Edsel Cliburn

A cooperative program involving sportsmen and Mississippi Game and Fish personnel was developed to monitor herd health of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on private lands in Mississippi. Organized hunting clubs and private landowners collected biological data which were analyzed by wildlife biologists. Based on this information, antlerless harvest strategies were developed to accomplish specified management objectives. The system was tested in Kemper and Noxubee Counties, Mississippi, during the 1977-78 season and was evaluated by participants and agency personnel. The program...

A self-service daily recreational permit was developed and tested on 6 Wildlife Management Areas in Mississippi during the 1976-77 season. The permit system provides data on hunter usage and harvest by species and day of the season, the effective area served by management units, and an indication of economic importance of recreational opportunities. The utility of the system is illustrated with data for deer hunting on the Issaquena Wildlife Management Area. These data should aid greatly in the formulation of management decisions and allocation of agency resources.