Wildlife & Hunting

What can the Private Lands Program

do for you?

A PLP Biologist and landowner survey wetland plants in a moist-soil impoundment

Private Lands Biologists are trained to evaluate properties and work with landowners and leaseholders to help meet their wildlife management goals. Some examples of services the PLP provides include:

• Property Evaluation and Recommendations
• Technical Guidance
• Cost Share 
• Habitat Management Information
• Habitat Management Plans
• Deer Management Assistance Program

For information about managing a pond on your property, contact the MDWFP Fisheries Bureau.

 

Videos

 

 

Literature

MDWFP Two-Page Guides

• Hack and Squirt - controlling undesirable hardwood stems in forest stands
• Quality Vegetation Management - managing habitat in pine plantations
• Basal Area - habitat implications of managing tree stem density
• Renovating Non-native Grasses - killing non-native pasture grasses in fields
• Managing Field Habitat - management practices for improving habitat in fields

Technical Publications

 

Forest Management

• Managing the Family Forest in Mississippi - This booklet by MSU Extension, MS Forestry Commission, and the U.S. Forest Service provides information to landowners of any knowledge level about managing forest lands in Mississippi.
• Best Management Practices for Forestry in Mississippi - This booklet explains voluntary guidelines for forest operations, harvest, and management to protect and preserve our soil, air, and water resources
• Forestry Terms for Mississippi Landowners - a guide to forestry terminology
• Choosing a Consulting Forester - a guide by MSU Extension with tips for selecting a private forestry consultant
• Are My Pine Trees Ready to Thin? - Thinning is an important practice for improving habitat conditions in forest stands. This publication explains the operational feasibility of thinning pine stands.
• Planting Southern Pines - information about selecting the appropriate pine species for reforestation based on site conditions
• Introduction to Prescribed Fire in Southern Ecosystems - a manual published by the U.S. Forest Service with detailed information about fire ecology and the methods of conducting a burn
• Keys to Successfully Planting and Establishing Longleaf Pine - Longleaf is the native pine in much of South Mississippi. The management of longleaf can be very compatible with wildlife habitat and timber management objectives.
• The Economics of Longleaf Pine Management - information comparing economic return in multiple scenarios for longleaf pine management and other land uses
• The Pine That Fire Built - information about burning and longleaf pine 
• Bottomland Hardwood Management - information about species/site relationships when managing bottomland hardwoods
• Evaluating High-Graded Hardwood Stands - High-grading is the practice of cutting the best trees and leaving lesser quality stems. This document provides information about evaluating stand conditions and managing high-graded timber. 

Field Management

• Native Warm-Season Grass Restoration in Mississippi - a manual about establishing and managing native grass cover for wildlife and livestock forage 
• Strip Disking for Bobwhites - a short document about field management practices for bobwhite
• Light Strip Disking to Enhance Early Successional Habitat in Grasslands and Oldfields - a technical document about managing field habitat with disking

 

Additional Habitat Information
MDWFP Species Web-pages and Other Resources 

• Deer Management Assistance Program - Deer harvest data analysis and harvest recommendations for participating properties from the MDWFP Deer Program
• Bobwhite Quail Management Information
• Wild Turkey Habitat Management Information
• Waterfowl Habitat Management Information
• Dove Field Preparation and Hunting Regulations