August 26, 2009 Edition

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Today's Topics

• Late migratory bird seasons set by Commission

• Two options studied for North Fork River catch and release

• Public comments solicited on closing of fall turkey season

• Boat motor restrictions on WMAs proposed

• Hunters can help themselves by checking rules changes

• SouthArk unveils plans for outdoor expo

• Boating education class schedule

• Hunter education class schedule  

• What’s open for hunting

• Coming up in the outdoors

Late migratory bird seasons set by Commission

LITTLE ROCK – For the 13th consecutive season, waterfowlers in Arkansas will have a 60-day season to pursue their passion. Waterfowl season was set by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission at last week’s monthly meeting at the agency’s headquarters in Little Rock.

Duck season dates are Nov. 21-Nov. 29, Dec. 10-Dec. 23 and Dec. 26-Jan. 31. The youth waterfowl hunt will be Dec. 5-6. Duck daily bag limits will be no more than six ducks consisting of:

four mallards
three wood ducks
two redheads
one black duck
one pintail
one canvasback
one mottled duck
two scaup

Bag limits on Bayou Meto WMA were changed to allow two mallard hens instead of one and three wood ducks instead of two. The daily bag limit remains at four ducks with no more than three mallards on Bayou Meto.

Northwest Canada goose zone season will be Sept. 26-Oct. 5 with a bag limit of 2 geese. The statewide Canada goose season will be Sept. 1-15 with a bag limit of 5 geese and Dec. 26-Jan. 31 with a bag limit of 2 geese.

White-fronted goose season will be Nov. 14-Dec. 5, Dec. 12-Dec. 24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 31 with a bag limit of 2 geese. Snow, blue and Ross’ goose season is Nov. 7-Dec. 24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 31 with a bag limit of 20 geese. The Snow Goose Conservation Order will be Feb. 1-April 25, 2010 with no bag limit.

A proposal to restrict boat motors to 25 horsepower on several WMAs around the state was tabled. One amendment to the proposal was offered by Commissioner George Dunklin. His amendment would allow boats on the Henry Gray Hurricane Lake WMA with up to 50 horsepower motors. AGFC staff also recommended a 50 horsepower restriction on Rex Hancock Black Swamp WMA. The Commission did approve a regulation restricting boats from the Government Cypress Greentree Reservoir within Bayou Meto WMA. The horsepower restriction will be voted on at the September meeting.

AGFC trout biologist Jeff Williams made a lengthy presentation on the 2010 trout fishing proposed regulations. The main topic that Williams covered was a proposed expansion of the catch-and-release area on the North Fork River from 1 mile to 2.6 miles in length.

Williams told the Commission that public meetings held since 2007 indicated that anglers on the river desired larger trout. Williams also pointed out that angling pressure on the North Fork is three times higher than any other trout water in the state. “There are over 41,000 angling hours per mile on the Norfork Tailwaters as compared to just over 11,800 angling hours per mile on the Bull Shoals Tailwater,” Williams explained.

Commissioner Ron Pierce said that he would like the south end of the catch-and-release area moved back closer to the Bill Ackerman Access Area on the North Fork. Commissioners will vote on the proposals at their September meeting.

In other business, the Commission heard a proposal by Commissioner Emon Mahony to close the 2009 fall firearms and archery turkey hunting seasons.

When speaking about the recent decline in turkey harvest, Mahony said, “We’ve had low preliminary poult counts and the only remedy of which I am aware is to restrict the harvest.”

The proposal will be voted on at the Commission’s September meeting.

The commission approved the sportfish regulation changes for 2010. The regulations can be found at: http://www.agfc.com/fishing/default.aspx.

The Commission voted to take no action on the requested restriction of turtle harvest in Arkansas until sufficient research on the impact of commercial harvest in Arkansas and the accumulation of toxins in Arkansas turtles could be completed. The request was originally filed by a coalition including the Arkansas River Coalition, the Audubon Society of Central Arkansas, Center for Biological Diversity, the Center for Food Safety, the Center for North American Herpetology, and the Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management.

The Commission also renamed Choctaw Island Wildlife Management Area to Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA and Deer Research Area. The WMA lies in southeastern Arkansas and is the only AGFC-owned land between the levees of the Mississippi River. It was named for former commissioner Freddie Black in honor of his service to the Commission. During Black’s tenure, the AGFC launched a successful shooting sports program, National Archery in the Schools Program and procured many new hunting lands for the public, including Choctaw Island.

Two options studied for North Fork River catch and release

LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is looking at two options for an expanded catch-and-release area on the North Fork River below Norfork Dam.

Disagreements have developed between fishermen and businesses in the area over the proposal, which grew out of citizen advisory committee workshops used to develop a fisheries management plan for the tailwater.

The existing catch-and-release area in the trout-rich stream is about a mile long. After input from trout anglers, the AGFC staff recommended expanding the zone to 2.6 miles (slightly more than half of the distance from the dam to the stream’s junction with the White River at the town of Norfork). Under this plan, the catch-and-release area would extend to six-tenths of a mile below the Ackerman Access.

The other option being studied is to end the catch-and-release area at Ackerman Access, making the area 2 miles.

The fisheries staff also is recommending allowing the use of artificial lures with barbless treble hooks in the catch-and-release area after hearing reports that there is little difference in harmful effect to trout from artificial lures with single barbless hooks compared to barbless treble hooks.

AGFC commissioners will make a decision at their Sept. 24 meeting in Little Rock. Persons may express their opinions on these proposals in writing before Sept. 17. For more information on the proposals go to http://www.agfc.com/fishing/default.aspx. Letters can be sent to North Fork Trout, Fisheries Division, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, 2 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205. Comments can also be e-mailed to Jeffrey S. Williams, trout management supervisor, at j_williams@agfc.state.ar.us or information@agfc.com.

Public comments solicited on closing of fall turkey season

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas’s turkey population has declined in recent years because of a series of poor spring hatches. As a result, Emon Mahony of El Dorado, commissioner with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, has proposed closing the fall turkey hunting seasons this year.

“I cannot in good faith further restrict spring hunting if we allow hunters to kill hens in the fall,” said Mahony.

Archery hunting for turkeys is scheduled to run Oct. 1 through Feb. 28 in all Turkey Zones except Zone 1A in northwest Arkansas. Hunting with modern shotguns or muzzle-loading shotguns is scheduled for Oct. 26-Nov. 1 in Turkey Zones 3, 5B, 6 and 17. All other turkey zones are closed for fall firearms hunting.

Both turkey gobblers and hens are legal game in the fall season, but hunters are fewer than in the spring season. Less than 5 percent of the turkeys checked by Arkansas hunters are taken during fall hunts. Last year, 118 turkeys were checked by firearms hunters and 388 by archery hunters.

AGFC commissioners will discuss the 2009 fall closure of turkey hunting at their Sept. 24 meeting in Little Rock. Persons may express their opinions on the proposal in writing before Sept.17. Letters can be sent to Fall Turkey Season, Wildlife Management Division, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, 2 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205. Comments can also be e-mailed to Mike Widner, turkey program coordinator, at mwidner@agfc.state.ar.us.

Persons wishing to comment on fall seasons and the 2010 spring turkey season can use the comment sheet provided at http://www.agfc.com/!userfiles/pdfs/hunting/2010SpringTurkeyPublicMeetingCommentSheet.pdf.

Boat motor restrictions on WMAs proposed

LITTLE ROCK – Several proposals to limit the use of boat motors on various wildlife management areas are under consideration by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Motors currently are limited by regulation to 25 horsepower or less on four management areas – Bayou Meto, Dr. Lester Sizes III Bois d’Arc, Shirey Bay Rainey Brake and Steve N. Wilson Raft Creek. At the Aug. 24 meeting, Commissioners considered a proposal from the AGFC wildlife staff to extend the 25-horsepower limit to include Bell Slough, Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita, Choctaw Island, Cut-Off Creek, Cypress Bayou, Ed Gordon Point Remove, Earl Buss Bayou DeView, Galla Creek, Harris Brake, Holland Bottoms, Mike Freeze Wattensaw, Petit Jean River, Sheffield Nelson Dagmar, Sulphur River and Trusten Holder wildlife management areas.

Upon a motion made by Commissioner George Dunklin, the Commission agreed to table that proposal until their Sept. 24 meeting. Dunklin also requested consideration of an alternate proposal that would prohibit the use of boat motors greater than 50 horsepower on Henry Gray Hurricane Lake Wildlife Management Area. A staff recommendation to establish a similar 50-horsepower limit for Rex Hancock Black Swamp WMA also has been added for consideration.

The larger 50-horsepower limit has been proposed for Henry Gray Hurricane Lake Wildlife Management Area because hunters’ boats sometimes travel the White River adjacent to the management area. Likewise, Rex Hancock Black Swamp hunters use the Cache River to access that area.

AGFC commissioners will vote on the motor limit proposals at their Sept. 24 meeting in Little Rock. Persons may express their opinions on the proposal in writing before Sept. 17. Letters can be sent to Motor Restriction, Wildlife Management Division, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, 2 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205. Comments can also be e-mailed to Luke Naylor, waterfowl program coordinator, at lwnaylor@agfc.state.ar.us or information@agfc.com.

Hunters can help themselves by checking rules changes

LITTLE ROCK – If you want to be better prepared for the upcoming hunting seasons, a few minutes in your favorite chair with a book can be a major boost.

The book is the 2009-2010 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook of the Arkansas Game and Fish commission. It is 140 pages, including the cover, and it’s free at any AGFC office or license dealer.

A suggestion for season preparation is to read Page 5 of the Guidebook. It has the new rules that are going into effect. The appropriate page numbers are listed so readers can quickly refer to the details of the new rules.

Here are the “New This Season” elements in condensed form:

• Check stations have been eliminated. Hunters must check deer or turkeys online or by telephone (Page 36).
• Two of the four deer tags have been set aside for does only (Page 36).
• The 3-point rule has changed to a 4-point/18-inch main beam rule in deer zones 16, 16A and 17 (Page 42).
• Zone Doe Quota Permits have been replaced by doe days (pages 38-42).
• Does may be harvested during the Christmas Holiday Modern Gun Deer Hunt in deer zones 1 and 10 (Page 41).
• The bag limit for does has increased to four during the firearm season in deer zones 12 and 17 (Page 39).
• A second statewide youth season has been added to the modern gun deer season (Page 42).
• Youths 15 years and younger may harvest bucks during any season without regard to antler restrictions (Page 42).
• Deer zones 1, 2, 3, 14 and 15 have new boundaries. Deer zone 6 has been divided into three zones and deer zone 8 has been divided into two zones (Page 38).
• Turkey zone 1A is closed to fall archery turkey hunting (Page 46).
• Bear archery season is closed on Trusten Holder WMA (Page 123).
• The possession limit on squirrels has increased to 32 (Page 48).
• Crow season and fall squirrel season have been opened on Camp Robinson SUA (Page 80).
• Oklahoma, Montana and Minnesota have been removed from the cervid carcass importation ban. Michigan has been added to the list of prohibited carcass importation states (Page 24).
• Bobcat, coyote and fox may now be taken with up to .30 caliber firearms on Camp Robinson WMA during January and February daylight hours (pages 80-81).
• Bear archery, muzzleloader and modern gun seasons have opened on Petit Jean River WMA (Page 110).
• Bear archery and modern gun seasons have opened on Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA (Page 90).
• Dove hunting has been opened during the first week of the statewide dove season on the Wylie Cox Field Trial Area on the Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA.
• Bear archery and youth seasons have opened on Galla Creek WMA (Page 92).
• A permit youth deer hunt has been added to Steven N. Wilson Raft Creek Bottoms WMA (Page 120).
• Doe harvest is allowed during the first five days of muzzleloader season on Buffalo National River, White Rock, Mount Magazine, Ozark National Forest and Piney Creek WMAs (pages 79, 106, 109, 111 and 126).
• A one-doe bag limit during the muzzleloader deer season has been added to Petit Jean River WMA (Page 110).
• The late modern gun deer season on Sylamore WMA (North Unit) begins on Nov. 27 (pages 121-122).
• Firearms are restricted to muzzleloaders and shotguns on Beaver Lake WMA (Page 74).
• Palmetto Flats Natural Area WMA in Little River County has been added (Page 110).
• Hunting is prohibited within 100 feet of all maintained roads on Moro Big Pine Natural Area WMA (Page 70).
• Kill set traps can now be checked every 72 hours instead of every 24 hours.

SouthArk unveils plans for outdoor expo

EL DORADO – For the 11th year, the South Arkansas Community College Foundation will host the SouthArk Outdoor Expo Saturday, Sept. 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Outdoor fun and activities will take place on the SouthArk East Campus at 3696 E. Main St. in El Dorado.

The outdoor expo is a community-wide event designed to encourage sports enthusiasts of all types to learn about the variety of recreational opportunities available in South Arkansas. Educating youth about the outdoor activities area is a major emphasis of the expo. Most of the events will be targeted toward children and family.

The outdoor expo will have as its special guest Keith “Catfish” Sutton, a popular and well-known angler who is also a writer and photographer on hunting, fishing, nature and conservation issues.

“I have pursued every sportfish imaginable in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Venezuela and I love to share my stories and fishing techniques for others to learn,” Sutton says.

In the pages of his book, "Out There Fishing," his unforgettable stories of angling in the wilds of the Americas are collected in print. Included are 33 tales that will keep readers on the edge of their seat.

David Findley, a native of Bernice, Louisiana, has been hunting and fishing almost all his life. A resident of Rockhill, S.C., David is the executive producer of “A Hunter’s Story,” a television show which airs the hunting stories about his team of professional hunters. He is one of the most recognized hunters and turkey callers in the nation and has traveled throughout the country filming his hunts, which have appeared on national TV.

Joining Sutton and Findley will be Tommy Cauley, master fisherman and fishing guide from Greers Ferry. His fishing background also includes fishing pro/am circuits.

“I take my fishing seriously and enjoy spending the day with other people who just like to fish. One of my favorite activities is to teach young kids and novice anglers how to fish,” Cauley said.

The three headliners will be on hand to present entertaining and educational seminars and demonstrations, answer questions about fishing and hunting, sign autographs and meet and greet expo visitors.

Vendors will be selling hunting and fishing gear, boats, recreational vehicles, game calls and much more. Other demonstrations and activities include Master Bladesmith Tim Foster, sons Trey and Trevor, bull-riding champions who will be demonstrating roping techniques, chainsaw wood carver Scott Winford, Oakridge Bow Hunters, dutch oven cooking, Jaycees dunking booth, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission educational information, BB gun shooting, Union County 4-H shooting sports club and furry critters from the state parks.

Back by popular demand is the Herring Furniture/Amerigas Propane/Holland Grill Rib Cook-off. Team registrations are being taken now. For the first time, the SouthArk Employee Club will host a motorcycle poker run. Pre-registration is encouraged. For more info, call Ann Southall at (870) 864-7162 or asouthall@southark.edu. Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded for the contests. Proceeds from the Outdoor Expo benefit educational opportunities for students and the general operations of the SouthArk Foundation.

 Exhibitors are invited to reserve their booth space early this year. For more information or to reserve booth space, register for cookoff teams, or volunteer to work at the Expo, contact Cynthia Reyna at (870) 864-7130, (800) 955-2289 or creyna@southark.edu. More information may be found on www.southark.edu/expo.