Two friends and myself have been invited to come down to MS next year over our Christmas break and hunt with a former youth minister at our church. I have a few questions about hunting in MS. When does the rut usually kick in? I have heard the beginning of January, which seems really late, but if that is true, we will try to plan our hunt overe that time period. Can we purchase non resident tags over the counter or do we have to get into a lottery? Two of us coming down are probably looking to bowhunt, the other would be rifle hunting, is bow hunting still a reasonable attempt at tagging a good buck in January?

Thanks for all the help, if yall have any other suggestions, please let me know.

I JUST got into it this year so I'm rather ignorant to their patterns but I do know that there is some form of deer season all the way from about the second week of November to the end of January. Guys are still killing them left and right here and this is the last week of rifle season so you should have a chance, but I don't know about the bow. I believe sunday starts another muzzleloader season though so they might be calmed down some then.

I hunt up north of Columbus MSjust offthe Tombigbee River. The rut there is usually the week before and after Christmas assuming the weather cooperates. This year it was kind of warm when I was there and it had them turned off a little. 2 of the guys in my group killed 2 10pts the day after I left.Oneof themout of one of my stands. Both were following does. It was so foggy the 4 days I was there you couldn't see your hand in front of your face during the morningsuntil after lunch.It was so hot in the afternoons they weren't moving much. That fog cleared the morning and the temp dropped into the low 30's after I left and what do you know, Big boy came slipping down the ridge. That's how it goes sometimes.

What part of the state will you be hunting? I am from the central part and the rut normaly starts around the first of january , its in full swing right now.
non resident licenses are over the counter,and the archery is cheaper .I know alot of people that only bowhunt the whole season,so yes it is reasonable,just challenging.

SW MS, rut is on.

Late Dec to early Jan is fairly accurate, I grew up in Louisiana, about 45 mins, from pearl river area. You can purchase all tickets over the counter, just make sure you have a hunter safety card. The bow hunt is your choice, it all depends on the pressure the animals in your area have recieved.

the rut in the northern part of the state is usually around the mid or dec. and central and south ms is late dec to mid jan. the state has a muzzleloader season after the mid of jan till end of jan. i would recommend a rifle or muzzleloader, unless your just wanting a challenge.