Can You Kill Raccoons in Mississippi? What State Law Actually Allows

If a raccoon is raiding your garden, tearing into your attic, or knocking over trash cans every night, your first instinct might be to simply get rid of it — permanently. In Mississippi, though, the answer to whether you can legally kill a raccoon is more layered than most people expect.

The state’s rules on raccoon removal trip up homeowners and hunters alike because raccoons occupy a specific legal category that comes with its own season, licensing requirements, and method restrictions. Getting those details wrong — even on your own property — can result in a wildlife violation. This guide walks you through exactly what Mississippi law permits, when it permits it, and what your alternatives are.

Are Raccoons Protected in Mississippi?

Raccoons are not federally protected wildlife, but they do carry meaningful state-level protections in Mississippi. Raccoons are not classified as nuisance animals in Mississippi. Instead, they are designated as furbearers, which places them under specific seasonal regulations. That distinction matters more than most people realize.

Species labeled as nuisance animals — such as beavers, coyotes, nutria, foxes, skunks, and wild hogs — can be taken year-round under certain conditions. Beaver, coyote, fox, nutria, skunks, and wild hogs are classified as “nuisance animals” and may be taken year-round on private lands, and on open public lands that follow statewide rules and don’t carry special restrictions. Raccoons are not on that list.

Because raccoons are furbearers, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) manages them under a regulated season — the same framework that applies to mink, muskrat, otter, and other fur-bearing species. Killing or trapping a raccoon outside of that framework, even on land you own, is a violation of state law.

When Can You Legally Kill a Raccoon in Mississippi?

Mississippi law permits raccoons to be killed during designated hunting and trapping seasons, and also allows landowners and leaseholders to take nuisance animals on their own land in specific circumstances — though the raccoon’s furbearer status adds important limits.

The commission may fix the open season for hunting opossums, raccoons, and bobcats with dogs and guns by licensed hunters from October 1 to March 15; but raccoons and bobcats may be run, hunted, chased, or pursued throughout the year with dogs by licensed hunters. Note the difference: you can chase raccoons with dogs year-round, but you cannot shoot them outside the established season.

The commission may establish an additional open season on raccoon from July 1 through October 1, and the bag limit on raccoon during the additional open season shall be one per party, per night. According to the MDWFP’s 2025–2026 hunting seasons document, the summer raccoon window runs July 1 through September 30, with a limit of 1 per party per night, followed by the main season from October 1 through March 15.

Landowners, leaseholders, or their designated agents may take nuisance animals year-round on lands owned or leased by them. However, because raccoons are furbearers rather than nuisance species, this broad year-round provision does not automatically apply to them. State law only allows raccoons to be trapped during the furbearer trapping season, which runs from November 1 through March 15 each year. Trapping raccoons outside of this window — even on land you own — is illegal.

Important Note: A common misconception circulating on social media holds that Mississippi homeowners can trap raccoons on their property at any time. According to fact-checking by the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center, that claim is false. Raccoon trapping is restricted to the furbearer season regardless of land ownership.

Raccoons, foxes, opossums, beavers, nutrias, coyotes, and bobcats may be legally hunted at night, with or without the use of a light and with or without dogs, except during the spring turkey season. If you are hunting raccoons at night, weapon restrictions apply: legal weapons for hunting from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise are restricted to handguns or rifles using no larger than .22 standard rimfire cartridges (no .22 magnums) and shotguns with shot no larger than No. 6.

Legal Methods for Killing Raccoons in Mississippi

Mississippi allows several methods for taking raccoons during open season, but each comes with its own set of rules. The method you choose determines what licenses you need, what time of day you can hunt, and what equipment is permitted.

• Hunting with dogs and guns: The first season runs October 1 through October 31 for sport hunting with dogs and guns for opossum, raccoon, and bobcat. Dogs may be used from one-half hour after sunset until 4 a.m. on Wildlife Management Areas.
• Night hunting: Raccoons may be hunted at night with or without a light during open season, subject to the nighttime weapon restrictions listed above.
• Trapping: Legal traps include foothold traps, cable grips, and body snares during the November 1 through March 15 trapping season.
• Shooting on WMAs: During raccoon, opossum, and bobcat seasons, hunting is allowed without dogs during daylight hours and with dogs from one-half hour after sunset until 4 a.m.

