Mississippi Considers First Black Bear Hunting Season in Nearly a Century

A bill moving through the state legislature could allow regulated black bear hunting for the first time since 1932.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The Mississippi Legislature is considering a bill that would allow the state's Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to establish a regulated black bear hunting season for the first time in nearly a century. The bill passed the Senate and is now being considered by the House. Wildlife officials say they are still studying the size of Mississippi's black bear population to determine how many hunting tags could be issued without harming the overall population.

Why it matters

Black bears were once endangered in Mississippi, but their population has rebounded in recent decades as the animals have migrated from Louisiana and established territory in the state's pine forests and river bottoms. The potential hunting season is a sign of the bear population's recovery, but wildlife officials want to ensure any hunting is carefully managed to protect the overall bear population.

The details

Senate Bill 2436 would require the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to establish a lottery system for black bear harvest tags and oversee a regulated hunting season. The measure has cleared the Senate and a House committee, making it eligible for consideration by the full House. If approved, black bear hunting would return to Mississippi for the first time since 1932. However, wildlife officials say they are still developing a population projection model to estimate how many bears live in the state and how many could be harvested without harming the population.

  • The bill passed the Senate on February 10, 2026.
  • The bill has cleared the House Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee.
  • If the bill becomes law, the first hunting season would likely begin during the 2027-28 hunting season.

The players

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

The state agency that would be responsible for establishing a regulated black bear hunting season and issuing harvest tags if the bill is approved.

Anthony Ballard

A bear biologist and leader of the Black Bear Program at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

Sen. Tyler McCaughn

The Republican state senator who introduced the bill to allow black bear hunting in Mississippi.

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What they’re saying

“The fact that we're talking about a hunting season at all is a testament to the conservation that's been done and the recovery that's happened with the population itself.”

— Anthony Ballard, Bear biologist and leader of the Black Bear Program at MDWFP (mississippifreepress.org)

“One of the things I didn't want to happen was for us to end up with a bear season that had strict numbers that was going to decimate the population.”

— Sen. Tyler McCaughn (mississippifreepress.org)

What’s next

If the bill becomes law, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks will establish a lottery system for black bear harvest tags and determine the details of a regulated hunting season.

The takeaway

The potential return of black bear hunting in Mississippi is a sign of the species' recovery in the state, but wildlife officials want to ensure any hunting is carefully managed to protect the overall bear population.