AGFC announces temporary WMA closures for feral hog control measures

LITTLE ROCK – Access to several Arkansas wildlife management areas will temporarily close for short periods on various days from Jan. 19 through March 31 to increase public safety while professional pilots and crew from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services conduct aerial operations to help control feral hogs.

AGFC Director Doug Schoenrock said the flights are dependent on weather and none of these actions will take place on any of Arkansas’s duck-hunting WMAs until after the Youth and Veteran’s Duck Hunt, scheduled for Feb. 7-8.

“Individual WMAs will only be closed to public access for one to two days each to allow for the aerial flights and are scheduled to occur at a time where very few hunters will be affected but the conditions are still optimal for feral hog control. I also want to point out that these efforts are at no cost to the AGFC,” he noted.

Access will not be allowed during ongoing operations to provide public safety. Varying weather and site-specific conditions will not allow for specific dates of the closures. The closure dates allow some flexibility to take advantage of resources over large contiguous tracts of habitat. In the event that access to the WMA is restricted, AGFC and partnering agency staff will be on-site to maintain road and access closures.

The WMAs that will be temporarily closed include: Big Lake WMA, U of A Pine Tree Experimental Station Wildlife Demonstration Area, Steve N. Wilson Raft Creek Bottoms WMA, George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto WMA, Trusten Holder WMA, Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA Deer Research Area West and East Unit, Seven Devils WMA, Cut-Off Creek WMA, Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois d’Arc WMA, Rick Evans Grandview Prairie WMA, McIlroy Madison County WMA and Gene Rush WMA.

The aerial operations are the result of planning and coordination of multiple partners, condensed into several days of actual operations. The AGFC and USDA APHIS would like to thank the public in advance for their patience and understanding while these activities are underway and apologize for any inconvenience related to the operation, AGFC Feral Hog Program Coordinator Ryan Farney said.

“These strategic control initiatives are vital for managing feral hogs and protecting the long-term integrity of our conservation lands,” Farney added.

For additional information, please contact Farney at 501-382-3945, or Robert Byrd, Arkansas APHIS Director at 501-835-2318.

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