Youth waterfowl hunt opens Saturday

LITTLE ROCK –The 2011-2012 duck season is over for most hunters, but youth hunters have one more weekend to pursue waterfowl in The Natural State.

The state’s special youth waterfowl hunt takes place Saturday and Sunday. Youths 15 years and younger may harvest ducks, geese, coots, mergansers, moorhens and gallinules. Youths who have completed a hunter education course must be accompanied by a mentor who is at least 18 years old, and youths who haven’t completed a hunter education course must be accompanied by a mentor who is at least 21 years old. Mentors may not hunt, but they can call waterfowl. Shooting hours and bag limits are the same as the regular season, except youth hunters may hunt from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset on Arkansas Game and Fish Commission wildlife management areas during these two days.