Christmas gifts that could save a loved one’s life

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK – A colleague once received a pair of jumper cables from his father-in-law for Christmas. The only response he could give was, “Thanks, I hope I never need them.” They may not have had the charm of a new set of golf clubs, but those jumper cables have bailed him out of more serious trouble than any sand wedge. Treestand safety harnesses and inflatable life jackets fall into that category of fairly unexciting gifts, but they may be the only things under the tree that could save your loved one’s life.

The most common hunting and boating fatalities each year include falling from a treestand and drowning after a boating accident. Every death is tragic, but losing a loved one in an accident that could have been avoided by simply wearing a piece of safety gear is even more painful.

According to the AGFC’s annual Hunter Incident Report for July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024,  14 of the 19 reported hunting accidents were the result of a fall from a treestand. According to the National Bowhunter Education Foundation, three in 10 hunters who use treestands will have an accident at some point in their hunting career. The proper use of safety equipment can prevent those eventualities from being fatal or life-changing accidents.

Everyone at the AGFC hopes you’ll never have to truly “use” a safety harness, but much like those trusty jumper cables, it’s something you should never be without. Some safety harnesses, particularly those supplied with treestands, can be a confusing mess of straps and buckles. But many aftermarket safety systems are easy to wear, have pockets for gear and other features to benefit the hunter while in the stand.

Take the time to learn how the harness fits and works at home and on the ground before trying to use it in the field. Label the shoulders with “right” and “left” marks if it helps you put it on straight, and learn how the system secures to the tree so you’re not left wearing an unattached harness in the field.

“Make sure you have contact with that tree from the time you leave the ground until you get back down at the end of the hunt,” said Joe Huggins, AGFC Hunter Education Coordinator. “That moment making the transition from ladder or climbing steps to the stand is one of the riskiest times in hunting; it’s also the moment when many hunters unfasten their harness from the climbing lifeline to a different tether and are not securely attached to the tree.”

Just like safety harnesses, life jackets are the most often neglected accessory when anglers and boaters are on the water.

According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s 2023 Year End Boating Accident Report, only 35 percent of boaters involved in accidents last year were wearing a life jacket. All nine victims of boating fatalities last year were not wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident.

By law, all children 12 and under must be wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket any time they are on a boat. The only exception to this is if the child is within the enclosed area of a houseboat or cruiser, or within the area enclosed by railings on a party barge, cruiser, or houseboat, and the vessel is not underway. For those above this age requirement, there must be a proper fitting U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket available and within easy reach for each person on board a boat on Arkansas waters.

When people think of life vests, images of those old bright-orange horse-collar vests may come to mind, but modern life jackets are built for comfort as well as safety. Inflatable life vests are hardly noticeable once you put them on, and most versions deploy automatically to inflate when submerged in water.

“If you’re buying an inflatable life jacket, spend the extra money for the ones that deploy automatically. They give you an added layer of protection over the ones you have to manually deploy, should you be in an accident that renders you unconscious and unable to do so. ” Sydney Grant, Boating Law Administrator for the AGFC, said.

Another thing to be sure of, according to Grant, is to read carefully about the life jacket’s intended purpose and ratings, and to make sure the personal flotation device you choose is U.S. Coast Guard approved.

“Inflatable life jackets are not allowed for use on personal watercraft like SeaDoos or Jetskis, and they’re not allowed for anyone being towed behind a boat,” Grant said. “There are also age, size and weight restrictions for each PFD and inflatable life jackets are often not intended for use with boaters under the age of 16.”

Adding a note to wear the vest when on the water might be a great addition to an accompanying Christmas card.

“It only works if you’re wearing it,” Grant said. “Unfortunately, many boating fatalities occurred with life jackets in the boat but the victim was not wearing it at the time of the accident. A little nudge from loved ones can go a long way to remind someone their safety is on your mind when they’re away.”

Duck hunters, too, should wear life jackets when on the water, and many well-designed float coats are available to add some insulation as well as flotation should a hunter take a tumble overboard.

“With tens of thousands of dollars spent on boats, electronics and other gear, safety equipment just isn’t something fun that some anglers and hunters want to spend money on, but you can tell someone you care about them and want them to return home from all their trips this season if you get these things for them,” Grant said.

Visit www.agfc.com/huntered for more information on hunting safety and to enroll in a Hunter Education course.

For more information on boating safety and to enroll in a Boater Education course, visit www.agfc.com/boatered.

New trails at Sulphur River WMA offer glimpses of birds and beasts

BY Kirsten Bartlow

FOUKE — Sulphur River Wildlife Management Area is known for its remoteness, but the recent addition of an AGFC water trail and birding trails makes the area more accessible for outdoor enthusiasts.

The 18,155-acre area in Miller County is the largest remaining tract of bottomland hardwoods in the Red River Valley of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Access to the WMA is limited, except by boat. For those searching an escape in a serene setting and a touch of adventure, it’s worth the effort.

“Sulphur River is unique because of its continuous bottomlands, remoteness and limited access,” Cameron Tatom, an AGFC biologist, said. “It can test any hunter’s skill and dedication in their pursuit of their chosen game. It is also a great place for a paddling or wildlife-watching day trip. It presents opportunities for an outdoorsman of any skill level to explore the wild.”

Mercer Bayou Water Trail
The newly designated Mercer Bayou Water Trail meanders 14 miles along the old river channel on the west side of the WMA. Water control structures allow the bayou to hold water year-round and paddlers may choose from three access points. Fourteen miles is a long stretch on flat water, so paddlers may choose to park and paddle – put in at any of the access points and paddle out and back.

A half-mile canal offers access to the northern portion of the trail, which traverses open water while the southern end of the trail narrows, meandering through trees. Key turns have trail markers, but otherwise, the trail is not marked. Download a georeferenced map to follow the trail route.

Approximately four miles south of the canal boaters will witness a large, forested sandstone formation, known as the upper mound, rising above the bayou. Be sure to scan its wooded hillsides for migratory songbirds and nesting bald eagles.

Some large alligators lurk in the area’s watery habitat and the WMA is one of a few where a lucky hunter can draw a permit for the public-land alligator hunt each September. Paddlers should keep a safe distance from gators.

Swallow-tailed kites have been confirmed breeding at Sulphur River WMA, outside of their traditional range. Brad Imhoff/Macaulay Library at Cornell University.

Birding Trails
A tremendous variety of songbirds and wetland birds thrive on Sulphur River WMA. Roads closed to vehicular traffic offer prime wildlife-viewing opportunities and three have been designated birding trails.

Canal Birding Trail:
Enjoy a one-mile-out-and-back path along a levee to Mercer Bayou. Be on the lookout for wading birds and waterfowl. Scan the skies for swallow-tailed kites along with a host of other birds of prey.

Henry Moore III Waterfowl Rest Area Birding Trail:
Walk along a one-and-a-half-mile-out-and-back gravel levee road. Two moist-soil units – managed wetlands – provide critical feeding and resting habitat for migrating waterfowl, wading birds and shorebirds.

River Road Birding Trail:
Hike along a gated road that traverses northwesterly 6 miles. A variety of warblers, woodpeckers and other songbirds flock to the trail’s bottomland habitat. American and least bittern can be spotted on the road.

Informational Signs on Mercer Bayou Water Trail offer education and direction when navigating this remote area. AGFC photo by Kirsten Bartlow.

Plan Accordingly

Paddlers and birders should plan their visit. Navigate the sprawling WMA with more confidence by downloading free georeferenced maps prior to a visit.

Waterfowl hunting is popular on Sulphur River WMA during fall and winter. Paddlers should wait until after shooting hours (mid-day) to take to the water during waterfowl season. Also, be aware that the Henry Moore III Waterfowl Rest Area Birding Trail is closed November 1 to February 15. This managed wetland provides a safe haven for migrating waterfowl, wading birds and shorebirds.

The area’s birding trails are mowed infrequently – be prepared with sturdy shoes and bug spray. Birding opportunities change with the seasons. Check out eBird’s checklist for the area before visiting and target waterfowl, wintering songbirds and raptors in the fall and winter, while spring and summer bring warblers, gallinules, bittern and herons. Be sure to scan the skies April through August for swallow-tailed kites. Documentation of breeding kites in 2020 generated excitement because the WMA is out of the bird’s established range.

Monster Mart in Fouke caters to adventurous souls after a glimpse of the rumored inhabitant of Boggy Creek. Photo courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.

“Other” Resident Wildlife?

