Hancock-Harrison County Forestry & Wildlife Assn.

10/21/2026

If you’ve ever spotted those big, bumpy, lime green balls lying under a tree and wondered what they are… It’s the fruit of an Osage orange tree (Maclura pomifera)!

Also called horse apple, bodock, hedge-apple, bodark, bois-d’arc, bow wood, or naranjo chino, this remarkable tree belongs to the Moraceae (mulberry) family.

Though it produces no sawtimber or pulpwood, Osage-orange has been planted more than almost any other tree in North America. Most of the fence posts that “fenced the West” came from Osage-orange trees.

Also, Native Americans used it for bows, and woodcarvers still prize its bright orange-gold heartwood today.

10/21/2026

🌲 National Forest Products Week is here! 🌲

Did you know that forestry is one of Mississippi’s top agricultural commodities, generating over $13 billion in economic impact and supporting tens of thousands of jobs across our state?

From the lumber framing our homes and the paper products we use daily to clean energy and innovative wood technology, our forest products touch every part of daily life.

Behind every product is a dedicated network of private forest landowners, loggers, foresters, and wood product manufacturers who practice sustainable active management, ensuring our timberlands stay healthy, abundant, and growing for generations to come.

Join us this week in celebrating the people and products that keep Mississippi growing! 🌳📦

10/21/2026

🚨 BURN BAN UPDATE FOR MISSISSIPPI 🚨

More counties have been added to the state burn ban list, bringing the total to 47 counties currently under an active burn ban. (More can be added at any time, so please check the listing regularly)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

🚫 Zero Outdoor Burning: Absolutely no burning of any kind is permitted at this time. This includes campfires, fire pits, burn barrels, brush/debris burning, and field burning.

🚫Violations are enforced by county sheriff's departments. Knowingly burning during a ban is a misdemeanor and may result in fines up to $500 per violation.

✅What is allowed? Enclosed gas/propane grills, gas heaters, and charcoal grills are permitted.

Please help protect our communities, emergency responders, and forests by not burning right now!

🔗 Check the full listing & updates: https://bit.ly/3TK2YOg

10/21/2026

10/21/2026

Join us December 8th for our Annual Business Meeting and Program. Details below.

07/17/2026

Questions about brown spot needle blight? Read our newest Extension Forestry publication for answers to many of the questions you have about this disease!https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/document/2026-06/P4193_web.pdf

04/28/2026

The Hancock-Harrison CFWA will be hosting a Quail program May 26th in Gulfport. RSVP required. See below for details.