The Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) Deer Program manages the
statewide whitetail deer (WTD) herd using the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP). This
program includes data collection from hunter harvested WTD and education of hunt club members who are actively participating. Data collected under DMAP is used to develop site specific harvest
recommendations and to put participating hunt clubs in a better position to manage their lands for a
healthy WTD herd, while maintaining high quality WTD habitat.
What are DMAP requirements?
The hunt club must show interest in WTD management and perform the necessary activities to reach their goals. The property must be at least 1,000 contiguous acres and the club needs to be able to harvest a minimum of 10 does during the hunting season. The hunt club needs to set WTD management goals and objectives. These can range from seeing many healthy WTD on the property to having fewer WTD and allowing them to reach their “trophy” potential.
How much does DMAP cost?
The cost to participate in DMAP is the collection of specific harvested WTD data for the MDWFP. This data includes WTD weights, buck antler measurements, presence or absence of lactation in does, and jawbone removal from each WTD to determine age.
What does the hunt club receive?
The hunt club receives a WTD harvest summary report following each hunting season. This report contains a detailed analysis of the current year’s WTD harvest including graphs and charts showing trends of WTD performance and comparing it to previous years data. A phone call or meeting with an MDWFP biologist can be set up to answer any questions the hunt club may have to make sure progress toward the desired goals and objectives is continuously maintained.
If you’re interested in leasing land in Mississippi, contact our regional Wildlife Biologist, David Graves at
(318) 464-2744 or email him at [email protected]. If you want to take WTD management to
the next level and you think the DMAP program may be right for your Mississippi hunt lease, go to:
https://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunting/deer-program/ for more information.