BROOKHAVEN — Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks reported revenue in the first two months of Fiscal Year 2025 is $1.4 million. Administrative Director Jason Thompson gave his monthly report on license sales to the MDWFP commission Wednesday morning. 

Former commissioner Bill Cossar often reminded people in attendance of the meeting that license sales were important because they account for 90 percent of the MDWFP budget. Without license sales, MDWFP could not do its important mission of enhancing conservation and recreational opportunities for people. 

Thompson said the agency has $110,000 more in revenue than last year through the first two months of August. He said one factor is that a lot of permits and licenses were sold in the two days before Dove season opened on Sunday, Sept. 1. 

He added they were up $92,000 in resident license sales from last year. MDWFP sold 724 velvet permits to residents this year which is up from 594 velvet permits sold last year. Non-residents bought 252 deer permits compared to 225 last year, the velvet permit is included in the deer permit for non-residents after a fee increase.

Mississippi is in its third season of having a three day velvet season in September. Hunters are limited to archery equipment only, legal buck only, mandatory harvest reporting and Chronic Wasting Disease sampling. 

According to MDWFP’s GameCheck, 292 bucks were harvested in the early velvet season hunt. At this time, no results for Chronic Wasting Disease sampling have been reported. It is possible the 292 bucks taken in the velvet season could fluctuate as a few straggler harvests are reported. 

Lincoln County reported 13 bucks were harvested along with Wilkinson County for second most in the state behind Yazoo County who had 18 reported harvests.