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NEWS & EVENTS

Biologists preparing for possible increase in deer nuisance complaints

MONTICELLO – Wild animals, particularly deer, forced from flooded land have moved to neighboring croplands, and may impact farmers’ summer crops.

Although some ridges in the flooded region are above water, the land left can only support so many animals. Small woodlots and farms near flooded land offer good shelter and abundant food, which has caused many animals to make a temporary move.

“We have received some complaints, primarily in fields near the Mississippi River Levee in Chicot and Desha counties,” said Brad Miller, Ph.D., AGFC deer program coordinator. “We are anticipating more calls because of the amount of deer that have been displaced by the floods. We want to be proactive about the problem.”

Miller believes the flood will have lasting effects throughout summer. “Once the water recedes, there will still be a short time before plants begin to sprout again. It may take a while before deer move back to their former home ranges.”

Until then, biologists are working with farmers to protect their crops and the deer herd. Eastern Arkansas landowners can contact the Wildlife Division’s regional supervisor in their area for help. The supervisor will issue non-lethal deterrents such as scare pistols and firecracker rope to farmers as needed. Biologists recommend neighboring farmers work together to drive deer from the property. If scare tactics are ineffective, a shoot-to-kill permit will be issued.

Miller said that scare devices have been greatly appreciated. Most farmers don’t want to kill the deer now because they hunt them and lease their lands to hunters during fall.

AGFC Assistant Deer Program Coordinator Cory Gray said the key to scare tactics’ success is spooking deer away from property as soon as possible. Farmers need to report potential problems immediately before they become a nuisance.

“Deer are creatures of habit,” said Gray. “If they are chased from the property before they can find the food, they will move on. If they get established, it becomes very difficult to scare them away.”

Feral hogs may have been pushed to the same farmlands, and can cause crop damage as well. Landowners are encouraged to harvest feral hogs on their property in addition to the other techniques. Killing hogs will reduce this nuisance species and create additional disturbance to scare deer and other wildlife away from their property.

The AGFC asks that nuisance hogs and deer killed be turned in to Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry to make use of the meat. For harassment devices and assessments for depredation permits farmers may contact the regional wildlife supervisor in the AGFC regional office nearest to their property:

• Robert Zachary,   Jonesboro Regional Office (877) 972-5438
• Mike Coker, Brinkley Regional Office (877) 734-4581
• Roger Milligan,   Monticello Regional Office (877) 367-3559

Commission sets hunting seasons in Arkansas

Arkansas hunters can begin planning their vacations now that commissioners from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission have formally approved the upcoming season dates. In a 4-2 vote, commissioners passed the seasons for modern gun, archery and muzzleloader deer seasons.

Season dates for the 2008-2009 deer hunting season:

Archery - all zones:  Oct. 1 to Feb. 28.

Modern Gun - zones 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11: Nov. 8-30. 

Zone 4:  Nov. 8-9. 

Zone 5:  Nov. 8-9 and Nov. 15-16.

Zone 4A, 5A, 13, 14 and 15:  Nov. 8-Dec. 7.

Zones 4B and 5B:  Nov. 8-16.

Zones 9 and 12:  Nov. 8-Dec. 14.

Zone 16, 16A and 17:  Nov. 8-Dec. 25. 

Muzzleloader - Zones 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15: Oct. 18-26 and Dec. 13-15.

            Zones 9, 12, 16, 16A and 17: Oct. 18-26 and Dec. 29-31.

Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B:  Closed.

The statewide Christmas holiday modern gun deer hunt will be Dec. 26 to 28.

The special youth modern gun deer hunt in all zones (excludes certain WMAs where a modern gun or muzzleloader permit is required to hunt) scheduled for Nov. 1 - 2.

During the special modern gun youth deer hunt, holders of 65+ licenses, who are accompanying a hunting youth, will be allowed to hunt deer and take the bag limit legal for the deer zone or WMA in which they are hunting. One other change eliminates the doubling of points for violations on the state’s Wildlife Management Areas.

Fall turkey season was also set by the commission:

Turkey Archery Seasons: All Zones:  Oct. 1, 2008-Feb. 28, 2009.

Turkey Firearms Season: Zones 3, 5B, 6, and 17:  Oct. 11-17, 2008.

Zones 1, 1A, 2, 4, 4A, 4B, 5, 5A, 7, 7A, 8, 9, 9A and 10:  Closed.

Youth outdoor expo targets next generation of sportsmen

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will host three Youth Outdoor Expos, allowing thousands of fifth-grade students from around the state to get hands-on experience in areas such as archery, fishing and shooting.

The expos are filling up fast, but according to Eric DeVries, AGFC regional education coordinator, a few openings remain for interested fifth-grade classes.

“We want to expose kids to outdoor recreational pursuits and to what we do at the Game and Fish Commission,” DeVries said. “We want them to know that we go about all this in a scientific way. The kids will learn a lot and they’ll be introduced to some fun activities that they can enjoy for a lifetime.”

Students will arrive by bus in the morning. They’ll be greeted by an AGFC employee volunteer, who’ll serve as their “tour guide” throughout the day. Groups of students will rotate through a series of outdoor-themed stations, where they’ll take part in guided activities such as archery, fishing and air rifles. There also will be stations for wildlife and fisheries biology, where AGFC biologists will explain the science behind fish and wildlife management and show students some of the tools used to manage Arkansas’ fish and game.

Another station will allow students to visit with wildlife officers and other AGFC employees about the various jobs they perform. The AGFC mobile aquarium and a crawfish exhibit also will be on display. AGFC will stock fish from its hatchery system in order to increase the odds of the students catching fish during the expo.

In addition to AGFC, the expos are being sponsored by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, Weatherby Foundation International, the U.S.  Forest Service and Daisy Outdoor Products.

For more information or to sign up a fifth-grade class, contact DeVries at (501) 223-6402 or efdevries@agfc.state.ar.us or Mendy Boyles at (501) 821-6884.

Fort Smith youth wins NWTF junior calling championship
ATLANTA - Jimmy Pollard from Fort Smith called his way to the winner's circle at the National Wild Turkey Federation's Grand National Junior Turkey Calling Championships.

The competition was held during the NWTF's annual Convention and Sport Show, Feb. 21 to 24 in Atlanta. Young callers must master the intricacies of their instruments - the slate, diaphragm and box turkey calls - in order to perform well in the championships, and the pressure was intense.

It's great to finally win this," Pollard said. "I've come in second twice, and this just feels awesome."

Contestants compete in one of two divisions: intermediate and junior. The intermediate division is for callers 16 to 20 years old; the junior division is for callers 15 and younger. The types of calls contestants must imitate are not announced until the day before the competition, so participants must be prepared for several different calls.
By winning the junior division, Pollard goes home with $500 cash.

Commission considers 2008-2009 hunting proposals  

At the February 21 monthly meeting in Dumas, commissioners for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) were presented with proposals for the 2008-2009 hunting seasons. The commission will study the proposals and make a final decision at its March 20 meeting in Little Rock.

The proposals include calendar adjustments, new codes, code revisions and code clarifications. One major proposed change is to revise the youth hunt regulation to allow holders of the 65 Plus Lifetime Hunting License that accompanies a youth, the opportunity to harvest a deer during the youth hunt.

Proposed season dates for the 2008-2009 deer hunting season: 

Archery – All zones:  Oct. 1 to Feb. 28.

Modern Gun - Zones 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11: Nov. 8 to Nov. 16 and Nov. 27 to Dec. 7. Zone 4: Nov. 8 to Nov. 9. Zone 5: Nov. 8 to Nov. 9 and Nov. 15 to Nov. 16. Zone 4A, 5A, 13, 14 and 15:  Nov. 8 to Dec. 7.Zone 4B and 5B: Nov. 8 to Nov. 16. Zone 9 and 12: Nov. 8 to Dec. 14. Zone 16, 16A and 17:  Nov. 8 to Dec. 25.

Muzzleloader - Zones 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15: Oct. 18 to Oct. 26 and Dec. 13 to Dec. 15. Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B: Closed. Zones 9, 12, 16, 16A and 17: Oct. 18 to Oct. 26 and Dec. 29 to Dec. 31.

The statewide Christmas holiday modern gun deer hunt will be Dec. 26 to 28 with the special youth modern gun deer hunt in all zones (excludes certain WMAs where a modern gun or muzzleloader permit is required to hunt) is scheduled for Nov. 1 to 2.

The commission also tentatively announced the 2009 opening dates for deer season. Archery deer season would open on Oct. 1, 2009 followed by muzzleloader season on Oct. 17, 2009 and modern gun season on Nov. 14, 2009.

The commission also approved the Strategic White-tailed Deer Management Plan. The plan was developed to provide long-term, strategic goals using public input in conjunction with scientific wildlife management principles. The plan will be evaluated and updated on a five-year cycle. It was developed with a great deal of input from the deer hunting public, AGFC deer program coordinator Cory Gray said. “Public input was critical to this plan. We held numerous public meetings around the state to gather valuable information from hunters,” Gray said. The entire plan can be found at: http://www.agfc.com/hunting/deer/deerplan_revision.aspx

18th BIG BUCK CLASSIC RESULTS

OVERALL
1.  Andy Butler - 176 5/8 typical gun kill - Polk County
2.  Greg McKnight - 174 1/8 typical crossbow kill - Cross County
3.  Tommy Bull - 173 4/8 typical crossbow kill - Perry County
4.  Ruger Estes - 196 5/8 non-typical crossbow kill - Pope County
5.  Ronald Harp - 195 1/8 non-typical gun kill - Benton County
6.  Mike Franks - 170 0/8 typical bowkill - Washington County
7.  Larry Heavner - 167 2/8 typical muzzleloader kill - Monroe County
8.  Ted Selby - 191 5/8 non-typical gun kill - Ashley County
9.  Gene Harris - 164 4/8 typical gun kill - Desha County
10. Jeremy King - 188 1/8 non-typical gun kill - St. Francis County 

MODERN GUN
Non-typicals
1.  Ron Harp - 195 1/8 - Benton County
2.  Ted Selby - 191 5/8 - Ashley County
3.  Jeremy King - 188 1/8 - St. Francis County
Typicals
1.  Andy Butler - 176 5/8 - Polk County
2.  Gene Harris - 164 4/8 - Desha County
3.  Dextin Wheeler - 159 6/8 - Sevier County

BOW DIVISION
Non-typicals
1.  Joel Dunlap - 138 7/8 - Van Buren County 
2.  Zach Henderson - 136 1/8 - Yell County
3.  Eugene Taylor - 132 4/8 - Garland County
TYPICALS
1.  Mike Franks - 170 0/8 - Washington County
2.  David Fox - 158 5/8 - Arkansas County
3.  Kurt Garland - 156 4/8 - Jackson County

CROSSBOW DIVISION
Non-Typicals
1.  Ruger Estes - 196 5/8 - Pope County 
2.  Randy Wigginton - 172 4/8 - Poinsett County  
Typicals
1.  Greg McKnight - 174 1/8 - Cross County
2.  Tommy Bull - 173 4/8 - Perry County
3.  Troy Crossen - 145 1/8 - White County 

LADIES DIVISION
Non-Typicals
1.  Cassie Glass - 159 6/8 - Columbia County
2.  Cindy Lawrence - 140 2/8 - Cross County 
Typicals
1.  Paige Gilmore - 158 6/8 - Van Buren County
2. Dana Smith - 158 1/8 - Sevier County
3. Sandra Wright - 157 2/8 - White County  

MUZZLELOADER DIVISION
Non-Typicals
1.  Jim Puckett - 187 2/8 - Yell County
2.  Gene Templeman - 164 4/8 - Woodruff County 
3.  Jim Wiedeman - 164 2/8 - Arkansas County
Typicals
1.  Larry Heavener - 167 2/8 - Monroe County
2.  James Thornton - 156 4/8 - Hot Spring County 
3.  Jerry Barnes - 155 4/8 - Saline County

SHED DIVISION
1.  Allen Vandervort - 78 3/8 - Perry County
2.  Brandon Roberts - 75 3/8 - Lonoke County
3.  Chris Mooney - 72 1/8 - Arkansas County

YOUTH DIVISION
Non-typicals
1.  Drew Griffin - 172 1/8 - Clark County
2.  Dylan Willis - 161 4/8 - Cross County
3.  Curtis Wilson - 158 2/8 - Cross County
4.  Zach Morris - 153 5/8 - Cross County
5.  Landen Abernathy - 146 4/8 - Hot Spring County
Typicals
1.  Blake Hughes - 155 4/8 - Hot Spring County
2.  Josh Alberius - 146 6/8 - Prairie County
3.  Kyler Morris - 141 2/8 - Sevier County
4.  Ben Angel - 140 0/8 - Chicot County
5.  Ryan Foster - 139 0/8 - Fulton County

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2008 ARKANSAS SPORTSHOW RESULTS

OVERALL WINNER
Greg McKnight -- 174 2/8 typical -- Cross County

MODERN GUN
1.  Michael Hardin -- 170 4/8 typical -- Clay County
2.  Victor Throesch -- 166 0/8 typical -- Randolph County
3.  Alfred Harris -- 164 5/8 typical -- Desha County

BOW DIVISION
1.  Jade Price -- 177 1/8 non-typical -- Scott County
2.  John Andrews -- 136 0/8 typical -- Cross County
3.  Derek Kildow -- 135 3/8 typical -- Randolph County 

