2022-2023 Velvet Buck Season

In the 2022 Legislative Season, House Bill 1035 was passed, establishing a velvet buck season in Mississippi. To participate in this season, hunters will be required to obtain a special Velvet Season Permit. These permits will be available to purchase August 1, 2022 at anywhere you can purchase a hunting and fishing license.

Here’s what you need to know to be ready to hunt this September:

  • When: September 16-18, 2022
  • Where: Private Lands Only
  • What: Only legal bucks for the respective Deer Management Unit may be harvested.
  • With: Archery Only – Longbows, recurves, compound bows, and crossbows. There is no minimum or maximum draw weight. There is no minimum length arrow. Fixed or mechanical broadheads may be used.
  • Price: All hunters, unless exempt or have a lifetime license, must possess a valid Velvet Season Permit. The cost of the permit for residents is $10.00. For non-residents, this permit is included in your $50.00 deer permit.

Additional Rules to note:

Bag Limit – The bag limit is one (1) legal buck, and this buck will count towards your annual antlered deer bag limit.

Mandatory Harvest Reporting – Hunters (including license exempt hunters) must report their harvest by 10:00 p.m. the day of harvest. Hunters can report via the MDWFP Smartphone App or MDWFP web portal.

Mandatory CWD Sampling – All harvested bucks must be submitted for CWD sampling to a MDWFP CWD Drop-off freezer or to an MDWFP participating taxidermist within 5 days of harvest.

1 Comment

  1. MDWFP and the Wildlife Commission are trying to destroy deer hunting in MS and are not smart enough to realize what they are doing. It’s all about the hunter and not the animal with the commission, and I’m starting to think the same about MDWFP. The season is WAY too long as it is. Now there will be crossgun master baiters in the woods for nearly THREE MONTHS before the rut starts. For the idiots that weren’t able to figure that out on their own, take a minute and let that sink in. Some of us would love to hunt bucks that haven’t been pressured for 90 days leading up to the rut. Destroying a tradition that goes a long way back in MS. Take a look at how many kids are now quitting hunting altogether by the time they are 14-15 years old. It’s alarming.

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