Much to the chagrin of duck hunters on the Biloxi and Tchoutacabouffa rivers, it’s illegal to discharge a firearm in the city limits. And it’s an annual ritual each year, at the outset of duck season: Residents along the rivers or Back Bay call the police department to cry foul over the fowl custom. They said their mornings are disrupted by the blast of shotguns being used by duck hunters. Making the matter worse: Some well-meaning residents have placed birdseed outside for the wild game.
It’s an issue that predates the city’s growth to the north – aka “annexation” – when residents, namely duck hunters, found that what was allowed in rural county life may not be so welcome within the confines of a city. In fact, it’s illegal to discharge a firearm within city limits, and Police Chief John Miller says police cannot duck the issue.
In fact, Biloxi Police will be patrolling waterways in the northern parts of the city this weekend and beyond, reminding hunters and others that discharging a firearm in the city limits is prohibited.
