SIXTY-FIVE STORY IDEAS FROM MISSISSIPPI

BY THE MISSISSIPPI OUTFITTERS ASSOCIATION

Conservation/Environment:

1) Some say Faulkner was one of the first environmentalists and The Bear was the first book about environmentalism - even before Rachael Carson's Silent Spring.

2) Wetlands! The Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to make Mississippi the finest waterfowl wintering area in the United States.

3) Wetland Restoration - Mississippi leads the nation in acres of wetlands being enhanced and restored.

4) Mississippi (Washington County) is home to the first pesticide container recycling project. And you thought Mississippi was last!

5) Wildlife Services can teach you how to trap critters and varmints. Come see!

6) The wood duck was once endangered, yet now it is Mississippi's most plentiful duck. How did we bring back the squealer?

7) Capitalism can improve the environment. Come learn about Mississippi's unique approach to conservation.

8) One of the largest wildlife research efforts is headquartered in Mississippi. For those writers who still have questions instead of all the answers, Mississippi is the place to be!

9) Another #1: Mississippi has more whitetail deer per square mile than any other state. Why?

10) Decoy a poacher: Mississippi's new decoy deer program is really calling poachers in!

11) The Mississippi Wild Turkey Research Project. Come to Mississippi and talk turkey with one of the world's foremost wild turkey research biologists - Dr. George Hurst.

12) How may wildlife habitat help to diversify farm income during bad economic times? Mississippi Outfitters Association successfully combines guided hunts with farming to improve the state's rural economy.

13) The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, an idea proposed to Congress by U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), has its roots in Mississippi soil. Learn more about this exciting program.

14) The placement of wood duck boxes in Mississippi is filling the skies with fowl language.

15) Fertilization and creating fish habitat and spawning areas are leading to full stringers. What's the secret?

Fishing:

1) The impact of the Sport Fish Restoration Act on Mississippi's waters.

2) The Mississippi Gulf Coast offers some great fishing for speckled trout.

3) Jug fishing on the Mississippi River, anyone?

4) How about some striped bass fishing on the Mississippi River. Sydney Montgomery with Tara Wildlife has the know-how and knows how to hold his mouth!

5) Bowfishing on Ross Barnett Reservoir.

6) Arkabutla Reservoir has earned the reputation as the best sailing lake east of the Mississippi River. It is home to one of the most active sailing groups in the United States. Arkabutla is said to be second only to Lake Carlisle in Illinois for sailing conditions.

7) The lakes of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway have some great fishing for walleye. Come experience this Deep South rarity.

8) Thunder on the Water has become an annual event concentrating on educating the public about water safety. Held in early June, this event attracts 75,000 visitors. Highlights of the festival include power-boat races, professional entertainment, arts and crafts, hot air balloons and parachute demonstrations.

9) Want to get away from the crowds, catch some fish and enjoy some great scenery? The lakes of the National Forests of Mississippi are what you have been waiting for.

10) So you think Mississippi doesn't have crystal clear streams and great canoeing. Wait 'til you try South Mississippi's streams and rivers. You'll be hooked.

11) Where is the world record for white crappie? Its a secret.

12) Bass fishing - in Mississippi its black and white - bass that is.

13) Farm Ponds - an excellent father/son or mother/daughter event.

14) When it comes to red fish and trigger fish, you can't beat the Gulf Coast.

15) Bream or bluegill - whatever you call them - Mississippi's oxbows offer the chance for a full stringer.

Hunting:

1) Bowhunting whitetail deer on Tara - big'uns are the norm, not the exception.

2) Mississippi has one of the highest deer populations in the nation. And our new four-point rule is adding quality to our formula for success.

3) The Magnolia State has many geese, but few goose hunters. We need outdoor writers to show us what to do with 'em!

4) An annual event on Arkabutla Lake in December hosts approximately 30 disabled hunters.

5) Never been on snipe hunt? It's some of the sportiest shooting in anywhere in the Magnolia State.

6) Quail hunting on Longleaf Plantation is a first class event. And the chicken and dumplings aren't half bad either.

7) Another action-packed Mississippi tradition is an old-style plantation dove shoot.

8) Field trial stories? We can fix you up with everything from beagles to bird dogs.

9) Speaking of dogs - coon and possum hunts go on year-round, and some of the finest trained duck dogs come from the Magnolia State. Jerry Clower wasn't joking.

10) Squirrel and rabbit season begins in early October and lasts through January. Your call, with or without dogs.

11) Mississippi Outfitters Association is a professional organization that is building its reputation by offering quality outings centered around a unique philosophy. We have a strong commitment to the proper management of our wildlife and fisheries resources.

12) The mighty Mississippi drains water from 31 states and 2 Canadian provinces. "So what?," you ask. Well that means that Mississippi is also in the small end of the funnel. And that means ducks...by the millions!

