Mississippi may soon require hunters to report every deer they harvest, a move lawmakers and wildlife officials say would provide essential data to better manage the state’s deer population and monitor chronic wasting disease.

Most states in the country mandate deer harvest reporting. A bill expected to be reintroduced in the 2026 legislative session would change that, requiring hunters to log harvests through a mobile app or website — similar to the state’s existing Game Check system for wild turkeys.

Rep. Bill Kinkade, R-Byhalia, chair of the House Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee, sponsored a similar measure last session that passed the House but died in the Senate. He said the state is currently not gathering data needed to properly manage deer populations.

“I want to count t

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