A trip to Sulphur River WMA is not complete without wandering into Fouke – a town of about 800 people in Miller County – widely known for one of America’s most popular legends – the Fouke Monster.

The town drew press in May of 1971 when a local resident reported he was attacked at his home by a human-like creature. The story took off in 1973 when director Charles B. Pierce – an adopted Arkansan – released “The Legend of Boggy Creek,” a low-budget film shot in a documentary style in and around Fouke.

The Fouke Monster, sometimes called the Boggy Creek Monster, has become the South’s version of Sasquatch. Numerous films, television programs, articles and books have been produced about the beast. Swing by Monster Mart on Highway 71 for a snack, souvenir and some fun local lore.

Visit www.agfc.com/things-to-do/water-trails to learn more about Mercer Bayou Water Trail and other great paddling destinations in The Natural State.

AGFC monitoring avian influenza in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is asking waterfowl hunters and wildlife watchers heading to the field to keep an eye out for any sick or dead birds they find in the wild that may be the result of avian influenza. The risk of humans contracting the disease remains low, but hunters can minimize that risk by following a few simple precautions.

Hunters and wildlife watchers who observe concentrations of sick or dead birds should contact the AGFC’s wildlife health program through www.agfc.com/avianflu with information about the species, number of birds affected and location.

According to Dr. Jenn Ballard, AGFC state wildlife veterinarian, this is the third year since Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza was detected in the U.S. and it’s likely that periodic outbreaks will continue to occur.

“We’re getting reports consistent with cases in previous years and confirmation testing is underway,” Ballard said. “The reports so far this year have been almost exclusively snow geese with most being juveniles.”

According to Ballard, various low pathogenicity strains of influenza always circulate in wild bird populations, but HPAI has much more potential to spread and has caused billions of dollars of damage to domestic poultry production in Asia, Europe and North America.

Waterfowl hunters may remember finding dead and dying snow geese in 2022, particularly at the beginning of the waterfowl season in Arkansas rice fields.

“Mortality in 2022 was primarily found in those snow goose populations, but a few other duck species and raptors were affected as well,” Ballard said. “Eagles and hawks that may have preyed upon sick or dying geese were confirmed with the HPAI pathogen.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk for humans to contract HPAI is still low, but people who find birds that are obviously sick or bewildered should report them to the AGFC and refrain from handling them. The pathogen has also been found to affect dairy cattle, so anyone who works around any poultry or livestock should use extreme caution and practice good hygiene practices when handling, cleaning and preparing harvested waterfowl.

Safety Guidelines for Hunters

• Harvest only waterfowl that act and look healthy. Do not handle or eat sick animals.

• Wear disposable gloves when handling and cleaning game and field dress outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water afterward.

• Dispose of unwanted parts in a manner that prevents scavenging by domestic animals and wildlife.

• Thoroughly cook all game to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before eating it.

• Do not feed pets or domestic animals uncooked portions of waterfowl.

• Avoid contact between poultry and livestock and wild birds or their parts. After handling waterfowl, change or clean clothing, shoes and other equipment before coming into contact with domestic animals and livestock, including commercial production facilities and backyard flocks.

More information on avian influenza is available at USDA APHIS’s website.

AGFC conservation scholarships lay path toward bright future

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas students interested in a conservation career may be able to find a little tuition assistance thanks to the colorful wildlife-themed license plates found on cars throughout The Natural State. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Conservation Scholarship Program is accepting applications for the 2025-26 academic year until Dec. 31, 2024.

The AGFC is giving the scholarship program a facelift this year with a renewed focus on creating a career path leading to a future in conservation.

“In the past, we gave a lot of scholarships that were worth a little money to help college students, but we’ve reduced the number of scholarships available and increased the money each recipient will receive,” Lauren Cannon, AGFC Facility Director at the Ponca Nature Center who is taking the lead in the scholarship program, said. “It will be more competitive, but it will also be more rewarding.”

Incoming freshmen who receive a scholarship under the new format will receive $2,500 per semester, an increase of $1,500 per semester over the previously awarded amount. The scholarship amount also increases as the student progresses in their college journey.

“They’ll get $2,500 per semester as freshmen and sophomores, but those who continue to qualify in their junior and senior years of college will receive $5,000 per semester. It’s a pretty substantial increase,” Cannon said. “But the money increase really is only one benefit of the revamped program.”

Instead of simply helping pay a bill to college registrars, the AGFC is stepping up to become a true sponsor of scholarship recipients through increased requirements and benefits. Scholarship recipients must complete at least 40 volunteer hours with the AGFC during their freshman and sophomore years, and they must complete a 400-hour internship during each of their junior and senior years.

Ava Smith, AGFC Social Science Research Specialist, said the change will make the program become much more immersive to help students on their career path.

“They will need to volunteer or work with at least four AGFC divisions, so they’ll get a good idea of the many career paths available to them in conservation,” Smith said. “A lot of scholarship recipients in the past may have veered from their original intent of conservation, and these requirements will help them discern what path is right for them. If they do decide to go a different direction, then the funds are available for other students who are interested in conservation fields.”

Smith says the paid internships also help fulfill another hurdle many conservation students face post-graduation.

“Hiring for entry-level positions has sometimes been difficult when students lacked the necessary technical or professional skills,” Smith said. “The internships and volunteer requirements will create opportunities for students to acquire those skills, and incorporate training that will create more qualified natural resource professionals.”

Smith says recipients of the new scholarships also will be paired with a mentor at the AGFC who is in their field of study. Mentors will be able to help students hone their college experience into a career path, laser-focused on the opportunities available at AGFC and other conservation agencies.

“The ultimate goal is to build a bench of conservation professionals to one day join the AGFC, but at the end of their college experience, scholarship recipients should be able to hit the ground running with a variety of organizations in the natural resource discipline,” Smith said.

Anyone who currently receives an AGFC scholarship will still be able to reapply for the traditional amounts with the previous qualifications, but they also will be eligible to compete for the new scholarship format.

“We didn’t want to just pull the rug out from under people who were already receiving a scholarship, so we’re allowing them to continue on their path through the transition and apply for the new opportunity, too,” Smith said. “As those students graduate, it will make more room for additional scholarships under the new format.”

All Conservation Scholarship Program requirements and the application and award timeline are available at https://www.agfc.com/education/conservation-scholarships. The AGFC also will host a special applicant webinar on Zoom at 6 p.m. Dec. 3. Students and their families can register online. The webinar will be recorded and available upon request. Applicants may also contact scholarships@agfc.ar.gov with any additional questions about the program.

Funded by the sale of Conservation License Plates, the AGFC’s Conservation Scholarship Program has been helping Arkansas students since 2001, the year after the first Conservation License Plate was issued. Since that time, more than $8 million has been delivered to students pursuing careers related to conservation.

AGFC director announces resignation

BY Randy Zellers

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Director Austin Booth tendered his resignation during today’s monthly commission meeting at the Ozark Folk Center Visitor Center auditorium. Booth’s resignation becomes effective Jan. 4, 2025. He’s been the AGFC director since 2021.

Booth explained that the commitments of his family and faith had to be balanced with the duties of his position at the AGFC over the last three and a half years, and he wished to be able to devote more time to his family and allow someone else to take the reigns of the agency with the intensity needed to continue moving forward in the pursuit of conservation.

“I want to thank my wife and my kids and my mom and dad and my in-laws … for keeping me grounded, for pointing me to Jesus, for their encouragement and for making sacrifices so I can be effective,” Booth said. “It has been an incredible three and a half years and I have no people to thank more than my family.”

Booth said he will be transitioning to the private sector after 13 years of commitment to his country and state.

AGFC Commission Chairman J.D. Neeley thanked Booth for his service and dedication to the men and women who enjoy and depend upon Arkansas’s natural resources.

“On behalf of the other commissioners and the staff of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, I want to thank Austin Booth, our director, for the last three and a half years of tireless dedication to the Commission and the people of the great state of Arkansas,” Neeley offered in a statement following the announcement. “There’s a saying, ‘Iron sharpens iron.’ His leadership has taken a tremendously skilled group of staff and strengthened our ability to put habitat and people first. His motto, ‘See you in the field,’ meant he had his sleeves rolled up and wanted to lead by example — a true servant leader.”

Neeley said Booth’s hiring in 2021 was one of the best decisions the Commission had made in his seven-year term as a commissioner. His role in the development of the agency’s five-year strategic plan, “The Natural State Tomorrow,” has left not only a footprint of success to build upon, but a blueprint to address the future of conservation in Arkansas.

