Mississippi Youth Turkey Season - Non-resident Question

[Andy S.]

For those in MS, I need clarification on a non-resident adult taking a non-resident youth (12 y/o) on non-quota PUBLIC lands this week during MS youth turkey hunt. It is my understanding that the non-resident adult must be DRAWN for non-resident public land permit to access/hunt public land prior to April 1, and be fully PERMITTED with all applicable licenses/permits/stamps, to be 100% legal taking the non-resident youth on public land this week during youth hunt.

Is this true, or not?

This is the verbiage I've pulled from MDFWP website. It's highlighted in more than one place on their website.

 

[megalomaniac]

Oh boy..that's a question for @th88

 

[th88]

You are correct. A supervising non-resident adult MUST BE DRAWN for the Non-Resident Open Public Lands Permit/Endorsement in order to bring a non-resident youth to hunt public lands during the youth season.

 

[megalomaniac]

Th88, we APPRECIATE your knowledge and insight on this forum. Thank you for taking the time to answer questions like this in regards to Mississippi!

 

[Andy S.]

Thank you for confirming th88, much appreciated. From reading everything I could online last night, I thought that was the case.

The reason I ask is a non-resident I personally know (40 y/o TN resident) who was NOT drawn (did not even apply), reached out to a MS game warden this week and inquired about his non-resident 12 y/o son hunting the youth hunt in MS today on public land. Based on the initial story I was told yesterday, the warden was very accommodating and even pointed them to a public land spot in the northern part of the State. I asked the TN resident (father of the juvenile) if he was drawn for the non-resident public land permit and he confirmed he wasn't. I shared with him the regulation verbiage I posted above from MDWFP website. It fell on deaf ears yesterday evening, thus I did not push the issue. They hunted this morning, heard a few on the limb at daylight at the public land spot the warden told them about, the turkeys gobbled on the ground and drifted off to private ground and went silent around 730. They hunted until noon today when the rain moved in. That is it in a nutshell.

I may have additional clarifying information to add to this thread tomorrow, but I am awaiting a call back to make sure I have all of the facts.

Thanks again for chiming in and providing clarity, much appreciated.

 

[th88]

It is very possible that the warden isn't completely clear on the regulation or isn't worried about enforcing it. I do hate that the regulations have gotten so confusing, but something had to be done about the non-resident influx on our public lands. Even during youth season, non-resident youth were harvesting a rather large percentage of the birds taken off public during week youth. Just a bad look all around when a resident tries to take a youth on public and there are non-residents parked at the areas they want to hunt.

 

[Andy S.]

........ during week youth.

I love this about MS, and possibly other states. Give the kids a week or more for youth deer and youth turkey. With as busy as life has gotten these days with multiple sports, holidays, etc, the extra opportunity outside of a 2 day weekend are a plus IMO.