Two deer in the distance
Herd of deer in a field seen through some branches
Two deer near the treeline of a field
A young deer in tall grass

General Information

Deer Program
A hunter posing with her first deer
A hunter posing with her first deer in Sharkey County, MS.

The MDWFP White-tailed Deer Program's goal is to provide a quality white-tailed deer population statewide and offer maximum outdoor recreational opportunity to the public without negatively affecting the resource. Mississippi's deer population is estimated to be 1.75 million, with hunters harvesting approximately 280,000 deer annually. Biologists provide deer related technical guidance to managers on private and public lands, conduct seminars, speak publicly, write articles for professional publications, conduct statewide disease surveillance, and assist Mississippi State University with deer research projects.

As the center stone of the Deer Program, the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) is a comprehensive deer management program, consisting of data collection and cooperator education with which the MDWFP tries to put the landowner/cooperator in a better position to manage their lands for a healthy deer herd, while maintaining habitat integrity.

Data from the program are used to develop site specific harvest recommendations, and have prompted numerous research projects to help better understand deer biology. Annually, there are 600+ DMAP cooperators covering over 2.5 million acres in Mississippi.

Assistance Programs

In addition to working with private landowners, biologists also provide technical assistance on various local, state, and federal public lands across the state. Some of the assistance provided to the Wildlife Management Area (WMA) program includes habitat modification recommendations, deer harvest analysis, spring herd health evaluations, population surveys, deer disease surveillance, and regulation recommendations.

For more information about deer management or to request a site visit, see Private Lands Program.

Regulation

MDWFP is also required by the MS Legislature to regulate all commercial and noncommercial wild animal enclosures in order to conserve and protect native wildlife for all citizens to enjoy and to protect our recreational economy dependent on native wildlife resources. The objective of the Enclosure Program is to regulate enclosures containing white-tailed deer by conducting annual inspections and issuing permits as defined in 40 MS Admin Code Part 2, Chap 8 - Rule 8.2.  

Deer Program Annual Reports

The purpose of the report is to provide deer hunters, managers, and others with information concerning Mississippi's white-tailed deer resource. The report contains biological and sociological data used by the MDWFP to monitor and manage the state's white-tailed deer population.

In Case of Emergency/Report a Violation

In case of emergency or to report a violation, please call 1-800-BE SMART.

Deer Resources

Deer Enclosures

All permitted high-fenced enclosures containing white-tailed deer must be enrolled in the Enclosure Management Assistance Program (EMAP), and owners must work with a MDWFP-approved wildlife biologist to manage the herd.

Food Plots

Read about how to simply and economically establish effective warm season supplemental plantings and a complete cool season forage mixture for white-tailed deer, as well as how to evaluate food plots using exclosure cages.

Deer Diseases & Abnormalities

Find information on common diseases and conditions that affect white-tailed deer, including hemorrhagic disease ("bluetongue"), nasal bots, cutaneous fibromas ("deer warts"), and chronic wasting disease (CWD).

Deer Management Assistance Program

The Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) is a comprehensive deer management program consisting of data collection and cooperator education to help landowners manage their lands for a healthy deer herd while maintaining habitat integrity.

Deer Breeding Date Map

MDWFP has compiled data from more than twenty years of white-tailed deer health checks to create a reference map of simulated mean conception dates for deer across the state of Mississippi.

State Hunting Records - Magnolia Records Program

Have you ever wondered what the score was of the largest buck in your county? Or the beard length of the heaviest turkey scored in Mississippi? Thanks to the Magnolia Records Program, you don't have to guess anymore!