Does the Mississippi nonresident draw for hunting the early part of the season utilize preference points, or is it strictly the luck of the draw each year?
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I've read for WMA's it's random.
Thankfully random
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Thanks!
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This must be the hardest draw in the country. I've never been drawn (except the first year when everyone was selected). It pissing me off
I didn't draw an early season tag, but I did draw a WMA quota permit in the early season
Quote from: arkrem870 on February 05, 2026, 11:47:28 AMThis must be the hardest draw in the country. I've never been drawn (except the first year when everyone was selected). It pissing me off
Same except for the "pissed off" part. It just is what it is. I'll joint leases as needed to hunt
Something else the residents will overall hate, but what goes around comes around.
The demand simply shot up from the new ruling causing FOMO. Many more applicants yet the same amount of people serious enough to go. That's why many drawn tags go wasted. It's what happens with a virtually "free" draw system.
Feel comfort in knowing all the residents that this works for, also hate the new rulings from other states they enjoy going to later in the year.
It more and more is coming full circle
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Quote from: arkrem870 on February 05, 2026, 11:47:28 AMThis must be the hardest draw in the country. I've never been drawn (except the first year when everyone was selected). It pissing me off
43% draw odds this year
You've defied the odds (6%) by not drawing at least one permit since.
You still have a chance. Unclaimed tags will be re-issued through a secondary drawing in mid-February. First round winners have until Feb. 15 to claim.
Quote from: deerhunt1988 on February 05, 2026, 12:38:00 PMQuote from: arkrem870 on February 05, 2026, 11:47:28 AMThis must be the hardest draw in the country. I've never been drawn (except the first year when everyone was selected). It pissing me off
43% draw odds this year
You've defied the odds (6%) by not drawing at least one permit since.
You still have a chance. Unclaimed tags will be re-issued through a secondary drawing in mid-February. First round winners have until Feb. 15 to claim.
What are the odds for residents in the WMA draw?
A resident and I only put in for one WMA each year and I didn't get drawn this year, my luck has been about getting drawn every other year!
Quote from: Jbird22 on February 05, 2026, 01:19:19 PMQuote from: deerhunt1988 on February 05, 2026, 12:38:00 PMQuote from: arkrem870 on February 05, 2026, 11:47:28 AMThis must be the hardest draw in the country. I've never been drawn (except the first year when everyone was selected). It pissing me off
43% draw odds this year
You've defied the odds (6%) by not drawing at least one permit since.
You still have a chance. Unclaimed tags will be re-issued through a secondary drawing in mid-February. First round winners have until Feb. 15 to claim.
What are the odds for residents in the WMA draw?
Completely dependent on your application. If you only applied for highly sought after hunts, odds could easily be single digits. On the contrary, some hunts were about 100% odds.
That being said, it was another record year of applications for WMA draws.
To increase your odds, be willing to accept later hunts. A high percentage of people only apply for the first couple hunt dates (ie. Hunt 1 and Hunt 2). I recommend putting harder to draw hunts as choices 1-2. Then listing a couple easier to draw hunts as 3-5. If your number is pulled, the system evaluates your choices in order 1-5. So it will look at choice 1 and if a spot is available, you get it. If no spot, it looks at Choice 2. And so forth.
Application numbers from last year are posted on the MDWFP Draw Hunts webpage (link: https://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunting/wma-draw-hunts ) . This will give you a good idea of the odds of drawing a hunt.
Quote from: 3bailey3 on February 05, 2026, 01:34:02 PMA resident and I only put in for one WMA each year and I didn't get drawn this year, my luck has been about getting drawn every other year!
Very reasonable to expect to draw every other year now if you are willing to apply for hunts with larger quotas, less applicants, avoid opening week and weekends.
Quote from: deerhunt1988 on February 05, 2026, 01:36:34 PMQuote from: Jbird22 on February 05, 2026, 01:19:19 PMQuote from: deerhunt1988 on February 05, 2026, 12:38:00 PMQuote from: arkrem870 on February 05, 2026, 11:47:28 AMThis must be the hardest draw in the country. I've never been drawn (except the first year when everyone was selected). It pissing me off
43% draw odds this year
You've defied the odds (6%) by not drawing at least one permit since.
You still have a chance. Unclaimed tags will be re-issued through a secondary drawing in mid-February. First round winners have until Feb. 15 to claim.
What are the odds for residents in the WMA draw?
Completely dependent on your application. If you only applied for highly sought after hunts, odds could easily be single digits. On the contrary, some hunts were about 100% odds.
That being said, it was another record year of applications for WMA draws.
To increase your odds, be willing to accept later hunts. A high percentage of people only apply for the first couple hunt dates (ie. Hunt 1 and Hunt 2). I recommend putting harder to draw hunts as choices 1-2. Then listing a couple easier to draw hunts as 3-5. If your number is pulled, the system evaluates your choices in order 1-5. So it will look at choice 1 and if a spot is available, you get it. If no spot, it looks at Choice 2. And so forth.
Application numbers from last year are posted on the MDWFP Draw Hunts webpage (link: https://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunting/wma-draw-hunts ) . This will give you a good idea of the odds of drawing a hunt.
Personally, I think the yearly data should be kept in house and not made public. The Gold Rush effect is obviously still very much alive and well.
You're better off putting in for just basic public land instead of a 2 day Wma hunt which is a waste of time in my opinion. Your odds are better shooting for days that aren't the opening weekend more towards the second week middle of the week
I'm unable to draw the open public lands permit. I've literally never drawn it except the year everyone got a permit. It's crazy that I live close to Mississippi and have hunted it for decades. And now I'm shut out. Not only am I shut out....my son is also shut out of the youth hunt with their psychopath regulations where kids of parents who can't draw also can't hunt.
Our neighboring states crap on us Mississippi/missouri/Oklahoma while their residents come here by the thousands to hunt ducks. Guess it's time to shut them out. We can all go inside the room together and pull the pin
:happy0064:
Personally, I think the yearly data should be kept in house and not made public. The Gold Rush effect is obviously still very much alive and well.
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It's kinda scary what this data actually shows....this draw actually drew/recruited more hunters than YouTube ever did. I hope other states are paying attention.
Maybe the crappie will be biting
Quote from: arkrem870 on February 06, 2026, 07:10:25 AMIt's kinda scary what this data actually shows....this draw actually drew/recruited more hunters than YouTube ever did. I hope other states are paying attention.
There was a significant drop in the number of applications this year. I think people are finding out Mississippi in March isn't as easy as some videos can make it out to be.
When the number of non-resident turkey permit sales and March 7-day license sales doubles in about 3 years (2019-2021), and the bulk of those new non-resident hunters are going to public land, a state owes it to its resident hunters to do something about it. So no, the draw didn't increase the jump in demand we saw from 2019-2021 because it didn't even exist.
Quote from: deerhunt1988 on February 06, 2026, 11:05:51 AMQuote from: arkrem870 on February 06, 2026, 07:10:25 AMIt's kinda scary what this data actually shows....this draw actually drew/recruited more hunters than YouTube ever did. I hope other states are paying attention.
There was a significant drop in the number of applications this year. I think people are finding out Mississippi in March isn't as easy as some videos can make it out to be.
When the number of non-resident turkey permit sales and March 7-day license sales doubles in about 3 years (2019-2021), and the bulk of those new non-resident hunters are going to public land, a state owes it to its resident hunters to do something about it. So no, the draw didn't increase the jump in demand we saw from 2019-2021 because it didn't even exist.
Let me make sure I understand you correctly, are you saying it was another record year for WMA draw applications, but a significant drop in OOS Public Land permit applications?
Quote from: Jbird22 on February 06, 2026, 01:27:15 PMQuote from: deerhunt1988 on February 06, 2026, 11:05:51 AMQuote from: arkrem870 on February 06, 2026, 07:10:25 AMIt's kinda scary what this data actually shows....this draw actually drew/recruited more hunters than YouTube ever did. I hope other states are paying attention.
There was a significant drop in the number of applications this year. I think people are finding out Mississippi in March isn't as easy as some videos can make it out to be.
When the number of non-resident turkey permit sales and March 7-day license sales doubles in about 3 years (2019-2021), and the bulk of those new non-resident hunters are going to public land, a state owes it to its resident hunters to do something about it. So no, the draw didn't increase the jump in demand we saw from 2019-2021 because it didn't even exist.
Let me make sure I understand you correctly, are you saying it was another record year for WMA draw applications, but a significant drop in OOS Public Land permit applications?
Correct. The NR Open Public draw had about 500 less applications.
Quote from: deerhunt1988 on February 06, 2026, 02:16:17 PMQuote from: Jbird22 on February 06, 2026, 01:27:15 PMQuote from: deerhunt1988 on February 06, 2026, 11:05:51 AMQuote from: arkrem870 on February 06, 2026, 07:10:25 AMIt's kinda scary what this data actually shows....this draw actually drew/recruited more hunters than YouTube ever did. I hope other states are paying attention.
There was a significant drop in the number of applications this year. I think people are finding out Mississippi in March isn't as easy as some videos can make it out to be.
When the number of non-resident turkey permit sales and March 7-day license sales doubles in about 3 years (2019-2021), and the bulk of those new non-resident hunters are going to public land, a state owes it to its resident hunters to do something about it. So no, the draw didn't increase the jump in demand we saw from 2019-2021 because it didn't even exist.
Let me make sure I understand you correctly, are you saying it was another record year for WMA draw applications, but a significant drop in OOS Public Land permit applications?
Correct. The NR Open Public draw had about 500 less applications.
Roger that
It evident that free draws and quotas recruit applicants. It's called the Scarcity principle. It's marketing 101. I don't believe it was done intentionally but it was done none the less. Cheers and maybe I'll draw one day!
I take off all season till about mid may. I leave Mississippi about mid April heading north to other states. I've noticed a lot more far northern tags on vehicles first few weeks of our season than ever. A lot less Arkansas and bama tags tho. I'm sure the price increase and turkey tag had an effect for this years draw
There was a significant drop in the number of applications this year. I think people are finding out Mississippi in March isn't as easy as some videos can make it out to be.
You and I have discussed this before. I'm glad that maybe it's happening.
Of course I go to sign up for draw 2/1 and it ended 1/31 lol.
Missippi Res here. Draw hunts for public land anywhere is unfair. It's public land for everybody. I've long been a proponent of of equalizing NR tags across the country and reducing time and bag limits . For example: every state NRT is $250. You get 7 days and one tag. If you don't shoot, you can come back another 7...but it's $250. The most draw I would consider is a limit on tags opening week. They become available, you buy- if they all sold you don't go then...