A waterfowl hunter stands in a marsh at sunset
State guide · 2026-27

Mississippi public duck hunting

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP)

A waterfowl hunter stands in a marsh at sunset. Photo: USFWS
Duck opener36daysDuck season opens Fri Nov 27Next deadline–No dated deadline coming upPublic areas0Refuges on our map: 14Spot guides1Field guides to specific water

Mississippi's Delta holds a long list of WMAs and national wildlife refuges, plus big oxbow lakes along the river. We cover Mississippi through our Delta and river spot guides and the national wildlife refuges below; every fact on this page is confirmed on an MDWFP page.

Seasons and rules

Key Mississippi rules for 2026-27

  • 2026-27 duck season: Nov 27–29, Dec 4–6, and Dec 9, 2026–Jan 31, 2027.Source: MDWFP hunting seasons and bag limits · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
  • The 2026-27 WMA waterfowl draw application ran Oct 1–15, 2026 and is closed. Applying is free; a WMA User Permit is required to hunt WMAs.Source: MDWFP WMA draw hunts · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
  • Under the Mississippi–Arkansas reciprocal agreement, a resident license from either state is good for waterfowl on the Mississippi River and state-line waters only while both states' seasons are open. Floodwater over the natural banks is not public water.Source: MDWFP public waters reciprocal program · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
Draws and permits

Deadlines

  • Aug15MississippiEarly teal drawEarly teal draw applications.Jul 15 – Aug 15, 2026 ClosedMDWFP WMA draw hunts · checked Oct 22, 2026
  • Oct15MississippiWMA waterfowl drawFree to apply; a WMA User Permit is required to hunt WMAs.Oct 1 – 15, 2026 ClosedMDWFP WMA draw hunts · checked Oct 22, 2026

All four states on one calendar

Where to hunt

Spot guides

Picking up decoys after a hunt
Mississippi · Arkansas

Tunica Cutoff

Tunica Cutoff (Tunica Lake) is a long Mississippi River oxbow on the Mississippi–Arkansas line, not in Tennessee. The state line runs down the old…

WMAs and refuges

Public land

We haven't written Mississippi area pages yet. These national wildlife refuges are on our map, linked to the refuge's official page; check each refuge's hunt brochure for waterfowl rules. MDWFP Wildlife Management Areas lists the state WMAs.

See something wrong or out of date? Report a correction.