“Booth’s plans and leadership will impact all hunters, anglers and conservationists; those present now and those yet to be born,” Neeley said. “While we are deeply saddened by his departure, we wish him and his family all the best and success in their future endeavors.”

In the last three years, Booth’s leadership has driven the AGFC to a level of performance and accountability never before seen in such a short period of time. The Natural State Tomorrow was only one of many milestones highlighting his time at the Commission. “People first, habitat always,” was a mantra often spoken during Booth’s presentations. He not only spoke these words, but lived them. In his first year at the AGFC, Booth took the challenge of restoring the AGFC’s famous greentree reservoirs head on, reinvigorating the efforts staff had placed in ensuring these valuable habitats continued to produce hunting memories for generations to come. He spoke to crowds at events promoting the AGFC’s actions, not preaching from a pulpit, but standing among the men and women he served.

“Would you rather stand here years from now and tell your grandchildren how great the duck hunting used to be, or have your grandchildren come to you and tell you how great the duck hunting is for them,” Booth would ask.

Tackling legacy issues was a common theme in Booth’s tenure as AGFC director.

The continued decline of aquatic habitat and infrastructure on Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir was looming during the last decade. Never one to shrink from a challenge, Booth stepped up to the plate and convinced the Commission that a full-scale renovation was needed. Not only will the 76-year-old infrastructure be completely revamped to better accommodate water levels without manually lifted gates, but the entire lake is seeing a renewal. Nearly 30 miles of boat lanes will be upgraded to increase navigation safety, massive habitat projects will be completed to increase spawning, and brood-rearing habitat for fish and vegetation will grow along the lakebed to create a “new lake” effect, boosting productivity for the forage and game fish that will be stocked upon the lake’s return.

Stocking of fish saw a major turning point thanks to Booth’s vision as well. Thanks to his pursuits, Titan MAXX bass were stocked for the first time anywhere in a public reservoir. These thoroughbred Florida bass were chosen to be part of the building blocks of the newly restored Lake Monticello, another AGFC achievement that reached fruition during Booth’s time. A partnership with Red Hills Fishery of Georgia will ensure this same quality trophy bass will continue to be used in AGFC bass management and will be some of the first game fish to be placed into Lake Conway upon its completion as well.

The agency also saw a huge expansion in the state’s bear season, opening most of southwest and south-central Arkansas to bear harvest for the first time in modern history. He also tasked the agency’s Wildlife Management Division with a groundbreaking telemetry research project and developed a funding model for the technology needed to support this research through donations by Blood Origins to provide GPS collars to track and monitor bears in the newly opened zones during the inaugural season.

The entire structure of the AGFC saw many improvements during the last three years as well. Booth’s vision to elevate habitat enhancement on private land throughout the state as well as his commitment to grow recreational shooting in Arkansas prompted the development of two new divisions focused on these goals.

The Private Lands Habitat Division has hit the ground running, increasing habitat quality on private land throughout the state and championing many of the AGFC’s successful new initiatives. In the last five years, the agency’s Waterfowl Rice Incentive Enhancement Program has ballooned from 10 hunting locations to more than 65 spread across the state. Booth also pursued a special set-aside fund from the Arkansas General Assembly in 2023 which created the AGFC’s Conservation Incentive Program to deliver $3.5 million to private landowners for habitat work on their property.

“Private landowners hold nearly 90 percent of the land in Arkansas,” Booth said. “If we do an absolutely perfect job on all the land we manage at the AGFC, we’re still only improving 10 percent of what is possible. This program and division are here to change that.”

As for recreational shooting the Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports, Archery in the Schools and AGFC Shooting Range programs were all mainstays in the agency’s Education Division, but Booth had the forethought to break these programs into a standalone division to increase visibility and focus on the contributions recreational shooters provide to conservation.

“Shooting sports is absolutely integral to hunting, but recreational shooters contribute so much more to conservation even if they never set foot in the woods,” Booth said. “The money derived from firearms and ammunition sales funds conservation on its own through Pitman-Robinson excise taxes. We want to support those men and women as much as they support conservation.”

In his closing address, Booth thanked the Commission, staff and many partners who make conservation work possible in The Natural State.

“I have always called Arkansas home, even when I didn’t live here for 15 years,” Booth said. “I love this state so much and I always knew that it had so much to do with the hard work of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Thank you so much to our staff and commissioners for letting me be a part of that even if it was just for three and a half years.

“I will let history and the next director say whether I’ve left it better than I found it,” Booth said as he closed. “But I do know that y’all have left me better than I was three and half years ago. Thank y’all, and I’ll see you in the field.”

In other business, the Commission:

• Heard presentation from AGFC Nongame Mammal Program Coordinator Blake Sasse updating them on the 2023-24 furbearer harvest and the status of many bat species in the state.

• Heard an update on the AGFC’s Private Lands Habitat Division and the many programs offered to benefit wildlife habitat for all Arkansans.

• Approved a $215,000 increase to the Information Technology Division budget to update and renovate the audio-visual capabilities in the AGFC’s Little Rock headquarters auditorium.

• Approved a $191,000 increase to the IT Division to install additional fiber optic lines and upgrade the security of the AGFC Mayflower Office and Enforcement Radio Dispatch Center.

• Approved a $36,000 budget increase to the Fisheries Division to replace items destroyed in May by a tornado at the AGFC field office in Rogers.

• Extended their condolences to the family of former Commissioner Craig D. Campbell, who died Nov. 9.

Take a chance on conservation with the AGFF’s ‘12 Guns of Christmas’

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation has the perfect opportunity to contribute to conservation efforts in Arkansas and maybe pick up a fantastic gift for that someone special on your holiday shopping list. Tickets for their annual “12 Guns of Christmas” membership drive are available now.

“We only have 1,000 of these tickets available, and each one gets you in 12 different drawings, each for a great firearm you can give to a loved one or put under the tree with your own name on the card,” Tyler Lawrence, director of events and programming for the AGFF, said. “Tickets are only $35, and you’ll also be added to the AGFF’s Gun Club membership, receiving a window decal and subscriptions to the AGFF’s newsletter.”

Lawrence says proceeds from this membership drive will go toward supporting the year-round work of the Foundation, which works closely with the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation to promote outdoor activities and support many AGFC programs such as Youth Shooting Sports, Archery in the Schools, Becoming an Outdoors-Woman and the many nature centers across the state, including the recently developed Simmons Family Farm, which specializes in providing mentored hunting experiences for youths and other beginning hunters.

Drawings for the firearms will be held Dec. 10-21, with one gun given away each day. Winners will be posted on the AGFF Facebook page and notifications will be sent via phone and email to the lucky winners. All winners must pass a federal background check to claim their prize.

Visit the AGFF’s bid site at https://one.bidpal.net/agff/browse/fixedPrice(details:item/2) to enter. A complete list of AGFF events is available at www.agff.org/events.

AGFC taking Lake Conway habitat to new heights

MAYFLOWER — Anyone passing by Lake Conway Monday through Wednesday next week may notice quite a bit of activity overhead as the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission engages in one of the largest single habitat projects the agency has ever undertaken on the lakebed of Lake Conway. More than 600,000 pounds of gravel will be delivered by helicopter to various points of the lake to magnify spawning habitat in the 76-year-old impoundment during its renovation.

Lake Conway’s lakebed is full of stumps, but lacking in hard bottom needed for fish to spawn; the AGFC plans to remedy that next week through the addition of gravel spawning sites. AGFC photo by Scottie Wyatt.

“We may get more gravel than that out on the lakebed if conditions are favorable,” Nick Feltz, Fisheries Supervisor at the AGFC Mayflower Office, said. “We have close to 300 bags of gravel loaded and staged for the project, each of which has been filled with 3,000-pounds of gravel. Our goal is to place a minimum of 200 of those bags in the lakebed during the flights. If we get more, even better.”

Feltz says the gravel will be used by bass, crappie and especially smaller sunfish species like bluegill and redear to spawn. While the lake is still productive, the soft, silty bottom that has developed over its lifetime has decreased the amount of high-quality spawning habitat available for fish. Eggs laid in silty bottoms can sink into the muck and suffocate, so placing gravel beds offers fish prime hard-bottom habitat for building nests.

Feltz explained that due to the softness of the lake bottom, hauling this much gravel by truck would have required building temporary roads and many locations would not have been possible to enhance.