CROSSBOW DIVISION
1.  Tommy Hancock -- 143 5/8 typical -- Clay County 
2.  Randy Wigginton -- 161 5/8 non-typical -- Poinsett County
3.  Adam Davis -- 129 1/8 typical -- Cross County

LADIES DIVISION
1.  Lindsey Nixon -- 148 7/8 typical -- Cleaburne County
2.  Elaine Roberson -- 134 5/8 typical -- Little River County
3.  Luann White -- 116 0/8 typical -- Poinsett County

MUZZLELOADER DIVISION
1.  Larry Heavner -- 167 2/8 typical -- Monroe County
2.  Shannon Woodard -- 147 1/8 typical -- Randolph County 
3.  B.E. Thompson -- 164 0/8 non-typical -- Woodruff County

SHED DIVISION
1.  Richard Powell -- 86 7/8 -- Woodruff County
2.  Kevin Privett -- 86 6/8 -- Craighead County
3.  Jade Price -- 84 4/8 -- Craighead County

YOUTH DIVISION
1.  Dylan Willis -- 159 0/8 non-typical -- Cross County
2.  Curtis Wilson -- 158 2/8 non-typical -- Cross County
3.  Payton Wooldridge -- 128 6/8 typical -- Desha County

OPEN DIVISION
1.  Roscoe White -- 178 4/8 typical -- Arkansas County
2.  Ronnie Melton -- 177 7/8 typical -- Kansas
3.  Mandi Clevenger -- 168 5/8 typical -- Desha County

BEST OF SHOW
    Larry Heavner -- 167 2/8 typical -- Monroe County

BEST NEW BUCK
    David Williams -- 177 3/8 non-typical -- Prairie County
     

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ARKANSAS HUNTERS FEEDING THE HUNGRY SITES

County	Business Name	City	Phone
Arkansas	Half Moon Meat Processing	DeWitt	(870) 946-1839
Ashley	V & P Grocery	Crossett	(870) 364-4931
Baxter	Twin Lakes Processing	Gassville	(870) 435-6651
Bradley	Lasiter's Slaughter House	Warren	(870) 226-5015
Columbia	Razorback Packing Company	Waldo	(870) 693-2130
Clark	T&M Processing	Arkadelphia	(870) 246-0002
Clark	CenterPoint Schools	Amity	(870) 356-3621
Cleburne	Lonnie's Meat Market	Heber Springs	(501) 362-6300
Cleveland	Watson Slaughter House	Rison	(870) 325-6922
Craighead	Home Ice Company	Jonesboro	(870) 935-5555
Crawford	Cocrum's Meat Processors	Rudy	(479) 474-3012
Crawford	Garner's AMP	Van Buren	(479) 474-1645
Faulkner	Mayflower Taxidermy	Mayflower	(501) 470-3400
Faulkner	Lonnie's Meat Market	Conway	(501) 450-7100
Franklin	Arkansas Joe's Processing	Ozark	(479) 667-2442
Garland	Griffith Custom Butchering	Hot Springs	(501) 321-4228
Grant	HMS Custom Processing	Sheridan	(870) 942-8083
Greene	Ridge Road Processing, Inc.	Lafe	(870) 586-0892
Howard	B & G Packing	Nashville	(870) 845-8706
Jefferson	The Country Butcher	Whitehall	(870) 247-4500
Little River	The Butcher Block	Foreman	(870) 542-6460
Logan	Fox Slaughter and Processing	Scranton	(479) 938-2236
Lonoke	Cabot Meat Market	Cabot	(501) 843-5511
Lonoke	Lonnie's Meat Market	Cabot	(501) 843-7100
Nevada	Tims' Custom Meat	Prescott	(870) 887-3362
Pope	Ferguson's Slaughter House	Atkins	(479) 641-7604
Polk	Vern's Meat Processing	Cove	(870) 387-7151
Pulaski	The Buck Stops Here	Sherwood
Pulaski	Tommy's Country Meats	Maumelle	(501) 851-2400
Pulaski	Hoggs Meat Market	NLR	(501) 758-7700
Saline	Kruse Meat Market	Alexander	(501) 316-2110
Sharp	Larry Little's Butcher Shop	Cave City	(870) 283-6381
Union	The Choppin' Block	El Dorado	(870) 862-0776
Van Buren	Clinton Meat Processor	Clinton	(501) 745-4844
Washington	Meat & Wildgame Processing	Springdale	(479) 751-0268
White	Brogan Farms	Romance	(501) 556-5085
Union	Strong Meat Processing	Strong	(870) 797-2001
Scott	Lasiter Custom Meat	Waldron	(479) 637-3600
Lee	Sparks Meat Shed	Palestine	(870) 768-4226
Cross	Wynne Meat Processing	Wynne	(870) 208-8352

Youngest elk hunter earns his bull

Eleven-year-old Joey Shirley, who lives at Dover, was one of the four permit holders in the 2007 September Arkansas elk hunt to score. The other three downed bull elk near sundown the first day, hunting miles apart but taking the challenging big animals within a few minutes of each other.

