Ms diy

Hey guys,
Thinking about heading over to the states and do a DIY hunt in MS next year. Can anyone Give me any advice on it? My preference would be to do some still hunting or spot and stalk.

I've done a bit of research on the WMAs in the state and local laws etc but ok sure there is plenty I don't know.

Thanks in advance for any help,

Jack

MS as in Mississippi?

you might have a tuff time trying to spot and stalk in Mississippi.everywhere ive been there is flat and thick as all get out.you will probably have better luck stand hunting

Mississippi and spot and stalk will be really tough and even more so on public land. Stand hunting either from the ground or in a tree is the game plan that will work. Mississippi is in the south which means most land is private and leased for hunting. The public land is going to be limited and receiving heavy pressure. I assume the reason for the visit is in Mississippi and the hunting portion of the trip is a bonus ?

For spot and stalk, you'll want to hunt in the Delta region. The Delta is massive, flat fields for miles only broken up by treelines along creek beds. The standard method of hunting in that region is to hunt and shoot from your truck. You could even use a spotting scope in this region as you can often see deer several miles away.

In the other parts of the state, spot and stalk won't be feasible. Its WAY too thick in the pine belt (mid part of the state, excluding the Delta). The Northern part is more hardwoods, but, as is the case is much of the East, spot and stalk is not the best method of deer hunting. In the Southern part of the state, the undergrowth tends to stay green through January, making it very thick. Deer dogging is popular throughout the state, but especially popular in the Southern region.

MS made some changes this year where, on private land, you can use any weapon you want during the primitive weapon season, however, public land will remain as is. Also note that as a non resident, you cannot kill does on public land -only on land that you own or lease (stupid rule for a state with a population of over 2 million whitetails).

If you are looking for big deer, the Delta is probably where you want to hunt as the soil has extremely high mineral content, though, be forewarned that those deer are subjected to a nasty combination of chemicals and pesticides. That's crop duster country and the deer regularly get sprayed as they are bedded down in cotton and crop rows. That may or may not matter to you. I know plenty of people who eat them and I probably would to, but it is something to consider.

Aesthetically speaking, the "Hill Country" (centered around Holly Springs) of NW Miss offers the most varied and diverse terrain with rolling hills of mature hardwoods and terrain funnels emptying into bottomland. Holly Springs Nt'l forest is a nice WMA with 40,000 acres of huntable land. If you have a canoe, you cant get to some pretty isolated spots of bottomland.

-Be mindful of your out of state tags. Heck, I'm from TN and I try to park my truck in a way that my out of state tags aren't visible.
-Outlaw mentality is wide open down there when it comes to game laws. The locals treat them more as mere suggestions. Don't be surprised to hear guys openly brag about killing bucks with a spotlight and a AK47. It happens.
-The locals also like their 4 wheelers and leaving beer cans in the woods.....
-Once the deer dogging seasons open, the deer go 100% nocturnal as it is a tremendous amount of pressure, so check the seasons in the region of the state you intend to hunt.
-Hogs. If you see them (which you probably won't, but you'll see plenty of sign), kill them. They are a big problem down there.

If you have any other questions, hit me up. I went to college in MS as well as hunted down there as a nonresident for a few years. -great state for turkey hunting. That being said, I'm just next door in TN and MS has a very different hunting culture. I'm not saying its bad, its just different. (every state has a different hunting culture, but you wouldn't expect there to be such a dramatic difference between TN and MS, but there is).

Awesome amount of info especially from poser thank you, if you'd like any info on down here contact me, got much time for anyone who can do te same for me. Thank you.

My brother is back in now though so now I'm game for a bit more. MS is still high on my list but we've settled on WY for next year. One of my best mates is from MT so I can see him this way too.

It is not nearly as bad as poser makes it sound. I have lived and hunted in Mississippi my whole life. Not every person is an outlaw and I wouldn't worry about the crop dusters. I know many people who live and hunt exclusively in the delta with no ill effects.

As far as people using dogs it varies with location. I used to hunt about 10 miles from where I currently hunt. The old place had a problem with the neighbors running dogs. At our new place I rarely see any dogs.

It will be tough to spot and stalk as most open land in the delta is farmed and therefore private. Also as stated previously most of the state is thickly wooded. Your best bet will be still hunting. You can pm me if you have any questions. I will try to help if I can.

One other thing. The WMAs that border Louisiana can often be hit the hardest with pressure as Louisiana NR hunters that live close to the state line often hunt there because the MS side tends to have a bit more elevation and more public land along the MS river. I understand that this is the reason why Nonresidents are not allowed to take does -not for biological reasons, but for political reasons. (basically, there is a politician or two who don't want Louisianans killing "their" deer). For example, Big Sandy WMA has some of the most interesting terrain in the state, but can get hit pretty hard with pressure.

There are some WMAs in the Delta, but I think most of them are more for waterfowling than anything else. You'll have to check the regs, but if you can deer hunt in any of these waterfowl areas and are willing to go in with a pair of waders and/or by boat, you might find some great, secluded areas for deer.

One underused area for archery is Sardis Lake. They have decent sized archery only area that does not see much pressure after Mzl and rifle seasons open. I think most of the COE lakes have archery only areas, but Sardis may have the largest.