“They’re going to be able to move more gravel to more sites in three days than we would be able to move in weeks,” Feltz said. “We’ll be able to do more work closer to shorelines, which will be a little prettier; these will be rough, with no clean borders, but they’re going to be in areas we couldn’t reach otherwise.”

AGFC Staff have filled around 300 large bags with up to 3,000 pounds of gravel each and will move them by helicopter to locations throughout the lake next week. AGFC photo by Nick Feltz.

Once the bags are set, AGFC staff will return to the spawning bed sites and spread the gravel by hand to create the beds.

“We looked at using implements mounted to ATVs, but with the amount of stumps, roots and other obstacles, it’s looking like we’re going to be doing everything by hand with rakes in these remote locations,” Feltz said. “Having the helicopters deliver everything during the three-day operation is really going to save a huge amount of time in this process.”

The lakebed will be closed to access during the three-day operation to ensure public safety. Most of the work will be done in the Caney Creek and Pierce Creek arms of the lake, focusing on undeveloped portions of the lake and shoreline.

“This is really just the beginning of the habitat improvements we have planned for Lake Conway during the renovation,” Feltz said. “We also have around 180 to 200 pieces of concrete pipe that we plan to place for fish habitat,” Feltz said. “We had a contracting company donate these to the project, and we’re hoping to have that much more concrete pipe available next year to place as well. We may try to use the helicopter to place some of it if we have time, but most of these concrete structures will need to wait until we refill the lake. Then we can use a habitat barge to sink these structures with less chance of breaking them.”

Feltz also plans to have hundreds of concrete spawning disks poured to help with largemouth bass habitat.

“They’re about the size of a trash can lid and slightly concave,” Feltz said. “You can put about 10 pounds of pea gravel in them and they’re a great substitute for the tires people have placed over the years that we know are not great for the water in the long run. I’m really hoping to be able to distribute some of these disks to anglers who want to volunteer their time and create their own spawning areas in the lake once we get a little further along in the project.”

Gravel bags and concrete pipe are staged at two accesses in preparation for the first large-scale habitat project to renovate Lake Conway since its drawdown. AGFC photo by Nick Feltz.

Lake Conway was built in 1948, and at the time was the largest lake ever constructed by a state wildlife agency. Over the last few years the gates and spillway structure had begun to see failures at an increased rate, and the entire structure had outlived its initial life expectancy. The agency has drawn down the lake to begin major habitat enhancements as well as access improvements such as improved boat ramps and parking at Pierce Creek Access and much needed clearing of up to 30 miles of boat lanes for safer navigation. The spillway will be replaced with a new design that does not need manual operation to accommodate rising lake levels and will last at least another 75 years to continue offering fishing memories for anglers in central Arkansas.

Visit www.agfc.com/lakeconway for more information about this project, the largest lake renovation in the AGFC’s 109-year history.

Free Youth Deer Tags Available at AGFC.com

The first segment of the 2024-25 Arkansas youth deer hunting season takes place this weekend, and many young guns will be celebrating their first deer hunting trip, first deer of the season and the beginning of their conservation journey as a hunter. Make sure they have all the tools for success, including the deer tags they will need to use to check their harvest with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

To obtain youth deer tags, your youth hunter will need to have their own account in the AGFC licensing system. Visit www.agfc.com and click “Get a License” on the top right hand corner of the website. Youth licensing options only appear under youth accounts, so if your youth hunter already has an account from previous years, be sure to sign in under their account. If you’ve never set up an account for your new hunter, click the “Create an Account” button to set them up. Their free deer tags will be listed under the Hunting section of the license system and will have the license code #YDT for residents and #YDTN for non-residents.

If you use the AGFC smartphone app, be sure to log out of your name and log into the youth’s account to obtain and use the youth’s deer tags.

Once their deer tags are obtained, youths will check their harvest just like adults. They may use the mobile app, www.agfc.com or call 833-289-2469 to check their deer at the location of harvest, and as long as their deer remains within their immediate vicinity until it is home, it does not need to be tagged with a physical tag. If you are unable to immediately check your deer through one of the three options (app, website or phone), you must place a temporary physical tag on the deer indicating the hunter’s name, customer identification number, date, time, zone or WMA of harvest and the method they used. This paper tag must stay with the deer until it is checked. Hunters have 12 hours after the time of harvest to check their deer.

New partnership heats up wildlife habitat enhancement in Arkansas

BY Randy Zellers

Properly conducted prescribed burns take teams of trained individuals, which is where prescribed burn associations help. AGFC photo. 

LITTLE ROCK — The newly formed Arkansas Prescribed Burn Association held their first meeting in mid-October, marking a new era for habitat enhancement throughout The Natural State.

It may seem odd to talk about setting fires for habitat management while the state is in the midst of a burn ban-inducing drought, but prescribed burns are one of the best ways to combat the wildfires that have county judges concerned.

“Properly planned prescribed burns reduce the fuel load which can lessen or even eliminate wildfires,” Thomas Baldridge, one of the APBA’s three directors, said. “But that’s only part of the benefit of prescribed fire. It’s the number one tool available to land managers to increase wildlife habitat for turkeys, quail, deer and all sorts of other species.”

According to a recent study conducted by Kenneth Rosenberg and highlighted by the National Audubon Society, North American bird populations have declined by more than 2.9 billion birds in the last 50 years, and the loss of grassland habitat is one of the largest contributors to that loss. Fire helps open up dense underbrush to promote seed-producing grasses and forbs that are beneficial to grassland species on a year-round basis.

AGFC staff often work with prescribed burn associations, training and coordinating activities for maximum wildlife habitat benefit. AGFC photo.

Instead of manipulating land through dirt work or planting food plots, many landowners can turn the tide on the loss of wildlife habitat with the proper use of prescribed fire.

“Fire provides the best return for the least amount of cost, and depending on how and when you conduct the fire, it can promote a variety of plant species that benefit wildlife in different ways,” Randy Brents, assistant chief of the AGFC’s Private Lands Habitat Division, said. “AGFC private lands biologists and wildlife management biologists have been working for decades to put more fire on the landscape to increase habitat for game and nongame wildlife. Last year, our staff burned 18,903 acres on private land and WMAs and assisted partner agencies in burning 28,702 more acres.  Prescribed burn associations are the way to increase those numbers exponentially.”

Baldridge says the formation of the APBA was a natural evolution to what the AGFC and other partnering organizations had been standing up during the last few years.

“The AGFC started building prescribed burn associations a few years ago, and most of our members have been fortunate to have worked with many of the staff from the AGFC, Quail Forever and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on burns and other private land habitat projects. The APBA just sort of seemed to be a missing piece to the puzzle that was already being put together,” Baldridge said.

Nine previously formed PBAs attended the first meeting of the Arkansas Prescribed Burn Association, each with trailers and equipment to be used for wildlife habitat improvements through fire. AGFC photo.

The APBA works as an umbrella organization, recruiting and maintaining new groups of landowners to conduct prescribed burns throughout the state. Hunter Johnson from Des Arc and Catrina Mendoza from Searcy share director duties with Baldridge, who also lives in Searcy.

“We had nine previously existing prescribed burn associations show up to our first meeting, and we’re looking for ways to reach out to new groups of landowners and build this into something large enough to really make a difference on Arkansas’s landscape.

Baldridge says the APBA used states like Oklahoma and Florida as templates to follow in their formation. “Oklahoma really sets the standard for a statewide prescribed burn association. They’ve grown to a massive organization with a budget over $1 million and eight full-time staff members to support all of their chapters.”

The AGFC, Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, USFWS and Quail Forever all pitched in to help the new association build a firm foundation. The AGFC granted the organization $25,000 and USFWS gave it $50,000, and Quail Forever provided $17,000 derived from its specialty license plate sales. Baldridge says trailers, safety gear and other prescribed burn necessities also were donated to the APBA, increasing its startup assistance to more than $200,000 in funding and equipment. Since the organization is entirely volunteer-based, all of this funding is put directly into putting prescribed fire on the landscape.

“Quail Forever and AGFC had procured the trailers and equipment to help work with prescribed burn associations in the state, so transferring them to us was a natural next step,” Baldridge said.

Prescribed burns are the best and most economical way to create more food and cover for northern bobwhite, turkeys, deer and a host of other upland wildlife species.

Equipment to conduct prescribed burns is one of the benefits of joining a prescribed burn association. Drip torches, fire rakes, leaf blowers and other accessories can build up quite a bill for a landowner to only use once every two or three years, so sharing the equipment removes one of the barriers some people have to building better habitat.

“The other huge benefit of a prescribed burn association is personnel,” Baldridge said. “Someone may have a few hundred acres to burn, but they need a small group of people to conduct it safely,” Baldridge said. “By joining a PBA, everyone pitches in to help everyone else in the group.”

Visit www.arfire.org for more information about the APBA and to learn how to set up a new prescribed burn association in your area.

State park access reopens at Millwood as AGFC knocks back invasive plant

BOOM MAZE
A series of floating booms was placed around the Millwood Lake State Park boat access during a recent eradication effort to help prevent Cuban bulrush from spreading by wind and wave action. AGFC photo.

BY Jim Harris

HOPE — Boat traffic has resumed in areas of Millwood Lake that were affected by the discovery of Cuban bulrush, an aquatic invasive plant, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s southwest region fisheries office.

Dylan Hann, AGFC district fisheries supervisor in Perrytown, said a containment boom to restrict the movement of floating pieces of Cuban bulrush near the Millwood State Park access, were modified so boaters can drive through it and reach spots to fish. It’s like a floating oil containment boom used with spills, and this one has been shaped to let boaters navigate through it while preventing the plant from spreading outside of the cove. “It’s similar to the containment that we have at boat ramps on Lake Columbia to prevent another invasive floating plant, giant salvinia, from congregating at the boat ramp and spreading to new waters” he said.

A contractor has sprayed the areas with Cuban bulrush twice this month, Hann said. This has helped knock the plant back, Hann added.

The plant “does produce seeds, so it’s likely going to produce new plants from the seed bank next spring. We’re going to work closely with the Millwood Corps of Engineers staff to make sure we stay on top of it. If we can knock it back next year before it produces seeds, we can get ahead of it,” he said.

OVERHEAD SHOT OF BULRUSH
Bulrush found and removed in Millwood Lake had an opportunity to spread seeds before it was eradicated, so AGFC will work with the Army Corps of Engineers to watch for and spray any additional plants that sprout in the next year. AGFC photo.  

Cuban bulrush looks like other aquatic grasses and sedges for much of the year, then around July to August it produces very noticeable seed heads that make it stand out as something clearly different from other lake vegetation. Millwood Lake also has mats of alligatorweed that the AGFC is treating through contractor spraying, and Cuban bulrush has been found growing on top of the alligatorweed, Hann noted. Cuban bulrush is a floating plant and is commonly found growing on top of other floating or emergent aquatic vegetation.  It can quickly  choke out shallow areas, creating dense floating mats that can block boating and fishing access and displace native native plants that are beneficial to native fish and wildlife, he added.

Cuban bulrush was likely transported to Millwood Lake from another waterbody unknowingly, by plant fragments or seeds hitching a ride on boats or trailers, which is how most invasive aquatic plants are spread to new waters.

The boating and angling public can help with stopping the spread of this and other aquatic invasive species by practicing: “Clean, Drain and Dry.” The public is urged to clean their boat, trailer and equipment after each use, completely drain all water from the boat and all compartments, and dry thoroughly. Also, the public is urged to keep an eye out for any suspicious plants (native or not) and report them to your local fisheries biologists. Be sure to note the location of the sighting and take a photo that includes the roots, leaves and flowers.

If you suspect you’ve come across an invasive aquatic plant, please report it online at www.agfc.com/ans.  Reports are used to help AGFC rapidly respond to contain and eradicate, if possible, new invasive species introductions before they can spread and establish.

BULRUSH IN PADS
Cuban bulrush can grow on floating plants and develop mats too thick for fish to live if left to grow uncontrolled. AGFC photo. 

The discovery of Cuban bulrush in Millwood was made only when an AGFC biologist doing bass sampling recently noticed the unusual pods in the aquatic vegetation.

“There are areas of the lake in expansive backwater sloughs that have Cuban bulrush with no way to effectively contain them with containment booms,” Hann said. “One advantage we had with the state park is it’s an isolated place where there isn’t any Cuban bulrush immediately outside that boom along the dam or along the northwest bank leaving the state park, so we were just trying to keep that area contained,” Hann said. “The booms are there to help catch floating vegetation. We want it to be contained there and not drift to other parts in the lake. We put out 800 feet of containment boom at the state park.”

Download your copy of the 2024-25 Arkansas Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook

LITTLE ROCK — The printers are rolling full steam ahead and soon 2024-25 Arkansas Waterfowl Hunting Guidebooks will grace the checkout counters of sporting goods stores, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regional offices and AGFC nature centers throughout the state.

GUIDEBOOK
The 2024-25 AGFC Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook will be in stores soon, and a downloadable version is available now at www.agfc.com. 

Don’t wait to get the latest ducky details, though; download the guidebook today at www.agfc.com. The guidebook may be downloaded to print at home or kept on your computer or laptop, and even loaded to your mobile device so it’s always available should a question arise in the field.

This season sees quite a few changes to the regulations many hunters have come to know when heading to the woods and waters of The Natural State in the last few years. The most notable change is the reinstatement of spinning-wing and other mechanically operated decoys on AGFC wildlife management areas. These decoys have been allowed on private land for the last few years, and are now allowed on WMAs. Hunters should make note that these decoys are still illegal on national wildlife refuges in the state, however.

Another liberalization for a few duck hunting-focused WMAs is the expansion of the shot shell limit from 15 to 25. To add consistency to AGFC regulations, the Commission decided to have a standard 25-shell limit and a maximum shot size of No. 2 on all WMAs where boating and access timing restrictions called “Common Restriction A” are in place.

Hunters who purchase their federal duck stamp electronically also will be able to use their electronic license as proof of purchase for the entire season, thanks to new legislation passed at the federal level and championed by U.S. Sen.John Boozman and U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas.

WOOD DUCKS
Hunters may harvest up to three wood ducks as part of their six-duck daily limit in Arkansas. Photo by Mike Wintroath.

Other notable changes include:

• Tree hooks no more than 3/8-inch in diameter are now allowed on Commission-owned WMAs but must be removed daily.

• Nonmotorized boat access to designated water trails is allowed from 1-6:30 p.m. during regular duck season, all day during duck season splits, and all day Nov. 18-22.

• One day (Feb. 9) is available for the Veteran and Active-Duty Military Waterfowl Hunt. The two Special Youth Hunt days take place over one weekend, Feb. 8-9, 2025.

• The daily bag limit for greater white-fronted geese (aka specklebellies) has been reduced from 3 to 2 for the 2024-25 season. The possession limit is 6. The greater white-fronted goose season has been reduced to 69 days and will open for nine days on Oct. 26, along with seasons for snow, blue and Ross’s geese.

• The annual Resident Guide License price has been increased to $250.

• The Nonresident 5-day Waterfowl Hunting Permit has been eliminated; the Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Hunting Permit 3-Day Trip (NW3) is $40, and 10 permits may be purchased by a nonresident. Nonresidents may purchase a 30-day permit ($200) to be used for 30 consecutive hunting days during regular season waterfowl hunting days. Nonresident no-hunting days have been eliminated.

• Egyptian geese may be taken at any time.

• Petit Jean River WMA east of Arkansas Highway 7 is open to waterfowl hunting only on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday Nov. 23-Jan. 30. All-day hunting is allowed Jan. 31.

• Camp Robinson Special Use Area, except Lake Conway Nursery Pond, is open to waterfowl hunting.

• Camp Robinson WMA is open to waterfowl hunting only on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday Nov. 23-Jan. 30. All-day hunting is allowed Jan. 31.

• Dove hunting is allowed on J. Perry Mikles Special Use Area while field trials are being conducted.

• Only boat motors with factory-installed exhaust systems may be used on the following NWRs: Cache River, Dale Bumpers White River, Felsenthal and Overflow.

• Common Restriction A applies within the greentree reservoir/special regulatory area of Nimrod Lloyd Millwood WMA.

• Scouting for waterfowl after 1 p.m. is prohibited on Cache River and Dale Bumpers White River NWRs.

Visit www.agfc.com to download a copy of the 2024-25 Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook.

Nostalgic Nativ clothing supports AGFC conservation efforts

BY Trey Reid

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has partnered with Nativ, a leading Arkansas-based outdoor apparel brand, to launch a limited edition collection of apparel benefitting the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation.

The new clothing line, featuring a retro version of the AGFC’s logo, is part of a collaborative effort to raise awareness and funds earmarked to support conservation and encourage outdoor stewardship across the state.

The collaboration combines Nativ’s passion for delivering high-quality, locally inspired apparel with AGFC’s dedication to protecting the state’s diverse ecosystems and wildlife.

