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Extension Outdoors

Close up view of a small limb with two acorns and multicolored leaves in a part-sunny, part-shady location.
October 12, 2018 - Filed Under: Forestry, Wildlife

Fall is a great time to walk in the woods and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the season. Leaves will soon change to their vivid fall colors, and deer, turkeys, squirrels and birds are stirring as the air gets cool and crisp.

A wooden pole with hash marks at 12, 18 and 24 inches from a round disk with alternating black and white quadrants rests on brown grass. Danger is written below the 12-inch hash, ideal is written in the middle section, and fertilize is written above the 24-inch hash.
October 5, 2018 - Filed Under: Fisheries, Water

If you own one of the 160,000 ponds in Mississippi, chances are you have invested tremendous amounts of cash and time in this resource. Building a pond can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and fish stocking, liming, fertilization and weed control are not cheap either.

Tall grass grows between a calm body of water and low-cut grass with a wooden pier in the background.
September 28, 2018 - Filed Under: Environment, Fisheries, Water Quality, Wildlife

Salt marshes are coastal wetlands common throughout the globe and visible just about any time you drive over a bridge along the coast.

Man standing in the woods inspects nylon straps on a tree stand he is holding on in his hands.
September 21, 2018 - Filed Under: Wildlife Youth Education, Wildlife

Safety is a key aspect of having a successful and enjoyable hunt this season and for many more to come.

A fisherman in rubber waders stands in a small, quiet stream and casts a lure toward the viewer.
September 17, 2018 - Filed Under: Wildlife

Everyone wants to get more than they paid for, and no one is ever excited about paying taxes. With that in mind, hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts can make a small investment with many happy returns.

Dust billows out of a trailer on a large truck driving across a small, grassy area surrounded by tall trees.
September 7, 2018 - Filed Under: Wildlife, White-Tailed Deer

Planting food plots for deer and other wildlife is common practice in Mississippi, and for good reason: Food plots provide much-needed nutrition for deer and viewing opportunities for hunters.

The front of a kayak has two red meshed bags containing litter and a blue trash-grabbing tool with the words “Pearl Riverkeeper” printed on it. The boat is on a small river and approaching a highway bridge.
August 31, 2018 - Filed Under: Irrigation, Environment

Rivers have been the lifeblood of communities since ancient civilizations began. Healthy river systems are just as critical to modern communities as they were to settlers who navigated the rolling waters to explore America.

Tall, thinned pines in a wooded area with visible sky overhead. Ground plants are slowly beginning to grow.
August 24, 2018 - Filed Under: Forestry, Longleaf Pine, Wildlife

Acres of pine forests cover Mississippi and the Southeast, but good forest management is not necessarily good wildlife management.

Large water-filled ditch rests between a dirt road and a field of green corn stalks.
August 17, 2018 - Filed Under: Water, Water Quality

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Summer brings many activities: swimming in pools, recreation in Mississippi’s waterways, washing vehicles after traveling down dirt roads, and irrigating millions of acres of gardens and fields. These and many other activities rely on abundant water.

Putting a dollar value on clean water is difficult. Everyone uses it in their daily lives for drinking and domestic needs, but we also use water through the products we consume. This hidden flow of water is less obvious, so it’s often given less attention when we talk about water conservation.

Alert gray squirrel pauses on a platform with shrubbery in the background.
August 10, 2018 - Filed Under: Wildlife

Ever wonder what wildlife species are in your backyard during the day while you are at work or school and at night while you are sleeping? Well, now you can find out with the help of a trail camera.

A left hand holds a mostly red fish down with a right hand marking the tail’s end on a measuring tape.
August 3, 2018 - Filed Under: Marine Resources

Scientists have embarked on a colossal research project to estimate the abundance of red snapper, the most sought-after offshore fish in the U.S. controlled waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

A buck looks back over his shoulder at another buck with larger antlers.
July 27, 2018 - Filed Under: Wildlife, White-Tailed Deer

This fall, hunters will grab their bows, muzzleloaders and rifles to hunt North America’s most pursued big game animal -- the white-tailed deer.

Bright light shines on a large black and gray snake in the water along a pond’s edge at night.
July 20, 2018 - Filed Under: Wildlife

Most Mississippians look for activities that include shade or air conditioning to escape the heat during the dog days of summer. For those who enjoy wildlife watching, the summer heat can force us to alter our plans to the bookends of the day.

More than a dozen young people listen to a teacher while they stand on a cement bridge overlooking a large ditch.
July 13, 2018 - Filed Under: Environment, Water

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- It's that time of year when many parts of the state really need a good rain. Afternoon pop-up storms often bring torrential downpours that drop a couple of inches of rain in less than an hour, instead of the perfect, slow showers we need.

Older man holds a fishing pole on the shoreline while watching a red cork on a quiet pond.
July 6, 2018 - Filed Under: Fisheries, Wildlife

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Oxygen-related fish kills can completely wipe out otherwise healthy ponds, but there is a strategy pond owners can use to control this problem.

Anoxia -- the lack of oxygen -- can form in deeper water layers of a pond during warmer months. Deeper water is heavier and denser, which prevents it from mixing with warm surface water where air and oxygen-producing microorganisms are found. As deeper water becomes isolated, its oxygen levels are depleted, reducing fish habitat and increasing the risk of fish kills.

Looking down on a round pan with various small pieces of plastic.
June 29, 2018 - Filed Under: Environment

BILOXI, Miss. -- Marine debris, largely composed of discarded plastic products, is one of the most alarming issues facing the world’s seas today.

Plastics have the advantages of being cheap, lightweight, durable and easy to make. Unfortunately, single-use plastics often serve their intended purposes in a matter of seconds before they enter the endless stream of waste humans generate.

Thick, shoulder-high plants growing under tall trees in a wooded area.
June 15, 2018 - Filed Under: Wildlife

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- People often ask what they can plant to improve wildlife numbers on their property. Before seeking advice on what to plant, the first question should be, "Is food a limiting factor?"

Most often, Mother Nature has provided all the food wildlife need, assuming animals are provided the proper habitat. Still, there is an ecological principle at work called Liebig’s Law of the Minimum.

June 8, 2018 - Filed Under: Wildlife, Nuisance Wildlife and Damage Management, White-Tailed Deer

Two of the biggest current threats to wildlife in our state are wild hogs and chronic wasting disease.

The current wild hog problem and confirmation of a CWD-positive deer this year in Issaquena County are examples of how the selfish actions of a very small segment of the hunting population can set off a negative chain of reactions that reach beyond the initial impact to wildlife species.

White V-shaped waves trail behind a boat on a sea of blue.
June 1, 2018 - Filed Under: Marine Resources

BILOXI, Miss. -- In everyday life, “don’t make waves” means don’t cause trouble. On the water in no-wake zones, it means basically the same thing.

Wakes are waves created as vessels travel through the water. A no-wake zone is an area where vessels are expected to travel slowly to minimize wakes.

Small body of water with tall grass nearest the camera and mostly bare trees on the other side.
May 25, 2018 - Filed Under: Environment, Marine Resources

BILOXI, Miss. -- Coastal areas are dynamic in nature, which means they are constantly changing.

A fitting example of the dynamics of coastlines can be found by looking at historical, but relatively recent, aerial photos of Pelican Island off Dauphin Island, Alabama.

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