Local hunters and gun enthusiasts took advantage of a new state tax holiday Friday and Saturday to save money and stock up on ammunition, archery supplies and maybe buy a new rifle or shotgun during Mississippi’s first tax-free weekend for hunting supplies.

Dubbed the “Second Amendment Tax-Free Weekend Holiday,” the amendment to the state’s tax code passed in the recent session of the Mississippi Legislature took effect July 1. The provision covers rifles, shotguns and handguns, ammunition and archery supplies.

Hobie’s owner Jason Martin-Nez said the tax-free holiday provided a boost to the local outdoors retailers, adding, “Local retailers need all the help they can get to compete with the online guys. This is a step in the right direction.”

Martin-Nez said online shopping has not yet been a big problem, “ but it is chipping away” at business as younger shoppers take to their computers and Smart Phones to shop.

“We had a good two days,” he said. “I was very pleased with the results. I was worried that not many people were aware of the holiday, but we had a good turnout. Firearms and guns were the biggest sellers. We sold 73 guns and a lot of ammunition and a number of crossbows.”

“I found out about the tax-free weekend and I put off making a purchase until today,” Albert Williams said Saturday morning as he waited in Hobie’s to buy a handgun. “I was planning to buy one, and this was a chance for me to save some money.”

Not far from the store’s firearms counter, Jim Taylor was talking to Hobie’s employee Billy White about a bow.

“I had made up my mind to get a new bow, and I saw this as an opportunity to help me spend some money,” Taylor said. “I didn’t find out about it until Thursday, and I came over here to look.”

Allen Garrison took advantage of the holiday to replace some arrows and arrowheads.

“My heads are so dull, they won’t tear cardboard,” he said. “And arrowheads are expensive — $40, $50 each. This was a chance to save money, and I decided to go for it.”

“I would like to see us have a tax-free holiday like Louisiana’s,” Martin-Nez said. “Their law covers more things, like clothing and other hunting equipment. It’s their equivalent of Black Friday.”

He said the Mississippi bill initially included more hunting items, “but it was whittled down to guns, ammo and archery supplies.”

Passed in 2009, Louisiana’s tax-free weekend for hunters includes items like ATVs, clothing, boats, generators, shoes, tree stands, decoys tools, hunting knives, scopes and tree stands.

Marrtin-Nez said his store included clothing and other hunting accessories under the tax-free umbrella.

Melissa Haas and Kathy Friar were taking advantage of the store’s extended tax-free break to buy an outdoor camera and to look for other items.

“This gives us a chance to save money,” Haas said, “maybe I can find some Christmas gifts as well.”

Thad Greer, right, checks the size of a camp shirt on his son, Ethan Saturday at Hobie’s. Saturday was the State of Mississippi’s first tax-free holiday for buying hunting equipment like guns and ammunition and archery supplies without paying state sales tax. The Greers were in Hobie’s to get supplies for dove hunting.

 

Mike Koestler, left, watches as Hobie’s employee Billy White repairs the string on a bow Saturday. Saturday was the state’s first tax-free holiday which allowed hunters to buy equipment like guns and ammunition and archery supplies without paying sales tax.