It was the morning of the fourth day before Joey connected.

“We went to this field first thing in the morning, and there were elk in it,” Joey said. “But we weren’t close enough. We crawled. We crawled for a long way. Then we could tell it was a bull, but it wasn’t light enough yet.” He had his father, Eddie Shirley, as his hunt helper.

Joey, a sixth grader, was the youngest hunter to draw a permit in the 10 years of Arkansas elk hunting. Previous youngest were two 13-year-olds who were successful in getting elk in the 2004 hunt.

Joey Shirley and the other three September bull elk hunters found similar patterns in the four elk zones. All the bulls were taken on the edges of fields. That's a factor for potential hunters to keep in mind. Elk feed in the fields early and late in the day. Midday and at night they use the woods or at least the brush around the field perimeters.

Jimmy Hall, Walter Short and Pat Gilligan killed their bull elk as sunlight was waning on the 2007 hunt's first day.

Hall, who lives at Pea Ridge, downed a 6X7 bull in the Erbie area near the river. Hall and his helpers quartered the elk in the field for transportation, so a weight was not obtained.

"I saw this bull at the far end of that field across the road from the (National Park Service) ranger's house at Erbie," Hall said, "and the bull saw me. I hunched over and got behind a round bale of hay, got a little closer and used the top of the bale for a rifle rest. The bull went down with one shot." Hall was using a Remington 700 bolt action rifle in 7mm Magnum caliber.

Short, of Magnolia, is 83 years old and wears the unofficial title of Mr. Arkansas Elk Hunter. He got his eighth elk in as many years with a 6X6 bull that weighed 715 pounds. He won his permit at a state Elk Foundation fundraiser, and was hunting in the Hasty-Carver area near the river.

The bull was 182 yards across a field, said guide Todd Weisbrod, who used a rangefinder to measure the distance. Short shot once with the custom-built .30 caliber rifle he has used for many years.

Gilligan, of San Francisco, Calif., won his permit at a Rocky Mount Elk Foundation fundraising auction and took an 8X8 bull, meaning eight points on each side of the antlers, on the Gene Rush Wildlife Management Area of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The bull weighed 855 pounds on check station scales.

Gilligan was a repeat Arkansas elk hunter. He successfully bid on a permit in 2006 and brought in a bull nearly as large as this year's animal.

On the opening morning of the hunt, Gilligan said he spotted a large bull with an 11X9 rack. "But it was an ugly rack with tines going all directions. You wouldn't want it mounted in your living room," he said. "We came back in the afternoon to that area and saw two spike bulls come out of the brush, then a 5X5 bull. We waited, and this bigger bull was with a cow."

Gilligan put it down with one shot from his .300 Ultramag rifle, a Christiansen-built firearm that only weighs 3 pounds.

The year's second elk hunt will be in early December, with 20 hunters in the field on public land four with bull permits, 15 with cow elk permits and one youth with an either-sex permit.

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Local Youth Win Big at Arkansas State Shooting Championships

On June 8th & 9th the Ozark Youth shooting Teams competed in a NRA Program Called Youth Hunter Education Challenge. The competition was held at the C. A. Vines 4-H Center 10 miles south of Little Rock.

The Ozark Youth Shooting Club sent 4 teams to the event, 2 senior teams and 2 junior teams, each consisting of 5 shooters. One Jr. team, consisting of Seth Joyner, Gram Gordon, Colby Kittle, LaTasha Kittle and Tyler Simpson, was crowned the overall State Champion for all eight events. They will get their way paid to compete at the YHEC Internationals in Raton, New Mexico July 23^rd through July 26^th at the NRA’s Whittington Center.

Colby Kittle (pictured at left), one of the Jr. team competitors, was crowned as the State Champion in Shotgun, the State Champion in 22 Rifle, the State Champion in Muzzleloader, the State Champion in Compass & Orienteering, & the State Champion in the Hunter Responsibility Exam.

The Ozark Youth Shooting Club is a great way for parents to get their kid started in the 4-H Shooting Sports. The club teaches Safety First, and starts at age 5 with BB gun safety & proper handling.

