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

ADH urges Arkansans to take precautions during tick and mosquito season


LITTLE ROCK – As Arkansans plan to enjoy the outdoors during the coming summer months, the Arkansas Department of Health stresses the importance of taking precautions against ticks and mosquitoes and the diseases they can carry.

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.

“We did expect to see a decline in checked birds this year,” Jeremy Wood, AGFC Turkey Program coordinator, said. “With conservative season dates and new regulations in place to spread hunting pressure, we tried to give turkeys as much of a chance as we could to breed and create future hunting opportunities while maintaining a reasonably good hunting experience. We have to think about the resource first if we want to see the population increase.”

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.

“It’s part of how Mother Nature works,” Myron Means, AGFC large carnivore program coordinator, said. “When it’s time for a female bear to start working on a new litter of cubs, she will allow her daughters to stay in part of her territory, but she chases the young males away. It helps prevent inbreeding and promotes the expansion of the species. But it also means those young males will be on the move, looking for a new place to call home.”

That search can sometimes land bears in people’s backyards, where they find an easy meal and become a nuisance. According to Means, 90 percent of the calls received by the AGFC about nuisance bears stem from the bears finding food in the form of unsecured trash cans, loose pet food and bird feeders. The problem can be solved quickly with the removal or securing of those attractants.

“That bear is looking for a new place to live, so if you take away anything that attracts it, it usually will move on fairly quickly,” Means said. “Ninety percent of the nuisance calls we get can be handled simply by removing the easy meal.”

The problem often arises when people encourage them to stay or think they’re helping by putting out more food for the wayward bruin. Once that bear begins to lose its fear of people, it can become more aggressive or damage property seeking more food. With no negative response to the bad behavior, the bear doesn’t know any better than to continue seeking food and pushing its way around.

“That’s not good for people, and removing it isn’t good for the bear,” Means said. “It’s best to simply stop the feeding and make sure the bear gets the hint that it’s not welcome from the beginning.”

Means and other biologists from throughout the Southeast have worked together to help people learn more about bears and how to live in areas where bears may be present. Together, they formed a special website to deliver bear safety tips and information. Visit www.bearwise.org to learn more.

Friday, May 7, 2021

Keep wildlife wild, leave ‘orphans’ alone


By Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Each year, biologists with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission get calls from worried conservation-minded individuals who happen across a young, helpless-looking deer, rabbits and birds that have apparently lost their mother. Moving those animals may be one of the worst things you can do to help it, and in the case of white-tailed deer fawns, taking it home can even land you in trouble with the law.

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).