CFR News Wildlife & Fisheries Stories


Youth quail hunt offers education, fun

Young hunters will learn about quail hunting and conservation at an upcoming daylong event in Lowndes County.

Quail Forever is organizing the Nov. 13 event with help from the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Applications for the limited openings are due by N...

10/26/2010

Hunting and fishing boost economy, improves habitat

Darren Miller was 13 when he experienced the heart-thumping, adrenaline-flowing excitement of his first squirrel hunt.

"For me, hunting provides a natural connection to the outdoors that is often lost in our everyday lives," Miller said. "I get great personal satisfaction from every aspect of the hunt—preparing for...

10/21/2010

Conservation benefits farmers and wildlife

A U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation practice designed to increase the population of northern bobwhite and other grassland birds appears to be working in Mississippi and elsewhere.

CP33 Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds are native grass buffers along row crop field margins that provide food and shelter for birds. Agricultural p...

10/7/2010

MSU research leads to antler scoring software

A Mississippi State University research project to convert trail camera photographs into management tools has led to new software that could improve the deer population "picture."

Wildlife biologists take age and antler measurements from harvested deer because the physical collection of data is relatively easy. Until recently...

9/9/2010

Wildlife festival to offer educational family fun

Families are invited to take a walk on the ‘wild side’ at the Second Annual Wildlife Festival at Mississippi State University’s Coastal Plain Branch Experiment Station in Newton on Sept. 18.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and will include falconry demonstrations by David Hall of the Wildlife Outrea...

8/19/2010

Coast fishing, crabbing often more than recreation

Chicken and nets may not seem high tech, but a Mississippi State University student finds them necessary tools for researching an important Gulf Coast resource.

MSU College of Forest Resources’ doctoral student Sarah Harrison is collecting data on the blue crab populations in the Pascagoula Estuary. She uses crab nets baited wi...

8/12/2010

New technique protects downstream waters

A Mississippi State University study has confirmed the success of a new technique to reduce nutrients in runoff water and protect downstream waters, including the Gulf of Mexico.

Weirs, also known as check dams, are small dams used to collect water runoff from agricultural fields. Weirs are often the size of a drainage ditch, with a 2-...

7/29/2010

Rice field survey set for waterfowl food

A team of researchers soon will be surveying south Louisiana and Texas rice fields to determine how much food is available from farming and natural plants for migrating waterfowl along the coastal prairie.

The project is being done for the North American Waterfowl Management Plan - Gulf Coast Joint Venture. Partners in the project incl...

7/19/2010

Leaf collecting raises bug campers’ interest

Participants at Mississippi State University’s Intergenerational Summer Camp on insect and plant ecology may attend because of the bugs, but they soon discover that looking for plants is equally interesting.

Among the camp’s goals are the exploration of the interactions between plants and insects. These relationships, wheth...

6/17/2010

Forensic entomology sheds light on investigation methods

Equipped with latex gloves and masks, participants at Mississippi State University’s Intergenerational Summer Camp for basic entomology and plant ecology became forensic scientists for an hour.

The campers had the option of participating in a field demonstration to retrieve beetle and maggot specimens on deer carcasses placed in ...

6/17/2010

Management workshop covers white-tailed deer

Mississippi State University is offering two deer management workshops in late July and August to hunters, land managers and foresters working with white-tailed deer populations.

Register by July 9 for the first course, offered July 24 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Forrest County Extension Office in Hattiesburg. Register by Aug. 13 for...

6/10/2010

MSU studies needs of giant alligator gar

A fish longer than 7 feet, heavier than 200 pounds and able to survive outside the water for up to two hours sounds like a fictional animal. This fish is the alligator gar, however, and researchers at Mississippi State University are working to protect it.

The population of the alligator gar is in decline, primarily due to loss of spawni...

5/27/2010

Workshop teaches new uses for catfish ponds

Owners of retired catfish ponds and current catfish pond owners looking to reduce their pond acreage can benefit from a June 16 workshop that explores ways to develop former aquaculture ponds into natural resource enterprises.

Developing Catfish Ponds into Natural Resource Enterprises is being offered in Stoneville through the Mississi...

5/20/2010

Kevin Hunt, Jan Odom receive top MSU, national advising honors

Mississippi State faculty and staff members are being honored for their hard work and dedication in ensuring the successful educational development of university students.

Kevin M. Hunt and Janet S. "Jan" Odom are 2010 winners of recognitions given by the National Academic Advising Association. He is receiving an Outstanding ...

5/14/2010

Bug camp to offer fun for all ages

Mississippi State University’s Basic Insect and Plant Ecology camp will provide fun and learning for all ages June 13–17.

Better known as Bug Camp, it is the oldest residential entomology camp in the world. Two MSU departments sponsor the camp: the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Department of Ento...

