MCCOMB — A new program partnering with private landowners, habitat managers and turkey hunters is in the works. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Commissioner William Mounger said the agency will soon have the Turkey Management Assistance Program up and running. 

Mounger mentioned TMAP after a lengthy session of public comment from turkey hunters concerned with doing what is best for the resource. Commissioners had their regularly scheduled monthly meeting at Percy Quin State Park last week. Turkey Program Director Adam Butler said they are working to get it launched.

In a way, it will be similar to the Spring Gobbler Hunter Survey. Butler said the agency relies on hunters to provide observational data but that is just focused on what hunters see afield. His hope is TMAP will help long term with habitat management. 

“For the most part we can tie our data back to the county level but we are trying to make an effort to have properties enrolled for property specific information,” Butler said. “Long term, we want to know what are the things that good properties all have in common for turkeys. What makes a property have birds.” 

Butler said TMAP would help collect observational information and look at the things they share in common. Habitat assessments would be in the near future for properties to see what the commonalities good turkey hunting properties share. 

Biologists would then be able to assign a score out of 10 so properties can see where they rank and then work to improve. Butler said the MDWFP would then give recommendations to landowners so they can improve habitat quality. 

“We want to be able to show the world that managing habitat has positive results,” Butler said. “We have to quantify the results with field assessments and scoring the habitat. The score will be what we use to do that and pair it with turkey observations we can demonstrate that we do in fact have more turkeys.” 

Butler said it is possible the TMAP would have a minimum amount of acreage for participation. MDWFP currently encourages cooperating with fellow landowners to meet habitat and wildlife management goals as deer and turkeys can have large home ranges. 

Anyone interested in private land management should first schedule a private land site visit. Biologists with the MDWFP can provide educational perspective and technical advice on managing habitat. 

We will provide an update when this program launches.