BIG GAME

WHITE-TAILED DEER

Zone 1

Areas north of U.S. Highway 84, plus areas south of U.S. Highway 84 and west of Mississippi Highway 35. Open public lands include National Forests, Corps of Engineers lands, etc., that have statewide seasons without special regulations.

Archery: Sept. 30-Nov. 17; either sex.

Youth gun: Nov. 11-Nov. 17, private lands only; either sex.

Gun, with dogs: Nov. 18-Dec. 1; either sex on private land, legal bucks only on open public land.

Primitive weapon: Dec. 2-Dec. 15; either sex.

Gun, without dogs: Private lands - Dec. 16-Dec. 23, either sex. Open public lands - Dec. 16-17, either sex; Dec. 18-23, legal bucks only.

Gun, with dogs: Dec. 24-Jan. 17; either sex on private land, legal bucks only on open public land.

Archery: Jan. 18-Jan. 31, either sex.

Primitive weapon, private lands only: Jan. 18-Jan. 31, either sex.

Zone 2

Areas south of U.S. Highway 84 and east of Mississippi Highway 35. Open public lands include National Forests, Corps of Engineers lands, etc., that have statewide seasons without special regulations.

Archery: Oct. 14-Nov. 17; either sex.

Youth gun: Nov. 11-Nov. 17, private lands only; either sex.

Gun, with dogs: Nov. 18-Dec. 1; either sex on private land, legal bucks only on open public land.

Primitive weapon: Dec. 2-Dec. 15; either sex.

Gun, without dogs: Private lands - Dec. 16-Dec. 23, either sex. Open public lands - Dec. 16-17, either sex; Dec. 18-23, legal bucks only.

Gun, with dogs: Dec. 24-Jan. 17; legal bucks only.

Primitive weapon (includes archery): Jan. 18-Jan. 31, legal bucks only.

Limits

Bucks: The bag limit on antlered bucks is one per day, not to exceed three per license year.

Zone 1: Only antlered buck deer with antlers of four points or greater may be taken.

Zone 2: Only antlered buck deer with antlers of four points on greater AND either a minimum inside spread of 10 inches OR a minimum beam length of 13 inches may be taken.

Youth: One antlered deer with any hardened antler, regardless of points, beam length or spread, may be taken per license year on private lands by a person less than 16 years of age.

Antlerless deer: The bag limit of antlerless deer (does) is one per day, not to exceed three per license year, except that two additional antlerless deer may be taken with a bow and arrow.

Notes: Seasons and regulations on open public lands may vary, and information should be obtained from the governing body (National Forests, Corps of Engineers, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks...) prior to hunting.

WILD TURKEY

Spring season

Youth hunt: March 8-March 14, 2007, private lands only, limited to children 15 and under.

Regular season: March 15-May 1, statewide except for closed areas in the following counties:

Desoto: West of Mississippi 305, south of Mississippi 302, east of Mississippi 3 and east of U.S. 61.

Humphreys: East of Mississippi 7 and north of Mississippi 12.

Issaquena: North and west of Willett Road and south and east of Mississippi 1.

Leflore: West of Mississippi 7 and U.S. 49E and north of Moorehead Road and south of Mississippi 442.

Sunflower: South of Mississippi 442 and east of Mississippi 3 and Highway 49W, and north of Berclair Road.

Tate: North of Mississippi 4 and West of Mississippi 305.

Tunica: East of Mississippi 3.

Limit: One adult gobbler or gobbler with a 6-inch minimum beard per day, 3 per license year. Exception: Children 15 and under are allowed one gobbler of any beard length in their 3-bird annual license year limit.

Fall season

Dates: Oct. 28-Nov. 12 and Dec. 2-Dec. 15 in the following areas only:

Delta zone: Bolivar County (west of the main Mississippi River levee and those lands east of the levee known as the 27 Break Hunting Club); Coahoma, Desoto, Issaquena, Tunica and Washington Counties (west of the main Mississippi River levee); and Warren County (only Davis Island, King's Point and Brown's Point).

North-central Zone: Benton, Desoto, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola, Tippah and Union Counties.

Southwestern Zone: Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Madison, Warren, Wilkinson and Yazoo Counties.

Tags: A minimum of 100 acres must be owned or leased to receive a fall either-sex tag. Tags will be issued at a rate of one per 500 acres or part thereof and can only be used on the specified property for which they are issued. Tags must be attached immediately before turkey can be transported. The contact person on each application must complete and submit a harvest report provided by the wildlife agency prior to Jan. 1, 2007.

Limit: One turkey of either sex per each fall season.

Weapons: Archery and shotguns only, shot size no larger than No. 2.

SMALL GAME

Raccoon: Statewide, July 1-Sept. 30, 2006. Limit: One per party per night.

Opossum, raccoon and bobcat, sport hunting with dogs for food and sport: Statewide, Oct. 1-Oct. 31. Limit: 5 per day, eight per party.

Opossum, raccoon and bobcat, sport hunting with dogs for food, sport and pelt: Statewide, Nov. 1-Feb. 28. No limit.

Squirrel: Seasons vary by zone

Zone 1 (Areas north of U.S. 82 plus all of Sunflower and Washington Counties): Sept. 30-Feb. 28. Youth week: Sept. 23-Sept. 29. Limit: 8 per day.

Zone 2 (Areas between U.S. Highways 82 and 84, plus areas south of U.S. 85 and west of I-55): Oct. 14-Feb. 28. Youth week: Oct. 7-Oct. 13. Limit: 8 per day.

Zone 3 (Area south of U.S. 84 and east of I-55): Oct. 28-Feb. 28. Youth week: Oct. 21-Oct. 27. Limit: 8 per day.

Bobwhite quail: Statewide, Nov. 23-March 3. Limit: 8 per day.

Rabbit: Statewide, Oct. 14-Feb. 28. Limit: 8 per day.

Trapping: Statewide, Nov. 1-Feb. 28. No limit.

Frog: 2007 season: April 1-Sept. 30. Bag limit: 25 per night.

MIGRATORY BIRDS

Doves (South zone) Sept. 23-Oct. 15; Nov. 11-Dec. 2; Dec. 23-Jan. 6, 2007.

Originally published Friday, September 1, 2006