CONSERVATION CORNER
Expo Features Top Attractions and Speakers
by James L. Cummins

The sixth annual Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Expo, hosted by Wildlife Mississippi, will be held on August 26 - 28 at the Forrest County Multi Purpose Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Anyone who loves hunting, fishing or just being outdoors will find something of interest at the Expo. Plus, all proceeds benefit conservation in Mississippi.

Wildlife Mississippi has attracted some top entertainment for the Expo. Anyone interested in dogs will want to see Bill Matney and his seminar on "How To Talk Dog." Matney will take you on a journey into the mind of your dog. He shows how to communicate with dogs with practical principles and positive displacement that teach you how to teach your dog to behave and do tricks. Bill has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and Pet Stars in California.

Back by popular demand, Terry Vandeventer, a herpetologist, will conduct a seminar at the Expo each day with his live snakes. Vandeventer has hunted and studied reptiles throughout the world. He will discuss their life histories, habits and their effects on people. If you missed it last year, here's your chance!

Michael Musgrave, Robert Bell and David Hall, all Falconers, will be presenting demonstrations about falconry.

Paul Meek of Paul Meek Outdoors will be presenting a unique demonstration Saturday at 1:00. It is a "hands on" turkey calling demonstration. Anyone, young or old, will be able to put their hands on a call and make turkey call sounds using a variety of different calls. Each person will receive a personalized certificate of completion.

Kevin Dufrene of The Specialty Kitchen will be doing a seminar on Saturday at 5:00 on Food Safety for Deer Meat. Kevin and his wife Susan are in the business of meat processing and can give you some important tips on handling your harvests properly. You can come to his seminar and register to win a free deer tamale processing.

The Magnolia Records Program will be at the Expo. The antler scoring system is identical to that used by the Boone & Crockett and Pope & Young clubs. All white-tail deer taken legally in Mississippi are eligible. All one has to do is bring his or her deer to the Expo between 3 and 9 p.m. on Friday, August 26 or from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 27. All entrants meeting the minimum requirements (125 - Typical, 155 - Non-typical) will receive an official certificate. Scoring will take place on Saturday, August 27. All entrants will be required to leave their mounts for display and will receive a pass to return to the Expo to pick-up their mount on Sunday, August 28.

Show Hours are: August 26, Friday, 3 pm - 9 pm; August 27, Saturday, 10 am - 8 pm; August 28, Sunday, 12 pm - 5 pm. I hope to see you there.

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. Their web site is www.wildlifemiss.org.