In September, a new round of annual sporting traditions begins.
Mississippi sportsmen can hunt everything from deer to waterfowl this month.
Archers can hunt deer earlier and longer than sportsmen using firearms. In some parts of Mississippi, archers can hunt deer in September. In addition, some public properties or sections of public lands only allow bow hunting for deer.
Moreover, bow hunters can quietly hunt some small private plots where no one would dare to fire a high-powered rifle. In some small tracts, big white-tailed bucks might die of old age without ever seeing a hunter or anyone even knowing they live there.
The early season for resident Canada geese begins Sept. 1 and runs through Sept. 30 with a limit of five per day. In the 1950s, wildlife managers believed that the subspecies of greater Canada geese became extinct. Fortunately, people discovered a small remnant in Minnesota.
From that small flock, wildlife managers across the nation began breeding these large waterfowl and releasing them into the wild. Raised in pens, these giant geese do not migrate, but their populations grew substantially. In many places, like parks and golf courses, geese became so numerous that they turned into pests. Therefore, Mississippi and other states hold September seasons to trim the burgeoning population of resident Canada geese.
The first split of rail and gallinule seasons run from Sept. 1-30. Each Mississippi sportsman can take up to 15 common or purple gallinules, 15 king or clapper rails, and 25 sora and Virginia rails per day.
Waterfowl hunters can also bag teal from Sept. 20-28 with a limit of six per day. The limit can include any combination of blue-winged and green-winged teal. Blue-winged teal migrate much earlier than most other ducks. Hunter bags normally contain about 95 percent blue-winged teal in September. Teal typically fly best at first light. During the teal season, people could hunt teal early in the morning and then rails and gallinules afterward.
The first split of dove season opens Sept. 1 and runs through Sept. 30. In both zones, sportsmen can bag up to 15 doves per day in any combination of mourning and white-winged doves.
Native to Mexico, Texas, and the southwestern states, white-winged doves began moving farther northward and eastward in recent years. White-winged doves look very similar to mourning doves and often mix with them. Highly visible white wing patches make excellent identification marks.
The first split of dove season opens Sept. 1 and runs through Sept. 30. In both zones, sportsmen can bag up to 15 doves per day in any combination of mourning and white-winged doves.
Squirrel season makes an excellent time to introduce youngsters to the sport of hunting. Mississippi holds a special youth squirrel season from Sept. 24-30. The regular squirrel season begins Oct. 1 and runs through Feb. 28, 2026. In each season, hunters can bag up to eight squirrels per day.
Statewide seasons and regulations could differ from the dates and regulations on public hunting lands. Also, dates and regulations might differ from one public property to the next one, so always check the regulations before hunting anywhere.
