November 4, 2009 Edition

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Today's Topics

• Some permit deer hunts cancelled, others an option

• Harris Brake Lake drawdown extended

• Make a late check of the place where you hunt deer

• Premiere Ozarks smallmouth bass stream to flow freely after part of Kelly’s Slab is removed

• LR nature center to host deer season seminar

• AGFC Web site is available for deer checking

• Public hearings scheduled to hear proposed rules and regulation changes for Lake Maumelle

• Pre-cook technique allows more time for the hunt

• Boating education class schedule

• Hunter education class schedule  

• What’s open for hunting

• Coming up in the outdoors

Some permit deer hunts cancelled, others an option

LITTLE ROCK – Unusually high water has forced the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to close many scheduled permit deer hunts on wildlife management areas in eastern Arkansas. Other hunts have been given an optional status with hunters being able to choose between hunting or receiving a refund on their permit and preference points.

As of 3 p.m., Nov. 3, the following permit hunts have been cancelled.

• Dave Donaldson Black River WMA Muzzleloader Hunt (Nov. 7-9)
• Henry Gray Hurricane Lake WMA Modern Gun Hunt (Nov. 7-11)
• Sheffield Nelson Dagmar WMA Modern Gun Hunt (Nov. 7-11)
• Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA Muzzleloader Hunt (Nov. 7-9)
• Steve N. Wilson Raft Creek Bottoms WMA Youth Modern Gun Hunt (Nov. 7-8)

Permit recipients for these hunts have been mailed notification of the closure and will receive a refund for their permit and will have their preference points restored as if they had not been drawn this year.

Some permit hunts in flooded areas are still scheduled, but hunters have the option to receive a refund and have their preference points restored if they decide to skip the hunt.

The following hunts have been given “optional” status:

• Bayou Meto WMA Modern Gun Hunt (Nov. 7-11)
• Cut-Off Creek WMA Modern Gun Hunt (Nov. 7-11)
• Cypress Bayou WMA Modern Gun Hunt (Nov. 7-11)

Hunters who want a refund must return their permit by mail (postmarked by Nov. 6, 2008). Hunters who wish to hunt the area as planned should expect extensive flooding and should exercise extreme caution when accessing these areas.

Requests for refunds must be mailed by Nov. 6 to:

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Attn: Permit Refunds
2 Natural Resources Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205

Harris Brake Lake drawdown extended

PERRYVILLE - The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s planned drawdown for Harris Brake Lake has been extended to Jan. 1, 2010. The drawdown was originally scheduled to end Dec. 14, but excessive rain in September and October has kept the lake level higher than planned.

The purpose of the planned 7-foot drawdown was to enable lakefront property owners to repair and rebuild their piers, boathouses and boat slides. The AGFC also planned to conduct several in-lake projects, such as marking boat trails, placing brush piles for habitat, repairing and rebuilding public access facilities and boat launches, cleaning out the spillway to increase flood water discharge and ensure all lakefront property owners are in compliance with the AGFC’s land use policy.

“High water has set back both landowners and the AGFC from making needed repairs around the lake,” said Matt Horton, lake manager at the Mayflower Regional Office. “We need more time to get these things finished, but we want to shut the gate on January 1 and let the water get back into the shoreline habitat before the spawn.

For more information about the drawdown, contact Horton, (501) 470-3309, extension 212.

Make a late check of the place where you hunt deer

LITTLE ROCK - The opening of modern gun deer season is coming up Saturday, Nov. 14, and here’s a tip from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Any hunter will be wise to make an advance check on things where he or she intends to hunt.

Yes, some sunshine should help dry out soggy woods and roads, but who know what damage has been done, what changes have been made. Can you even get to your stand?

Is your stand, standing?

AGFC personnel suggest that it will be worth spending some time to look over your deer place before the pre-dawn darkness of opening morning. Be doubly careful climbing up into that stand, if it's one you have left since last season.

The excess of rain has put a different look on this 2009 deer hunt. Some public lands have been closed. Some routes that hunters are familiar with will be inaccessible. Water is everywhere; some conditions could change for the better by opening day.

So, what’s the big deal about not deer hunting when there is high water?

Deer have to bunch up on high ground in flood conditions, and this makes them much more vulnerable to people with guns. Call it shooting fish in a barrel. Call it unfair as well as detrimental to the Arkansas deer herd.

