October 21, 2009 Edition

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Today's Topics

• AGFC and CAW to hold public hearings on proposed rules and regulation changes for Lake Maumelle

• County road leading into Sulphur River WMA is closed

• Arkansas deer harvest: 70 years of onward and upward

• Hunting season opens on ANHC natural areas

• AGFC radio show to feature live call-in

• Over 390,100 fish stocked in state’s waters during September

• Stay away from houses when hunting in Arkansas

• 10 fishing regulations changes go into effect Jan. 1

• Boating education class schedule

• Hunter education class schedule  

• What’s open for hunting

• Coming up in the outdoors

AGFC and CAW to hold public hearings on proposed rules and regulation changes for Lake Maumelle

LITTLE ROCK - Central Arkansas Water will be holding two public hearings, in conjunction with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, to gather comments on proposed changes to Central Arkansas Water’s rules and regulations on Lake Maumelle and its surrounding property.

The proposed changes are part of the recently approved Memorandum of Understanding agreement between CAW and the AGFC. The proposed changes will affect public recreational opportunities on both Lake Maumelle and the surrounding property.

The first hearing will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of Joe T. Robinson High School, 21501 Highway 10. The second hearing will be held on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. at Central Arkansas Water’s James T. Harvey Administration Building, 221 E. Capitol Avenue in Little Rock.

The proposed changes include allowing trot lines in designated areas, kayaks above the Highway 10 bridge and archery-only deer hunting and small game hunting in designated areas around Lake Maumelle.

For more information regarding the proposed rules and regulations changes or the public hearings, please contact Stewardship Coordinator Stephanie Hymel at (501) 377-1331.

County road leading into Sulphur River WMA is closed

TEXARKANA - Due to heavy recent rains, the Sulphur River Wildlife Management Area in southwest Arkansas is now in overflow conditions. The high water has forced the closure of a county road that leads into the south entrance of the WMA.

The heavy rains, combined with unusually high water levels in the Red River and a water discharge of approximately 9,600 cubic feet per second into the Sulphur River from Lake Wright Patman in northeast Texas, have flooded County Road 414. The road will remain closed until the water subsides and an inspection of the road is performed.

Signs and barriers have been installed to inform the public the road is closed. Updated information on the status of the road closure can be obtained by calling the AGFC Hope Regional Office toll-free at (877) 777-5580.

Arkansas deer harvest: 70 years of onward and upward 

LITTLE ROCK – From the low three figures to a steady six figures – that’s the story of Arkansas’s deer harvest records.

Numerous hunters in the state, sometimes after an unproductive session in the woods, many grumble that “deer hunting just isn’t what it was in the old days.” The statistics are not on their side, however.

Many other hunters realistically realize that the state has many, many more deer here in 2009 than it did a couple of generations back. They may also have gripes about not enough deer in this area, few bucks in that county, too small racks on the bucks somewhere else. But the numbers are indisputable – Arkansas deer are plentiful, although not to everyone’s satisfaction.

The first year of official checking of deer taken by hunters by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission was 1938.

Picture that autumn. The state and the nation were still in the grips of the Great Depression. Many Arkansans sought deer for the most basic of objectives. They needed food on the table. That hunting season, 203 were checked by hunters with AGFC’s representatives.

The economy was bleak, but restoration of Arkansas’s deer had been underway for more than a decade, most as the efforts may seem today. Deer “farms” were in operation in several locations. Deer were being relocated to places where they were absent and had been scarce for years since the late 19th century and early 20th century.

It is a reasonable assumption that some deer were taken by hunters in the fall of 1938 and were not checked, but were taken straight to kitchen use.

The next year, 1939, there were 540 deer checked as information spread around the state about this new requirement for hunters. In 1940, just 408 deer were checked, and in 1941, 433 deer were checked.

These totals seem tiny compared to recent years of Arkansas hunting.

