Summary
News and notes
Dates to be set: The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks will consider dates for the 2009-2010 early hunting seasons for migratory game birds on July 22 at its monthly meeting, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP). The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. at the MDWFP office in Jackson. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently released early- season frameworks that provide a "window" of dates from which states may select specific season dates. "Similar to last year, hunters statewide will again be able to enjoy a 70-day dove season with a 15- bird daily bag limit," said Ed Penny, MDWFP migratory game bird program coordinator. Mississippi is divided into North and South zones. The North Dove Zone is defined as areas north of U.S. 84 plus areas south of U.S. 84 and west of Miss. 35. Other early migratory game bird hunting seasons that will be considered at the July meeting include resident Canada geese, early teal, snipe, woodcock, and rails. . . Breeding waterfowl populations have increased or remained similar to last year for the 10 duck species surveyed; and overall, duck populations rose 13 percent from last year to 42 million birds, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Service annual waterfowl population surveys on the breeding grounds. The 2009 May pond count was 6.4 million ponds, an increase of 45 percent over the 2008 count of 4.4 million ponds. "If we don't get cold temperatures in the northern U.S., Mississippi hunters may not see the benefits of increased populations," said Houston Havens, MDWFP migratory game bird biologist.See the full content of this document
Extract
Mississippi Outdoors
Refuge improvements: Work on two National Wildlife Refuges within the Theodore Roosevelt NWR Complex begins this summer. Memphis- based Ducks Unlimited engineers have worked with refuge managers to prepare plans to enhance wetland habitat on Morgan Brake NWR and Panther Swamp NWR. The project is funded through a North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant and through a grant from the Walker Foundation. "The project will restore and enhance 675 acres of moist soil and seasonally flooded agricultural lands on these two refuges," DU Regional Engineer Bi...
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