Image: miss_buck

Changes are coming for folks who hunt Mississippi WMAs. Photo by J. Edwards Photography.

People planning to hunt Mississippi Wildlife Management Areas during the coming hunting seasons need to make sure they’re aware of several changes recently adopted by the state's Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

PROPER GUN STORAGE REQUIRED

According to the Clarion Ledger, firearms in vehicles on WMAs must be in a fastened case designed for firearms.

Russ Walsh, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Wildlife chief of staff, says that although hunters have long been required to keep their shoulder-fired guns unloaded and in cases while in a vehicle on WMAs, there was no definition of a case. Hunters could follow the law by putting their rifles and shotguns in a toolbox or wrapping them in a blanket.

The new language states, "The case must be a container specifically designed for firearms and must be zipped, snapped, buckled, tied or otherwise fastened with no portion of the weapon exposed."

Shoulder-fired weapons in an ORV or ATV are not required to be cased.

TRACKING DOGS ALLOWED

Tracking dogs are now permitted for retrieving wounded or dead deer on WMAs, with specific regulations.

Previously, there was no regulation stating they were prohibited on WMAs, but there wasn't a rule saying they could be used, either.

"If blood-trailing/tracking dogs are used, no more than two (2) dogs may be used," the new regulation states. "If the deer being tracked is discovered alive, but wounded, the hunter or tracker may dispatch the deer by using a handgun with a barrel no longer than six (6) inches chambered in a caliber no larger than .45 caliber. WMA annual user permit and WMA check-in and out required. All off-road motorized vehicle/ATV/UTVs rules apply."

NEW HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

New deer hunting opportunities are now available at Hell Creek WMA during field trials and at Tuscumbia WMA Unit 2 after 1 p.m.

Field trials, where dogs are judged on their quail hunting abilities, are popular at Hell Creek WMA. According to the previous rule, the competitions are scheduled in advance, and on those days, hunting is not allowed. But that will change this year, as hunting with archery equipment will be allowed on those days because the two activities should not conflict with each other.

A new hunting opportunity was also proposed at Tuscumbia WMA Unit 2, where duck hunting is popular. For safety, deer hunting has not been allowed on days when duck hunting was taking place. Because duck hunting is a morning sport, hunters can now hunt deer after 1 p.m. Youth hunters 15 and younger can use rifles, and adults are limited to archery equipment.

NO ADULT HUNTING DURING YOUTH HUNTS

Adults accompanying youth hunters on Land Between the Creeks hunts can no longer harvest deer.

Early youth deer hunts are offered at Land between the Creeks in the Pascagoula WMA. In previous years, adults taking youth hunters were allowed to harvest antlerless deer to increase participation in the draw hunts. But now there is plenty of participation, so the rules were changed to no longer allow adults to harvest deer during the hunts, making the events true youth-only opportunities.