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SB2436 • 2026

Black bear hunting season; require MDWFP to create and issue harvest tags for through a lottery system.

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS TO CONTROL, REGULATE AND MANAGE THE TAKING OF ALL BLACK BEARS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO CREATE, SET AND REGULATE A BLACK BEAR SEASON, BEGINNING WITH THE 2027-2028 HUNTING SEASON; TO ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTS AND NONRESIDENTS TO HUNT OR KILL BLACK BEARS; TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH A BLACK BEAR HARVEST TAG TO HUNT OR KILL BLACK BEARS, AND TO BASE THE NUMBER OF SUCH TAGS AUTHORIZED EACH YEAR ON THE MISSISSIPPI COMMISSION ON WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS' BLACK BEAR POPULATION DATA; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH A LOTTERY SYSTEM FOR ISSUANCE OF BLACK BEAR HARVEST TAGS AND TO RESERVE ONE HARVEST TAG FOR EACH HUNTING SEASON TO BE RESERVED AS THE "GOVERNOR'S TAG"; TO PROHIBIT THE DEPARTMENT FROM DONATING ANY HARVEST TAG(S) OTHER THAN THE GOVERNOR'S TAG OR FROM DESIGNATING ANY NUMBER OF HARVEST TAGS FOR ANY NONPROFIT OR FOR-PROFIT ENTITY; TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT TO OFFER BLACK BEAR HARVEST TAGS FOR RESIDENTS BEGINNING WITH THE 2027-2028 HUNTING SEASON; TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT TO OFFER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HARVEST TAGS FOR NONRESIDENTS BEGINNING WITH THE 2032-2033 HUNTING SEASON; TO SET THE PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS OF THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
McCaughn, Seymour, Suber, Berry, Taylor, England
Last action
2026-03-10
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so it has no legal effect as of now.

Black Bear Hunting Tags for Mississippi

This bill requires the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to create a lottery system for issuing black bear hunting tags starting in 2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a black bear hunting season beginning with the 2027-2028 hunting season.
  • Establishes a lottery system for residents to get black bear harvest tags, which are needed to hunt or kill black bears.
  • Reserves one special tag each year called the 'Governor's Tag' that can be auctioned off to raise money for wildlife conservation.
  • Limits nonresidents from getting hunting tags until 2032 and then only allows up to ten percent of total tags.
  • Sets penalties for breaking these rules.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Hunters in Mississippi, both residents and nonresidents.
  • The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

Terms To Know

Black Bear Harvest Tag
A special tag needed to hunt or kill black bears in Mississippi.
Governor's Tag
One special hunting tag reserved each year that can be auctioned off for conservation efforts.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not signed into law.
  • Details about the exact number of tags or fees are not specified in this summary.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-10 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/10 (H) Failed

  2. 2026-02-23 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/23 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

  3. 2026-02-16 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/16 (H) Referred To Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

  4. 2026-02-11 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/11 (S) Transmitted To House

  5. 2026-02-10 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/10 (S) Passed

  6. 2026-02-10 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/10 (S) Committee Substitute Adopted

  7. 2026-02-02 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/02 (S) Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

  8. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (S) Referred To Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

Official Summary Text

Black bear hunting season; require MDWFP to create and issue harvest tags for through a lottery system.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
S. B. No. 2436 *SS26/R465CS* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G3/5
26/SS26/R465CS
PAGE 1

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

By: Senator(s) McCaughn, Seymour, Suber,
Berry, Taylor, England

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 2436

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, 1
FISHERIES AND PARKS TO CONTROL, REGULATE AND MANAGE THE TAKING OF 2
ALL BLACK BEARS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO CREATE, SET AND 3
REGULATE A BLACK BEAR SEASON, BEGINNING WITH THE 2027-2028 HUNTING 4
SEASON; TO ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTS AND NONRESIDENTS 5
TO HUNT OR KILL BLACK BEARS; TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH 6
A BLACK BEAR HARVEST TAG TO HUNT OR KILL BLACK BEARS, AND TO BASE 7
THE NUMBER OF SUCH TAGS AUTHORIZED EACH YEAR ON THE MISSISSIPPI 8
COMMISSION ON WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS' BLACK BEAR POPULATION 9
DATA; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH A LOTTERY SYSTEM FOR 10
ISSUANCE OF BLACK BEAR HARVEST TAGS AND TO RESERVE ONE HARVEST TAG 11
FOR EACH HUNTING SEASON TO BE RESERVED AS THE "GOVERNOR'S TAG"; TO 12
PROHIBIT THE DEPARTMENT FROM DONATING ANY HARVEST TAG(S) OTHER 13
THAN THE GOVERNOR'S TAG OR FROM DESIGNATING ANY NUMBER OF HARVEST 14
TAGS FOR ANY NONPROFIT OR FOR-PROFIT ENTITY; TO DIRECT THE 15
DEPARTMENT TO OFFER BLACK BEAR HARVEST TAGS FOR RESIDENTS 16
BEGINNING WITH THE 2027-2028 HUNTING SEASON; TO AUTHORIZE THE 17
DEPARTMENT TO OFFER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HARVEST TAGS FOR 18
NONRESIDENTS BEGINNING WITH THE 2032-2033 HUNTING SEASON; TO SET 19
THE PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS OF THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 20
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 21
SECTION 1. (1) The department shall control, regulate and 22
manage the taking of all black bears. 23
(2) The department shall create, set and regulate a black 24
bear season, beginning with the 2027-2028 hunting season. 25
(3) Residents and nonresidents shall be required to purchase 26
the following to hunt or kill any black bear for any purpose: 27
S. B. No. 2436 *SS26/R465CS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R465CS
PAGE 2

(a) A Mississippi hunting license for the year of the 28
hunt; and 29
(b) A black bear harvest tag established in subsection 30
(4) of this section. 31
(4) (a) The department shall establish a black bear harvest 32
tag to hunt or kill black bears. 33
(i) The number of black bear harvest tags 34
authorized each year shall be based on the commission's black bear 35
population data. 36
(ii) The department shall establish a lottery 37
system for issuance of black bear harvest tags, and shall 38
establish a reasonable fee for applications to be entered into the 39
lottery. To be eligible for a harvest tag, all applicants must 40
purchase a Mississippi hunting license for the application year. 41
(iii) Notwithstanding subparagraph (ii) of this 42
paragraph (a), one (1) black bear harvest tag for each hunting 43
season shall be reserved as the "Governor's Tag," and shall be 44
assigned to the Governor for donation to the department or to the 45
Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, Parks and Marine Foundation to be 46
auctioned to raise money for restoring, enhancing or protecting 47
black bear populations or their habitats in Mississippi, as 48
prescribed by the department. The department shall be prohibited 49
from donating any other harvest tag(s) or from designating any 50
number of harvest tags for any nonprofit or for-profit entity. 51
S. B. No. 2436 *SS26/R465CS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R465CS
PAGE 3
ST: Black bear hunting season; require MDWFP to
create and issue harvest tags for through a
lottery system.
(b) Beginning with the 2027-2028 hunting season, the 52
department shall offer black bear harvest tags under paragraph (a) 53
of this subsection to residents. 54
(c) Beginning with the 2032-2033 hunting season, the 55
department may offer black bear harvest tags under paragraph (a) 56
of this subsection to nonresidents. No more than ten percent 57
(10%) of the total number of harvest tags issued for any year 58
shall be made available to nonresidents. 59
(5) Any person who violates this section shall be deemed 60
guilty, upon conviction, of a Class I violation and shall be 61
punished as provided in Section 49-7-141. 62
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 63
and after July 1, 2026. 64