Mississippi 2013 Rabbit Season Opens October 12

Mississippi’s 2013 – 2014 rabbit hunting season opens October 12, 2013 and closes February 28, 2014. The bag limit is 8 per day.  Rabbit hunting is a fun and exciting way to spend time with family and friends and is great way to introduce new people to hunting.

Areas with an ample mixture of grasses, legumes, other broadleaf plants, and low brushy cover typically produce the greatest number of rabbits.  “It is difficult to predict what rabbit populations will be, but we expect them to be mostly abundant where cover is suitable,” said Rick Hamrick, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Small Game Program Biologist.  “Rabbit Observations through the summer appear similar to last year.  With the abundant rainfall we had this summer, vegetation conditions that provide cover and food should be good in areas where rabbits thrive.  Those factors should have contributed to good survival and reproduction this year.”

Dave Godwin, MDWFP Small Game Program Coordinator, adds, “Rabbit hunting is a fun and exciting activity, especially for young hunters.  However, safety is always the first priority.  Make sure less experienced hunters are closely supervised and have a safe zone of fire before shooting, particularly when other hunters and dogs are involved in the hunt.”

For more information regarding rabbit hunting in Mississippi, visit our website at www.mdwfp.com/rabbit or call us at (601) 432-2199. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mdwfp or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDWFPonline.

Mississippi Wildlife Fisheries and Parks

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP), formerly known as the Mississippi Game & Fish Commission, is an agency of the government of the U.S. state ofMississippi responsible for programs protecting Mississippi fish and wildlife resources and their habitats, as well as administering all state parks; it has its headquarters in Jackson. The agency issues hunting and fishing licenses, advises on habitat protection, and sponsors public education programs. It is also responsible for enforcement of Mississippi's fish and game laws. It is separate from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, which is the governing body for the state's natural salt-water resources and law enforcement thereof (i.e. Gulf of Mexico, ocean-going vessels, etc.).