Most deer hunters will adapt and make do in this rainy year situation. Hunters should pause a moment and think a little before heading out to deer camp or to a stand on opening morning. If you haven’t already been to your hunting spot, think about what may be out there.

Do you cross a little creek on foot or with an all-terrain vehicle or with a pickup to reach your area? Will you go to your stand in the dark on opening morning?

Many of us will be wise to plan on wearing waterproof boots instead of the usual leather boots. Rubber or muck boots, the kind some call knee boots, will serve us in muddy and shallow water areas. They won’t help much to get past a flooded creek, though.

Another hint: Carry a garbage bag or two with your hunting gear – just in case. These bags can have a number of uses in wet conditions, including substituting for boots in wet places. Tie a bag around each leg and proceed.

The wet conditions and prevalent mud may affect hunters in getting deer out of the woods. If someone can’t get a vehicle, pickup or ATV, to the hunting spot where a deer is down, the alternative is dragging that deer out. Don’t think of trying to carry it out; drag it.

A length of clothesline-type rope in your pocket or pack can meet this need. Two hunters can handle the task of getting a deer out much better than one.

A simple method is to tie each end of the rope to the deer then step into the loop, and let your body do the hauling work rather than your arms. One method is to loop the rope over your shoulder and under your arms. Make another loop and step into it then pull the rope over your hips. You have the pull from two points then – hips and shoulders.

Most hunters with dragging experience like to drag a buck from the front, so the antlers are up a little up off the ground and don’t snag on bush. But drag a doe from the rear so it slides better.

Premiere Ozarks smallmouth bass stream to flow freely after part of Kelly’s Slab is removed

YELLVILLE - Kelly’s Slab is coming down.

The concrete low-water bridge that crosses Crooked Creek in the Ozark Mountains is widely known among anglers as a premiere spot to fish for smallmouth bass. One website describes it as "the blue-ribbon smallmouth bass fishing stream of the state.” But the well known slab also is hurting the very fish population that attracts anglers.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission plans to remove a big chunk of the slab to allow Crooked Creek to flow the way nature intended, to the benefit of both fish and anglers. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has awarded a $250,000 contract to the Commission to remove the middle part of the slab, convert parts of the remaining structure to handicapped accessible fishing spots, rehabilitate the eroding steam banks and build a new bridge upstream from the current slab. The new upstream bridge also will make it much safer and more reliable for school buses to be able to take students to the Fred Berry education center.

“Our own electrofishing and angler fishing surveys show that Crooked Creek is one of the best smallmouth bass streams in the country,” said Steve Filipek, assistant chief of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Fisheries Division. “The problem with low-water bridges like this is that it is basically a dam with a few pipes through it,” he said. “Crooked Creek is a 150-foot-wide stream being diverted through two culverts that are just a few feet across, and the water flows through those pipes super-fast when the creek is high. Many fish can’t handle it. So for the fish to be able to move up and down Crooked Creek freely, part of Kelly’s Slab has to come out,” Filipek explained.

Although Crooked Creek is renowned mainly for its smallmouth bass, it’s also home to an amazing 66 species of fish, several of which serve as food for the bass and are listed by Arkansas as Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Being on this list means that the fish are in danger of becoming threatened or endangered if they are not protected or managed correctly.

The AGFC will remove the center section of the slab, about 60 feet across, which will allow Crooked Creek to flow freely. The remaining slab sections on each bank will be converted to fishing spots that will be open to the public and will also meet Americans With Disabilities Act requirements. The Commission will repair parts of the creek banks that have eroded and build a new elevated span upstream from the current slab that will allow the public to cross, but will not interfere with the creek.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership are partners on the project.

The Recovery Act provides $280 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - which includes $115 million for construction, repair and energy efficiency retrofit projects at Service facilities, and $165 million for habitat restoration, deferred maintenance and capital improvement projects. Projects will help create local jobs in the communities where they are located and around the United States, while stimulating long-term employment and economic opportunities for the American public. Recovery Act projects address long-standing priority needs identified by the Service through its capital planning process. The agency worked through a rigorous merit-based process to identify and prioritize investments meeting the criteria put forth in the Recovery Act: namely, that a project addresses the Department’s highest priority mission needs; generates the largest number of jobs in the shortest period of time; and creates lasting value for the American public.

