JACKSON – The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) is pleased to announce William T. McKinley as the new Deer Program Coordinator. William started with the MDWFP in 2001 as a District Biologist and moved into the Deer Program in 2003. He has served as the Deer Program Leader and more recently as the Enclosure Program Coordinator.

"I am excited about leading the management of one of Mississippi's greatest natural treasures, the white-tailed deer," said McKinley. "Working as a deer biologist for the last 16 years, I am aware of the dynamic nature of Mississippi's deer herd. New diseases are present in the herd and others threaten. There is an increased awareness of predator populations, such as coyotes, bobcats, and black bears. Wild hogs are proving to be a menace to deer management by threatening the herd through food competition, predation, and the possibility of disease transfer. Hunter expectations are changing and so is Mississippi's deer herd. Research is needed to better understand and confront these changes and challenges. I look forward to working with hunters and policy makers in managing our deer herd into the future."

For more information regarding deer in Mississippi, visit our website at www.mdwfp.com or call us at (601) 432-2212. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mdwfp or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDWFPonline.