DUMAS
Arkansas's deer hunting next fall would be liberalized somewhat under a proposal made by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Wildlife Management Division.
The proposals were presented at the AGFC's regular monthly meeting Thursday, held this time in the Dumas Community Center.
The commissioners will study the suggestions and will take action at their March meeting.
The proposed changes in deer hunting are not sweeping, but several are significant. The one-deer limit would be removed for the increasingly popular statewide youth hunt and on wildlife management areas that allow youth hunting. The new limit would be the regular season limit. Some deer zones have season limits of three deer and some have a four-deer limit.
The number of zone quota doe permits would be increased in Deer Zones 3, 6, 7 and 8. Hunting of doe in these zones has been restricted for several years, and landowners are reporting seeing many more doe on their property, the wildlife management staff proposal said.
The number of days for deer hunting would be the same as the 2007-2008 season except for en extra two days for Deer Zones 16, 16A and 17 southeastern Arkansas and the land inside the main Mississippi River levees.
Some changes were also proposed for elk hunting along the Buffalo River. Zone B, which is private land in Newton and Madison counties west of Boxley Valley, was opened to hunting last fall with a three-day season. This would increase to five days by the staff proposal, but only one bull elk could be taken on land of a participating landowner. The Zone B quota would be increased from five to 10, and hunting would stop at 1 p.m. each day.
Elk Zone 4, mostly private land in Searcy County, would be expanded by about 9,500 acres, including some Ozark National Forest land.
Fall hunting of turkey in Turkey Zones1, 2 and 7, plus several wildlife management areas, would be closed. Turkey populations in these areas are down, the staff said. Turkey Zone 5B and St. Francis National Forest would be open to fall hunting. They are closed now.
Trapping season would be lengthened by a week, the staff proposed. Coyote season would be extended by two months.
A number of other minor changes were proposed.
In other action, the commissioners:
1. Approved expanding the parking lot at an access area on SWEPCO Lake in Benton County. Cost will be about $8,000.
2. Approved a boundary change for a commercial fishing area on the White River near Newport and Jacksonport.
3. Approved the agency's Strategic Deer Management Plan, which was crafted over the past year with a number of private citizens involved.
