Food Plot Program Offered

Stoneville, MS - Food plots are very attractive to wildlife because they supplement daily nutritional needs and provide cover. In addition, well-managed food plots can increase numbers of wildlife, quality of health and observability.

To aid landowners and wildlife enthusiasts who would like to plant wildlife food plots, the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, or Wildlife Mississippi as it is commonly called, working in cooperation with Resource Management, Inc. and Pioneer Hi-Bred International, has initiated a Wildlife Habitat Seed Program. Through this program, Wildlife Mississippi will make seed available at a minimal cost.

According to James L. Cummins, Jr, Executive Director of Wildlife Mississippi, "Winter wheat, corn, grain sorghum and sunflower seed will be available through the 1999 Wildlife Habitat Seed Program. All seed has been treated and has excellent germination rates. Whitetail deer, turkeys, quail, mourning doves, waterfowl, squirrels and songbirds will benefit from the plantings."

Anyone interested in obtaining seed should send a written request to Wildlife Mississippi. The order should contain the types (i.e., wheat, corn, grain sorghum, sunflower) and amount (number of bags of each type; sunflowers are in 20 pound bags and all other seed types are in 50 pound bags) of seed requested.

Wildlife Mississippi will be taking orders until January 31, 1999. Orders which are postmarked after the January 31st deadline will be discarded.

There will be a minimal fee to help cover trucking and administrative fees incurred by the Foundation. The costs will be $6.00 per bag for corn, grain sorghum and sunflowers and $3.00 per bag for wheat. Persons ordering seed will be required to pick-up the seed at a location which will be determined prior to the ordering deadline.

For further information about how you can take advantage of the program, contact Wildlife Mississippi at (601) 686-3375. Or, one can order seed by contacting Wildlife Mississippi at P.O. Box 10, Stoneville, MS 38776 or by fax at (601) 686-4780.