Mississippi legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Mississippi SB2436: Black bear hunting season; require MDWFP to create and issue harvest tags for through a lottery system.
Status: Failed, March 10, 2026
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS TO CONTROL, REGULATE AND MANAGE THE TAKING OF ALL BLACK BEARS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO CREATE, SET AND REGULATE A BLACK BEAR SEASON, BEGINNING WITH THE 2027-2028 HUNTING SEASON; TO ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTS AND NONRESIDENTS TO HUNT OR KILL BLACK BEARS; TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH A BLACK BEAR HARVEST TAG TO HUNT OR KILL BLACK BEARS, AND TO BASE THE NUMBER OF SUCH TAGS AUTHORIZED EACH YEAR ON THE MISSISSIPPI COMMISSION ON WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS' BLACK BEAR POPULATION DATA; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH A LOTTERY SYSTEM FOR ISSUANCE OF BLACK BEAR HARVEST TAGS AND TO RESERVE ONE HARVEST TAG FOR EACH HUNTING SEASON TO BE RESERVED AS THE "GOVERNOR'S TAG"; TO PROHIBIT THE DEPARTMENT FROM DONATING ANY HARVEST TAG(S) OTHER THAN THE GOVERNOR'S TAG OR FROM DESIGNATING ANY NUMBER OF HARVEST TAGS FOR ANY NONPROFIT OR FOR-PROFIT ENTITY; TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT TO OFFER BLACK BEAR HARVEST TAGS FOR RESIDENTS BEGINNING WITH THE 2027-2028 HUNTING SEASON; TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT TO OFFER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HARVEST TAGS FOR NONRESIDENTS BEGINNING WITH THE 2032-2033 HUNTING SEASON; TO SET THE PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS OF THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
What the bill says
An act to require the mississippi department of wildlife, fisheries and parks to control, regulate and manage the taking of all black bears; to require the department to create, set and regulate a black bear season, beginning with the 2027-2028 hunting season; to establish requirements for residents and nonresidents to hunt or kill black bears; to direct the department to establish a black bear harvest tag to hunt or kill black bears, and to base the number of such tags authorized each year on the mississippi commission on wildlife, fisheries and parks' black bear population data…
From the introduced text:
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS TO CONTROL, REGULATE AND MANAGE THE TAKING OF ALL BLACK BEARS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO CREATE, SET AND REGULATE A BLACK BEAR SEASON, BEGINNING WITH THE 2027-2028 HUNTING SEASON; TO ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTS AND NONRESIDENTS TO HUNT OR KILL BLACK BEARS; TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH A BLACK BEAR HARVEST TAG TO HUNT OR KILL BLACK BEARS, AND TO BASE THE NUMBER OF SUCH TAGS AUTHORIZED EACH YEAR ON THE MISSISSIPPI COMMISSION ON WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS' BLACK BEAR POPULATION DATA; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH A LOTTERY SYSTEM FOR ISSUANCE OF BLACK BEAR HARVEST TAGS AND TO RESERVE ONE HARVEST TAG FOR EACH HUNTING SEASON TO BE RESERVED AS THE "GOVERNOR'S TAG"; TO PROHIBIT THE DEPARTMENT FROM DONATING ANY HARVEST TAG(S) OTHER THAN THE GOVERNOR'S TAG OR FROM DESIGNATING ANY NUMBER OF HARVEST TAGS FOR ANY NONPROFIT OR FOR-PROFIT ENTITY; TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT TO OFFER BLACK BEAR HARVEST TAGS FOR RESIDENTS BEGINNING WITH THE 2027-2028 HUNTING SEASON; TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT TO OFFER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HARVEST TAGS FOR NONRESIDENTS BEGINNING WITH THE 2032-2033 HUNTING SEASON; TO SET THE PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS OF THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION …