JACKSON – Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Commissioners voted to approve the Waterfowl Program’s recommendation for funding duck stamp projects. The vote was unanimously in support of the Waterfowl Program’s recommendation, a contrast to last year’s funding narrowly passing. 

Houston Havens, Waterfowl Program Director, went through a rundown list of all the projects the program wanted to allocate duck stamp funds to. He stated $125,000 would go to Ducks Unlimited and $125,000 would go to Delta Waterfowl for habitat restoration and improvement projects in duck breeding grounds in Canada. 

Mississippi State University Extension Service will receive $30,000 in funding to help support a research project looking at the spatial habits of Mallards in Mississippi. The project hopes to answer a variety of questions using GPS transmitters. 

A bulk of duck stamp money will go right back into Mississippi. Havens said $475,000 will go towards Wildlife Management Area wetland projects which are spread out over the year on an as needed basis. 

Additionally, money raised by duck stamps helps support a private land infrastructure fund to help landowners with water control structures. Eligible landowners for this program can not be enrolled in another program, a site visit must be completed and a score given to the property to be ranked for priority of funding. 

Havens said other programs receiving funding from Mississippi’s duck stamps include the aerial waterfowl survey, waterfowl trapping and banding supplies, Mississippi Flyway Council dues and the Gunner Palmer Memorial Youth Waterfowl Hunting Camp. 

Commissioners Todd Hairston and William Mounger asked several inquisitive questions about the work Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl are doing in the prairie pothole region of Canada. 

Check back later this week for a more detailed article on what the groups are doing and why it is important for Mississippi hunters. Additionally, we will have an article detailing the research project MSU Extension Service will conduct with Mallards. 

Turkey stamps

Turkey hunters came so close to getting similar funding for habitat and research projects in the 2024 legislative session. However, two bills to create the wild turkey stamp died in conference just before the legislative finish line. Rep. Bill Kinkade, Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks House committee chair, said politics killed the bills last year. Sen. Neil Whaley, Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Senate committee chair, never responded to requests for comment. 

Last year, the house version of the turkey stamp bill stated that lifetime license holders would be exempt from purchasing a wild turkey stamp, residents would be charged $10 for turkey stamps and non-residents would be charged $100 for turkey stamps. The senate version would have charged non-residents $200 and not charge residents. 

The 2025 Legislative Session will convene on January 7th.