Conservation Corner: July 31, 2000

Whitetail Deer Course Set
by James L. Cummins

Whitetail deer are the most interesting and sought after game animals in North America. Many Mississippi hunters have spent countless long, cold hours pursuing this fine animal. Whitetail deer also bring great pleasure to all who enjoy viewing them.

Thanks to the Mississippi Legislature, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, landowners, managers, hunters and others, the Magnolia State has made much progress in the area of whitetail deer management during the past seventy year.

In 1929, Aldo Leopold, who is regarded as the father of wildlife management, stated, "With the possible exception of very limited parts of the Delta, deer can nowhere be said to persists in numbers justifying hunting, ..."

This concern resulted in deer being purchased and released in the state in 1934. And even in 1941, the deer population was only estimated at 7,357 animals; by 1943 the population had increased to 10,498 deer with more than one-third of the state's deer population in the counties of Issaquena, Yazoo, Sharkey and Warren.

By 1961, the first antlerless deer season in Mississippi was held. In 1963, the deer harvest reached 14,820 legal deer. In 1976, Mississippi had a record high deer harvest in 82 counties of 43,608. And finally, in 1989, it was estimated that Mississippi's whitetail deer herd is approaching 1.7 million animals.

To discuss some of the information gained in whitetail deer management, a day-long short course on whitetail deer will be held on September 9, 2000, at the Hattiesburg Convention Center. The course is designed for landowners, managers, hunters and others interested in deer and their management.

According to Statewide Deer Coordinator Larry Castle of Kilmichael, "Those who will attend will learn deer management techniques and hunting methods that will help improve the quality and health of deer herds."

"Participants can attend sessions on topics such as the history and status of deer in Mississippi, deer life history and behavior, antler development techniques and how to age and judge live deer prior to harvest." Castle said wildlife biologists will also discuss successful food plot plantings for deer, the latest research on conducting infrared camera deer surveys and the impact of selected harvest strategies on deer herd quality.

Professional wildlife biologists from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Mississippi State University and other groups will be on hand to present highlights of cooperative deer research and to answer questions.

Registration will be limited to 400 participants. To register and for more information about the course, contact Dean Stewart at the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service at (662) 325-3174.

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.