I hunt down there a fair amount. There are 3 different deer zones. The Northeast portion of the state requires a 4 point minimum, 15 inch spread. The other two zones are 4 point minimum, 12 inch spread.
There is no statewide check system.
Poachers, illegal baiters, and outlaws are rampant/ game law enforcement is basically non existent.
-can be a good bit of tension between dog hunters and and non-dog hunters. That depends on the area, of course. I do not see any dog hunters where I hunt, but stories abound of retaliation, fist fights and shootouts over and about dogs (I'm not dissing dog hunters here what-so-ever, just stating that tensions exists).
Of particular note for a non resident is this incredibly stupid bit of legislation:
NON-RESIDENT REGULATIONS
A non-resident may not kill antlerless deer except on lands he owns or on lands where he leases the hunting or fishing rights, or a non-resident who has a native son or daughter nonresident lifetime sportsman license or a resident lifetime sportsman license may take antlerless deer on private lands, wildlife management areas, or national wildlife refuges.
The deer herd in MS is estimated to be around 2 million. -plenty of deer and there are some big ones out there, too. I've never killed a trophy rack down there, but I have taken 3.5 year olds weighing over 200 pounds. In addition to public land, I hunt a 40 acre property near Arkabutla and sometimes see 20+ deer during a hunt. Also, the turkey hunting down there can be awesome.