Last season, the 2008 hunt that stretched into early 2009, 184,991 deer were tallied by Arkansas hunters, a total second only to the peak season of 1999 when 194,687 deer were logged across the state in records of all three hunting methods archery, muzzle-loader and modern gun.

Observers of Arkansas deer hunting can come up with a number of qualifiers. Illegal hunting, meaning deer not checked as required along with the outright poaching and night-hunting, is present today as it was in 1938. Unknown, of course, is the extent of these illegal takings of deer. Does poaching account for a small percentage of the deer taken each year or a large amount?

Deer hunting numbers rose steadily from the early years, especially after the AGFC was reorganized into its present form by Amendment 35 of the Arkansas Constitution which went into effect in 1945. From the 1,687 deer checked that year, the state total was 5,122 just five years later. Fifteen years later, in 1960, the deer harvest total was 15,000.

Deer harvest growth continued through the 1960s and see-sawed a bit in the 1970s as the first steps toward hunting of female deer, does, in some areas began. Some protests came forth after the 1978 season when 43,452 deer were checked. Doe hunting was reduced, and in 1979 the total for the state was 36,074.

About this time, more tailored deer hunting regulations were crafted by the AGFC, allowing for more hunting days and more taking of does in areas where deer had become plentiful. Restricted rules were in effect for areas of lesser deer numbers.

It was 1987 when Arkansas’s deer take reached six figures, with 106,392 checked that year by hunters. The total dipped in 1990, again with tightened hunting rules. Then it returned to six figures in 1991. The peak of 1999 climaxed five years of impressive numbers on the deer hunting scene.

Some hunters protested that too many deer were falling to hunters. New strategies in deer management came forth, including quality deer objectives on both private land and some public land.

After a dip in 2003, when tighter deer hunting rules were coupled with unfavorable weather, the statewide deer totals have climbed again to approach the peak of a decade ago.

Hunting season opens on ANHC natural areas

LITTLE ROCK - Fall is in the air, camouflage is out of storage and hunters are gearing up for trips to the woods. This year, hunters can utilize over 25,000 acres at one of Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission’s 29 natural areas that are open to hunting.

ANHC partners with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to set hunting regulations at each of these natural areas. In order to preserve the natural communities found at ANHC’s sites, hunters are asked to observe specific guidelines: motorized vehicles, horses, camping and construction of permanent deer stands are not allowed.

Travel within natural areas is limited to foot traffic to minimize erosion and disturbance to sensitive habitats. AGFC officers enforce applicable hunting regulations and monitor all natural areas in the system.

By checking with the current edition of AGFC’s Hunting Guidebook, hunters can learn what types of hunting are allowed before heading out to bag their game. In addition, certain natural areas have limited access and it is the hunter’s responsibility to obtain permission to access adjacent private landowner’s property.

To learn more about ANHC’s Natural Areas, visit their website at: http://www.naturalheritage.com/ for natural area descriptions, driving directions and maps of each area.

AGFC radio show to feature live call-in

LITTLE ROCK - Call of the Wild, a one hour radio talk show about Arkansas's great outdoors airs on KARN 102.9 FM Saturday mornings at 6 a.m. This week, the show’s host Steve “Wild Man” Wilson and co-host Trey Reid of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will be airing the show live and will be taking questions from the public.

There’s usually plenty to talk about whether it’s trout fishing, wildlife photography, how to call ducks or the latest deer season forecast. This Saturday, the show will be a little different as Wild Man and Reid will be taking your telephone calls live on the air.

If you have a question about one of the new deer regulations or what the best type of bait to use for catching bass, this Saturday is your chance to find out the answer. All you have to do is tune in to KARN 102.9 FM at 6 a.m. and give them a call at (501) 433-0092.

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Over 390,100 fish stocked in state’s waters during September

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Game and Fish Commission crews stocked over 390,100 fish in Arkansas lakes and rivers during September. The total stocking of fish weighed over 147,000 pounds.

September stockings:

• Lake Atalanta, Benton County, 250 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Atkins, Pope County, 2,310 yearling blue catfish
• Lake Austell, Cross County, 333 catchable channel catfish
• Beaver Tailwater, Carroll County, 10,238 catchable rainbow trout
• Bell Lake, White County, 306 catchable channel catfish
• Big Piney Creek, Johnson County, 250 catchable channel catfish
• Blue Mountain Lake, Logan County, 1,580 yearling blue catfish
• Bobcat Pond, Prairie County, 150 catchable channel catfish
• Bobs Pond, Prairie County, 160 catchable channel catfish
• Bradley County Lake, Bradley County, 180 catchable channel catfish
• Bragg Lake, Ouachita County, 960 yearling blue catfish
• Brown Pool, St. Francis County, 150 catchable channel catfish
• Cabot Community Pond, Lonoke County, 1,007 catchable channel catfish
• Caddo District Ponds, Montgomery County, 200 catchable channel catfish
• Calion Lake, Union County, 1,000 yearling blue catfish
• Camp JT Robinson Golf Course Pond, Pulaski County, 300 catchable channel catfish
• Camp Robinson Firing Range Pond, Faulkner County, 250 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Cargile, Conway County, 221 catchable channel catfish
• Carol Ann Cross Park, Sebastian County, 799 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Catherine, Hot Spring County, 196 catchable channel catfish
• Charleston City Lake, Franklin County, 300 catchable channel catfish
• Cherrywood Lake, Pulaski County, 1,335 catchable channel catfish
• Christmas Lake, Sebastian County, 302 catchable channel catfish
• Clubhouse Lake, Yell County, 150 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Columbia, Columbia County, 6,005 yearling blue catfish
• Community Center Pond, Pulaski County, 250 catchable channel catfish
• Cypress Bayou Pond, Lonoke County, 150 catchable channel catfish
• Lake DeGray, Hot Spring and Clark Counties, 3,955 catchable channel catfish
• DeGray Regulation Pool, Clark County, 250 catchable channel catfish
• DeQueen Lake, Sevier County, 711 catchable channel catfish
• DeGray Resort Golf Pond #7, Hot Spring County, 400 catchable channel catfish
• Dierks Lake, Sevier County, 680 catchable channel catfish
• Doe Pond, Prairie County, 162 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Dunn, Cross County, 333 catchable channel catfish
• Engineer Lake, Sebastian County, 325 catchable channel catfish
• Entergy Park Lake, Garland County, 200 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Enterprise, Ashley County, 900 catchable channel catfish
• Eudora City Lake, Chicot County, 900 catchable channel catfish
• Family Park Lake, Garland County, 600 catchable channel catfish
• Ferndale 4-H Center Lake, Pulaski County, 400 catchable channel catfish
• Field Trail Pond, Prairie County, 164 catchable channel catfish
• Flowers Lake, St. Francis County, 150 catchable channel catfish
• FmHA Pond, Woodruff County, 170 catchable channel catfish
• Forrest City Sports Complex Pond, St. Francis County, 170 catchable channel catfish
• Fort Roots Lake, Pulaski County, 250 catchable channel catfish
• Fourche LaFave River, Scott County, 515 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Georgia-Pacific, Ashley County, 1,733 catchable channel catfish
• Glaise Creek, White County, 624 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Grampus, Ashley County, 933 catchable channel catfish
• Grandview Conservation Pond, Hempstead County, 500 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Greeson, Pike County, 1,850 yearling blue catfish
• Lake Hinkle, Scott County, 1,469 catchable channel catfish Lower
• Lake Hogue, Poinsett County, 750 catchable channel catfish
• Upper Lake Hogue, Poinsett County, 300 catchable channel catfish
• Honey lake, White County, 310 catchable channel catfish
• Horsehead Lake, Johnson County, 328 catchable channel catfish
• Hurricane Lake-Big, White County, 318 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Jack Nolen, Sebastian County, 320 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Village Community Lake, Chicot County, 531 catchable channel catfish
• Lee Creek Lake, Crawford County, 1,350 yearling blue catfish
• Legacy of Faith Church Pond, Faulkner County, 200 catchable channel catfish
• Lily Pad Pond, Yell County, 150 catchable channel catfish
• Little Red River, Cleburne and White Counties, 19,916 catchable rainbow trout
• Lake Ludwig, Johnson County, 328 catchable channel catfish
• Mallard Pond, White County, 306 catchable channel catfish
• Mamas Pond, Prairie County, 150 catchable channel catfish
• Mammoth Pond, Prairie County, 150 catchable channel catfish
• Meadow Lake Pond, Saline County, 432 catchable channel catfish
• Mike and Janet Huckabee Kids Pond, Hempstead County, 400 catchable channel catfish
• Miller Pond, Woodruff County, 168 catchable channel catfish
• Mirror Lake, Stone County, 2,440 catchable rainbow trout
• Lake Monticello, Drew County, 1,504 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Monticello, Drew County, 67,500 yearling threadfin shad
• Nashville City Park Lake, Howard County, 250 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Norfork, Baxter County, 16,900 yearling blue catfish
• Norfork River, Baxter County, 10,092 catchable rainbow trout
• Lake Ouachita, Garland County, 5,006 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Overcup, Conway County, 1,044 catchable channel catfish
• Ozark City Lake, Franklin County, 1,368 catchable channel catfish
• Petit Jean River, Yell County, 412 catchable channel catfish
• Pheasant Pond, Prairie County, 152 catchable channel catfish
• Pine Bluff Regional Park Pond, Jefferson County, 300 catchable channel catfish
• Pine Tree Station, St. Francis County, 150 catchable channel catfish
• Pinnacle Mountain Pond, Pulaski County, 250 catchable channel catfish
• Pleasant View Park Pond, Pope County, 300 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Poinsett, Poinsett County, 1,500 catchable channel catfish
• Pond F-1, St. Francis County, 150 catchable channel catfish
• Pullen Pond, Yell County, 300 catchable channel catfish
• Quail Pond, Prairie County, 160 catchable channel catfish
• Rabbit Pond, Prairie County, 160 catchable channel catfish
• Rattlesnake Pond, Prairie County, 150 catchable channel catfish
• Remington Arms Lake, Lonoke County, 250 catchable channel catfish
• Saline River, Cleveland County, 333 catchable channel catfish
• Siloam Springs City Park, Benton County, 300 catchable channel catfish
• Spring River, Fulton County, 12,528 catchable rainbow trout
• Storm Creek Lake, Phillips County, 1,272 catchable channel catfish
• Sugar Loaf Lake, Sebastian County, 500 catchable channel catfish
• Sugar Loaf Lake, Sebastian County, 1,425 yearling blue catfish
• Timberlake Pond, Saline County, 400 catchable channel catfish
• Tri County Lake, Calhoun County, 1,655 yearling blue catfish
• Truck’s Family Farm Pond, Independence County, 300 catchable channel catfish
• Veterans Park Pond II, Benton County, 600 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Wallace, Drew County, 937 catchable channel catfish
• West Memphis City Park Lake, Crittenden County, 1,364 catchable channel catfish
• Lower White Oak Lake, Ouachita County, 300 catchable channel catfish
• Upper White Oak Lake, Ouachita County, 54,000 yearling threadfin shad
• White River, Baxter, Izard, Stone and Marion Counties, 120,408 catchable rainbow trout
• Lake Wilhelmina, Polk County, 600 catchable channel catfish
• Wilkins Pond, St. Francis County, 150 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Willastein, Pulaski County, 250 catchable channel catfish
• Willow Beach Park Lake, Pulaski County, 1,335 catchable channel catfish
• Lake Wilson, Ashley County, 512 catchable channel catfish
• Wrape Plantation Lake, Arkansas County, 150 catchable channel catfish

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Stay away from houses when hunting in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK – The question comes up every deer season. “How close to a house can I hunt”?

The answer is no closer than 150 yards. That is a football field and a half in length. The rule applies to any kind of hunting with firearms – deer, doves, rabbits and all. Hunters using archery equipment must be at least 50 yards away from a house or residence.

Exceptions are hunters who have written, repeat written, permission from the residence's owner or occupant.

But the owners of houses and their families can hunt close to home, even shooting a deer from a porch if that opportunity arises.

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10 fishing regulations changes go into effect Jan. 1

LITTLE ROCK - At the regular monthly meeting of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in August, 10 changes in fishing regulations were approved.

These were recommendations from the AGFC’s Fisheries Division staff, and all seem to be minor as far as effect upon large numbers of anglers.

The rule changes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2010. They are:

1. Defining “shad” as gizzard shad or threadfin shad, eliminating confusion about alewife and blueback herring, types of shad sometimes brought into Arkansas as bait.
2. Remove the catch and release rule for largemouth bass on Lake Ashbaugh in Greene County and begin a daily limit of six fish.
3. Changing the due date and reporting period for reports by alligator farmers and dealers.
4. Removing the community fishing program from T.J. House Reservoir, Mulberry’s water supply lake in Crawford County.
5. Clarify rules to require licenses for taking all aquatic wildlife. Current rules list “fish, frogs, minnows and mussels.”
6. Increase the daily limit of catfish for bowfishers from two to five.
7. Remove the daily limit on northern pike. Once stocked in a few lakes, these fish did not thrive in Arkansas and have virtually disappeared.
8. Reduce the daily limit from two to one on alligator gar, set a season for taking them and create a permit for alligator gar fishing.
9. Spell out a boundary for the South Fork of the Ouachita River in Montgomery County.
10. Remove limits on channel catfish and blue catfish on the Sulphur River, Red River and Little River in southwest Arkansas. All have exceptionally high numbers of catfish.

Alligator gar are fabled fish in Arkansas but have declined in numbers, but enough are still in some Arkansas rivers so that people go out specifically for them. Many bowfishing enthusiasts often have alligator gar at the top of these priorities.

The reduction in the daily limit and the other alligator gar rule changes came out of meetings of AGFC fisheries personnel and bowfishing organizations.

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Boating education class schedule

Click here for boating education information: http://www.agfc.com/education-class/boating-education.aspx

Hunter education class schedule

Click here for hunter education information: http://www.agfc.com/education-class/hunter-education.aspx

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Oct. 22 – Central Arkansas Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Clear Channel Building in Little Rock. For more information contact Jeff Marcussen at (501) 831-3818 or jmarcussen@baldwinshell.com.

Oct. 22 – Arkansas duck season forecast presentation at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in Little Rock’s River Market District, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. What can we expect for this waterfowl season? What was last year’s harvest, and what are duck numbers like this year? What’s going on with waterfowl management in Arkansas? Duck hunters can get updates on these and other questions from Luke Naylor, waterfowl program coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, at this seminar. The Central Arkansas Nature Center is located within Riverfront Park in the River Market District of downtown Little Rock. Free parking is available along streets in the River Market District. Seating is limited, so call the nature center office at (501) 907-0636 to register to attend.

Oct. 22 – Conway Chapter of Delta Waterfowl banquet, Centennial Valley Country Club, 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 per adult and $55 for couples. Youth tickets are $25. The ticket costs cover the cost of the meal and a one year membership to Delta Waterfowl. There will be raffles for guns, prints, etc. For more information contact Daniel Merritt at (501) 472-7012.

Oct. 23 – Hot Spring County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, The Quail Barn in Bentonville. For more information contact Todd Etzel at (501) 613-1874 or toddetzel@sbcglobal.net or Blayne Estes at (479) 721-3394 or baestes@cox.net.

Oct. 24 - Talkin’ Outdoors at the Corner Café with Steve “Wildman” Wilson, 9 a.m. on KARK Channel 4. Topic of the show will be "Deer Hunting.”

Oct. 24 - Hurricane Lake Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Carmichael Center in Searcy. For more information contact Larry Winningham at (501) 827-5080 or shelma@sbcglobal.net.

Oct. 24 - Fordyce Moro Creek Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet. For more information contact Chris Rich at (870) 313-2588 or bigrich_@hotmail.com.

Oct. 24 - Magnolia Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Main Event Pavillion in Magnolia. For more information contact Greg Harrell at (870) 904-3710 or sra_sda@yahoo.com.

Oct. 26 - Drew County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Monticello Country Club. For more information contact Paul Griffin at (870) 723-4030 or golferpaul21@yahoo.com.

Oct. 29 - Northwest Arkansas Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Washington County Fairgrounds in Fayetteville. For more information contact Matt Brasel at (479) 426-2585 or Mbrasel@communityfirstbank.com.

Oct. 30-Nov. 1 - Want to learn more about trapping? A workshop is being held Oct. 30-Nov. 1 to give interested people tips and techniques for trapping in Arkansas. The workshop is sponsored by the Arkansas Trappers Association, Southwest Arkansas Fur Takers, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and North American Fur Auctions. Both advanced and beginner classes will be available. The workshop will be held at Camp Clearfork near Mount Ida on Highway 270. Lodging and meals are provided. Camping facilities and motels are located nearby as well. Groups are welcome. The cost for those 17 years of age and under is $10. For those 18 and over the price is $20. Reservations must be received by Sept. 30. For more information call Wallace Funderburk at (870) 867-2642.

Oct. 31 - Talkin’ Outdoors at the Corner Café with Steve “Wildman” Wilson, 9 a.m. on KARK Channel 4. Topic of the show will be "Deer Season Forecast.”

Nov. 5 – Deer Season forecast presentation, Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center, 602 Clinton Ave. in Little Rock’s River Market District. The presentation will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. by AGFC deer program coordinator Brad Miller. Seating is limited so call (501) 907-0636 to register. Admission is free.

Nov. 5 – Texarkana Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Four State Fairground Building. For more information contact James Morphew at (903) 832-5880 or morphewp@hooksisd.net.

Nov. 7  – The annual drawdown of both Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine will be five feet this year. Both drawdowns begin Nov. 7 and will be completed by Nov. 15. Both lakes will drop 5 to 8 inches per day until completion. The lakes will be returned to normal levels in early March 2010.

Nov. 7  – Talkin’ Outdoors at the Corner Café with Steve “Wildman” Wilson, 9 a.m. on KARK Channel 4. Topic of the show will be "Outdoor Photography.”

Nov. 7 – Greers Ferry Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Cleburne County Fairgrounds in Greers Ferry. For more information contact Larry Winningham at (501) 827-5080 or shelma@sbcglobal.net.

Nov. 7 – Delta Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, McGehee Country Club. For more information contact Troy Meaux at (870) 818-5658 or temeaux@yahoo.com.

Nov. 12 – Independence County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Batesville National Guard Armory. For more information contact Shannon Huff at (870) 612-3757 or black_mallard@hotmail.com.

Nov. 14 - Talkin’ Outdoors at the Corner Café with Steve “Wildman” Wilson, 9 a.m. on KARK Channel 4. Topic of the show will be "Duck Season Forecast.”

Nov. 19 – Phillips County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Phillips County Community College in Helena-West Helena. For more information contact Jason Smith at (870) 995-6103 or jason6868@att.net.

Nov. 19 – Paragould Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Paragould National Guard Armory. For more information contact Jerrod Brown at (870) 215-3212 or william.brown@smail.astate.edu.

Nov. 21 - Talkin’ Outdoors at the Corner Café with Steve “Wildman” Wilson, 9 a.m. on KARK Channel 4. Topic of the show will be "Wild Game Recipes.”

Nov. 28 – Brookings Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Big Tent at Brookings. For more information contact Eric and Carolann Wilmes at (870) 476-1580 or ufoundcarolann@hotmail.com.

Nov. 28 – Talkin’ Outdoors at the Corner Café with Steve “Wildman” Wilson, 9 a.m. on KARK Channel 4. Topic of the show will be "Duck Decoy Carving.”  

Dec. 5 – Clear Creek Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Alma Boys and Girls Club. For more information contact Jeremy Teff at (479) 409-4646 or duckranger@gmail.com.

Dec. 5 – Cypress Bayou Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Beebe National Guard Armory. For more information contact Barry Wolfe at (501) 681-4286 or wolfe.barry@gmail.com.

Dec. 5 – Hummingbird presentation, Gov. Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center in Pine Bluff. The first program begins at 9:30 a.m. A second program in the afternoon may be held at 1:30 p.m., if attendance requires a second program. The program consists of photos of not only Ruby-throated hummingbirds, but other species that come to Arkansas and spend at least a part of the fall and winter season, as well as other topics. For more information call (870) 534-0011 or visit www.deltarivers.com.

Dec. 5 – Poinsett County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Trumann New Sports Complex. For more information contact Chris Gairhan at (870) 530-2899 or cgairhan@yahoo.com.

Dec. 5 – Talkin’ Outdoors at the Corner Café with Steve “Wildman” Wilson, 9 a.m. on KARK Channel 4. Topic of the show will be "Christmas Gifts for the Outdoorsman.”

Dec. 12 – Brinkley Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Brinkley Convention Center. For more information contact Jeff Robinson at (870) 734-1749.

Dec. 12 – Talkin’ Outdoors at the Corner Café with Steve “Wildman” Wilson, 9 a.m. on KARK Channel 4. Topic of the show will be "Youth Duck Hunting.”

Dec. 19 - Talkin’ Outdoors at the Corner Café with Steve “Wildman” Wilson, 9 a.m. on KARK Channel 4. Topic of the show will be "Urban Trout Fishing Hotspots.”

Dec. 26 - Talkin’ Outdoors at the Corner Café with Steve “Wildman” Wilson, 9 a.m. on KARK Channel 4. Topic of the show will be "Bloopers.”

Jan. 9, 2010 – Stuttgart Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Occasions Banquet Hall. For more information contact Lester Sieber at (870) 673-1739 or 1A572042@yahoo.comm.

Jan. 9, 2010 – Grant County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet. For more information contact Gary Smith at (870) 413-9197.

Jan. 16, 2010 – Chicot County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Lake Village Country Club. For more information contact Daniel Clark at (870) 265-1616 or drc@pollution-management.com.

Jan. 22-24 - Arkansas Big Buck Classic, Arkansas State Fairgrounds. For more information go to bigbuckclassic.com or call Catherine at (501) 985-1533.

Jan. 23, 2010 – Bottomland Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Tri County Farmer’s Association. For more information contact Stanley Powell at (870) 270-7331 or spowell4@yahoo.com.

Jan. 29, 2010 – White River Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, American Legion Building. For more information contact Rusty Lansford at (870) 468-6097.

Jan. 30, 2010 – Arkansas State Turkey Calling Contest, Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in downtown Little Rock. Calling contest will begin at 10:30 a.m. Open winner pays $1,000, $500, $250, 150; friction winner pays $750, $350, $200 and youth winner pays $100, $75, $50. Sponsorships of the contest are available for $250. For more information contact Jim Wells at (870) 853-9262 daytime or (870) 853-6077 and leave a message or by email at jimw_71646@yahoo.com.

Jan. 30, 2010 – Three Rivers South Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet, Arkansas County Fairground in DeWitt. For more information contact Gary Boyd at (870) 946-9430 or g.tboyd@futura.net.