For a full list of funded projects nationwide, go to the Department’s Recovery web site at http://recovery.doi.gov/. For a list of Service projects, click on the Service’s logo at the bottom of the page or visit http://recovery.doi.gov/press/bureaus/us-fish-and-wildlife-service. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on the recovery web site, which includes an interactive map that allows the public to track where and how the Department’s recovery dollars are being spent. In addition, the public can submit questions, comments or concerns at recoveryact@fws.gov.

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LR nature center to host deer season seminar

LITTLE ROCK - Want to know what to expect for the upcoming Arkansas modern gun deer season? You can get your answers at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center this Thursday.

The nature center will be hosting a deer season forecast presentation by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s deer program coordinator Brad Miller. The presentation will be held Nov. 5 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited, so call the nature center office at (501) 907-0636 to register to attend.

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AGFC Web site is available for deer checking

LITTLE ROCK – Modern gun season in Arkansas begins Nov. 14 and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s electronic checking system has provided convenience and ease for hunters checking their deer.

Checking of deer and turkey can be done three ways – online at www.agfc.com, the call to (877) 507-4263, or on the AGFC’s iPhone application. When you’ve finished checking your game, you’ll be given a check number that must be recorded on the game tag. So make sure you have a pen ready. The AGFC Web site is one of the easiest ways to check your deer. The AGFC’s electronic system replaces the check stations that were used for years.

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Public hearings scheduled to hear proposed rules and regulation changes for Lake Maumelle

LITTLE ROCK – Next week, Central Arkansas Water and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will be holding two public hearings 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.

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Pre-cook technique allows more time for the hunt

LITTLE ROCK – If you are the designated cook for deer camp, here’s a suggestion to save some time and let you get into the woods more.

Most camps don’t plan out meals to the smallest details. Take a lot of food and put meals together “out there” – that’s the basic idea.

OK, the camp meals may include chili, spaghetti, soup, stew, casseroles. The main ingredient in these is usually ground meat of some sort. So start preparations at home before you head out to camp, suggest some veteran cooks with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Chop an onion, chop a green pepper and put these with a pound of ground meat in a skillet. Heat and stir well until the meat is browned. Drain, cool and put into a freezer bag. The gallon size should do. Freeze.

When you load up for camp, this frozen package goes into a cooler and helps keep things cold. At camp, you let it thaw and add to a pot with other ingredients. It’s quick and easy. For example, a jar of spaghetti sauce and this package of pre-cooked meat with onion and green pepper take just a few minutes to heat and be ready to ladle over pasta.

That ground meat? Could be beef, could be turkey, could be pork, could be a remaining packages of venison from that deer you got last season. And it could be a mix of these.

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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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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. 9 – Raft Creek Chapter of Delta Waterfowl banquet, White County Fairgrounds in Searcy. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner to be served at 6:30 p.m. Lots of items on the general raffle along with a live and silent auction. For ticket information contact Tony Benton at (501) 230-9575.

Nov. 12 –Twin City Chapter of Delta Waterfowl annual banquet at the Clear Channel Metroplex on Colonel Glenn Road. The social starts at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Individual tickets are $40, couple’s tickets are $55 and youth tickets are $15. For more information call (501) 772-4907. Tickets will be available at the door.

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. 13 – Muddy Waters Chapter of Delta Waterfowl dinner, Three Counties Fairgrouns in McCrory. Social begins at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. For more information contact Thomas Gaines at (870) 919-6364.

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 – Cane Creek Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet at the Piggot Country Club. For more information contact Joey Rahn at (870) 634-6775.

Dec. 5 – Caddo-Ouachita Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet at the Garland County Fairgrounds. For more information contact Scott Dawson at (870) 245-7974 or dawsonin2000@yahoo.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 –Gillette Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet at the Dough Boy Building in Gellette. For more information contact Randy Womack at (870) 830-4353.

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. 23, 2010 – Fort Smith Chapter of Ducks Unlimited membership banquet at the Adelaide Hall Varsity Sports Bar in Forth Smith. For more information contact Chris and Raelyn Walthall at (479) 774-9737 or tynoiaca11@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.