Mississippi, private property
Dead Raccoon Removal in Mississippi
Raccoons den close to people, so a dead one often turns up somewhere awkward: under a house, in a crawl space or in an attic above a ceiling. The first rule is the Department of Health's: do not handle it yourself.
Should I pick up a dead raccoon myself?
The Mississippi State Department of Health advises against handling or touching live or dead wild animals that can carry rabies, and names raccoons among them. If someone may have been bitten or scratched, MSDH says the exposure should be reported to the health department immediately; its Office of Epidemiology is at 601-576-7725.
Source: Mississippi State Department of Health, checked 2026-10-05.
Before you call anyone. Make sure the raccoon is dead. A raccoon that is moving, even slowly, is a live-animal problem, and this site does not route live-animal work. If it is on a road, start with whoever maintains the road; the locations pages show what each place we reviewed publishes.
Cases this page is for
- A dead raccoon in the yard, beside the house or along a fence.
- A raccoon under a house or deck that can be reached through an existing opening.
- A raccoon in a crawl space reached through the access door or vent.
- A raccoon on the attic floor reached through the attic hatch.
What falls outside it
Live raccoons, trapping, relocation, sealing gaps or entry points, and pest control work are not offered here. MDWFP issues a separate permit for removing live wildlife. A carcass sealed inside a wall or ceiling cavity is not removed through this site; see the wall-smell article.
Mississippi law classes raccoons as fur-bearing animals (Miss. Code Β§49-7-1, as reproduced in the Legislature's 2026 bill text). On this site nothing is kept, sold or used: the carcass is removed and taken for disposal.
How long an odor lasts depends on the animal's size, the temperature, humidity, airflow and where it lies. Removing a carcass that can be reached is usually the useful step.
From call to removal
- Call, or send the form, and say where the raccoon is lying and which town you are in.
- Say how it can be reached: open yard, crawl-space door, attic hatch.
- Where an independent operator covers your address, it agrees the price and timing with you.
- The carcass is removed and taken for disposal.
About this animal
Can raccoons carry rabies?
Yes. The Mississippi State Department of Health names raccoons among the wild animals that can carry rabies and advises against handling or touching them, alive or dead.
What if a dog fought the raccoon before it died?
If the dog may have been bitten or scratched, call your veterinarian, and call MSDH's Office of Epidemiology at 601-576-7725 about a possible exposure.
How is a raccoon classed in Mississippi?
Mississippi law classes raccoons as fur-bearing animals, along with opossums, minks, muskrats, otters, weasels and bobcats.
The raccoon is under the house and I cannot see it. What now?
If the smell is strongest near a crawl-space door or vent, the animal may be reachable from the crawl space. Say so on the call. If it is sealed inside a wall, it is not removed through this site.
Where on the property
- Under a house or deckNo city or county page we reviewed mentions collecting from under a structure. If there is an existing way in, a carcass under a house or deck can be removed without cutting.
- In a crawl spaceA crawl space is often the hiding place, and the access door is usually the way in. Removal through this site goes through an existing opening; nothing is cut.
- In the atticAn animal on the attic floor can usually be reached from the hatch. One inside a ceiling or wall cavity is a different matter.
Whose job is it? Who picks up dead animals Β· Deer carcass and CWD rules Β· How to dispose of a dead animal
By area: Jackson Β· Madison County Β· DeSoto County Β· Gulfport and Biloxi Β· Hattiesburg