Deer hunters in Mississippi will have a chance to harvest a buck in velvet during the state’s first early archery hunt in September.
The season is set for Sept. 16-18. Russ Walsh, wildlife chief of staff for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, said those dates reach a balance between allowing bucks to reach their maximum antler growth for the year and giving hunters a chance to harvest them before they shed their velvet.
The Clarion Ledger reports the season came about during the 2022 Legislative session when lawmakers passed a bill introduced on behalf of bowhunters.
The bill’s author, Rep. Scott Bounds, of Philadelphia, said velvet racks are coveted by them. (AP)
