Spring hunting season is here

On March 15, spring turkey season opened in Mississippi and it spans all the way until May 1. There are only three animals with spring seasons and two with summer season dates in the state.

In Mississippi, hunters may bag one turkey with a beard six-inches or longer and three turkeys a day. Turkeys were almost extinct in the state nearly a hundred years ago, but thanks to conservation efforts, they were back to booming within 60 years. However, because of overhunting in the past, there are now strict limits on how many turkeys are allowed per person.

Here are some things to remember before going hunting:

You must have a hunting license unless you are exempt, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks require hunters to keep a record of their harvest, which can be done digitally through the MDWFP app or printed. All reports must be turned in by 10 p.m. the day of.

When you report a turkey, it must be done before the turkey is moved. The app will walk you through the entry as you go forward, and if there is no cell phone

service, the harvest will be automatically uploaded when you move back into a service area.

The hunting license you must hold in the state of Mississippi to hunt turkey is either the Game Hunting/ Freshwater Fishing license which costs roughly $28 or the Sportsman’s License that is about $48 and includes a Fall Turkey Permit.

The spring squirrel season opens just shortly after spring turkey season closes. Squirrel season begins May 15 and goes until June 1, and hunters are permitted four squirrels a day.