Nov. 23, 2020
Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications
LITTLE ROCK — Joe Morgan, the vice-chairman of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, died Saturday morning from complications of pulmonary fibrosis. He was 76 years old.
Morgan was Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s first appointment to the Commission in 2015. At Morgan’s appointment, Hutchinson said the decision was to select someone who understood the culture of the outdoors in Arkansas.
“I wanted someone who is engaged and passionate, who values, respects and treasures our incredible natural resources,” Hutchinson said. "Joe Morgan is an ideal fit. He understands the importance of the work of the Game and Fish Commission and what it means to the general public, to the average Arkansan.”
Morgan’s passing on the opening day of Arkansas’s duck season pays tribute to the man, who worked diligently to maintain the quality of public and private land duck hunting in The Natural State. He and his son Brett Morgan both served on the Commission and both fought fervently for Arkansas duck hunters, particularly on George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area. His most recent contributions to the Commission included the passage of regulations on Dave Donaldson Black River WMA and Bayou Meto to require all boats and hunters to be off water-inundated areas by noon instead of 1 p.m. to give ducks more time to rest on these highly pressured waterfowl hunting areas.
"It’s a sad day for all of us here at the AGFC,” AGFC Director Pat Fitts said. “We knew Joe as a stalwart waterfowl hunter. He wanted nothing more than to make sure all Arkansans had the opportunity to enjoy the state’s great natural resources. We’ll all miss his wry sense of humor and wisdom."
Morgan, who worked and lived among the Stuttgart community, served on the Arkansas Motor Vehicle Commission for 14 years, spending three of those years as chairman.
Morgan’s term as an AGFC commissioner was set to expire at the end of June 2022.