Trey Reid, Assistant Chief of Communications at AGFC, said the AGFC fields frequent calls about old WMA signs sporting older versions of the agency’s logo. He believes there are likely “more than a few” gracing the walls of deer and duck camps around the state.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Game and Fish to tap into the enthusiasm and nostalgia surrounding this first design,” said Nativ owner Matt Abbott.

The new collection includes a range of items, including short and long-sleeved T-shirts and hoodies. Each item features designs hand-printed in Nativ’s Little Rock production facility and colors chosen to complement gear for many outdoor activities, from hunting to hiking and fishing to floating.

“We wanted to create a great collection that serves a greater purpose,” added Brett Tucker, Nativ co-owner. “The retro design emphasizes the importance of conservation for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.”

Nativ has pledged to donate 100 percent of profits from the sale of this collection to the Foundation, which will use the money to help statewide efforts to maintain and protect the state’s natural habitats and wildlife populations.

“This collaboration is a fantastic way to engage our community in conservation efforts while celebrating the natural beauty of Arkansas,” said Reid. “Funds raised through this collaboration will directly contribute to our conservation programs, ensuring that Arkansas remains a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and native wildlife alike.”

This partnership with Nativ reflects AGFC’s broader mission to engage the public in conservation efforts through education, stewardship and community involvement.

“We hope this collection inspires you to get outside and explore all the natural beauty Arkansas has to offer while being a mindful steward of the environment,” said Matt Abbott.

The limited edition Arkansas Game and Fish Commission/Nativ collection is available now on Nativ’s website at https://livnativ.com/collections/agfc and in select retail locations throughout Arkansas.

Contact Brett Tucker, co-owner of Nativ at brett@livnativ.com for more information about the limited edition apparel collection.

For more information on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, contact Trey Reid, AGFC assistant chief of communications at trey.reid@agfc.ar.gov.

20-year-old accident still spreading safety message

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Jacob Cain was 10 years old when he went on an impromptu squirrel hunt near Arkadelphia in November of 2004. His father, Larry Cain, was nearby clearing shooting lanes for deer season. After an hour or so on a tractor, Larry decided to check on the boy.

MAN WITH MAGAZINE
Jacob Cain, once a hunting incident victim, now shares his story, which was featured 20 years ago in Arkansas Wildlife magazine as a Hunter Education instructor. Photo courtesy Jacob Cain.

He shouted his son’s name a time or two but heard no response. Larry became concerned and went to deer camp, grabbed a few friends and began to seriously search with four-wheelers. It wasn’t long before he heard a weak answer.

Jacob was found with a .22 wound through his foot, although all was well after a trip to the hospital. Larry, a Hunter Education instructor, used the accident as a teaching moment and sent the AGFC an article he wrote about it, which appeared in the November/December 2006 issue of Arkansas Wildlife. He ended the article with these words: “At first I was very reluctant to write this story. As a hunter education instructor, I felt that maybe I had failed and was embarrassed. However, the more I thought about it, maybe another instructor or father can prevent an accident like this from happening. I am certain that Jacob has learned a very bittersweet lesson in gun safety.”

We recently got a call from Jacob, now 30 or so. He also became a Hunter Education instructor and plans to use the accident – and his dad’s article – to teach others.

Jacob, like many other dedicated volunteers, provides a valuable service to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as well as the general hunting public. Thousands of new hunters each year graduate from Hunter Education before taking to the field. The course is required for anyone 16 or older who was born after 1968 to hunt on their own. Hunters under 16 may hunt with a licensed mentor who is at least 21 if they have not taken the course, and hunters 16 and older may do likewise after acquiring a Deferred Hunter Education (DHE) code through the AGFC’s licensing system (www.agfc.com/license).

“About  50 percent of our Hunter Education graduates still attend the free in-person classes,” Joe Huggins, Hunter Education Program Coordinator for the AGFC, said. “The rest opt for the online course. If you are 10 years or older, you can take the complete course online, including the final examination.”

HUNTER EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR
The AGFC has a devoted group of volunteers who teach Hunter Education throughout Arkansas. Photo by Mike Wintroath/AGFC.

Hunter Education teaches much more than firearms safety – it also covers all sorts of topics like basic woodsmanship, treestand safety, in-the-field first aid and even hunting ethics.

“Hunters are our best conservationists, and Hunter Education courses help them understand where they fit into the bigger picture of conservation,” Huggins said. “But the most important aspect will always be preparing them for a safe experience they can tell friends and family about for years to come.”

Visit https://www.agfc.com/education/hunter-education to find out more about Hunter Education in Arkansas and how to sign up for a class near you.

By the way, a week after he was injured, Jacob went deer hunting with his dad and bagged an 8-point buck.

Hunters haul 181 alligators in 18th annual hunting season

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas hunters managed the second-highest harvest of alligators on record during the last two weekends in the sloughs and swamps of The Natural State. The 181-alligator harvest falls short of last year’s record effort of 202 alligators checked, but maintains the overall upward trend in what is still a relatively new opportunity for hunters.

Amanda Bryant, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Herpetologist, said she was pleased with the healthy harvest, particularly the hunt’s higher-than-normal success rate.

“Typically we see about one-third of public land tags filled, but this year we had 54 percent success rate on public land,” Bryant said. “And 96 percent of the private land quota was filled.”

GATOR ON TRAILER
Cody Gourley and his uncle, Jason Mitchell, took the largest alligator of the 2024 hunting season, this 12-foot, 6-inch Millwood Lake monster. Photo courtesy Cody Gourley.

This year’s weather may have increased the harvest, as Hurricane Helene may have caused a few hunters to check an alligator during the first weekend who normally would have held out for a larger one.

“Most unfilled alligator tags are because people hold out for a larger alligator than what they’re seeing, but maybe some of the forecasted rain had people more willing to take a little smaller alligator,” Bryant said. “Then the last weekend turned out pretty nice after all, and we continued to see decent numbers taken throughout the end of the season.”

Cody Gourley of Amity was one of those hunters whose patience paid off when he wrestled a 12-foot, 6-inch beast to the side of his boat on Millwood Lake during the second weekend of the hunt.

“We went out the first weekend and saw 70 to 75 gators per night, but we just couldn’t get close enough to a big one to make it happen,” Gourley said. “I tried to use a harpoon on one or two, but I couldn’t get it to stick. The second weekend, I was getting to the point that any alligator would have been good for me. My uncle said we should hold out until midnight that Saturday night before we looked for a smaller gator. At about 9:30, we saw this one and knew it was in that larger category.”

Gourley says he rigged up a snare for his second weekend, using instructions from the AGFC’s website.

FORKLIFT GATOR
Temeren Pfaffenberg checked this 12-foot, 1-inch alligator from private land in Alligator Management Zone 2, the largest from that zone during this year’s hunt. 

“The snare was a much more intimate experience,” Gourley said. “We had to be right there within 8 feet of that gator before I could loop on the first snare. Then once we snared it, it was a fight.”

Gourley said he was in a 14-foot boat to be able to reach backwaters other hunters couldn’t.

“When the gator came up and I saw just how big it was, I was shocked,” Gourley said. “We couldn’t even get it in the boat, so we had to float it beside us as we made our way back to the ramp. It was unlike any hunt I’ve ever been on.”

Biologists have received a few calls from local anglers who were concerned about the alligator population in Millwood becoming too large, and Bryant says the harvest on the lake was encouraging.

“We had eight public tags for Millwood this year, and six of those were filled.” Bryant said. “It’s great to see so many of the tags being filled here, and hopefully it’s a step toward reducing the perception of human-wildlife conflict in this area.”

Bryant says increased harvest, especially on private land, has contributed to fewer nuisance calls in south Arkansas in the last few years.

“We see a strong relationship between the added harvest opportunity and lower nuisance calls,” Bryant said. “Some of it may be because people are more accustomed to seeing alligators now than they did 20 to 30 years ago, but a lot has to do with the private land hunt enabling landowners to handle the nuisance alligator on their own during the hunt.”

TAILGATOR
Chris Ryall shared this image of his 10-foot, 9-inch alligator taken in Alligator Management Zone 3. Photo courtesy Chris Ryall. 

This year, Alligator Management Zone 1 (southwest Arkansas) and AMZ 3 (southeast Arkansas) tied for the most alligators harvested.

“Usually Zone 3 has the most harvest, but this year was evenly split at 87 alligators each,” Bryant said. “Alligator Management Zone 2 [south-central Arkansas] had seven alligators checked.”