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Governor Beebe announces first commission appointment

Governor Mike Beebe has named Rick Watkins of Little Rock as the newest commissioner of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Watkins, 50, has spent the past five years as a board member of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. He has also spent most of his life actively involved in the Boy Scouts of America, as both an Eagle Scout in his youth and as an adult volunteer.

Born and raised in Little Rock , Watkins graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a degree in Business Administration. He is the owner and president of the Watkins Company, a regional printing and advertising-distribution company. He also serves on the board of Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

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AGFC Forms 'Advisory Committee' To Aid With Deer Management Plan

LITTLE ROCK – Deer management in Arkansas is a broad topic that generates a lot of passion among the deer hunting community. To address the issues involved in deer management, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has formed three statewide Deer Management Advisory Groups.

The AGFC has divided Arkansas into three sections, based on physiographic characteristics, for this project. Three three sections are: (1) Ozark Mountains, Arkansas River Valley and Ouachita Mountains, (2) Gulf Coastal Plan – south Arkansas, and (3) Delta and Crowley’s Ridge.

The groups represent diverse interests and backgrounds. They have been assembled by the AGFC to provide assistance in a new deer management plan for Arkansas. The goal is ideas and suggestions from the hunters, representing Arkansas’ public, to be incorporated with wildlife biology essentials into a new Arkansas deer management plan.

Another new concept is the AGFC’s use of an outside facilitator company to help with the administering of the advisory group activities and public scoping meetings. On hand for the three meetings were Tommy Shropshire of Mississippi and Spencer Amend of Wyoming. Both were emphatic that their role was to help handle the meetings and the flow of information and ideas but not to contribute their input into the Arkansas deer plan. Shropshire is retired from a 30-year career with the Mississippi Game and Fish Commission, most as its chief finance officer. The new deer management plan will provide goals and direction pertaining to  hunting seasons and regulations. The final decision on seasons and regulations will remain with AGFC commissioners.

