Conservation Corner: March 5, 2001

TELE-CHECK: Enhancing Deer and
Turkey Management, Part 1
by James L. Cummins

This is the first of a two-part series on Tele-check, a proposed program of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP). The MDWFP is responsible for the conservation and management of Mississippi's wildlife resources. To properly accomplish the management portion of this mission, the MDWFP requires adequate biological data which includes: 1) Number and sex of animals harvested, 2) Location of harvest by county and 3) Age structure of harvested animals.

According to Larry Castle, the statewide deer biologist for the MDWFP, "We have continually developed and modified data collection programs to enhance management of deer and turkeys. The Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) was designed to involve the sportsmen in wildlife management. The DMAP is a cooperative program provided by the MDWFP to landowners and hunting clubs who desire deer management recommendations. Since its beginning in 1977, the DMAP has generated data from deer herds throughout the state. The quality of this data allows most deer management questions to be answered and site specific recommendations to be prescribed. However, the assumption that deer management needs on DMAP sites are representative throughout a county or region may be erroneous."

Castle states that the Spring Gobbler Hunting Survey was initiated in 1996 to provide biological data on wild turkeys. The survey consists of hunting clubs, individual hunters, and Wildlife Management Area hunters recording various information about their spring turkey hunts. Survey results provide hunter effort, harvest rates, age and sex ratios, gobbling activity, age structure and an index to turkey numbers. The amount of data collected is valuable in monitoring turkey populations and recommendations. Although the database provides tremendously more turkey information than previously obtained, it is insufficient for determining actual harvest numbers and for managing at a county, regional or statewide level.

"Since 1980, deer and turkey hunter effort and harvest data have been obtained by annually surveying a small sample of resident license buyers. Survey results have been extrapolated to provide estimates of hunter effort and harvest. Hunter skepticism of this method of obtaining effort and harvest data is high because only a small number of hunters are sampled. Many sportsmen feel the survey is inaccurate because they were not personally included in the sample. However, the survey does provide adequate information about harvest trends, but is of limited value on a county or regional basis," continued Castle.

Current programs to acquire information have been extremely valuable, but additional information is required to manage at a more precise level. The missing link is timely harvest numbers and age structure by county. Traditionally, the MDWFP has managed deer and turkey with a statewide season and bag limit. Data have never been available to evaluate more geographically precise management options.

Next week will be the final part of this two-part series.

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.