Mississippi

The Magnolia State is one of the top trophy whitetail producers in the South, driven by the extraordinarily fertile, nutrient-packed soils of the Mississippi River Delta.

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) enforces progressive antler-criteria regulations to protect young bucks, resulting in dense populations of 4-to-6-year-old mature bucks sporting heavy antler mass. The rut in the Delta and batture lands peaks in late December and early January, providing incredible stand hunting along flooded hardwood sloughs and agricultural edges.

Mississippi's hardwood river bottoms and loblolly pine forests sustain strong wild turkey numbers.

MDWFP's spring season runs from mid-March through early May. Nonresident hunters must apply for a public-land draw permit for the opening two weeks on state WMAs, ensuring high-quality, uncrowded calling setups in premier tracts like Mahannah and Twin Oaks.

Mississippi hosts a popular public waters alligator hunting season every September, managed by MDWFP lottery permits.

Hunting parties navigate the Mississippi River, coastal rivers, and Barnett Reservoir after dark, utilizing rod-and-reel snatch hooks and crossbow snares to secure large gators before humane dispatch.

Feral hogs thrive across Mississippi's swamplands, delta crop fields, and pine plantations. MDWFP permits year-round hog hunting on private lands with thermal optics and baiting to control nuisance populations.