Deer, turkeys and squirrels: Wildlife department proposes increased hunting opportunities

Brian Broom, Mississippi Clarion Ledger

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks made a number of proposals in the May meeting of the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and if passed in the June meeting, hunters will see a number of expanded opportunities, including squirrels, turkeys and deer.

"I think it's really good," said Russ Walsh, MDWFP Wildlife chief of staff. "We've tried to add opportunity across the WMAs (wildlife management areas). I think all the changes are positive."

One change involves turkey hunting.

"We haven't had turkey hunting on South Delta WMAs for about 15 years," Walsh said. "Going back to about 2009 or '10, flooding in that part of the Delta really impacted numbers."

However, during the last several years, the area has experienced good hatches and numbers are rebounding. As a result, biologists are recommending allowing turkey hunting by permit on five South Delta WMAs.

South Delta WMAs where turkey hunting may resume in 2025

  • Mahannah

  • Phil Bryant

  • Shipland

  • Sunflower

  • Twin Oaks

Mississippi hunters may see increased hunting opportunities in the coming hunting seasons.
Mississippi hunters may see increased hunting opportunities in the coming hunting seasons.

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Increased bag limits for squirrels proposed and more

For squirrel hunters, changes may be coming on both public and private land.

During the fall season, the limit has been eight per day, per hunter, as long as anyone can remember and the limit during the spring season has been four per day since the season was introduced in 2015. Now, the agency wants to make the daily bag limit 10 for both spring and fall seasons.

Walsh said squirrel hunting along with small game hunting isn't as popular as it once was. So, with fewer hunters, the population can sustain a higher bag limit.

"This has been talked about a couple of years," Walsh said. "We'd looked at the data before and did not think it would have a negative impact on the resource."

Changes for squirrel hunting at the Land Between the Creeks unit of Pascagoula River WMA may also be on the way. The department proposed allowing squirrel hunting with dogs there.

"You could squirrel hunt, but now you can hunt with dogs," Walsh said. "That's the month of February."

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More opportunities for deer hunters

Changes may be in store for some deer hunters also.

In the Southeast Deer Management unit, that change may be an increase in the bag limit for antlerless deer from one per day, two per annual season to one per day, three per annual season.

The Southeast DMU has been limited to two antlerless deer for a number of years because lower soil quality limits the amount of deer the area can produce and support, but the population appears to be growing.

"This is a request from hunters there, from our staff there," Deer Program Coordinator William McKinley told the commission last week. "The deer herd has increased in that part of the world."

Additionally, senior deer hunters 65 years and older, may also see a new opportunity. The department has proposed another seniors-only hunt.

"We added senior draw hunts at Cossar State Park," Walsh said. "It's going to be a group hunt. So, you'd be drawn as a group."

The commission voted in favor of each of those proposals, and they are now in a 30-day public comment period. A final vote will be made in the June commission meeting.

Comments may be sent by visiting https://www.mdwfp.com/apps/rules-regulations/.

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Deer, turkeys. squirrels: MS proposes more hunting opportunities

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