Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 40 - Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks › Part 2 - Wildlife › Chapter 1 - Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) › Rule 40-2-1.8 - COPIAH COUNTY WMA REGULATIONS

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Regulations for
				Copiah County Wildlife Management Area.
SPECIES
SEASON
COMMENTS
DEER
For deer hunting regulations see DEER DATA
								COLLECTION, LEGAL BUCKS, DOG RESTRICTIONS, and LEGAL WEAPONS in SPECIAL
								INSTRUCTIONS.
Archery
Oct. 1 through the Friday prior to
								Thanksgiving.
Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
Youth Gun
Saturday two weeks prior to opening day of Gun
								season through the Friday prior to Thanksgiving
Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
Shotgun/Primitive Weapon/Handgun
Saturday prior to Thanksgiving - Jan. 7
Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
Archery/Youth Gun/Muzzleloader
Jan. 8 - 31
Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
YOUTH TURKEY
March 8 - 14
TURKEY - Permit Only
March 15 - Apr. 17
See TURKEY HUNTING PERMIT in
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
TURKEY
Apr. 18 - May 1
YOUTH SQUIRREL
Sept. 24 - 30
SQUIRREL
Oct. 1 - Feb. 28
May 15 - June 1
RACCOON
Jul. 1 - Sept. 30
Friday and Saturday nights only.
RACCOON, OPOSSUM, & BOBCAT
Oct. 1- Feb. 28
TRAPPING
Nov. 1 - Feb. 28
RABBIT
Saturday nearest Oct. 15 - Feb. 28
QUAIL
Thanksgiving Day through the first Saturday in
								March.
Whenever the opening date set above falls on a Sunday, the
				  season shall begin on the preceding Saturday.
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 the bag limit on antlerless deer is one (1) per
				day. All harvested deer count towards statewide bag limits, unless otherwise
				stated.
3. DEER DATA COLLECTION:
				All deer harvested must be checked at WMA Headquarters and recorded on WMA
				Daily Visitor Use Permit Card or WMA Check-In App by the hunter 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.
4.
				LEGAL BUCKS: Legal bucks are those with an inside spread of at least 12 inches
				OR one main beam length of at least 15 inches. For hunters 15 years of age or
				younger any antlered buck is a legal buck.
5. 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.
6. TURKEY HUNTING
				PERMITS: Turkey hunting from March 15 - Apr. 17 is 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.
7. LEGAL
				WEAPONS: Only shotguns with slugs, primitive weapons, and centerfire handguns
				may be used for deer hunting. Exception: youth deer hunters, 15 years of age or
				younger, are allowed to use centerfire rifles.
8. OFF-ROAD MOTORIZED VEHICLES/ATVs:
				ORVs/ATVs/Electric Bicycles are allowed only for the retrieval of harvested
				deer and hogs. 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.
9. HORSES: Horseback riding is prohibited
				during WMA deer and turkey seasons. At all other times, horseback riding is
				restricted to roads open to motorized vehicles. Raccoon hunting from horses is
				allowed on entire area during nighttime hunting hours.
10. CAMPING: No camping allowed.