Thursday, July 15, 2021
Boost the wildlife potential of your hunting property
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and its partners in conservation are hosting special workshops throughout the state to help landowners improve the wildlife habitat on their property, Whether your focus is deer, turkey, quail or the many non-game species that depend upon healthy habitat, AGFC biologists want to help.
Friday, June 18, 2021
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Apply for an Arkansas public land alligator hunt by June 30
People interested in chasing an Arkansas alligator on public land and water this fall have until midnight June 30 to put their name in the hat. Applications for the 2021 Arkansas alligator season are available online at www.agfc.com.
Thirty-three permits will be issued for public hunting in Arkansas for the 2021 season. These permits will be randomly chosen via electronic draw. As with the rest of the AGFC’s permit application system, alligator hunt applicants must pay a $5 nonrefundable processing fee when the application is submitted. No additional fee is required from successful applicants.
Each permit authorizes the harvest of one alligator, which must be at least 4 feet long. Alligator hunting is allowed 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise Sept. 17-20 and Sept. 24-27. Each permit holder may have up to three assistants with them on the hunt, but only the permit holder is allowed to snare, harpoon or dispatch the alligator.
Alligator hunters must be at least 16 years of age, and only Arkansas residents may hunt alligators on public land in Arkansas. Applicants with 18 or more AGFC violation points are ineligible to apply.
Hunters pursuing alligators on private land no longer need to draw a tag. Instead, alligators on private land are hunted via a quota-based system. Anyone who has access to private land in Alligator Zones 1, 2 or 3 may purchase a private land alligator tag in addition to their big-game hunting license and be able to hunt during alligator season until the quota is met for their zone.
“It will be up to each hunter to call in before their hunt every night to the wildlife hotline (1-800-440-1477) to see if the quota has been met,” Mark Barbee, AGFC wildlife biologist at the Monticello office, said. “If the quota is reached, the hunt ends early.”
Barbee says the quota system allows more people with possible nuisance alligator problems to have a chance to remove those alligators or allow another hunter to do so.
“We set the number of permits and quotas based on how many alligators we need to be removed to keep the population at a sustainable level that minimizes nuisance issues,” Barbee said. “But we do see quite a few private land tags go unfilled each year if the hunter doesn’t find a large enough alligator to meet their expectations. Now that extra harvest opportunity can be used by another hunter on different land.”
Successful applicants and private land hunters must also go through an online hunt orientation before going to the field. The orientation lays out the most important details and frequently asked questions about the hunt.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
Arkansas turkey season concludes with just over 7,000 birds checked
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas hunters harvested and checked 7,010 eastern wild turkeys during the 2021 turkey season, which concluded May 9. While the harvest showed a similar decrease to that of surrounding states, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists are hopeful for the future.
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Bears back on the move, AGFC offers advice to be bearwise
FAYETTEVILLE — Like many high schoolers and college grads, young Arkansas black bears will be striking out on their own early this summer to find their place in the world. Unfortunately, just like young humans, the bears may find themselves in some sticky situations as they learn the ropes of life without a net for the first time. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission usually sees an uptick in nuisance bear complaints each spring and almost all of the culprits are young males that are looking for new territory.
Friday, May 7, 2021
Keep wildlife wild, leave ‘orphans’ alone
By Randy Zellers
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act reintroduced in Washington
WASHINGTON, DC — A bill introduced last week into the U.S. House of Representatives may, if it passes, boost conservation efforts across the nation. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act was reintroduced to the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE).