The 2023-2024 Mississippi deer season kicks off statewide on Friday, September 15, for the archery velvet buck season. After that the seasons vary based on which zone you’re hunting.
This article highlights the dates for archery, primitive weapons and firearms deer seasons, legal buck requirements, antlered and antlerless deer bag limits, and deer check-in procedures.
2023-2024 Mississippi Deer Season Dates
As seen in the map below, Mississippi is divided into four deer units — Delta, North Central, Hills, and Southeast. Each has it’s own season dates and harvest regulations.
Velvet Buck Season
| Deer Unit | Season Dates |
|---|---|
| Statewide | Sept. 15-17, 2023* |
Archery Season
| Deer Unit | Season Dates |
|---|---|
| Delta, North Central, and Hills Units | Sept. 30 – Nov. 17, 2023* |
| Southeast Unit | Oct. 14 – Nov. 17, 2023* |
Youth Gun Season
| Deer Unit | Season Dates |
|---|---|
| Delta, North Central, and Hills Units | Nov. 4-17, 2023* Nov. 18, 2023 – Jan. 31, 2024** |
| Southeast Unit | Nov. 4-17, 2023* Nov. 18, 2023 – Feb. 15, 2024** |
** Either-sex on private lands. On open public lands, youth must follow legal deer criteria.
Primitive Weapon
| Deer Unit | Season Dates |
|---|---|
| Delta, North Central, and Hills Units | Nov. 6-17, 2023* Dec. 2-15, 2023** |
| Southeast Unit | Dec. 2-15, 2023** |
** Either-sex on private land and open public land. Weapon of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.
Gun (with dogs)
| Deer Unit | Season Dates |
|---|---|
| Delta, North Central, and Hills Units | Nov. 18 – Dec. 1, 2023* Dec. 24, 2023 – Jan. 17, 2024* |
| Southeast Unit | Nov. 18 – Dec. 1, 2023* Dec. 24, 2023 – Jan. 17, 2024* |
Gun (without dogs)
| Deer Unit | Season Dates |
|---|---|
| Delta, North Central, and Hills Units | Dec. 16-23, 2023* |
| Southeast Unit | Dec. 16-23, 2023* |
Archery/Primitive Weapons
| Deer Unit | Season Dates |
|---|---|
| Delta, North Central, and Hills Units | Jan. 18-31, 2024* |
| Southeast Unit | Jan. 18-31, 2024* Feb. 1-15, 2024** |
** Legal bucks only on private and open public land. Weapon of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.
Mississippi Deer Unit Map
Legal Bucks
| Deer Unit | Legal Buck |
|---|---|
| Delta | 12″ inside spread or 15″ main beam |
| Hills | 10″ inside spread or 13″ main beam |
| North Central | Any hardened antler |
| Southeast | 10″ inside spread or 13″ main beam |
Bag Limits
Antlered Deer
Delta, Hills and Southeast Units: One buck per day and three per season. One of the three may have hardened antlers that do not meet the unit’s legal antler requirements on private land and Holly Springs National Forest.
North Central Unit: One buck per day and four per season. No antler restrictions apply to this unit. All four bucks may have any sized hardened antlers.
Antlerless Deer
An antlerless deer is any male or female deer that doesn’t have hardened antler above the natural hairline.
Delta and Hills Units: The annual bag limit is five antlerless deer. There is no daily bag limit.
North Central Unit: The annual bag limit on private lands is 10 antlerless deer. There is no daily bag limit.
Southeast Unit: The annual bag limit is two antlerless deer. Only one may be harvested per day.
U.S. Forest Service Lands: One antlerless deer per day, not to exceed five per season, except in the Southeast Unit where the limit is two per season.
Deer Check-In Procedures
While not required by law, successful deer hunters should report their harvests through the state’s White-tailed Deer Game Check system. It helps the MDWFP track harvest information on a county-by-county basis so they can make better management decisions for the state’s deer herd.
You can check your harvested deer on the MDWFP app or on their website.
