A Mississippi non-resident hunting license runs from $95 for small game up to $300 for the annual All Game license, with a seven-day All Game option at $150 in between. Every purchase also carries roughly $7 in combined agent and processing fees. The base license is only the starting point: deer, turkey, waterfowl, archery seasons, and public Wildlife Management Area access each require their own separate permit or stamp on top.
Base License Types and Prices
Three base licenses cover most non-resident hunters.1Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Hunting and Fishing License Prices
- All Game Hunting, $300, valid for one year from the start date and covering all legal game species.
- 7-Day All Game Hunting, $150, with the same species coverage but expiring at midnight after seven consecutive days.
- Small Game Hunting, $95, valid for one year and covering small game such as rabbits and squirrels.
None of these include fishing, state or federal waterfowl stamps, deer or turkey permits, archery or primitive weapon permits, or Wildlife Management Area access. Treat the base license as the entry ticket and plan the add-ons separately.
Permits and Stamps You May Also Need
Depending on what and where you plan to hunt, add any of the following to your base license.1Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Hunting and Fishing License Prices
- Deer Permit, $100, required for any non-resident hunting deer and including a velvet season permit.
- Wild Turkey Stamp, $100, required for non-residents hunting turkey.2Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Mississippi Wild Turkey Stamp
- Archery, Primitive Weapon, or Crossbow Permit, $75, required to hunt during those seasons.
- WMA User Permit, $30, required before setting foot on any Wildlife Management Area for hunting or fishing, regardless of what other licenses you hold.
- State Waterfowl Stamp, $10 for the physical stamp or $19 electronic, required for anyone 16 or older hunting waterfowl.
What a Deer Trip Costs
A non-resident planning a week-long rifle deer hunt on a WMA would need the 7-Day All Game license ($150), the Deer Permit ($100), and the WMA User Permit ($30). That is $280 in license fees, plus roughly $7 to $8 per item in combined processing and agent charges. Add $75 for the archery permit if you also want to hunt during archery season.
What a Waterfowl Trip Costs
Waterfowl stacks up the most add-ons: a base hunting license, the state waterfowl stamp, a federal duck stamp ($25), and HIP registration (free in Mississippi). MDWFP sells a Non-Resident Waterfowl Hunter Package for $114 that bundles a small game license, the state waterfowl stamp, and HIP registration into a single purchase.1Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Hunting and Fishing License Prices You still buy the federal duck stamp separately.
Federal Rules for Migratory Bird Hunters
If you are hunting ducks, geese, doves, woodcock, snipe, or other migratory birds, federal requirements apply alongside your Mississippi licenses.
Every migratory bird hunter must register with the Harvest Information Program in each state where they hunt.3U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Migratory Bird Harvest Surveys – What We Do Mississippi’s HIP registration is free and happens during the license purchase.4MDWFP Licensing System. Harvest Information Program Survey Keep proof with you in the field.
Anyone 16 or older hunting waterfowl also needs a federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. The stamp costs $25 and is valid from July 1 through June 30; an electronic version is available online for immediate use.5U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Buy a Duck Stamp or Electronic Duck Stamp
Lead shot has been banned nationwide for waterfowl hunting since 1991. You must use approved non-toxic shot for ducks, geese, and coots. Steel is the common and affordable choice, and bismuth-tin, tungsten alloys, and several other compositions are also approved.6U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Nontoxic Shot Regulations for Hunting Waterfowl and Coots in the U.S. The rule does not extend to upland game birds in Mississippi.
Hunter Education and How to Buy
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1972 must have completed an approved hunter education course before buying any Mississippi hunting license.7Justia. Mississippi Code 49-7-20 – Requirement of Satisfactory Completion of Hunter Education Course Mississippi accepts certifications from other states, so a course completed through your home state’s wildlife agency will work. If you need one, finish it before your trip.
MDWFP sells licenses through its online portal.8MDWFP Licensing System. Licenses and Permits You enter name, address, and date of birth, select the licenses and permits you want, pay online, and print your license immediately.
Field Rules Non-Residents Should Know
During any firearm deer season, every hunter in the field must wear at least 500 square inches of solid, unbroken fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink visible from the outside. The rule applies whether you are carrying a firearm, a bow, or another weapon. The only exemptions are hunting from an elevated stand at least 12 feet off the ground or from a fully enclosed blind.9Justia. Mississippi Code 49-7-31.1 – Open Season on Deer
Mississippi does not restrict firearm caliber or magazine capacity for gun deer season.10Cornell Law School. 40 Miss Code R 2-2.2 – White-Tailed Deer Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits Individual WMAs may add their own restrictions, so check the posted rules for any public land you plan to hunt.
Season dates and bag limits change year to year. Check the current MDWFP schedule for every species before your trip.11Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits
Taking Harvested Game Home
Mississippi restricts movement of deer carcass parts out of designated Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zones. You cannot move a whole carcass, spinal column, or attached head out of a CWD zone. You can transport deboned meat, bone-in quarters with no spinal column or head attached, cleaned antlers or skull plates, hides, and finished taxidermy products.12Cornell Law School. 40 Miss Code R 2-2.7 – Prohibition on Cervid Carcass Transport The same exceptions apply to Mississippi’s ban on importing cervid carcass parts from other states or foreign countries. If you want a mount from a deer taken in a CWD zone, arrange with a participating taxidermist for a CWD sample number before moving the head.
The federal Lacey Act prohibits transporting any wildlife taken in violation of state law across state lines.13U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Lacey Act An over-limit or out-of-season harvest becomes a federal matter the moment you drive home with it, so tag and document everything before you cross the state line.
Why Violations Are Worse for Non-Residents
Minor violations in Mississippi default to a Class III penalty of $25 to $100.14Justia. Mississippi Code 49-7-101 – General Fines and Penalties Serious offenses hit Class I: a fine of $2,000 to $5,000, five mandatory days in county jail, and loss of hunting, trapping, and fishing privileges for at least 12 consecutive months.15Justia. Mississippi Code 49-7-141 – Penalties for Class I Violations
Mississippi participates in the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, now joined by all 50 states.16Justia. Mississippi Code 49-10-1 – Enactment and Provisions of Compact Member states recognize each other’s hunting license suspensions. A Mississippi forfeiture follows you home and strips your hunting privileges there for the same period. The compact also covers failures to appear on a wildlife citation, so a ticket ignored at the state line does not disappear once you cross it.