Alligator hunting is by permit only in Arkansas. The AGFC issued 50 public hunting permits through a public draw system, with hunting allowed only on designated areas of certain WMAs, lakes and rivers in south Arkansas.

Alligator hunting on private property is managed through a quota system. Anyone may purchase a private land alligator hunting permit, but hunting season ends early if the quota for the alligator zone is met. This year, all zones remained open during the entire hunting season.

Alligator hunting in Arkansas is open from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise during the last two weekends each September. All alligators must be snared or harpooned by hand and subdued before being dispatched. Visit www.agfc.com/alligator for more information.

Hunters check 1,231 deer during inaugural early buck hunt

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas bowhunters harvested 1,231 deer during the state’s first statewide early buck hunt earlier this month. The jump-start to deer season was added during the biannual regulations-setting process this spring to offer hunters the opportunity to pursue a buck still “in velvet.”

Ralph Meeker, deer program coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said the hunt’s harvest was within the range expected by biologists when the hunt was announced.

“When we look at historical harvest for the first three days of archery season, hunters typically check between 2,000 and 4,000 deer, depending on the weather,” Meeker said. “But a lot of those deer are does, so when you look at only the buck component of that harvest, it’s around 800 to 1,500 antlered deer.”

Arkansas’s regular archery season has traditionally begun on the fourth Saturday in September.

Meeker says the results of Arkansas’s first statewide early deer hunt also fall fairly close to those found in Tennessee and Mississippi, two neighboring states with similar hunts.

“We had great weather during the hunt, and a lot of hunters were able to enjoy a cooler morning in the stand than anticipated,” Meeker said.

While many hunters enjoyed harvesting an early deer, the timing of this year’s hunt did fall slightly outside the peak time for the deers’ antlers to be shrouded in velvet.

“After talking to meat processors and hunters I know, I’d estimate that only about 10 to 15 percent of the bucks were still in velvet and I’d lean closer to that 10 percent side,” Meeker said. “The hunt is set for the first full weekend in September, and this year it happened to land on the latest possible calendar date for that criteria. As the calendar rotates, we’ll begin to see earlier hunts in future years. We see several bucks “in velvet” harvested in the first few days of the urban hunts, which typically open Sept. 1.”

The hunt also shouldn’t take much of the excitement out of the opening weekend of regular archery deer season, as many hunters still have tags and freezers to fill.

“I think a lot of hunters had to choose between early bucks and doves this year, so they’ll still be out there for the statewide archery opener,” Meeker said. “There are still a good number of people who archery hunt to just harvest a deer. The early hunt mainly attracts those die-hard bowhunters, so I think we’ll still see a lot of people in the woods for archery season. It also was a great opportunity for hunters who wanted to get out in the woods a little when they made their first trip to deer camp to clean up, plant food plots and get ready for the rest of the season. It was nice to give those folks a choice.”

Regular archery season in Arkansas is Sept. 28-Feb. 28. Visit www.agfc.com/deer for more information.

GOOD DEER
Andrew Mizell checked this impressive 8-point velvet buck in Desha County on the opening day of Arkansas’s first early buck hunt. 

AGFC adds seven new game wardens in graduation ceremony

BY Randy Zellers

CONWAY — United States Magistrate Joe Volpe Friday swore in seven new members of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s enforcement ranks at the official graduation ceremony of the 2024 agency’s game warden training program at the Antioch Baptist Church.

Judge Joe Volpe swears in the graduating class of new AGFC game wardens. Photo by Mike Wintroath.

This year’s graduating class was smaller than typical years, which is a testament to the level of commitment required to become an AGFC game warden.

The process to become a wildlife officer began in May when 16 individuals were selected from hundreds of applicants to participate in the training program.

“In addition to applications, interviews and extensive background checks, we talked with community references to ensure prospective candidates were able to handle the extreme pressures of the job as well as being a role model for conservation and law enforcement in their hometowns,” Maj. Brian Aston, assistant chief of the AGFC Enforcement Division, said.

Col. Brad Young commends the graduating class of AGFC game wardens for their perseverance and dedication. Photo by Mike Wintroath.

During the next 18 weeks, cadets spent most of their waking hours at the H.C. “Red” Morris Training Center east of Mayflower on Lake Conway. They received 835 hours of training in self-defense, firearms, first aid and rescue, drug enforcement, physical conditioning, criminal law and wildlife code enforcement.

Capt. Sydney Carman directs the cadet-training program, with many AGFC enforcement officers serving as instructors. Other experts teach specialized topics.

“Once a game warden is assigned to their region, they have to handle a variety of tasks beyond wildlife code regulation, which can include state and federal law enforcement, forensics, interviewing and public relations and community outreach,” Carman said. “We have instructors and experts come in and assist with training on such things as recognizing and dealing with child abuse and domestic violence situations, which our officers may have to engage in once they’re on their own.”

Each of the remaining cadets celebrated during Friday’s formal graduation ceremony before heading to their assigned duty stations. Each officer is assigned to a duty station based on the current needs of the Commission, but accommodations can be made to ensure officers that are familiar with certain areas are assigned near them if possible.

From left to right: Capt. Sydney Carman, training instructor; Brandon Trammell; Clayton Bramel; Brandon Bybee; Doug Carpenter; Heath Hampton; Aaron McNew; Alyssa Mostrom; Lt. Tracey Blake, assistant training instructor. 

“We always try to place officers in counties where they are already part of the community,” Aston said. “But we also have to ensure vacancies are filled across the state. Sometimes an officer will work in a county far from home for a few years until a vacancy opens up closer to their hometown. Sometimes they decide to stay at their original duty station once they become a part of that community.”

The 2024 graduates and their county assignments are:

• Clayton Bramel of Benton County, assigned to Phillips

• Brandon Bybee of Craighead County, assigned to Crittenden County

• Douglas Carpenter of Yell County, assigned to Sebastian County

• Heath Hampton of Gleason, Wisconsin, assigned to Cleveland County

• Aaron McNew of Faulkner County, assigned to Dallas County

• Alyssa Mostrom of Marion County, assigned to Ouachita County

• Brandon Trammell of Stone County, assigned to Desha County

The AGFC will begin the process to accept applications for the next class of cadets to fill vacancies soon. Visit www.agfc.com/enforcement for more information on becoming a wildlife officer.

Invasive plant discovery forces temporary closure of Lake Georgia-Pacific boat access

CROSSETT — A recent discovery of water hyacinth, an invasive aquatic plant, has forced the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Georgia-Pacific Crossett LLC to temporarily close the boating access to the Lake Georgia-Pacific in Ashley County. Fishing is still allowed at the lake, but the boat ramp will be closed while AGFC staff enact emergency actions to eradicate recently discovered concentrations of water hyacinth and survey the lake for additional occurrences of the plant.

Water hyacinth is native to the Amazon basin of South America and is thought to have been introduced to the southern U.S. as an ornamental.  While it does have attractive flowers, the plant quickly forms dense mats that cover the water surface, displacing native species, impeding water flow and water navigation, and restricting recreational activities such as boating, fishing, hunting and swimming. Large amounts of decaying plant material can decrease oxygen levels, which is detrimental to fish and other organisms. Once established, water hyacinth can double in size in as little as two weeks in the right growing conditions.

After speaking with officials from Georgia-Pacific Crossett LLC, AGFC staff recommended the immediate closure of the boat ramp on the east side of the lake.

Matt Horton, Aquatic Nuisance Species Program coordinator for the AGFC, said the plant has been found primarily in the canal from the boat ramp leading to the main lake.

“We need to act quickly to contain and remove the plants before they have a chance to spread to the main lake,” Horton said. “Temporarily preventing additional boat traffic will help keep the plant from being dragged further into the lake and will prevent anyone from inadvertently hauling pieces of the plant to a different lake after fishing in Lake Georgia-Pacific.”

Lake Georgia-Pacific is roughly 1,500 acres and supplies water to the paper mill in south Arkansas. It also is a very popular fishing destination for local anglers. Largemouth bass, crappie and catfish are featured species in the lake.

“Fishing is still open at the lake, we are only closing the boat ramp to help contain during our eradication efforts,” Horton said. “We hope to reopen the boat ramp by the end of the week if our efforts are successful.”

Contact District Fisheries Biologist Ryan Mozisek at (870) 281-7091 for more information on this access closure and angling opportunities at Lake Georgia-Pacific. For more information on water hyacinth and other aquatic nuisance species visit www.agfc.com/ans.

