Wondering how to start your coyote hunting quest in Mississippi? Well! Understanding the rules and regulations is a great start. Mississippi offers some of the most liberal seasons and bag limits in the nation when it comes to hunting coyotes. Many hunters consider Mississippi a coyote hunting paradise thanks to millions of acres of public hunting land. This article goes into an in-depth analysis of laws and regulations regarding coyote hunting in the Hospitality State of Mississippi. Along the way, I will also try to answer a few FAQs related to coyote hunting in Mississippi.
Coyote Hunting in Mississippi
The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks regulates all the coyote hunting activities in the state of Mississippi. Additionally, the department is also responsible for protecting and managing land, water, fish, and wildlife. It also helps in providing access to outdoor recreation opportunities in Mississippi. The state of Mississippi has classified coyotes alongside nutria, beaver, fox, skunks, and wild hogs as Nuisance Animals. That is why there is neither any closed season nor any bag limits while hunting coyotes in Mississippi.
Related: Coyote Hunting in Illinois: Rules and Regulations 2022
Do you need a license to hunt coyotes in Mississippi?
While hunting coyotes in Mississippi, both residents and non-residents must have a valid lifetime, all game, or sportsman’s license unless otherwise exempt. If you want to trap coyotes, you must have a valid Mississippi trapping license.
Unless otherwise excused, anybody hunting coyotes with archery equipment and/or primitive weapons during archery or primitive weapons season must have a valid Lifetime Sportsman License or an All Game Hunting License and the Archery/Primitive Weapon Permit.
You can purchase all the necessary licenses and permits online through the customer portal of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
Coyote Hunting seasons in Mississippi
There is no closed season for hunting coyotes in Mississippi. You may hunt coyotes 24 hours a day year-round with no weapon or caliber restrictions on your private property. In public hands, however, the legal hunting hours for coyotes are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
If you are a designated agent of the landowner or leaseholder, you may also hunt coyotes year-round at any time of day or night, if you have written permission from the landowner or leaseholder in your possession when hunting coyotes.
Permission letters must be signed and dated by the landowner or leaseholder, and must include some of the following information:
- the landowner’s or leaseholder’s contact information;
- permitted hunter’s contact information; and
- date of expiration of the permit.
Can you hunt coyotes at night in Mississippi?
Landowners and leaseholders may hunt coyotes year-round, at any time of day or night, on property titled in their name or otherwise owned or leased by them, with no limits on weapon or caliber. On the other hand, the legal shooting hours in public lands are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
Bag limits for hunting coyotes in Mississippi
Since coyotes are classified as Nuisance Animals, there are no daily, annual, or season bag limits on hunting coyotes in Mississippi. Additionally, there are also no bag limits for trapping coyotes in Mississippi. All in all, you may hunt coyotes in Mississippi all year round without having to worry about the season or bag limits.
Where to hunt Coyotes in Mississippi?
Mississippi offers fair habitat for hunting coyotes primarily in the northeastern hill counties and pine belt regions while populations remain lower in western and southern areas. Several wildlife management areas provide public land access and maintain huntable numbers of these adaptable predators.
The top producing coyote range exists within counties like Itawamba, Lafayette and Lee spanning sections of the Tombigbee National Forest intermixed with pastures and scrub brush that hold rabbits, deer and small prey. Clearings amongst the pines and cedar groves offer stalking opportunities. Holly Springs National Forest also holds resident packs.
West-central areas like Theodore Mars Hill Waterfowl Management Area provide pockets of prime habitat along the flood plains of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Use of calls can help hunters locate responsive pairs in these regions during legal shooting hours. Checking seasons and specific area regulations remains important.
Legal ways to hunt coyotes in Mississippi
You may hunt, trap, take, kill, chase or pursue coyotes in private lands on your own accord. However, on public properties, the governmental agency in charge of their management may or may not allow coyote hunting, depending on the laws, rules, and restrictions in place. It is the hunter’s responsibility to check with the entity managing the property before hunting coyotes on those lands.
Electronic call games and using decoys are completely legal ways to hunt coyotes in Mississippi. However, you must keep in mind that using live decoys is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, you can also use the aid of legally acquired suppressors or silencers to hunt any game animals in Mississippi.
Individuals hunting coyotes during any open deer gun season must wear 500 square inches of solid unbroken hunter orange in full view unless they are hunting from a properly enclosed stand.
Unless otherwise exempt, those hunting nuisance animals with archery equipment and/or primitive weapons during archery or primitive weapons season must have either a valid Lifetime Sportsman License or an All Game Hunting License as well as the Archery/Primitive Weapon Permit.
Furthermore, it is illegal to hunt coyotes in Mississippi with the aid of bait. Permits for baiting hogs are available, but you shall not hunt any other species under this permit. You must clear the area from all bait 10 days prior to hunting coyotes. Remember, using liquid scents to hunt coyotes is completely legal in the state of Mississippi.
Can you use dogs to hunt coyotes in Mississippi?
During the open spring turkey season, no nuisance animals may be hunted or chased with dogs. Therefore except for the open spring turkey season, you may use dogs to pursue or hunt coyotes in Mississippi.
Can you hunt coyotes from a vehicle in Mississippi?
It is illegal to hunt or kill coyotes from any motorized vehicle or boat. The state of Mississippi only allows the hunting of squirrels and game birds from a boat if the motor is off and the progress of the boat has ceased.
It is illegal for you to hunt on any street, public road, public highway, levee, or railroad that is maintained by any railroad corporation, city, county, levee board, state or federal agency, or in the right-of-way of any such street, road, highway, levee, or railroad if you have a loaded handgun.
The phrase “unloaded” refers to the absence of a cartridge or shell in the firearm’s barrel or magazine, or in a clip, magazine, or retainer attached to the firearm. An unloaded muzzleloading cap lock firearm is one with no cap. Moreover, an unloaded muzzleloading flintlock firearm is one with no powder in the flash pan.
Are there any bounty programs to hunt coyotes in Mississippi?
There aren’t any bounty programs for coyote hunting in Mississippi as of now. If any news pops up, I will update this section accordingly.