Title 49, Conservation and Ecology

It shall be unlawful for any person at any time to capture wild fowl or game birds by the use of traps, nets or other contrivances, except as provided by this chapter.

Except as provided in this chapter, it is unlawful for any person to hunt, trap, take, kill, wound or capture, or attempt to hunt, trap, take, kill, wound or capture any fur-bearing animals except during the open season prescribed by law or regulation. However, mink may be hunted…

It shall be unlawful for any person to buy, sell or offer for sale the pelt of any fur-bearing animal knowing that the same has been unlawfully taken.

(1) For purposes of this section:(a) “Computer-assisted remote hunting” means the use of a computer or any other device, equipment or software to remotely control the aiming and discharge of archery equipment, firearms or primitive firearms to take any game animal or bird.(b) “Fa…

It shall be unlawful for any person in the taking or killing of fur-bearing animals or fish to use poison, explosives or chemicals of any description.

The revenue collected from any increase in license fees pursuant to Chapter 418, Laws of 2016, shall be designated for use by the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for recruitment, training, equipping and compensation of conservation officers to fill existing vacancies.

It shall be unlawful for any person to disturb the traps of another or to take any fur-bearing animals from them unless specifically authorized by the owner and any person so doing shall be guilty of larceny, or trespass as the case may be, and punishable as provided by law.

It shall be unlawful to needlessly disturb or to destroy the nests of birds or their eggs. A violation of this section is a Class II violation and is punishable as provided in Section 49-7-143.

It shall be unlawful during the nesting season of game birds for any person to set fire to the woods or fields other than on his own premises for the purpose of driving wild animals or birds out of fields or forests.

It shall be unlawful to hunt, trap, take, frighten, or kill game or fur-bearing animals forced out of their natural habitat by high water or fire until they have been permitted to return to such habitat by recession of such water, or the extinguishing of such fire. All quail shal…

For purposes of this section, the term “canned hunts” means the practice of providing a hunting opportunity under controlled conditions in which native game animals hunted may not have a reasonable opportunity to avoid the hunter. Canned hunts are prohibited in the state. The com…

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly enter the lands of another without the permission of, or without being accompanied by, the landowner or the lessee of the land, or the agent of such landowner or lessee, to hunt, fish, shoot, or trap on the lands or leases of a…

(1) No nonresident sixteen (16) years of age or older may hunt, fish, kill, take or trap any game animal, bird or fish without having acquired and having in his immediate possession a valid license issued by the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. (2) The com…

No person shall stock, place, release or cause to be released into any of the public waters of the state any aquatic species without first obtaining a permit from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. No person shall release or cause to be released within t…

(1) It is unlawful to take or kill game fish in any manner other than by hook and line with one or more hooks, or by use of a trot or troll line. Dip or landing nets may be used when landing a fish caught by hook and line, trot or troll lines. Shad and minnows may only be taken a…

It shall be unlawful for any person to fail to return to the water, immediately, any game fish taken by net or seines or other contrivances used for the taking of fish not classified as game fish.

(1) It is unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale or exchange any game fish enumerated in this chapter whether taken within or coming from without the state. (2) The Department of Agriculture and Commerce may issue a permit to the owner of a private pond to sell fish grow…

It shall be unlawful for any fish dealer to buy, sell, or offer to buy or sell, or to knowingly have in possession any of the game fish enumerated in this chapter whether taken within or coming from without the state.

(1) (a) Each resident of the State of Mississippi, as defined in Section 49-7-3, fishing in the public fresh waters of the state, including lakes and reservoirs, but not including privately owned ponds and streams, shall purchase a combination small game hunting and fishing licen…

(1) (a) Any resident engaged in fishing for commercial purposes and selling or peddling nongame gross fish at retail or selling or shipping same at wholesale, as to markets, dealers or canning plants, shall purchase a commercial fishing license.(b) A licensee must label each piec…

(1) Any person who takes or possesses a paddlefish or parts thereof, whether coming from within or from outside the state, in violation of law or regulation is guilty of a Class I violation and may be punished as provided in Section 49-7-141, and upon conviction, shall forfeit al…

(1) It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to fish commercially at any time in Muddy Bayou, in Warren County, Mississippi. (2) The department may enforce this section and seize and confiscate all commercial nets and seines used in Muddy Bayou, in Warren County, Missi…

Any person convicted of intentionally killing any deer or spotted fawn out of season shall be fined not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00); and the commission shall have authority to revoke a license for a period of one (1) year.

