New AGFC deputy director helps Batten down the leadership hatches
Aug. 3, 2022
LITTLE ROCK – Ben Batten belies the upper Midwest background that directed him on the path of outdoors and conservation work some 18 years ago. Rather, even with less of a Southern twang than most of his fellow Arkansas Game and Fish Commission employees possess, one still might mistake him for a native Arkansan in the way he seems to know every nook and cranny of this state, every fish in its waters, or the best spots to find deer, ducks and other “critters,” as he calls them.
Help guide future habitat work for Arkansas’s quail and turkey populations
Aug. 3, 2022
The break in triple-digit temperatures may inspire many outdoors enthusiasts to pick up their hiking, cycling and camping adventures, and many hunters’ minds already are centered around improvements they can make in their favorite hunting location or scouting a new piece of public land for fall. If you happen to scare up a covey of quail or see a turkey during your adventures, the AGFC wants to know.
Jackson, Naylor earn national acclaim
Aug. 3, 2022
Two biologists with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission received high praise from national waterfowl conservation organization Delta Waterfowl during a special Champions of Delta Luncheon Saturday at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. Luke Naylor, AGFC chief of wildlife management, and Jason “Buck” Jackson, AGFC Wetlands Program coordinator, were honored with Delta Waterfowl’s Conservation Leader Award for spearheading the AGFC’s Waterfowl Rice Incentive Conservation Enhancement Program, a new effort to increase flooded rice on the landscape and offer increased hunting opportunities on managed lands.
Practice conservation with crab-stuffed striped bass
Aug. 3, 2022
ROGERS — Catch-and-release might be the mantra of the modern angler, but when it comes to summer fishing, keeping a few for the grill or fryer can actually be more beneficial than catching and releasing fish all day on the water. Juan Granados of Hooked on Fishing Guide Service on Beaver Lake, may just have the best way to taste the fruits of conservation with this version of crab-stuffed grilled striped bass.
Arkansas Wildlife Weekly Fishing Report
July 28, 2022
The smallmouth bass are making a great target on the cool waters of the Spring River in northeast Arkansas. Mitch (no last name given) was fishing with Spring River guide Mark Crawford, when he caught this nice smallie on a picture-perfect day (sure, it was hot, but the lower water temp helped). Crawford said the hotter weather has helped the smallmouth bite.He says they've been chasing smallies in deeper water areas, with black or olive Woolies tied to jigheads being hot lures.
Forest management and recovery work beginning in Bayou Meto
July 27, 2022
Contractors with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will begin the first stage of forest management and recovery on George H. Dunklin Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area in Arkansas County this week, thanks in part to abnormally dry conditions this summer.
Apply for an opportunity to hunt doves with the AGFC on opening weekend
July 27, 2022
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has eleven opportunities throughout the state this year for hunters looking to hunt doves during the Labor Day Weekend opener. Four of these managed fields are on AGFC Wildlife Management Areas and seven are privately-owned fields the AGFC has leased from farmers to offer additional opportunities for the public to enjoy the kickoff to hunting season.Applications will be accepted Aug. 1-15 at www.agfc.com.