January 2014 - Page 4 of 6 - Mississippi Sportsman

A cold winter is the key to a great season of Delta duck hunting.

On the edge of paradise

January 15, 2014 John J. Woods

Tommy Hoff is an avid duck hunter and he knows he has it good, living on the edge of one of the country’s best duck areas. […]

Ducks require lots of water and easy access food, which Tallahatchie County has in abundance in ideal years.

Hunter’s new best friend: The Web

January 15, 2014 John J. Woods

One of the best things about the Internet is the explosion of information available to assist hunters: News, facts, area regulations and more, all available on computers, tablets and even smart phones. […]

Tallahatchie County sees lots of daily flights of ducks and geese.

Tallahatchie’s “secret” public ducks

January 15, 2014 John J. Woods

There’s a good reason why most Mississippi duck hunters residing outside of the Delta don’t know about some pretty darn good public waterfowl opportunities in the Tallahatchie region. It’s probably because Delta hunters try to keep it secret. […]

With hunters having access to the woods for nearly two months, the month of December can spell a decrease in deer sightings. Maybe it’s time to change the way you’re hunting them.

Season Dates and Size Limits

January 15, 2014 Phillip Gentry

HILL ZONE — Private and open public lands east of I-55 and north of I-20 plus areas south of I-20 and east of U.S. Hwy. 61, excluding areas south of U.S. Hwy. 84 and east of MS Hwy. 35. A legal buck is defined as having EITHER a minimum inside spread of 10 inches OR aminimum main-beam length of 13 inches. Firearm seasons: Regular gun, with dogs, through Dec. 1; primitive weapon, Dec. 2-15; gun, without dogs (still season), Dec. 16-23; gun, with dogs, Dec. 24-Jan. 22. […]

By making the most of technology for scouting, hunters can minimize the time they spend looking for deer and spend more time hunting them.

Who you gonna call?

January 15, 2014 Phillip Gentry

Deer Program 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. […]

This 150 class buck was taken in Jones County by Landon Howard.

Jones County yields trophy buck

January 14, 2014 John J. Woods

The “Free State of Jones” is not exactly known for producing high scoring bucks. But when it comes to white-tailed deer in Mississippi these days, the big buck landscape is ever changing. There are fewer surprises every season. […]

Jeff Messina of Baton Rouge, La., killed this 177-point 18-inch Mississippi River bottom bruiser Dec. 9 at Lake Mary in Wilkinson County.

Baton Rouge hunter gets well-earned Mississippi bruiser

January 14, 2014 Bobby Cleveland

Ask a very proud Jeff Messina about the 177-inch buck he killed on Dec. 9 near Lake Mary in Wilkinson County, and he will tell you that it was well earned and very much deserved.

“The deer gods obviously agreed,” said Messina, who lives in Baton Rouge, La. “After what we went through that day in that weather, I guess they felt they owed me.”

If that is indeed the case, he shouldn’t expect another favor anytime soon. The buck he was given that day, halfway through the primitive weapon season, was, in his words, “a true Mississippi River 18-point bruiser.”

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