It is called the Quality Deer Management Association, and the organization’s goal is “to help educate hunters and landowners about how to improve the habitat for white-tailed deer,” said Bruce Gray, president of the Southwest Mississippi branch of QDMA.

Tonight, QDMA will hold a fundraiser banquet at the Lincoln Civic Center. Doors will open at 5:30, according to Gray. There will be a meal at 7, followed by a live auction and raffle.  Tickets are $50 for individuals and $75 for couples. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Some of the money will go toward QMDA, but Gray said that much of it will be used for the community.

“A large portion of the money that is raised … will stay right here at home, and we’ll put the money right back into the community, through scholarships and education events,” Gray said.

According to Gray, QDMA emphasizes using the environment that’s already there to maximum effectiveness.

“What QDMA teaches … is what are some ways they can improve the habitat, without spending a lot of money – I think that’s key. It’s not about just buying lots of seed and planting food plots and fertilizing. It’s more about what is already there and improving it and making it better, with just basic science that has already been in existence for many, many years,” he said.

QDMA, said Gray, educates landowners about the needs of deer and their habitats.

“The number one thing they need is cover. They need security. Of course they also need food. You can provide both of those things very simply.”

People wanting to improve the habitat for white-tailed deer, Gray said, should look at their property as a white-tailed deer would.

“For us as individuals, we look at an overgrown field as just a terrific mess. You can’t walk in it because there’s briars. There’s thick cover. There’s small saplings. It’s just a mess. But for a white-tailed deer, that’s perfect habitat,” he said.