Conservation Corner: August 16, 1999

Outdoor Info Available On The Net
by James L. Cummins

Wildlife enthusiasts throughout the State of Mississippi will be surprised to find a wealth of information concerning hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing in the Magnolia State available on the internet. The site, which was designed by Mississippi Outfitters Association, has been receiving praise from numerous conservation organizations, in addition to many anglers, hunters and viewers of wildlife.

The page, www.outfitters.org, covers it all when it comes to Mississippi's vast fish and wildlife resources. Once on the home page visitors can select an area of interest. The site is quick loading and easy to navigate, filled with helpful maps, graphics and stunning wildlife and nature photography. New information is constantly being added to the site, so visit often and watch it grow.

According to Jobe Maynor, Director of Mississippi Outfitters, "We are providing the public with a full service guide to hunting, fishing and viewing fish and wildlife throughout the state. This is achieved through the site by offering a wide array of information designed to guide the wildlife enthusiast to the resources best suited to fulfill his or her needs, no matter what the interest."

"Mississippi Outfitters Association also has available some of the most qualified outfitters and guides in the country ready to assist one in that trip of a lifetime. Additionally, the do-it-yourself type can easily locate maps and pertinent information on public lakes, National Wildlife Refuges, National Forests and Wildlife Management Areas in Mississippi. The site also is loaded with information that will help one with lodging, parks and camping, places to eat and other things to do while guests are in the Magnolia State to make their trip more enjoyable," continued Maynor.

"We also have information on record deer, record fish, favorite outdoor recipes, a bird checklist, an Outdoor Writer Service Center and a recruitment page to help attract business and industry to the state. If you need to check the most current stages of the Mississippi River, any of the region's interior rivers or need to know the weather forecast, we have that too." The site is available world-wide to the internet's 30 million users. "We have already had inquiries from Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Portugal, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Tremendous potential exists for promotion through this medium. We have had approximately 600,000 hits since we went on-line February 21, 1997. We are currently receiving approximately 1,000 hits per day and hope to be up to 1,500 hits per day in the next several months."

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi.