Deer season is here in all its glory.
Hunters are flocking to Mississippi’s fields and forests for an opportunity to harvest one of the 1.45 million white-tailed deer that will be deemed as legal.
Hunters on private land can harbor a reasonable expectation of putting venison in the larder. The same goes for public-land hunters who are willing to put in the time scouting for hot spots of deer activity.
Eclipsed only by Thanksgiving and high-school sports, deer season is the largest November activity, involving all 82 counties. Harvest reports indicate that about 166,000 licensed hunters are involved. No matter the means of harvest — bow, gun or muzzleloader — there is a season for everyone. Breaking down the seasons is simply a matter of visiting the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks’ website, mdwfp.com. The annual Outdoor Digest delivers much of the same information concerning dates and times.
Archery season opened Oct. 1 for most of the state and rolls over into November with the promise of cooler weather, and dependable food sources for both bucks and does. Credit last winter’s ice storm or an unusually wet year, but mast crops are promising across the better part of the state. Persimmon trees are loaded, as are dogwood and muscadine.
As wild forbs diminish, these and other soft-mast crops will attract deer. When these foods begin to pass ahead of the first freeze, acorns and food plots will begin to pick up the slack. Hunting available food sources will be a pretty sure bet as the first gun season approaches. All this is to say that bowhunters should take advantage of the ample but ever-changing food sources that deer rely on for subsistence.
What’s up in deer woods?

So, what are deer doing besides eating in early November? Groups of does are traveling together. Fawns are or have lost their spots and are weaned, able to exist on their own without mother’s constant supervision. This is a blessing and a curse for both deer and hunter.
Bucks are still traveling in bachelor groups, but some territorial rubbing, pawing and fighting may give the hunter the illusion that the rut is starting early. Don’t be fooled; the females decide when the rut starts. Bucks see a rise in testosterone when antlers stop growing and velvet is drying. They are already ready to breed, but does are not too receptive to the idea. For all practical purposes, deer in early November are eating and putting on weight for the coming winter.
Savvy salesmen will have you believe that purchasing expensive supplements, feeds and foodstuffs now will result in bigger racks. It sounds too good to be true, because it is. Antler growth has already stopped. Supplemental feeding seems to have become a euphemism for baiting.
Deer hunters with private land should have food plots in the ground, with good stands starting to be evident. Food plots with a mineral lick, hard-mast trees nearby and what remains of summer foods, such as honeysuckle, are excellent places to hang a stand. Work days in preparation for the season should have allowed lots of boots on the ground, time to locate bedding areas, food sources and travel corridors.
Public vs. private offerings
Public-land hunters can pretty much do the same thing. A little studying of the available options will turn up vast amounts of land where deer live and feed. Some areas are restricted to draw hunts, while others are wide open from the get-go. What public-land hunting does require is patience and scouting —lots of scouting.
Wildlife Management Areas are typically managed for the maximum available resource for hunters. Food plots are planted; controlled burns and timber harvests keep the landscape ideal for deer and turkey. Stream set-aside areas protect mature mast-producing hardwoods from cutting. A bit of scouting and map-reading can aid the hunter in locating these areas. There is a common misconception that a sea of orange-clad hunters is stalking through the woods all the time. Later in November, during dog season — where legal — that may seem to be the case. As a rule, however, there is more than ample room for anyone wanting a quality hunt to find an area where they can hunt undisturbed.
Youth hunters get the first opportunity to pop a cap at an either-sex harvest. The youth season opens Nov. 6 and remains open until the traditional Opening Day of Nov. 20. Most food plots are in the ground, and scouting cameras are out and recording this season’s possible harvest. The weather is usually mild. Do your part to introduce a youngster to deer hunting.
Older hunters get a chance to harvest does with primitive weapons starting on Nov. 8 on private land. There is a good argument for taking anterless deer early. More food will be available as fall turns into winter. Fewer does will make the buck-to-doe ratio a bit more in favor of the hunter once the rut gets started.
“This is a time of year when I like to hunt food plots,” said William McKinley, deer program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “Deer are not as skittish, and there is ample time for watching and learning.”
Early on, be picky

It is sound advice to pass on the first deer that step into the green patch. Yearlings and fawns will often precede adults. Waiting allows a hunter to compare sizes, thus avoiding the harvest of an immature animal. Getting a head start on freezer meat is always a good idea. Primitive weapons are defined in the Outdoor Digest and online at mdwfp.com.
Regardless of these early opportunities, the REAL opening day is Nov. 20 in all but coastal counties. Gun season opens in all deer management units that day. It’s a morning that compares with Christmas; youth and adults are ripe with anticipation. Months of preparation have been invested for this annual event. I am reminded of an auto-parts store clerk who said, “Aside from a few old women and crippled children, everyone in the community would be deer hunting on opening morning.”
With the latest technology, even those may have the chance to hunt.
“I still have sleepless nights at … camp on opening weekend,” said hunter Steve McFarland. “The anticipation is just so great. I don’t guess there is a time of the year when deer hunting with my family is not on my mind. We start planning our vacation days around next deer season, before this season is over.”
McFarland and his family hunt at a family oriented camp near his childhood home in Kemper County. The camp is on land leased from a timber company and is considered private land.
Dog hunting, that is, hunting deer with dogs before riding the roads later to hunt for the dogs, still has areas of strong support across Mississippi. Still-hunting, however, has gained an ever stronger following over the years. Keeping a pack of deer hounds is an expensive proposition. Food and medical treatment account for hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Ethical dog hunters invest in tracking collars and cell phone apps to prevent encroachment onto private property.
Does effort equal execution?
It should come as no surprise that hunter participation was up during the 2021 season. Hunters took to the woods because COVID-19 interrupted their typical work patterns, allowing them more time to hunt. Others saw an opportunity to stock the larder with healthy, nutritious venison. According to McKinley, the deer harvest was up 191/2% over the previous season. Total hunter effort increased by 12%. Mutant strains of that same COVID virus could again affect the bottom line this season.
Deer found a good food supply during both summer and fall in most parts of Mississippi. Only those areas with damage from Hurricane Ida may witness lower mast production.
Chronic wasting disease continues to be a problem worthy of concern. MDWFP will again have CWD collection centers in various around the state. It is vital that hunters have harvested deer tested or leave the deer’s head at one of the collection locations.
“The more information we have, the better we can monitor the location of infected animals and put in place the best management practices to control the spread of this deadly disease,” McKinley said.
To find those locations where CWD is present, consult the Mississippi Outdoor Digest or visit mdwfp.com.
Noted outdoor writer Havilah Babcock said it best when he penned the title to his book, “My Health is Better in November.”
Mr. Babcock, I think that can be said for many of us.
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