13) The pros even run coyotes with hounds here; get in on a fast and furious run.

14) Learn about Mississippi's rich heritage in hunting and conservation. "There is no state game department and only the beginnings of a conservation movement. There is no refuge system and little law enforcement... There is one offset to all these defects; a widespread and intense popular interest in game and hunting. In this respect Mississippi excels any other state so far surveyed. The capitalization of this interest...is the only hope for maintaining a game supply in the face of the process of industrialization now underway throughout the South," stated Aldo Leopold in 1929 in his game survey of Mississippi.

15) Crow hunting in the hills of Mississippi.

Wildlife Viewing:

1) In 1935, Frederick Lincoln, a former Secretary of the Interior, wrote "This route [Mississippi Flyway] is followed by such vast numbers of ducks, geese, [and other birds] that observers stationed at favorable points in the Mississippi Valley during the height of migration can see a greater number of species and individuals than can be noted anywhere else in the world."

2) You will have the opportunity to view over 380 species of birds which have been recorded in Mississippi. In fact, the Magnolia State is in the center of the Mississippi Flyway for birds leaving the Canadian nesting grounds en route to their tropical winter homes.

3) The federal refuges, state wildlife management areas, state parks and the national forest provide opportunities for every type of wildlife enthusiast.

4) Wildlife viewing on Tara.

5) Wildlife viewing on the Mississippi River - by large craft or canoe - your call.

6) Whether you favor the plentiful whitetail deer, the beautiful bright-colored cardinal or the rare trumpeter swan, the Magnolia State has it and we would love to share it.

7) In 1955, the Mississippi Ornithological Society was organized. Learn more about this unique organization.

8) The prothonotary warbler has a unique place in history. And it can be seen in Mississippi.

9) Go birding with the Jackson Audubon Society.

10) Learn more about Mississippi's native flora. Go on a trip with the Mississippi Native Plant Society in Tishimingo County.

Travel & History:

1) Geography of Mississippi - From the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains to the river-carved Delta to the beautiful Gulf Coast, Mississippi offers a variety of geographical treasures.

2) Where did the Teddy Bear get its name? In Mississippi! Come to Onward, Mississippi, and find out for yourself the unique story behind this famous bear.

3) Where's the museum of the North American Mound Builders? Ditto.

4) From Ambrose to Ziglar, Mississippi has more writers per square mile than any other state. Come see what's in our water!

5) Where is the true-blue seat of Southern Hospitality? Mississippi, of course. Just ask our visitors.

6) In the early 1900s President Theodore Roosevelt, as guest of Harley Metcalfe, guided by a famous bear hunter named Holt Collier, went on a bear hunt near Onward. To ensure that the president shot a bear, the guide trapped a 600 pounder in advance and tied it to a tree. However, the President refused to shoot the captive bear. The story got out and a new toy, a stuffed bear, was named a teddy bear to honor the President's sportsmanship.

7) In 1916 citizens of Bolivar County organized what is now considered the "Father" of Mississippi's Hunting Clubs...Merigold Hunting Club.

8) The exhibit, "For The Sake Of Future Generations: The History Of Organized Wildlife Conservation In Mississippi Since 1890" was established at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science with a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council.

9) At one time, the Ohio River ran through Mississippi. Learn more about the history of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.

10) The world's foremost polar bear photographer, Dan Guravich, is from Greenville, Mississippi.

Articles for reprint
1897-1997: 100 Years of Conservation in Mississippi

Help While You're Here...

You haven't truly experienced the state that gave us bottled Coca-Cola, Barq's Root Beer, Archie Manning, Jimmy Buffet, Elvis Presley, Kermit the Frog and the Teddy Bear until you've experienced fascinating Mississippi ...cradle of the Blues (B.B. King, Ike and Tina turner, Little Richard, Muddy Waters, Son Thomas and Robert Johnson to name a few), home of King Cotton and a lyrical land named for Mark Twain's mighty Mississippi. And more interesting sites await you at every bend in the river, including world class dockside gambling, Indian mounds, museums, historic plantations, antique shops and more writers than anywhere else in America. Shelby Foote, the writer and narrator of PBS's widely acclaimed Civil War series was born in Greenville. Writers Walker Percy, Ellen Douglas, Bern Keating, Beverly Lowry, Willie Morris, Ben Wasson and Hodding Carter are from here. Why even William Faulkner was a frequent visitor and an occasional resident.

What's Your Medium?

Newspaper, magazine, radio, television, book, seminars, photography? Or just kicking back and having a good time? Going to have the spouse and kids along, or not? Let us know what your special needs are and we'll do our best to take care of you on your next visit to the Mississippi, home of Southern Hospitality! (Mint juleps are extra).

***Call us at 1-800-270-3358 or e-mail us at info@outfitters.org today!