CFR News Wildlife & Fisheries Stories


MSU scientists search for bears in Missouri

Scientists at Mississippi State University are working with biologists in Missouri’s Ozarks to get the "bear" facts on one of the largest mammals in the Southeast.

The Missouri Black Bear Project, which will be completed next year, is expected to provide valuable information on estimating populations in Mississippi. A stud...

11/22/2011

Leopold selected Fellow of international organization

The head of Mississippi State’s wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture department is a new Fellow in The Wildlife Society.

Bruce D. Leopold is being recognized for exceptional service to the wildlife profession. He long has been active in several professional organizations, including service in 2009 as Wildlife Society president.

11/21/2011

Internet, face-to-face options for hunter safety

Before heading to the woods this fall, hunters should investigate the legal seasons, education and license requirements governing hunting in Mississippi.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks offers convenient, year-round opportunities to help sportsmen of all ages meet the hunter education requirement. The option...

11/3/2011

Multi-year MSU study tracks tagged deer

Hunters in the Lowndes County area may find deer with colored ear tags wandering in the woods this fall.

The tagged deer are part of a Mississippi State University Forest and Wildlife Research Center study to determine antler size and growth rates for wild, male, white-tailed deer.

The study objective is to determine if antle...

10/6/2011

New science program targets skills, scores

An innovative partnership between Starkville School District and Mississippi State University teaches key science concepts in a week-long intensive immersion program for fourth and fifth graders.

"Our goal is to give students a fun, safe and educational forum in which to generate enthusiasm and interest in science and the environ...

9/8/2011

Manage land, herd for bigger, better deer

Trophy bucks and high-quality deer herds are not the result of random chance, but of planned management of habitat and harvests.

"The white-tailed deer is likely the most economically and ecologically important animal in Mississippi," said Bronson Strickland, wildlife management specialist with the Mississippi State Universit...

8/4/2011

MSU expert to provide fisheries support

A Mississippi State University Extension associate will be supporting landowners and fisheries resources throughout Mississippi.

Bill Maily began his new duties as an Extension associate in MSU’s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture on Aug. 1 and will work from the Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center ...

8/3/2011

MSU study determines realistic duck call materials

Most duck hunters look forward to the thrill of mimicking duck calls to attract members of the flock.

James Callicutt, a former Mississippi State University graduate student, has spent much of his life as a duck hunter and call maker. Most recently, he has studied the sounds of female mallard ducks and compared them to sounds from man...

7/28/2011

Native plants may help save taxpayers money

Two Mississippi agencies are working together to determine if growing native plants along highway rights of way will reduce maintenance costs while maintaining visibility and safety.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation and Mississippi State University’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center have sown native plant seeds a...

6/30/2011

MSU classes teach how to manage white-tailed deer

Mississippi’s 2 million white-tailed deer have an estimated $1 billion economic impact on the state, so knowing how to manage this wildlife resource is a common goal among landowners and hunters.

Two Mississippi State University short courses in July will teach those wanting to manage white-tailed deer populations on their land. ...

6/16/2011

Animals fleeing floods cause people problems

Flooding from the Mississippi and other rivers is disrupting even the wildlife as it brings activities to nearly a standstill in many areas of the Delta.

The river flooding is already displacing wildlife, moving them to higher and drier areas, where they sometimes cause problems as they interact with humans. Deer, raccoons, opossums, s...

5/19/2011

Spring pond work yields summer fishing fun

Landowners with ponds have a checklist of spring maintenance chores that will result in quality fishing, swimming or boating experiences, and a newly updated Mississippi State University publication can help.

Spring is a great time to get a jump on aquatic vegetation control, said Tom Holman, fisheries biologist with the Mississippi De...

5/18/2011

Girls discover outdoor careers at MSU event

Eleven young women visited Mississippi State University to learn how to turn their passion for wildlife into rewarding jobs at the first Conservation Careers Discovery Day.

The young women went to the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge to get hands-on experience in GPS technology, orienteering and conservation of endangered species. Memb...

4/14/2011

MSU professor awarded high honor

Bruce D. Leopold, Ph. D., of Mississippi State University, was honored with the prestigious Henry S. Mosby Award at the National Wild Turkey Federation’s 35th annual National Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tenn.

The Mosby Award is named for Henry S. Mosby, Ph. D., whose research during the mid-1900s set the standard for ...

2/22/2011

MSU studies alternative grasses for airport safety

It has been two years since U.S. Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River when a flock of Canada geese struck the engines just minutes after the plane took off.

Bird and airplane collisions cannot be completely avoided because the two share the same flying space. But scientists at Mississippi State University a...

2/3/2011

Youth offered chance to go squirrel hunting

Youth through age 15 have the opportunity to learn how to squirrel hunt during a special event Feb. 5 at the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge.

Extension Service personnel in Mississippi State University’s Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department are offering the hunting opportunity to a limited number of youth. To participa...

1/27/2011

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

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

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

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

Displaying 201 - 230 of 372 Stories