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Committee advances bill requiring hunting seasons that end on Friday to extend through Sunday
Summary
The Senate Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee reported Senate Bill 22-76 as amended, changing permissive commission language to a statutory requirement that hunting seasons that otherwise end on Friday extend until 30 minutes after sunset on the following Sunday for deer, game birds, small game and fur-bearing animals.
The Senate Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee voted to report Senate Bill 22-76 as amended, requiring that when a hunting season’s final date falls on a Friday the season shall extend until 30 minutes after sunset on the following Sunday for deer, game birds, squirrels and rabbits, and fur-bearing animals.
Sponsor remarks and supporters said the change removes uncertainty for weekend hunters and avoids repeated commission votes. "We passed legislation that would allow the commission to extend the season till 30 minutes after daylight on Sunday," the bill sponsor said, noting the measure is intended to help hunters with weekday work and family obligations who otherwise would lose a weekend of hunting.
The bill sponsor and other senators also cited safety and population concerns. The sponsor said the department has urged hunters to reduce deer numbers, and that Mississippi ranks among the top states for vehicle collisions with deer. The sponsor said the bill "takes all the doubt out of it so that if we have a new change and they won't get—won't be forgotten."
Senator Wiley asked whether the bill’s effective date should be changed from July 1 to "effective upon passage" so the statutory change would apply immediately; the sponsor agreed and the committee accepted the amendment. Committee members said they had contacted the department and that the agency reacted quickly this year to extend the season when the calendar placed the final day on a Friday.
There was no recorded roll-call of committee members in the transcript. The chair called the motion "sufficient due pass as amended," and the bill was reported from committee.
The bill as amended replaces the previous permissive phrasing that allowed the commission to extend seasons with mandatory statutory language, and aligns deer season language with similar provisions for game birds, small game and fur-bearing animals. The sponsor said the change will occur only occasionally when a season’s last calendar day falls on a Friday.
