It seems fitting that Pike County wildlife conservation officer Scott Nichols should be named National Wild Turkey Federation Officer of the Year — considering it was a turkey that led him to become a wildlife officer to begin with.
Nichols received the distinction for Mississippi’s South Region, which is the lower third of the state.
“It is based on performance and dealing with the public, overall how they’ve impacted conservation in their area for the past year,” said NWTF board member Nelson Estess of Magnolia.
Joseph Parker, executive director of the Scenic Rivers Development Alliance, has known Nichols for years.
“Our area has been blessed to have some tremendously knowledgeable and dedicated conservation officers, and Scott is continuing that great legacy,” Parker said.
“When you visit with him, there is no question about his passion for the outdoors and his desire to help landowners succeed in their efforts to improve their property for wildlife. He is beyond courteous and is never too busy to help out. We are lucky to have him in the Scenic Rivers region.”
A sign from God?
Nichols was a teenager on a Bogue Chitto River float trip with Parker years ago when a wild turkey appeared.
Nichols had just been telling Parker he hoped for a career that would enable him to work outdoors.
“It was one of those moments only God could provide,” Parker said. “A boss gobbler flew across in front of us.”
Parker suggested wildlife conservation officer.
“Seeing the excitement in his eyes gave me the idea,” he said.
As it happened, when they arrived at the boat ramp they saw wildlife officer Jacob Brumfield, and Parker introduced them.
Nichols later spoke with now-retired wildlife official Lane Ball, and ultimately went to work with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks — first as manager of Charlie Capps Wildlife Management Agency, then as Coahoma County game warden before coming to work in his native Pike County in 2019.
Nichols hails from Pricedale and lives on Topisaw Creek. “I’m happy to be back home and working in the county I grew up in,” he said.
Working with landowners
Trespassing is a common offense during turkey season. “Cell cameras have really changed the game,” Nichols said.
Such cameras allow landowners — and game wardens — to see what’s happening in real time and respond promptly.
“All the cases we made, we could not do it without the landowners’ help,” Nichols said. “If they have an issue, don’t hesitate to call — 1-800-BE-SMART.”
For a game warden, catching a poacher is not unlike hunting a big buck or gobbler.
“Turkey hunters are pretty slick. A lot of them will drop their buddies off,” Nichols said.
”Once you tell them ‘state game warden,’ that’s the funniest thing of all,” he said.
Another frequent violation is baiting.
“All grain must be gone 10 days before hunting,” Nichols said.
Baiting changes turkeys’ patterns, keeping them in the same area where they’re more subject to predators. Corn piled on the ground can also breed aflatoxin, which is harmful to turkeys.
Habitat is the key
Nichols recommends turkey hunters manage their land year-round.
“It all comes back to habitat, and everything else falls into place,” he said.
Prescribed burning in pine stands reduces thick brush and brings back native grasses that turkeys like to eat.
“We used to have native local savannah everywhere,” Nichols said.
Turkeys need nesting areas, diversity of forage, and water.
“Hunters are the best conservationists by far,” Nichols said. “If we didn’t have hunters managing their land, we wouldn’t have this resource.”
Nichols’ motto is a quote by Theodore Roosevelt, who was not only president of the United States but a pioneering conservationist: “The wildlife and its habitat cannot speak, so we must and we will.”
