Friends of the St. Francis National Forest help renovate wildlife openings
Oct. 16, 2019
MARIANNA - The St. Francis National Forest towers from the Crowley’s Ridge land formation in east Arkansas. Deep gorges and rolling ridges shaping this forest offer a diverse and remarkable addition in this otherwise flat Delta area. Although flat areas in the forest are relatively uncommon, many were cleared and maintained as wildlife openings that have been managed for decades. These openings further diversify available habitat by encouraging herbaceous vegetation to thrive with limited shady competition from trees. These openings offer exceptional habitat for many species. They provide whitetail deer fawning habitat, nesting and foraging habitat for wild turkeys, and habitat for pollinators and other species that thrive along the edge of open land.
Identify these six trees for success this hunting season
Oct. 2, 2019
LITTLE ROCK — Deer hunters looking for new stakeouts are often keyed on rubs and scrapes. These telltale signs of whitetail activity are roadmaps for hunters during the rut. But the best advice for pursuing all species including deer, is to follow the food. Even during the rut, does still look for something to eat, and the bucks will follow.
Help the AGFC keep tabs on Arkansas’s bear population
Oct. 2, 2019
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists are keeping a watchful eye on growing bear populations throughout Arkansas, and as part of this expanded monitoring effort, biologists are asking hunters and outdoors enthusiasts to help record bear sightings through a simple online survey on iNaturalist.org.
Henry Gray WMA drainage project a marathon, not a sprint
Sept. 30, 2019
GEORGETOWN — If only opening up the water drainage in a wildlife management area were as simple as pouring in a few hundred gallons of Liquid Plumber. Of course, it’s not. The drainage corridors in the South Unit of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Henry Gray Hurricane Lake WMA are so clogged, the AGFC summoned a Louisiana company to send two amphibious mulching machines and an amphibious excavator to clear the way for water to drain out of the unit.
Greentree reservoir infrastructure operation plans similar to last waterfowl season
Sept. 30, 2019
LITTLE ROCK – Duck hunters making plans for their 2019-20 season in Arkansas’s famed public greentree reservoirs will find similar operation plans in place this season as they saw last year.
Arkansas still leads nation in mallard harvest
Sept. 30, 2019
LITTLE ROCK — According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recently released Migratory Bird Hunting Activity and Harvest for the 2017-19 and 2018-19 Hunting Seasons, Arkansas is still the premier state for hunters who pursue Mr. Mallard above all other species. According to Harvest Information Program reporting, Arkansas hunters shot an estimated 477,817 mallards last year, more than any other state in the country and even more than the entire Atlantic Flyway.
WMAs benefit from Eagle Scout projects
Sept. 27, 2019
LITTLE ROCK – Eagle Scout projects in central Arkansas have helped not only the prospective scout attain his chief goal in the Boy Scouts of America, they’ve enhanced some Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s wildlife management areas.