CFR News Wildlife & Fisheries Stories


National training academy to be housed at MSU

National training academy to be housed at MSU

A new partnership between Mississippi State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's APHIS Wildlife Services program has made the university home to a national training academy.

On Friday [Aug. 26], MSU President Mark E. Keenum and USDA APHIS Wildlife Services Deputy Administrator William H. Clay signed a "Resolution for Collaboration" to create a national training academy housed at Mississippi State. APHIS &ndas...


Natural resources workshop set for Sept. 29 in Jackson

Natural resources workshop set for Sept. 29 in Jackson

Landowners and hunting clubs eager to earn extra income while improving land management for wildlife are invited to attend a Natural Resource Enterprises Business Workshop.

The Sept. 29 event will take place at the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation in Jackson, located at 6311 Ridgewood Road.

"Landowners and farmers can seek new and innovative ways to earn extra income," said Daryl Jones, program director and professor of w...


Prehistoric fish discovered in the depths of Bluff Lake

Prehistoric fish discovered in the depths of Bluff Lake

Alligators aren't the only prehistoric creatures lurking in the depths of the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge's waterways.

Mississippi State researchers recently recorded unexpectedly high numbers of paddlefish near the refuge's spillway—a shocking discovery given the size of the waterway and what is currently known about paddlefish biology.

Paddlefish are a large fish whose lineage dates back to the ...


Deer antlers may hold health secrets

Deer antlers may hold health secrets

Each spring the woods are littered with antlers as deer shed their old racks to make way for new sets, and these "sheds" may reveal hidden health problems in the bucks that drop them.

To learn more about these lucky finds, many people bring shed antlers to the Mississippi State University Deer Lab, which specializes in deer biology and antler formation.

Steve Demarais, a wildlife biologist in the MSU Forest and Wildlife Res...


BioBlitz dates set for Jackson, Tupelo

BioBlitz dates set for Jackson, Tupelo

Teachers, students and community members are invited to learn about biological diversity and take part in naturalist activities at BioBlitz events in Jackson and Tupelo.

Participants will partner with biologists to track down and identify as many local trees, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds as possible. Individuals can help scientists by recording species they see on the free app, iNaturalist.

The M...


Landowners can diversify income from natural resources

Landowners can diversify income from natural resources

A May 4 workshop in Lexington, Mississippi, will help landowners, farmers and timber producers branch out and earn extra income from natural resources on their property.

"Landowners and farmers can seek new and innovative ways to earn extra money," said Daryl Jones, Mississippi State University Extension Service professor and Natural Resource Enterprises coordinator. "These workshops are designed for landowners interested in learning a...


MSU researcher helps evaluate protected areas system in Costa Rica

MSU researcher helps evaluate protected areas system in Costa Rica

At twenty-six percent, Costa Rica has one of the largest percentages of land designated for ecological protection in the world. This protected areas system is one of the most extensive in Latin America, and is globally considered a management success.

However, the effectiveness of this system for representing Costa Rica's biodiversity and protecting species has not been thoroughly investigated.

Jerry Belant, professor and rese...


Four summer conservation camps offer learning, fun

Four summer conservation camps offer learning, fun

Mississippi State University will host four conservation camps in June to promote interest in careers and activities in the outdoors.

The camps are offered by the MSU Extension Service and the MSU College of Forest Resources' Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Conservation Camp: Natural Sciences Edition will be June 5-8 and is open to rising ninth-graders through 2016 graduates. This camp features hands-on a...


Deer app shares MSU expertise with hunters

Deer app shares MSU expertise with hunters

Hunters can go into the woods armed with the knowledge of Mississippi State University deer experts, thanks to a newly updated MSU phone app called "Deer Hunt."

Developed by the MSU Deer Lab and MSU Extension Service, Deer Hunt enables hunters and wildlife managers to use mobile technology to easily collect critical deer observation information.

It allows hunting club members to record observations and harvest data to share wi...


MSU scientists boost recreational fishing industry

MSU scientists boost recreational fishing industry

Nature offers a narrow and unpredictable window for breeding fish, and Mississippi State University scientists are studying ways to help hatcheries stock the state's lakes.

What if conditions could be controlled within hatcheries so the intense seasonal workload could be dispersed over time? This ability would be especially beneficial for the popular black, white, and hybrid triploid Magnolia crappie.

In collaboration wit...


MSU research facility changes to meet needs

MSU research facility changes to meet needs

Mississippi State University's Coastal Plain Branch Experiment Station is completing a transformation from the state's premier dairy research facility to a site that focuses on land management.

"When dairies began to close in the early 2000s as a result of the economic landscape, we took a look at what clients in the area could benefit from," said Adam Rohnke, a wildlife biologist with the MSU Extension Service. "We knew the best opt...


Invasive Asian carp pose double threat

Invasive Asian carp pose double threat

Many Mississippians are aware of the damage wild hogs do to the land in the region, but they may not know the Mississippi River and surrounding waters are facing a serious threat from another invasive species—the Asian carp.

"The ecological and economic impacts of the Asian carp invasion are vast," said Bruce Leopold, former executive director of the Mississippi State University Center for Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts (CR...


Deer management workshops planned for August

Deer management workshops planned for August

Mississippi State University is offering two deer management workshops in August to hunters and professionals working with white-tailed deer populations.

The first workshop will be held at the Mississippi Natural Science Museum in Jackson on Aug. 15. The second workshop will be held at Thompson Hall on the MSU campus in Starkville on Aug. 22.

A $50 registration fee for each workshop includes lunch and class materials. Regis...


