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News and Events
Discussing waterfowl research and habitat needs
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Delta Wildlife Wetlands and Waterfowl Committee met yesterday to discuss current waterfowl research and habitat needs in the Mississippi Delta Region. The Committee and Committee Chair, Randy Sewall of Coahoma, MS was joined by current Delta Wildlife President, Bill Litton and past-Presidents, Bobby Carson and Bill Kennedy in welcoming special guests from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Park and Mississippi State University. Chief of Wildlife, Ed Penny and Waterfowl Program Biologists Houston Havens and James Callicutt represented the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks while Dr. Rick Kaminski and Dr. Brain Davis represented Mississippi State University and the James C. Kennedy Endowed Chair in Waterfowl & Wetlands.
Discussions centered on research and projects that affect continental populations and wintering habitats here in the Delta. MDWFP Waterfowl Program Team outlined the aggressive actions the State is taking towards the development of waterfowl habitat and public hunting opportunities. Among those actions highlighted by MDWFP included restoration and renovation of Lake Charlie Capps into a premium waterfowl management area, acquisition of new lands to be developed into waterfowl habitat in Sunflower County and the continuous waterfowl habitat improvements being made to Muscadine, Mahannah, and Howard Miller WMAs.
Mississippi State University research highlights included telemetry studies that are identifying the exact habitat types, locations and times visited by mallard hens during winter months in the Delta. Findings from the 2010-2011 winter indicated that that radio collard hens in the Mississippi Delta prefer flooded timber and moist soil areas more than 60% of the time in comparison to flooded cropland.
The lack of ducks in the Delta this season was also a point of discussion. Primary factors include warm and wet weather in the south with little snow cover in the Midwest and Upper Midwest states. The lack of quality food resources in some areas may also be a factor. But snow began to fall in the Upper Mississippi River Valley on Wednesday. Mississippi duck hunters might get lucking in the last two weeks as new snow should push ducks down in the coming days.