Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks

The meeting covers several operational and regulatory topics, including a review of the license sales report. The parks department provides an update and presents final amendments to state park rule fees. The fisheries division outlines final regulations regarding statewide creel limits and commercial fishing. The wildlife department proposes final regulations for wildlife management area rules, white-tailed deer seasons and bag limits, wild turkey seasons and bag limits, and small game seasons and bag limits. The law enforcement division provides an update on recent activities, followed by an executive session.

The commission reviewed reports on license sales revenue and state park operations, noting an increase in license sales and ongoing efforts to reopen state parks impacted by recent weather events. Several regulatory rule changes were adopted, including updates to statewide fishing limits, commercial fishing regulations, wildlife management area regulations, and small game, white-tailed deer, and wild turkey season structures. Additionally, the law enforcement report highlighted recent citation statistics, officer involvement in disaster response, animal management and relocation efforts, and successful poaching investigations.

The Commission discussed several key items, including a private landowner's inquiry regarding the current moratorium on transporting white-tailed deer between facilities and potential future pathways for permit approval. Administrative reports provided updates on revenue growth, total license and permit sales, and the rollout of a new mobile application for game checks. The Parks Division proposed rule changes for fishing and boating permits to improve compliance and uniformity, and presented performance data regarding visitor attendance and revenue for the current fiscal year, noting the successful reopening of two park facilities.

The Commission meeting covered several operational and management updates, including the extension of turkey season on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and the review of proposals for the utilization of turkey stamp funds. Reports were provided on revenue generated from license and permit sales, as well as an update on the current occupancy and visitation trends at state parks, including ongoing efforts to reopen sites affected by storm damage. Furthermore, the Commission discussed habitat improvement projects, such as mulching, clover planting, and hardwood injection, aimed at enhancing nesting and brood-rearing habitats for turkeys across various WMAs.

The meeting included public comments where representatives discussed matters concerning senior hunting opportunities on state WMAs, specifically addressing the reduction in the number of drawn hunters for the Mahana field complex and requesting an increase in participation by adding hunts or increasing hunter quotas. A representative from the Private Land Owners Mississippi Organization discussed improving communication with the Department of Wildlife, efforts to strengthen enforcement regulations for high fence enclosures, and requested consideration for lifting the moratorium on whitetail deer transport permits between enclosures for better management. The executive director provided a license sales report indicating a slight overall decrease of 2.36%, noting 2,737 new turkey stamps sold, and mentioned the impact of a recent ice storm on the state park system.