JACKSON — A Senate Bill creating a turkey stamp passed out of the Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks committee and passed in the senate Wednesday before a motion to reconsider was entered. Senate bill 2652 would require hunters 16 years and older to purchase a turkey stamp to hunt turkeys.

According to Mississippi Legislature documents, 33 senators voted for the bill including Lincoln County Sen. Jason Barrett. A dozen senators voted against the bill with seven other senators voting present.

A motion to reconsider the bill as entered Wednesday and was placed on the calendar for Thursday.

MDWFP Commission moved to lobby the Mississippi Legislature for a turkey stamp last May. Funds from the stamp would go towards research, habitat management projects and improving the wild turkey population in Mississippi. Sportsmen overwhelmingly voiced support for the stamp in a public comment period last summer. 

SB2652 did have an amendment to the non-resident cost for turkey stamps. The cost for non-resident’s would be $200.  Resident fee would be $10 under the bill.

Rep. Bill Kinkade introduced HB 1298 to create a turkey stamp in Mississippi which the House of Representatives passed and moved on to the senate two weeks ago. The bill currently sits in committee. Under the HB1298, the stamp would be $10 for residents and $100 for non-residents. At this time, the bill would have a committee substitute to the legislation. 

“We have been so blessed with an impressive turkey population. We want to provide funding for conservation. We have worked on this since 2017. Been endorsed by every outdoor organization. We are tasked with the responsibility to preserve this resource,” Kinkade told the house. “Mississippi is a strong turkey destination. We are very popular. We have 100 million in impact on the economy from turkey hunting. We propose that like our waterfowl stamp we have a turkey stamp.”