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Commissioner addresses concerns over sightings of mountain lions LITTLE ROCK – Recent reports of alleged sightings have brought to light the issue of mountain lions in Arkansas. During today's monthly meeting of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, chairman Sheffield Nelson responded to those reports, pointing out that people can defend themselves if they feel they are in eminent danger from an animal. Nelson said that people shouldn't be afraid to go out into the wilds of Arkansas for fear of being attacked by a mountain lion. "People should know that if they feel that they are in danger, they can kill an animal to protect themselves," he said. "I don't want people to be afraid to deer hunt because someone has released an animal into the wild," he added. Mountain lions were historically present throughout Arkansas until their apparent eradication, which occurred by about 1920. Since that time efforts have been made to determine the existence of this animal in Arkansas. There is no evidence that there is a wild, reproducing population of mountain lions in Arkansas, but it is probable that there are a few free-ranging mountain lions that are most likely either escaped or released pets rather than remnants of the state's original mountain lion population. In order to reduce the chance of escapes happening in the future, the Commission passed regulations last year requiring owners of pet mountain lions to obtain permits and meet minimum caging standards in order to keep their animals. Mike Freeze Completes term as AGFC Commissioner The Keo fish farmer's term ended with the groundbreaking of the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in Little Rock. Freeze was appointed by Gov. Mike Huckabee in 1999. His time on the commission ended on June 30. During his tenure on the commission, the crowning achievement of the many major projects fueled by Amendment 75 funds may be the series of four nature centers that have been completed or are presently under construction. The Governor Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center in Pine Bluff opened in July 2001 at a cost of about $5 million. Designed to resemble a Delta hunting lodge, the building covers 13,000 square feet and is surrounded by 130 acres near the Arkansas River. It’s packed with interactive exhibits, live fish and reptiles, meeting rooms, a working laboratory for students and a gift shop. The Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center in Jonesboro opened in August 2004. Its three stories include 17,000 square feet on 160 acres of prairie and woodlands, plus a pond. The $5.2 million project features exhibits that reveal the natural forces that formed the 200-mile-long ridge and native wildlife, ranging from large game animals to small insects. The Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center in Fort Smith is under construction and will be officially opened in August. Late in 2001, the AGFC purchased the 9,000-acre Choctaw Island WMA in Desha County for $1.4 million with the rest of the $4.5 million tab being picked up by matching federal funds. Choctaw is the only public land inside the levees of the Mississippi River in Arkansas. Other highlights of Freeze's term: *Seven Devils Swamp WMA in Drew County was enlarged by 3,445 acres at a cost of $1.3 million. Seven Devils is part of a 6,000-acre swamp with good fishing and waterfowl hunting. *The Spring River State Fish Hatchery in Fulton County was enlarged and renovated for $4.4 million. *The Andrew H. Hulsey State Fish Hatchery in Garland County was renovated and a new hatch house was built for $2.3 million. *Bois D’Arc WMA and Lake Bois D’Arc in Hempstead County were renovated and improved for $1.5 million. *Dave Donaldson/Black River WMA in Clay, Randolph and Greene counties received $924,000 in access and lake improvements. *Pickthorne Lake in Lonoke County was brought back to life with $856,000 in improvements. *The H.C. “Red” Morris Training Center in Faulkner County received $482,000 in upgrades to its dining hall and firing range. *The AGFC Conservation Scholarship Education Fund helps pay the way for students seeking careers in fish and wildlife management, including law enforcement, nongame specialties, public relations, education and interpretation. Amendment 75 funds and revenue from the sales of conservation license plates fund the scholarships, worth up to $3,000 per year to each college student. *At the Potlatch Conservation Education Center at Cook’s Lake in Arkansas County, three AGFC Education Division employees lead workshops for youth leaders and school groups near the White River National Wildlife Refuge. And the Ponca Elk Education Center in Newton County opened in 2002. It’s a “one-stop” introduction and education for school groups and anyone interested in the return of elk to the Buffalo River Valley. The opening of the Fred Berry Conservation Education Center on Crooked Creek took place in 2005. About 200 people heard Berry, whose family supplied about $1.75 million for the project, dedicate the facility and unveil a rock monument with a plaque listing those who helped make the center a reality. The center includes a classroom that is used for conservation, habitat and wildlife programs for students, especially those in fourth through sixth grades. *The AGFC Enforcement Division has been greatly improved. Wildlife officers work in every county and, in many cases, they are the only contact a sportsman may have with the AGFC. Each county now has at least two wildlife officers (nine counties have three officers each); positions have been added and salaries have been increased. The division’s statewide communications system – with 35-year-old repeaters, transmission cables and towers – has been overhauled with new control consoles for the central dispatch office. State-of-the-art service equipment was purchased as well. *Frog Bayou WMA was purchased as well as purchased several large additions to existing WMAs such as Bill Brewer Scatter Creek WMA. *Funding was secured for a kid's fishing lake to be built in England *Finally, the implementation of several statewide youth hunts occurred during Freeze's tenure. "The youth hunts were probably what I would consider our most significant accomplishment," Freeze said.   Ivory-billed Woodpecker search ends in Arkansas BRINKLEY - There were teasing glimpses and tantalizing sounds, but the 2005-2006 search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the Big Woods of Arkansas has concluded without a definitive visual documentation.  