I will be graduating from the Air Force Academy in may and will most likely be stationed at Columbus AFB in Mississippi for pilot training. I have been looking at the Mississippi deer hunting website and could use some help trying to get started in the state. First off I see there is a lot of public land available to hunt. Do I need to apply for a special permit to hunt these areas or would my license cover me? Is there any archery season besides the one from Oct 1st-Nov 22nd? Would it be hard for me to go door to door and find some land to hunt? Are there any hunting tips for Mississippi that would be helpful to know in general? Thanks for help!
You will need wma for fed land. Get a sportsmen licenses to use bow,muzzleloader, and rifle. You can use bow all seasons. http://www.mdwfp.com/law-enforcement/hunting-rules-regs.aspx?alttemplate=mobileCategory -Jeremy Realmuto-
Thanks Jeremy! I didn't realize that you could bow hunt throughout the gun seasons. In Illinois the shotgun weekends are non-archery.
Yup. Anytime but youth. I love to bow hunt but when I'm in deep woods I use a rifle. -Jeremy Realmuto-
Hey man, first of all thanks for your service! Second Mississippi is a frustrating place to hunt depending on where you are and the weather, which changes often. That aside WMA's and National Forest are your best bet to getting in the woods with out it getting in your pocket. The next best bet is to find a hunting lease or a club to get in on. Dues and what not vary as so do the rules, you kind of take your chances on these. I know some clubs that are the best you could ask for, and others are shady. Finding a lease is a good option if you can afford it and the pricing is reasonable. You may can find some locals who will let you hunt their place, just have to ask around once you get plugged in. I moved an hour away from my families land so I am still building relationships and finding places to go. Part-time guy where I work has a lot of family land no one hunts that I may check out this spring for turkey. Good luck to you!
Hey man, first of all thanks for your service! Second Mississippi is a frustrating place to hunt depending on where you are and the weather, which changes often. That aside WMA's and National Forest are your best bet to getting in the woods with out it getting in your pocket. The next best bet is to find a hunting lease or a club to get in on. Dues and what not vary as so do the rules, you kind of take your chances on these. I know some clubs that are the best you could ask for, and others are shady. Finding a lease is a good option if you can afford it and the pricing is reasonable. You may can find some locals who will let you hunt their place, just have to ask around once you get plugged in. I moved an hour away from my families land so I am still building relationships and finding places to go. Part-time guy where I work has a lot of family land no one hunts that I may check out this spring for turkey. Also for that particular area the season is a bit longer than the rest of the state due to warmer weather down that way, the rut is usually a little later than the rest of the state too so you may can catch one slipping. As a general rule of thumb the closer to the Mississippi River you get the bigger the deer, or at least it seems to me. The bigger deer that are killed in the state are usually killed not far from the river or one of its outlets like Big Black. If you can find land that has been farmed with corn & soybean as well. Good luck to you!
If you're going to be stationed in Columbus, there is some public hunting land around Meridian ( Southeast from where you'll be). Jeremy posted a good website, so check it out. Thank you for your service to our country and an early welcome to Mississippi and the Deep South. Bring plenty of Mosquito repellent, you'll definitely need it...even in the winter...lol .... 70+ degrees one day and 30's the next. Crazy weather. Oh, and if there's ice down here, be careful...we don't know how to drive in icy conditions. Marsha
Thanks for the additional posts that I didn't see as I was busy finishing up school. I've been down here for a couple of weeks now and it honestly reminds me of back home in Illinois with just a tad more humidity.
Door to door likely won't be much help as many property owners may not live on that location. I'm sure someone locally would be willing to accommodate you; just have to keep an eye out. Also, you'll be close to Alabama, good hunting there as well Good luck!
Yeah I actually met a guy who lives in Alabama about 15 minutes away. I'll have to look into out of state tags.
You don't need tags in Alabama, when you get your license they give you all you need. You can only kill 3 bucks a year and you just have to fill out the spot for the deer before you move the deer. I hunt in lower alabama and have my whole life. Weather changes like crazy and the rut is in January and Febuary, luckily they have extended the season to Febuary 10th so hopefully that will result in more bucks. Out of stare licenses are exspensive, I believe $320 plus you have to buy a management area permit if you plan to hunt wma land!
