MS Youth Gun Deer Season Opens November 5 The gun deer season for youth hunters 15 years of age and younger begins November 5 across Mississippi. This season provides youth hunters with the first firearms opportunity at Mississippi’s abundant deer herd this hunting season. Youth may use any firearm. The bag limit on Delta and Hill Zone antlerless deer is five per annual season. The bag limit on Southeast Zone antlerless deer is one per day, three per annual season. Youth may harvest one buck with any hardened antler per day not to exceed three bucks for the entire hunting season. Zone-specific spread and main beam antler regulations do not apply to youth hunters. “The abundant late spring and early summer rains have resulted in above average antler growth and fawn production,” said William McKinley, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Biologist. “We are expecting a better than average season in both number and quality.” MDWFP wants to remind hunters that starting November 5, all deer hunters, including archery hunters, must wear hunter orange unless they are inside a fully enclosed hunting stand or in a hunting stand that is at least twelve feet above the ground. Additionally, hunters should take time prior to hunting to ensure they have all the proper safety equipment. Deer hunters should have the following: hunter education certification (if required), hunter orange, a full-body harness for tree stands, an emergency signal device such as a whistle or cell phone, a light to walk to and from stand during low light conditions, and a hunting plan that includes notifying someone else about the hunting location. MS Special Primitive Weapons Season for Deer Opens November 7 JACKSON – Mississippi’s special primitive weapons season for white-tailed deer will open November 7 in the Hill and Delta Deer Management Zones. The special primitive weapons season is for antlerless deer only on private lands and open public lands from November 7 – 18. This special season is provided to help hunters in areas with higher deer densities earlier opportunities to achieve antlerless harvest objectives prior to the rut. Only archery equipment and primitive firearms may be used during this season. “Primitive firearms,” for the purpose of hunting deer, are defined as single or double barreled muzzle loading rifles of at least .38 caliber; OR single shot, breech loading, metallic cartridge rifles (.35 caliber or larger) and replicas, reproductions, or reintroductions of those type rifles with an exposed hammer; OR single or double barreled muzzle loading shotguns, with single ball or slug. All muzzle-loading primitive firearms must use black powder or a black powder substitute with percussion caps, #209 shotgun primers, or flintlock ignition. “Weapon of Choice” does not apply to this 12-day season. “This season is needed due to many local deer populations in Mississippi exceeding carrying capacity,” says Kamen Campbell, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Private Lands Biologist. “This early season is a great opportunity for hunters to focus on doe harvest before the breeding season, which may increase rutting behavior by increasing buck competition for the remaining does.” The special primitive weapons season will not occur in the Southeast Deer Management Zone due to lower deer numbers. Additionally, this season will not occur on Wildlife Management Areas due to higher hunter numbers and unique management objectives for these areas. Information about deer hunting, season dates, and hunting regulations can be found at www.mdwfp.com or in the 2016 – 2017 Mississippi Outdoor Digest. Reprinted from “The Outdoor Wire” 