The search, led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, with support from Audubon Arkansas, stretched from November through April when ivory-bill activity would be highest and a lack of leaf-cover permitted clear views through the dense forest. The search included 22 full-time searchers and state-of-the-art acoustic and video monitoring technology. To supplement the full-time effort, volunteer groups of 14 spent two weeks at a time helping to search the 550,000-acre area focused on the Cache and White River National Wildlife Refuges. Remote microphones and cameras collected thousands of hours of recordings that will be reviewed by scientists at the Lab of Ornithology through a process aided by sophisticated sound-analysis software. In addition, on a number of occasions searchers heard possible ivory-bill “kent” calls and the bird’s distinctive double-rap drumming display. Other searchers glimpsed birds that could have been ivory-bills, but the fleeting nature of the encounters made it impossible to note field marks that would have made these “confirmed” sightings. A final report on the 2005-06 ivory-bill search will be issued later this summer. Commission approves permanent ban on cervid carcass importation LITTLE ROCK - The potential effects of chronic wasting disease to Arkansas' deer population compelled the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to make permanent a ban on the importation of cervid carcasses. The permanent ban was adopted at today's monthly commission meeting. An emergency ban had been in place since October, but would have expired in February 2006 if the ban had not been permanent. In 2002, the AGFC passed a similar law making it illegal to import, ship, transport or carry into the state, by any means, any live member of the cervid family, including but not limited to white-tailed deer and elk. The new ban makes it unlawful to import or possess in Arkansas a cervid carcass or carcass part from any area, as proclaimed by the AGFC, that has a known case of CWD or considered taken from a captive facility or within an enclosure. One way that the disease can be transmitted is by infected carcasses. Twenty-three states have adopted regulations affecting the transportation of hunter-harvested cervids. Chronic wasting disease is a nervous system disease that has been observed in deer and elk in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and the two Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. The disease causes damage to portions of the animal's brain and there is no cure for the fatal disease. There are, however, a few exceptions to the ban: Meat that has the bones removed. Meat that has no portions of the spinal column or head attached. Antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates, or cleaned skulls. Cleaned teeth. Finished taxidermy products. Hides and tanned products. Deer or elk harvested in commercial wildlife hunting resorts. JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF AGFC IN DEER DOG SUIT LITTLE ROCK - A long-running conflict between the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Arkansas Dog Hunters Association may be coming to an end. Last week, Judge Willard Proctor ruled in favor of the AGFC in a case dealing with the agency’s decision to ban deer hunting with dogs in certain areas of the state. The case dates back to July 2000 when the group filed suit challenging the AGFC’s regulations that expanded the area in northern and eastern Arkansas where deer hunting with dogs was prohibited. The group now has 30 days in which to file an appeal. There have been a variety of statutes and regulations in Arkansas restricting the use of dogs for hunting deer dating back to the early 1900s. Since the early 1980s, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has prohibited hunting of deer with dogs anywhere in the state during the archery and muzzleloader deer seasons. During the past 20 years, the AGFC also has prohibited the hunting of deer with dogs during the modern gun deer season in some, but not all, of the designated deer management zones in Arkansas and in the majority of state wildlife management areas. The zones where chasing deer with dogs is prohibited are primarily in the mountainous areas in northern Arkansas and agricultural areas with large fields and small woodlots in eastern Arkansas. In the mountains, deer have regular crossings that have been used for many years, and it’s relatively easy for a hunter or group of hunters to cut off the escape route for deer running along a particular ridge or hollow. By contrast, deer in the heavily wooded flat areas, such as the Gulf Coastal Plain in southwest and south-central Arkansas, have much less predictable travel routes. They also have more cover and a greater choice of escape routes, including many creeks, lakes, swamps and bayous which often enable them to lose a pack of trailing dogs. Opinion surveys commissioned by the AGFC reinforced the decision to ban hunting deer with dogs in certain regions of the state. An April 2000 telephone survey prepared by the College of Professional Studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, confirmed that residents in north and east Arkansas who opposed the use of dogs in deer hunting clearly outnumbered supporters by a margin of 21 percent. Reasons given by residents for their opposition included: the chasing and harvesting of deer with dogs is not sporting or fair; it increases the chances of trespassing on private lands; it interferes with hunting by other hunters; and it increases the chances of hunting accidents and illegal harvest of deer. Similarly, a 1998 statewide survey conducted by a Virginia-based market research firm revealed that 62 percent of Arkansas hunters surveyed expressed displeasure with seeing dogs chasing deer. Since the 2000 amendment, expanding the area where hunting dogs are banned, there have been fewer reported problems from landowners and hunters. AGFC BANS 'ROBO-DUCKS' The AGFC commissioners made permanent the ban on spinning and flapping wing decoys for the 2005-2006 waterfowl season. The decoys are defined as any “electronic, mechanically-operated, wind-powered or manually-powered spinning or flapping blade devices that simulate wing movement.” The spinning or flapping-wing decoy will be making its last appearance in Arkansas during the 2004-2005 waterfowl season. Commissioners felt that removing the decoys from the duck hunter’s arsenal in the 2005-2006 season would give both hunters and retail outlets advance notice of the ban. “We believe it’s fair to both buyers and sellers that we allow them one more season,” commissioner Sheffield Nelson of Little Rock said. “We also want to save ducks for the future,” Nelson added. Commissioners have said in the past that the spinning and flapping wing decoys helped hunters kill more young ducks that were attracted to the wing flashes. The decoys will be allowed during the snow, blue and Ross’ Conservation Order season dates of Feb. 7 to April 30. LICENSE SALES DOWN    License revenues for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission through the first seven months of the fiscal year are down nearly $500,000 compared to the same period last year, AGFC fiscal division chief Ray Sebren reported during Friday’s commission meeting.    It represents the third consecutive year of declining hunting license sales.    The biggest drop stemmed from a decline of 9,613 resident sportsman licenses, the $25 hunting license preferred by most of the state’s sportsmen. That was a drop of more than $240,000 in revenue from that license alone.    State duck stamp sales dropped from 88,930 last year to 84,227 this year, a $32,921 drop in revenue, and nonresident small-game licenses fell off nearly 12 percent, down to 17,904 this year compared to 20,718 last year.    The total drop in hunting license sales for the first seven months of the fiscal year was $722,0320.50.    Fishing licenses and lifetime licenses were up slightly to bring the total drop in license revenue to $495,105.50.