTES 8
AFTER SUNSET ON THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY; TO AMEND SECTION 49-7-31.4, 9
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXTEND THE OPEN SEASON ON FUR-BEARING 10
ANIMALS, INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONAL OPEN SEASON ON RACCOON, WHEN IT 11
ENDS ON A SATURDAY, TO 30 MINUTES AFTER SUNSET ON THE FOLLOWING 12
SUNDAY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 13
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 14
SECTION 1. Section 49-7-31, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 15
amended as follows: 16
49-7-31. (1) The open season on deer shall be as follows: 17
(a) With bow and arrow: October 1 through the Friday 18
prior to Thanksgiving. 19
(b) With guns and with dogs: from the Saturday prior 20
to Thanksgiving through December 1. 21
(c) With primitive weapons and without dogs: December 22
2 through December 15. 23
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(d) With guns and without dogs: December 16 through 24
December 23. However, the commission may allow hunting statewide 25
or in specific areas with any legal weapon which it may designate 26
without dogs after the end of the last season for hunting deer 27
with guns and with dogs, but the season with legal designated 28
weapons and without dogs shall not extend beyond January 31. 29
(e) The commission shall establish an extended season 30
with primitive weapons and bow and arrow without dogs from 31
February 1 through February 15 for the area south of U.S. Highway 32
84 and east of Mississippi Highway 35 only for legal bucks. Any 33
antlered deer taken in this area during any open season under this 34
section must be a legal buck as defined in this paragraph. For 35
purposes of this paragraph, the term "legal buck" means a deer 36
with antlers of four (4) points or more with a minimum inside 37
spread of ten (10) inches or a minimum main beam length of 38
thirteen (13) inches. The commission may regulate the taking of 39
deer with antlers of four (4) points or less under this paragraph 40
for the proper management of antlered deer. The commission may 41
delay the opening date and change the length of bow and arrow 42
season in paragraph (a) in this area. 43
(f) With guns and with dogs: December 24 through a 44
date fixed by the commission that will provide a total of 45
thirty-nine (39) days of hunting deer with guns and with dogs when 46
added to the number of days provided for hunting deer with guns 47
and with dogs in paragraph (b). 48
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(g) When the open season on deer ends on a Friday or 49
Saturday, the season shall extend until thirty (30) minutes after 50
sunset on the following Sunday. 51
(2) The commission may set and regulate the deer seasons on 52
wildlife management areas which it administers. 53
(3) (a) The commission may allow the harvesting of 54
antlerless deer in the districts or zones upon the recommendation 55
of the executive director based upon good and substantial 56
quantitative data and research evaluations that demonstrate that 57
the harvesting is necessary to properly manage the herd. 58
(b) The commission, only upon the recommendation of the 59
executive director, may allow the harvesting of antlerless deer 60
during the deer season with guns and with dogs by a majority vote 61
of the commission. 62
(c) Nothing in this subsection prohibits the harvesting 63
of either-sex deer by landowners or leaseholders on private lands 64
under the deer management assistance program prescribed or 65
approved by the executive director. 66
(4) The commission may provide a special permit for the 67
harvesting of deer when they are depredating and destroying crops. 68
The department shall supervise the harvesting and provide for the 69
salvaging of the meat of the animals. The commission may 70
authorize the department to assist any farmer in this state, who 71
sustains crop damage by wildlife, in eradication of the problem 72
wildlife. 73
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(5) (a) During any open season on deer with primitive 74
weapons after November 30, a person may use any legal weapon of 75
choice on private lands only, if the person is: 76
(i) The title owner of the land; 77
(ii) The lessee of the hunting rights on the land; 78
(iii) A member of a hunting club leasing the 79
hunting rights on the land; or 80
(iv) A guest of a person specified in subparagraph 81
(i), (ii) or (iii). 82
(b) If the person is required to have a hunting 83
license, the person must have a primitive weapon license, 84
Sportsman's License or a Lifetime Sportsman's License. 85
(6) The commission shall establish and regulate special 86
hunts during velvet hunting season, outside of the regular open 87
season on deer, as provided in Section 49-7-31.6. 88
SECTION 2. Section 49-7-31.2, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 89
amended as follows: 90
49-7-31.2. The open season for game birds shall be as 91
follows: 92
(a) On bobwhite quail: The season shall open on 93
Thanksgiving Day and run through the first Saturday in March next 94
following. When the open season ends on a Friday or Saturday, the 95
season shall extend until thirty (30) minutes after sunset on the 96
following Sunday. 97
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(b) On pheasant: There shall be no open season on 98
pheasant. 99
(c) On wild turkey: The commission may fix the spring 100
season between March 1 and May 15. In addition, the commission 101
may fix special fall either-sex seasons. When the open season 102
ends on a Friday or Saturday, the season shall extend until thirty 103
(30) minutes after sunset on the following Sunday. 104
(d) On migratory birds: The open season for migratory 105
birds shall be the season prescribed by the Federal Migratory Bird 106
Treaty regulations. 107
SECTION 3. Section 49-7-31.3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 108
amended as follows: 109
49-7-31.3. The open season on game animals except deer shall 110
be as follows: 111
(a) On squirrel: The season shall open on October 1 112
and run through February 28 next following. In addition, the 113
commission is authorized to set a season that shall open not 114
earlier than May 15 and run not later than June 1 next following. 115
When the open season ends on a Friday or Saturday, the season 116
shall extend until thirty (30) minutes after sunset on the 117
following Sunday. 118
(b) On rabbits: The season shall open on the Saturday 119
nearest October 15 and run through February 28 next following, and 120
when rabbits are depredating or destroying crops, the owner of the 121
crops or his tenants may shoot the rabbits with guns. When the 122
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ST: Open seasons; extend those ending on a
Saturday until 30 minutes after sunset on the
following Sunday.
open season ends on a Friday or Saturday, the season shall extend 123
until thirty (30) minutes after sunset on the following Sunday. 124
SECTION 4. Section 49-7-31.4, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 125
amended as follows: 126
49-7-31.4. (1) The commission may fix the open season on 127
fur-bearing animals between November 1 and March 15 next following 128
and fix the open season for hunting opossums, raccoons and bobcats 129
with dogs and guns by licensed hunters from October 1 to March 15 130
next following; but raccoons and bobcats may be run, hunted, 131
chased or pursued throughout the year with dogs by licensed 132
hunters. 133
(2) The commission may establish an additional open season 134
on raccoon from July 1 through October 1, and the bag limit on 135
raccoon during the additional open season shall be one (1) per 136
party, per night. 137
(3) When the open season on fur-bearing animals, including 138
any additional open season on raccoon, ends on a Friday or 139
Saturday, the season shall extend until thirty (30) minutes after 140
sunset on the following Sunday. 141
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from 142
and after its passage. 143