5/6/2010

Learn outdoor sports at two summer camps

Young people and adults have two opportunities this summer to try a variety of high-interest outdoor sports through wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture camps offered by Mississippi State University.

The week-long, residential camps are intergenerational, open to those ages 10 and older. Camps will be held May 30–June 3 and June 2...

5/6/2010

Work of MSU deer biologist honored by international society

Stephen Demarais of Mississippi State is a new Fellow of The Wildlife Society.

A professor in the university’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center, he is being honored by the professional organization for his work on white-tailed deer biology and management.

"Dr. Demarais is a nationally recognized deer biologist w...

4/30/2010

Master Naturalist program to offer classes on habitats, wildlife

Mississippi Master Naturalist Program courses will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursdays from April 22 to June 3 at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. Class enrollment is limited, and pre-registration is required.

The course fee is $75, which includes program costs, supplies, co...

4/1/2010

Well-known MSU aquaculture specialists honored by national peers

Longtime Mississippi State faculty members Louis R. D’Abramo of Starkville and James A. "Jim" Steeby of Inverness are being honored by the U.S. Aquaculture Society.

D’Abramo is dean of the university’s Graduate School, associate vice president for academic affairs and professor of wildlife, fisheries and aqu...

3/26/2010

Workshops offer training in natural resource enterprises

Two one-day workshops will provide the tools for farmers and landowners to start and manage a natural resource enterprise.

Fee fishing, fee hunting, agritourism, and wildlife watching are examples of enterprises based on the natural resources commonly found on Mississippi’s private lands.

An April 13 event will be held ...

3/25/2010

Wild pigs make tracks all over Mississippi

Wild pigs are digging up trouble across the state and causing major crop damage, so Mississippi State University and federal experts are helping landowners and farmers eradicate the troublesome beasts.

Wild pigs are a highly adaptable species that is not native to North America. They are seen throughout the country, causing vast agricu...

3/25/2010

MSU offers squirrel hunt event for youth

Several wildlife groups will assist in a Feb. 13 youth event in an effort to lay the foundation for safe and responsible hunting.

Mississippi State University&rsquop;s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture in the College of Forest Resources is offering a squirrel hunt for young people. The hunt will take place at the Noxub...

1/21/2010

Youth quail hunts offer education, fun

Young hunters will learn about quail hunting and conservation at two upcoming day-long events in Clarke and Clay counties.

Quail Forever is organizing the Feb. 27 and March 6 events with help from the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, and the 2009 Youth Particip...

1/21/2010

MSU researchers announce Web-based duck migration forecast

As global warming and climate change debates continue to "heat up" worldwide, researchers at Mississippi State are examining how weather influences duck migration patterns.

"In the past few years, we have observed that ducks are not migrating to southern latitudes in abundance, or are doing so generally only in the prese...

12/11/2009

Protecting young bucks increases herd potential

Mississippi State University research has found that protecting young bucks improves herd health and creates a better hunting experience.

The university’s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture has been conducting deer research for more than 40 years with the goal of improving deer populations throughout the Southeast....

11/19/2009

MSU professor again honored for practical waterfowl research

A nationally recognized Mississippi State wildlife biologist and university administrator is receiving another major honor from The Wildlife Society.

Richard M. Kaminski, associate dean of the College of Forest Resources, is the international organization’s latest selection for the Caesar Kleberg Award for Excellence in Applied W...

10/23/2009

Resource workshop explores outdoor business ventures

People wanting to learn how to develop forest habitats, wildlife areas, streams, lakes and other natural settings into income generators can attend an outdoor recreational business workshop Nov. 10 at Legion State Park in Louisville.

The one-day workshop will give attendees information to start and manage a natural resource enterprise....

10/22/2009

Project to preserve rare Mississippi ecosystem

A 350-acre area of deep ravines and bluff ridges in Webster County is being preserved to protect its plant and animal diversity that resembles that of the Appalachian Mountains.

The Appalachian Mountains stretch from Alabama to Canada with foothills in northeastern Mississippi. Some 100 miles from these foothills is an area in central ...

10/15/2009

Wildlife festival offers educational family fun

Live snakes, alligators and turtles are just a few of the Mississippi wildlife that will be on display at the Oct. 17 wildlife festival at the Coastal Plains Experiment Station in Newton.

The 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. event will include bird dog and falconry demonstrations, and tours of wildlife management areas at the experiment station.

10/1/2009

Research shows gobbler activity varies by area

Turkey hunting is a popular sport throughout Mississippi, and the sound of a gobbler responding to a call is unrivaled for the more than 30,000 hunters who spend mid-March to May in search of the elusive bird.

While the season is set in spring for the entire state, many hunters have expressed concerns over the time frame as it relates ...

10/1/2009

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