40 Miss. Code. R. 2-1.28 - [Effective until 6/30/2025] BLACK PRAIRIE WMA REGULATIONS

A. Regulations for Black Prairie Wildlife Management Area in Lowndes County.

SPECIES	OPENING DATE	CLOSING DATE	COMMENTS
DEER			For deer hunting regulations see DEER HUNTING PERMITS, LEGAL BUCKS, and DOG RESTRICTIONS in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
Youth Gun - Permit Only	Nov. 2 Dec. 23	Nov. 3 Dec. 28	Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
Gun - Permit Only	Nov. 7 Nov. 14 Nov. 21 Nov. 28	Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24 Dec. 1	Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
Gun - Permit Only	Dec. 13 Jan. 17	Dec. 17 Jan. 19	Legal bucks only.
Archery Only	Oct. 1 Dec. 18 Jan. 6 Jan. 20	Oct. 31 Dec. 22 Jan. 10 Jan. 24	Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
TURKEY - Permit Only	Apr. 4 Apr. 11 Apr. 18 Apr. 25	Apr. 6 Apr. 13 Apr. 20 Apr. 27	See TURKEY HUNTING PERMITS in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
SQUIRREL and RABBIT	Oct. 14 Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Dec. 2 Dec. 9 Dec. 18 Dec. 29 Jan. 13 Jan. 20 Jan. 27 Feb. 3 Feb. 17 Feb. 24	Oct. 31 Nov. 6 Nov. 13 Nov. 20 Dec. 6 Dec. 12 Dec. 22 Jan. 3 Jan. 16 Jan. 24 Jan. 31 Feb. 14 Feb. 21 Feb. 28
RACCOON	Jul. 1	Sep. 30	Friday and Saturday nights only.
RACCOON, OPOSSUM, & BOBCAT	Oct. 1	Feb. 28
TRAPPING	No trapping allowed.
DOVE	See DOVE HUNTING in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
The WMA is closed to hunting during special event dates (see SPECIAL EVENTS section below).

B. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

1. WMA USER PERMIT: All persons using this wildlife management area, except those exempt from purchasing an annual hunting or fishing license, must carry on their person an annual statewide Wildlife Management Area User Permit. This permit is required in addition to completing the daily visitor use permit or by using the WMA Check-In App and any required license and may be purchased wherever licenses are sold.

2. BAG LIMITS: Same as statewide bag limits EXCEPT:

a. Turkey - A bag limit of one (1) legal gobbler per permit.

b. Rabbit - party limit of 8 rabbits per day.

c. Deer - One legal buck and three antlerless deer per year. All harvested deer count towards statewide bag limits, unless otherwise stated.

3. DEER HUNTING PERMITS: Deer hunting will be allowed by special permit only. You may apply online at www.mdwfp.com. See application for hunt dates, application deadlines, and other information about permitted hunts. Hunters must check in a 11/2 year old or older doe during their permitted gun hunt to be issued a permit to harvest one (1) legal buck. This buck permit will be valid for the duration of the permitted hunt and during the legal bucks only deer hunt (Dec. 13 - 17).

4. DEER DATA COLLECTION: All deer harvested must be checked at the Area Headquarters and recorded on WMA Daily Use Permit Card or WMA Check-In App by the hunters who harvested them before leaving the WMA. If WMA personnel are not available to check the deer, the hunter is responsible for collecting and legibly recording ALL biological data (weight, antler measurements, and jawbone). Instructions and equipment will be provided.

5. LEGAL BUCKS: Legal bucks are those with an inside spread of at least 15 inches OR one main beam length of at least 18 inches. For hunters 15 years of age or younger any antlered buck is a legal buck.

6. DOG RESTRICTIONS: Deer hunting with dogs is prohibited. Small game hunting with dogs is allowed during any small game season. Hunting, running, or pursuing hogs with the use of dogs is prohibited.

7. TURKEY HUNTING PERMITS: Turkey hunting will be allowed by special permit only. You may apply online at www.mdwfp.com. See application for hunt dates, application deadlines, and other information about permitted hunts.

8. LEGAL WEAPONS: Only archery equipment, centerfire rifles, shotguns with slugs, primitive weapons, and centerfire handguns may be used for deer hunting.

9. SPECIAL EVENTS:

a. Hunting dog field trials and other special events will be allowed by special use permit only. These permits may be obtained from the MDWFP, see Area Manager for additional information.

b. Special events will be restricted to the following dates: Sept. 7 - 8, Nov. 28 - 30, Dec. 7 - 8, Dec. 13 - 17, Dec. 23 - 28, Jan. 4 - 5. Jan. 11 - 12, Jan. 17 - 19, Jan. 25 - 26, Feb. 1 - 2, Feb. 15 - 16, Feb. 22 - 23.

c. The WMA is closed to hunting during special event dates. Anyone participating in permitted special events must obey conduct rules as designated and posted by club or group permitted to hold event.

10. DOVE HUNTING: A youth dove hunt will be held on a designated field Sept. 2, 2024, from 2 p.m. - sunset. Youth dove hunters must register prior to the special youth dove hunt. Dove hunting will be allowed on designated fields after the Sept. 2 youth hunt and the Sept. 4 permitted adult dove hunt, from 2 p.m. - sunset, on Wednesdays and Saturdays only, during the first season only. The number of hunters on the dove field is limited to 75. All drawn hunters for the permitted adult hunt must arrive to the dove field parking area by 12:00 p.m. to check in. Non-permitted hunters may come to the dove field parking area by 12:00 p.m. and enter a random drawing for any openings created by the permitted hunters not showing up.

11. OFF-ROAD MOTORIZED VEHICLES/ATVs: ORVs/ATVs/Electric Bicycles are allowed for the retrieval of harvested deer or hogs only. Additionally, electric bicycles may be ridden on marked foot-traffic trails only by users 65 years of age and older. They may not be ridden on any leveed roads or trails.

12. HORSES: During WMA deer seasons, horseback riding is restricted to roads open to motorized vehicles. Raccoon hunting from horses is allowed during nighttime hours.

13. CAMPING: No camping allowed.

14. FISHING: Fishing is allowed. Boats prohibited.

Notes

40 Miss. Code. R. 2-1.28

Miss. Code Ann. §§ 49-1-29, 49-4-4, and 49-5-13.

Updated April 2014 Amended 7/5/2015 Updated April 2016 Amended 6/26/2016 Updated April 2017 Amended 6/24/2017 Updated April 2018 Amended 7/7/2018 Updated May 2019 Amended 6/28/2019 Updated August 2019 Amended 10/28/2019 Amended 6/17/2020 Amended 6/17/2021 Amended 6/27/2022 Amended 6/26/2023 Amended 7/25/2024