There are also firm prohibitions on certain methods. It is illegal to hunt or kill any game animal, furbearing animal, or game bird from any motorized vehicle or boat. It is unlawful to hunt, take, shoot, or kill any raccoon from a boat in any waters of the state. Hunting with bait is also prohibited: it is illegal to hunt or trap any wild animal or wild bird with the aid of bait.

If you hunt raccoons during the spring turkey season, special rules apply. Hunters may hunt raccoon with dogs during the spring turkey season with a permit issued from MDWFP. These hunting and fishing permits can be obtained through the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks Licenses and Permits page.

Trapping Raccoons in Mississippi: Rules and Restrictions

Trapping is one of the most common ways Mississippians deal with problem raccoons, but the rules are detailed and non-negotiable. Getting them right matters both legally and practically.

A trapping license is required of anyone 16 years of age or older who traps furbearers (bobcat, mink, muskrat, opossum, otter, raccoon, and weasel) in the State of Mississippi. There is one key exception: landowners trapping on land deeded in their name are not required to be licensed. If you are trapping on someone else’s property, you need both a valid license and the landowner’s permission.

Trappers are required to have an identification number, which is issued by and registered with the MDWFP, attached to all traps by a metal tag or permanently inscribed, etched, or stamped on the trap. Every trap you set must carry this ID — no exceptions.

Bait and lure rules for trapping raccoons differ from hunting rules. Lure or bait is allowed, but the amount must not exceed 2.5 cubic inches — roughly the volume of a regulation golf ball — and must be placed within 20 feet of the trap. All lure used within that range must be covered and not visible from above. Different rules apply when using a live cage-type trap. In traps that do not exceed 42 inches in length, 15 inches in width, and 20 inches in height, there are no restrictions on the amount or visibility of lure used.

Pro Tip: Cage-style live traps are often the most practical option for suburban or residential raccoon problems. They avoid the weapon restrictions of nighttime hunting and give you more flexibility with bait, as long as the trap stays within the legal dimensions.

The trapping season for raccoons runs concurrently with the broader furbearer trapping season. The trapping season for all furbearer species and nuisance species is November 1 through March 15. There are no bag or possession limits. After the season closes, the meat of legally acquired raccoons, opossums, and muskrats may also be bought and sold during trapping season, and for thirty days after the close of the season.

Trappers also have annual reporting obligations. Each trapper is required to complete and return a Trapper Harvest Survey to the MDWFP annually. The survey will be provided by the MDWFP after the trapping season has concluded and must be satisfactorily completed and returned. Any trapper failing to return a completed harvest survey may be denied a trapping license the following year.

Can You Relocate a Raccoon Instead of Killing It in Mississippi?

Many homeowners prefer not to kill a raccoon and instead want to trap it and release it somewhere else. Mississippi does not flatly prohibit raccoon relocation the way some states do, but the rules create real complications that are worth understanding before you set a trap.

First, the trapping itself must occur during the legal furbearer season (November 1 through March 15). You cannot legally trap a raccoon for relocation purposes outside that window any more than you can trap one to kill it. The season restriction applies regardless of your intent.

No state has a blanket, no-restrictions-at-all permission for anyone to trap and relocate raccoons wherever they choose. States that permit relocation typically require a permit from the state fish and wildlife agency, restrict release to approved sites, impose minimum distance requirements from the capture location, and in many cases require that the trapper hold a wildlife control operator license or nuisance wildlife permit.

Some states allow property owners to trap and remove raccoons on their own land without a permit, but those exceptions typically require that the animal be released on the same property or euthanized. Transporting the animal off your property and releasing it elsewhere is where most people cross from legal to illegal. Mississippi’s MDWFP nuisance wildlife guidance recommends contacting the agency directly for site-specific relocation guidance, and any release on another person’s land requires that landowner’s permission.

There is also a disease consideration. Raccoons can transmit rabies to humans and pets and can also spread distemper to unvaccinated animals. Relocating a potentially sick animal moves that disease risk to a new location and new community — which is why many wildlife professionals recommend euthanasia over relocation for problem raccoons.

