The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-09-09
GAME AND FISH COMMISSION
WORKS TO PROTECT WILDLIFE

Arrests for violation OF hunting
and fishing regulations constitute
one of the major activities of the
State Game and Fish Commission.
These arrests average approx
mately 200 each calendar month
according TO records. and the APP
prehension of that many individ-
uals. plus securing of sufficient
evidence to convict each one. re
quires considerable time on the
part of the law enforcement III
vision of the commission. OF ne
cessity, this activity receives more
the states wildlise management
organization.
However there are many other
activities carried on under the ad-
minfstration of the Commission.
These programs OF work constitute
%long-range planning designed TO
protect the ource of supply OF the
states wildlife, particularly the
game species.
Outstanding in these other pro-
grams is the management OF 4S
different refugees comprising we'll
over 100000 acres of land located
H. every section of the state. These
refugees reach from Just below the
Tennessee line TO Harrison county
on the Gulf Coast.
without these refugees, the
Commission would find II difficult
to obtain game species COR stock
i-g suitable areas. Perhaps the
most successful of The game refuge
and restocking programs under
taken by the Commission is that
of restoring or bringing the deer
population OF the state To the point
where successful hunts can be
staged in many sections of the
state.
Back in 1919 the Commission
established the Leaf River Refuge
of $4,000 acres located on the Leaf
River District of the De Soto Ma
tional Forest. All OF this refuge is
located in Perry and George
counties. The refuge in succeeding
years has provided. annually. a
crop of surplus deer which was
trapped off and releaged on other
TeIuEtS VI hunting aipho ~ phS
state. In 1884 deer were released
on the Holly Springs National
Forest lands in Marshall. Latay-
cite and Benton counties In the
extreme northern section of the
state. All hunting was restricted
for a number OF years, the first
open season on deer being he'd In
1916. The kill that year in a shorl
six day aso was about forty
bucks. The kill has increased eacf
year until in the 194S season Z
total of 1874 legal bucks was KILLED
on this area. Estimates ma lie o
the deer herd now In existence II
the forested lands in the three
counties indicate a popu alton o
approximately 1000.
Economically the value OF the
deer herd on the Holly Springs
section Is estimated at a round
$500. 600.
The law enforcement division OF
the Commission plays an impor-
tant part in the development OF
game crops. For II Is obvious that
the Commission would be very
foolish to release deer or any
other species IN suitable areas un'
less sufficient protection was pro
vided against INSCRIPTIONS hunt
ers who would take advantage ol
such game paintings and harvest
what they could before any rea.
value was received.
Therefore. the Commission rec
ognizes the relationship existing
between a law enforcement officer
of the Commission and the biol
ogist and research employee. The
Commission maintains a we'll
trained staff of wildlife manage.
ment men. capable of making
survey of a section of country and
determining whether II would be
practical to make paintings oil
game stocks with the hope of any
success.
sThis staff has recently been
augmented by the addition of five
employees. all splendidly equipped
with the technical background OF
vildlife management necessary to
make such surveys and follow