Natural resources workshop set for June 4 in Greenville

Natural resources workshop set for June 4 in Greenville

Landowners and hunting clubs eager to earn extra income while improving land management for wildlife are invited to attend a Natural Resource Enterprises Business Workshop on June 4 in Greenville.

"Landowners and farmers can seek new and innovative ways to earn extra money," said Daryl Jones, director of the Natural Resource Enterprises program at Mississippi State University. "These workshops are designed for landowners interested i...


MSU evaluates migratory bird habitat initiative

MSU evaluates migratory bird habitat initiative

Preliminary results of a Mississippi State University wildlife study show that a federal program to protect birds after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has had widespread ecological, environmental, and economic benefits in the Southeast.

Researchers in the MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center released a study evaluating the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative, or MBHI. The program was created by the United States Department of Agr...


MSU hosts spring, summer conservation camps

MSU hosts spring, summer conservation camps

Registration is open for one spring and three summer camps for young people interested in conservation, natural sciences and wildlife.

The Mississippi State University Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, MSU Extension Service and MSU College of Forest Resources are hosting these camps.

Conservation Careers: Discovery Days will be April 11 and is open to girls in grades nine-12. This camp is geared toward stud...


Meet Kandis Cazenave, CFR ambassador

Meet Kandis Cazenave, CFR ambassador

Senior wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major Kandis Cazenave has been passionate about nature as long as she can remember. Growing up in Vacherie, Louisiana, she hunted, fished, hiked, rode horseback and showed livestock. All of these activities shaped her interest in wildlife biology.

She has worked on numerous research projects as an undergraduate student including switch grass pine plantation habitat, white-tailed deer vege...


Natural resources workshop set for Feb. 26 in Greenville

Landowners and hunting clubs eager to earn extra income while improving land management for wildlife are invited to attend a Natural Resource Enterprises Business Workshop on Feb. 26 in Greenville.

"Landowners and farmers can seek new and innovative ways to earn extra money," said Daryl Jones, director of the Natural Resource Enterpris...

1/23/2015

Quail, turkey management will be discussed Feb. 27

Landowners, managers and hunters wanting to learn how to develop their land for turkey and quail can take part in a seminar on Feb. 27.

Mississippi State University nd the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks are organizing the workshop, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. Sessio...

1/21/2015

Workshop will address wild hog management

Landowners, hunters and timber professionals across the state, including those in the Grenada County area, are educating themselves about a major nuisance to land and wildlife.

A Wild Hog Damage Management Workshop will take place from 8:45 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Grenada County Extension Office on Feb. 9. Topics include basic wildlif...

1/15/2015

Doctoral student honored by water works association

A Mississippi State doctoral student in forest resources is being honored by the Alabama-Mississippi Section of the American Water Works Association.

Austin R. Omer of Starkville received a $2,000 scholarship during the organization's recent annual conference in Point Clear, Alabama. A former Illinois resident, he is pursuing an academ...

11/20/2014

Trapping is best wild pig control method

Many Mississippians enjoy the sport of hunting wild pigs, but trapping is a better way to control the rapidly growing population that is destroying forests, damaging agricultural resources and threatening native wildlife in the state.

"Population studies by scientists show that hunting only removes about 25 percent of the populati...

10/30/2014

MSU center hires experts to address wild hogs

Mississippi State University's Center for Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts recently announced the addition of two new staff members to address the growing challenge of controlling the state's wild hog population.

Mississippi State alumni Cliff Covington and Steven Tucker will coordinate and conduct educational workshops, field days a...

8/12/2014

Delta plantation succeeds with conservation efforts

Conservation land management practices have made the Pleasant Lake Plantation in Leflore County a model of sustainability and functionality.

Pleasant Lake has about 1,700 acres near Greenwood. The plantation includes about 500 acres in row crop production, 600 acres in timber, 110 acres in Conservation Reserve Program grassland, along ...

8/11/2014

New book helps landowners manage wildlife, fisheries

A new book should provide private landowners with a comprehensive and easy-to-understand guide to current land management techniques for fisheries and wildlife.

Adam T. Rohnke, a certified wildlife biologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, served as managing editor for "Fish and Wildlife Management: A Hand...

7/29/2014

MSU wild hog research needs foresters, farmers

Mississippi State University scientists are conducting research to determine the economic impact of wild hog damage to agriculture in Mississippi.

Bronson Strickland and Jessica Tegt, Extension wildlife biologists in the university's Forest and Wildlife Research Center, are asking farmers and foresters to participate in the study.

...

7/29/2014

Hunting and fishing help Mississippi's economy

Outdoor recreation in Mississippi provides income not only for those who own the land, but also for the state as a whole.

That's because economic impact is not limited to the first person who receives money for goods or services. Every dollar spent has direct effects, but it also has indirect and induced effects.

For example,...

6/6/2014

MSU workshop will support natural resource enterprises

A July 17 workshop in Hattiesburg will help landowners recognize the income-generating potential of using their land in natural resource enterprises.

The Mississippi Forestry Commission, the U.S. Forest Service and the MSU Extension Service are offering the Natural Resources Enterprise Advanced Workshop. The event will be held at the F...

6/5/2014

MSU student's idea is a prize-winning catch

Mississippi State University wildlife and fisheries major Charles Parker hooked the $10,000 first place prize during MSU's Office of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer Entrepreneurship Week for his fishing gear business.

Parker acquired Rod Sox, a fishing rod protector company, in May 2013 after deciding he wanted to follow in hi...

5/14/2014

MSU offers four deer management workshops

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is offering white-tailed deer management workshops to give landowners and managers hands-on education on improving deer herds and hunting opportunities.

The workshops will be offered June 13-14 in Southaven at Heartland Church and July 18-19 at the MSU Central Research and Extension Ce...

4/17/2014

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