(1) (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, any person who hunts or takes or kills any deer at night by headlighting, by any lighting device, light amplifying device, “forward-looking infrared (FLIR)” or thermal imaging device, shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty …

(1) (a) The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks may establish deer management zones within the state.(b) The commission may establish antler restrictions within the zones for the proper management of antlered deer. (a) The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks may e…

Any public officer who wilfully fails to perform any duty imposed by law or by any lawful rule or regulation of the commission, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($…

The Legislature finds and declares that it is in the public interest to ensure the public health, safety and welfare by strictly regulating the importation, sale, transfer and possession of those wild animals inherently dangerous to humans. In addition, the Legislature finds that…

(a) The department shall have the following powers and duties:(a) To issue or deny permits required by law or regulation;(b) To inspect and determine if the facilities, conditions and standards prescribed by law and regulation are sufficient for the safety of the public;(c) To pl…

(1) Any person possessing wild animals shall allow, at reasonable times and without a search warrant, the department to inspect all wild animals, facilities and records relating to the wild animals to ensure compliance. (2) A permittee shall immediately notify the department and …

A violation of this chapter is a Class I violation and is punishable as provided in Section 49-7-141, Mississippi Code of 1972.

Counties and municipalities may enact ordinances regulating or prohibiting the possession of wild animals if the ordinances are more stringent than this chapter or the regulations promulgated by the commission.

This chapter shall not apply to livestock regulated by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce.

(a) For purposes of this chapter:(a) “Commission” means the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.(b) “Department” means the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.(c) “Wild animal” means any wild animal classified as inherently dangerous to humans as provided in Secti…

(a) The following wild animals are classed as animals inherently dangerous to humans:(a) Order Primates:(i) Family Pongidae (gibbons, orangutan, chimpanzees, siamangs and gorillas) – all species;(ii) Family Cercopithecidae:A. Genus Macaca (macaques) – all species;B. Genus Papio (…

(1) (a) It is unlawful for a person to import, transfer, sell, purchase or possess any wild animal classified inherently dangerous by law or regulation unless that person holds a permit under paragraph (b) or is exempted under paragraph (c).(b) (i) Any person who possesses a wild…

(1) The commission shall have the following powers and duties:(a) To prescribe the forms and types of permits;(b) To establish fees for each type of permit but no permit fee shall exceed Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00);(c) To establish qualifications for applicants and require th…

(a) As used in this chapter, the following words shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section:(a) “Commission” means the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.(b) “Department” means the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.(c) “Director” means…

Any exporter shall pay to the department a severance fee of an amount not to exceed one-tenth (1/10) of the value of the shells. The severance fee payments shall be made on the forms and in the manner prescribed by the commission. The exporter shall file a surety bond of Five Tho…

The executive director shall keep a record of all applications and licenses issued by him and on the first day of each month shall deposit all monies collected under this chapter into the Game and Fish Protection fund. All monies thus collected and deposited shall be used to admi…

The commission shall make such requirements and regulations governing the operations of boats and equipment in the taking of mussels as it may deem best for the proper enforcement of this chapter. To prevent the depletion of the mussel beds and to ensure proper propagation of the…

The commission shall set hearings at such times and places, after having given thirty (30) days notice thereof by publication in some newspaper published in the State of Mississippi of general circulation within the state, at which hearings evidence shall be received in regard to…

Any person, firm, or corporation, violating this chapter, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be fined twice the fee for the required license, or be imprisoned not more than three (3) months, or both, and shall forfeit any license issued by the department for a…

The ownership and title of all mussels found in or upon the fresh water bottoms within this state, is hereby declared to be vested in the state.

(1) It is unlawful for any person to take, catch or kill mussels by means of any kind of apparatus or in any manner whatsoever in any of the fresh waters of this state without first having secured a license or permit issued in accordance with this chapter. (2) It is unlawful for …

Any resident, except any company, commercial operation or farm which operates a mussel abatement program, desiring to catch, take or kill mussels in any of the fresh waters of this state except as provided for by subsection (2) of Section 49-9-5, shall apply to the commission, an…

The director shall, upon receipt of the proper application provided for in Section 49-9-7, and the proper fee, issue a license to catch, take or kill mussels. All licenses issued shall be good from the date of issuance to the first day of July following such issuance. Licenses sh…