By Hunter Cloud
The leader of the day

William McKinley to open Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
and parks, monthly commission meeting with an educational session on chronic wasting.
Illness Thursday morning. McKinley is the state’s deer program coordinator.
The MDWFP commission meets monthly. October meeting will be held at MDWFP
headquarters located at 1505 Eastover Drive in Jackson. The educational session will begin at 9 a.m.
followed by a work session at 10 a.m. according to the finalized agenda.
Chronic wasting disease is a 100% fatal disease in deer. Mississippi has 320
positive detections since the first detection in 2018. McKinley told the Daily Leader two new
positives were detected in Marshall County and are the first CWD positives in the 2024-2025 period.
hunting season.
McKinley’s presentation on CWD will be informative for everyone, especially those who are unaware.
know what chronic wasting disease is. Typically, MDWFP will share educational resources
session on YouTube at a later date.
Ricky Flynt, Executive Director of the Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund, will provide an update
the commission. The Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund helps connect Mississippians to
the outdoors by providing financial support to various projects.
After the training session, the MDWFP commission will organize a working session. Jason
Thompson, director of administrative services, usually opens the meeting with prayer and
later, take stock of license sales.
Former MDWFP Commissioner Bill Cossar would remind those in attendance that 90 percent of
MDWFP’s budget is funded by license sales, which is why Thompson’s report is so important.
Additionally, Thompson may have an update on the new online license sales system that is
is expected to go live in February 2025.
There are no public comments listed on the final agenda, although people may come Thursday.
with public comments.
Wildlife Chief of Staff Russ Walsh and Waterfowl Program Coordinator Houston Havens
submit a request for continued funding of Ducks Unlimited projects. DU’s housing projects in the
Canada’s prairie pothole region and the Dakotas help produce more ducks that fly south.
Mississippi every year.
Law Enforcement Chief Jerry Carter will provide an update on citations and other
application topics. License reinstatement requests for Tyler Breland and James Theriot of
Pearl River County and Damion Pipkins of Georgia County will be heard before the conclusion
of the meeting.
Separately, commissioners will discuss a rule regarding a no wake zone in Jackson
County. Last month, MDWFP commissioners discussed adding additional acreage to Marion.
The county WMA is in executive session and the topic could come back into executive session.

The next MDWFP Commission meeting will be November 14 with an educational session at 9 a.m.