Mississippi Outdoors Podcast

If you've ever killed a deer in Mississippi and wondered if it might be a record, there's a program built specifically to find out — the Magnolia Records Program. In this episode of the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast, Matt Wyatt sits down with Rick Dillard, the U.S. Forest Service biologist who created it from scratch in 2001 and has been running it ever since.

Caleb Covington, MDWFP's State Lakes Coordinator, joins the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast to talk about getting started fishing in Mississippi — whether you're an adult picking it up for the first time or a parent looking to introduce your kids to the water.Caleb and Matt break down what gear you actually need to get started, where you can go without a boat or private land access, and why bream fishing with a cork and a cricket is still one of the best ways to fall in love with the sport. They also talk about patience when introducing kids, why a push-button spincast reel beats a baitcaster for beginners, and why it's okay to leave early the first few times.MDWFP has a whole resource page at mdwfp.com/justaddwater with knot guides, bait recommendations, an interactive fishing spot map, and bait shop locations across Mississippi.

America 250 celebrations are coming to Mississippi State Parks this July 4th, and there's no better time to plan your summer getaway! Josh Hinton, park manager at LeFleur's Bluff State Park, joins the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast to share everything you need to know about camping in Mississippi this summer.He covers how to stay cool when you can't beat the heat, why moving air is the key to both comfort and keeping bugs off, what thermacell devices actually do and how to use them, and why hydrating the night before matters more than most people realize. He also walks through what Mississippi state parks offer in terms of facilities and amenities, what the rules are around pets, firearms, fireworks, and music, and how to book a spot online.

One of the world's greatest catfish fisheries is right here in Mississippi — and most people drive past it on I-20 without ever thinking about it. In this episode of the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast, Matt Wyatt sits down with Bob Crosby of Blue Cat Guide Service, a 13-year veteran of guiding on the Mississippi River out of Vicksburg, to talk about what it takes to catch truly giant blue catfish.

You've heard about Mississippi's growing black bear population. But how did it start — and who started it? In this episode of the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast, Matt Wyatt sits down with Brad Young, the original bear program coordinator for MDWFP, who ran the program from 2002 to 2013.

Retired biologist Mark LaSalle joins the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast to talk about something almost every Mississippian has wondered — how do you get more hummingbirds in your yard?Mark explains which native plants attract hummingbirds and why they work better than feeders alone: cross vine, red buckeye, coral honeysuckle, coral bean, trumpet creeper, cardinal flower, and salvias. He talks about when hummingbirds arrive in Mississippi, why they return to the same yards year after year, and what most people don't know — that 80% of a hummingbird's diet is insects, not nectar.He also breaks down the one key rule for native plants: get them through the first year, and they'll largely take care of themselves after that. Good episode for anyone with a yard, a feeder, or a curious neighbor who keeps getting all the hummingbirds.

MDWFP biologist Martin Coker joins the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast to explain something most Mississippians have never thought about — the difference between a nuisance animal and a fur bearer species, and why that distinction matters for how they're managed.Martin breaks down which animals fall into each category, why wild hogs can be taken year-round while bobcats and river otters have a regulated season, and why the stretch between deer and turkey season is actually a great window for hog management. He also talks about how CITES tags work, why muskrats have been rebranded as "marsh hare" in some markets, how raccoon calls are increasing as suburban areas expand, and why you need to remove nearly 80% of a hog population annually just to hold it steady.

You've called them skeeter eaters your whole life. You've been warned about granddaddy long legs since you were a kid. You've wondered why fire ants even exist. In this episode of the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast, Matt Wyatt sits down with Brady Dunaway, ecologist with the Mississippi Natural Heritage Program and entomology background from Mississippi State, to bust a few of those myths wide open.