If you are unsure whether your planned relocation is legal, contact the MDWFP Nuisance Wildlife program before acting. They can advise on approved release sites and whether your specific situation requires a permit. You can also compare how neighboring states handle this question — for example, see how Tennessee handles raccoon relocation rules or what Georgia’s raccoon regulations look like for comparison.

Hiring a Licensed Wildlife Control Operator in Mississippi

If the season is closed, you are not comfortable handling the situation yourself, or the raccoon problem involves an animal inside your home or attic, hiring a licensed wildlife control operator (WCO) is often the most practical and legally straightforward path.

You can apply for a Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator Permit through the MDWFP. Licensed WCOs are authorized to handle nuisance wildlife situations professionally, and they carry the permits and credentials that allow them to operate outside the restrictions that apply to ordinary homeowners.

The wildlife control operator license is a separate, more specialized credential. WCOs are trained and licensed to trap nuisance animals as a professional service. This means a WCO can often address a raccoon problem during times or in ways that a private citizen legally cannot.

Any nuisance animal control or management program must begin with an assessment of the conditions that may attract wildlife to a location that develops into a nuisance situation. Wildlife in both rural and suburban areas will utilize food sources, as well as buildings and other physical structures, that are not intended for use by wildlife. Depending on the situation, once wildlife become accustomed to food sources or structures, deterring them may be very difficult or seem impossible.

A qualified WCO will typically assess entry points, recommend exclusion measures, and handle the removal itself — all within the bounds of state law. This is especially valuable for attic or crawl space infestations, where improper removal can leave young raccoons behind or create new structural vulnerabilities.

To find a licensed operator in your area, contact the MDWFP directly or check with your county extension office. Mississippi State University Extension Service also provides guidance on wildlife conflicts. For context on how other states structure their wildlife control operator programs, see how Virginia handles raccoon removal licensing or what North Carolina requires of wildlife control operators.

Local Ordinances That May Override State Law in Mississippi

State law sets the floor for raccoon management in Mississippi, but it is not always the final word. Local governments — cities, counties, and municipalities — have the authority to enact rules that are more restrictive than state regulations.

Counties and municipalities may enact ordinances regulating or prohibiting the possession of wild animals if the ordinances are more stringent than state law or the regulations promulgated by the commission. While this provision addresses possession of wild animals specifically, the same principle applies broadly: local rules can add restrictions on top of what the state allows.

In practice, this means that even if state law permits you to shoot a raccoon during open season, your city or county may prohibit the discharge of firearms within municipal limits. Many Mississippi cities — including Jackson, Hattiesburg, and Gulfport — have ordinances restricting firearm discharge in residential areas. Those local rules apply regardless of what MDWFP regulations say about raccoon season.

A municipality or county, or any person who has contracted with a municipality or county for the purpose authorized in this subsection, may place or set only snare traps within one hundred feet of any road or street located within such municipality or county. Before the action authorized by this section is taken, the governing authority of the municipality or the board of supervisors of the county shall make a finding that such placement of snare traps is reasonable and necessary to protect the public safety by removing furbearing and nuisance animals that threaten the safety of public roads and bridges.

Before taking any action against a raccoon in an urban or suburban setting, check with your local city hall or county government to confirm what is and is not permitted in your specific location. What is legal on a rural property in Rankin County may not be legal on a residential lot in Madison or Hinds County.

Pro Tip: When in doubt, call your local MDWFP regional office before trapping or shooting a raccoon. Violations can result in fines, loss of hunting and trapping privileges, and in some cases criminal penalties. A quick phone call costs nothing and protects you from an expensive mistake.

For a broader look at how raccoon laws vary across the South and Midwest, you can review how Kentucky approaches raccoon management, what Ohio’s raccoon laws cover, or how Missouri handles raccoon season and nuisance rules. Mississippi’s approach — treating raccoons as regulated furbearers rather than open nuisance animals — is stricter than several neighboring states, so checking your specific state’s rules before assuming similar rules apply is always worth the effort. You can also review Mississippi’s roadkill laws if you encounter a raccoon that has already been struck by a vehicle.