U of O, AGFC join forces to build shooting sports facility

CLARKSVILLE — A recent agreement between University of the Ozarks and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has launched the public phase of a fundraising campaign by the university to build an Olympic-level shooting sports facility in Clarksville.

The memorandum of understanding outlines the construction and operation of the facility and was signed earlier this month in Little Rock by Austin Booth, director of the AGFC, and Richard Dunsworth, president of U of O.

Under the agreement, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will donate $2 million in matching funds to the project and the university will raise the remaining cost of the project. The facility will be open to the public and will be constructed on a 140-acre parcel owned by the university just south of Interstate 40.

According to Dunsworth, with the AGFC’s pledge, a total of $4.5 million has been committed to the project, including $1.5 million from the university and $1 million from the city of Clarksville.

“We are one step closer to having a world-class shooting facility right here in Clarksville,” Dunsworth said. “We have the full support of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the city of Clarksville and Johnson County, and now we’re ready to fully launch the fundraising initiative.”

The AGFC recently devoted an entire division’s focus to recreational shooting, which includes archery, competitive shotgun shooting and shooting range development.

Booth says the matching pledge is a continuation of the AGFC’s commitment to recreational shooting and its role in conservation.

“Aside from many being hunters and anglers and playing active roles in conservation, all recreational shooters contribute to conservation through the purchase of firearms and ammunition, which supports excise taxes earmarked for conservation work throughout the nation,” Booth said. “By increasing ranges in Arkansas, we’re not only helping remove barriers to hunting, but we’re also ensuring all who contribute to conservation are represented in our efforts.”

University officials said construction on the first phase of the project could begin once the university raises an additional $10 million. Dunsworth said the fundraising initiative would include naming-rights opportunities for donors.

The first phase of the complex would include a clubhouse, competition-level sporting clay courses and fields for skeet, trap and bunker as well as a pistol and rifle range. There will also be an archery field. The facility would also include spectator areas, picnic areas and pavilions.

The $5 million second stage would include an RV park and additional support spaces.

According to Dunsworth, the new facility would fill a void of competition-caliber shooting sports complexes in the region. The nearest Olympic-level complex is more than 600 miles away in San Antonio.

“Clay target shooting and archery are among the fastest-growing sports in the country, from youth on up to the collegiate level,” Dunsworth said. “Our research has shown that there are more than 100 junior and senior high and other youth shooting sports programs currently within a 100-mile radius of Clarksville, and we’re excited about providing a premier facility for these young men and women.”

The shooting complex will be adjacent to and easily visible from Interstate 40, the third-longest freeway in the United States. According to the Arkansas Department of Transportation, the Clarksville area of I-40 has an average daily traffic volume of about 30,000 vehicles.

Under the 15-year agreement, the AGFC staff would operate and manage the pistol and rifle range, and U of O will operate other parts of the facility.

The complex would be the home course of the university’s men’s and women’s sports shooting teams as well as local youth and high school shooting programs. Dunsworth said the university plans to create a collegiate archery program once the facility is completed.

The university established the state’s first board-sanctioned, competitive collegiate shooting program in 2010. Since then the teams have won seven individual and team national championships in sporting clay. Dunsworth said the university plans to create a collegiate archery program once the facility is completed.

Breeding ground surveys for mallards show 8 percent jump

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas waterfowlers received some good news recently. Mallards showed an increase of 8 percent in the May breeding population survey over last year’s count in the northern U.S. and Canada breeding areas, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey released late last month. Before everyone gets too excited, though, the count of 6.6 million mallards in the breeding grounds was still 16 percent below the long-term average, and dry conditions early in the waterfowl breeding season led to many birds overshooting the traditional pothole breeding grounds, where most mallards nest.

“Overall it was good news compared to what a lot of people are expecting for how dry the prairies were. But luckily we did get some rain, particularly on the southern part of the prairie pothole region, which definitely helped out,” Brett Leach, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s waterfowl program coordinator, said. “(The rainfall) was somewhere about average in the north-central U.S., and then up in Canada it’s still pretty dry up there when they were doing their surveys.”

Overall total duck numbers remain down from their long-term average, but the total estimate jumped 5 percent over last year’s count. The nearly 34 million ducks estimated is 4 percent below the long term average. Some individual species such as pintails and blue-wing teal took a dip in numbers. But American widgeons soared by 55 percent over last year’s numbers, and green-winged teal were 20 percent higher than 2023 and 33 percent above the long-term average.

The survey, according to the USFWS, has a 90 percent confidence factor.

The federal agency has collected data on waterfowl populations through annual surveys for nearly 80 years. The annual Waterfowl Population Status Report summarizes the most current data and estimates on the breeding population and habitat conditions of most North American duck species, several populations of geese, tundra swans and the American coot. Aerial crews operating transect surveys — similar to what the AGFC uses three times a year in its in-season waterfowl surveys of the state — and ground crews backing up those aerial counts, survey about 2 million square miles of the U.S. and Canada.

The historic Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey is also referred to as the B-Pop, or Breeding Population Survey, or May Survey (though surveying continues into June). The USFWS, which coordinates the survey in collaboration with the Canadian Wildlife Service, says it has evolved into the largest and longest-running survey in the world.

How that count of ducks and geese will matter for Arkansas hunters beginning with the nine-day late October/early November white-fronted and lesser goose hunting season and the 60-day duck season opening Nov. 23 depends on many regional factors.

“Obviously this last year, it started off very dry here and for most of the duck season, so it’s really going to depend on habitat we’re seeing down here for the number of birds we end up seeing,” Leach said. “And the (B-Pop) itself, it’s only looking at the breeding population.”

The upper U.S. received significant late spring rainfall to give migrating ducks some actual wetlands in which to settle and breed. Leach says that this led to good renesting numbers that helped boost the overall count and it aids in brood survival. Migrating birds that saw dry conditions and overshot the traditional breeding grounds and flew further into the Boreal Forest region, he added, may have nested or didn’t attempt to nest this year, however. About 50-80 percent of ducks are produced in the prairie pothole region, especially mallards, pintails, blue-winged teal and gadwalls.

“We’ve just seen a cycle up there of being on the drier side the last couple of years,” Leach said. “We can expect that, though; we had been in a wet cycle. So, it’s expected. It’s not always a bad thing when they do go dry because that ends up making those wetlands even more productive once we start getting water back on the landscape.”

The drier conditions across the landscape definitely have been felt in Arkansas the past three duck seasons, too. Ducks need good habitat — water coverage across the landscape — as a reason to stop here on their migration. Leach is keeping his fingers crossed for perhaps a wetter late fall.

“If I had to guess, it’s going to really depend on what habitat conditions are looking like down here and what we get for rain. Obviously it’s been pretty dry for a little while now this year. If we get water across our landscape down here, I would expect to see more birds overall. Populations did increase from last year, so if we can get some of that habitat a little bit earlier, I think we’ll see a decent number of birds.”

Dove delay preserves full weekend of fun

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansans gearing up for the state’s kickoff to hunting seasons might have noticed that the Sept. 7 opening day doesn’t fall on Labor Day Weekend, which is typically associated with the event. The break from the federal holiday is a matter of unfortunate timing, so to speak.

Each year, federal migratory bird frameworks dictate that dove seasons in the Central Management Unit (migration corridors similar to flyways) may not begin before Sept. 1 and must conclude by Jan. 15. Labor Day, which began in 1882 and became a federal holiday in 1894 is annually scheduled for the first Monday in September, regardless of the calendar date.

Here’s where the phenomenon known as “calendar creep” comes into effect. This year (and next year), Labor Day Weekend will actually begin at the end of August, preceding the first available date for dove season.

During these years the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has to decide whether to open the season on Sunday, cutting the weekend short, or to postpone the opening day to the following weekend.

In 2019, the AGFC was faced with this decision and decided on the Sunday opening day. Staff and commissioners fielded many calls from the public that many people were not able to take advantage of the Labor Day holiday from work, which resulted in their traditional opening weekend of dove season becoming a single-day hunt.

With this in mind, Commissioners and staff agreed that postponing the season until Sept. 7 allowed more opportunities for all Arkansans to enjoy a full weekend of dove hunting unpressured birds during the season opener.

Luckily this issue only presents itself two out of every seven years, notwithstanding shifts caused by leap year. Unfortunately, next year will see the same delay because Sept. 1 falls on Labor Day itself, leaving no room for a full weekend of fast flights and delicious doves.