Wildlife & Hunting

Habitat Management 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
• 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