LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Director Austin Booth applauded the passage of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act on Tuesday by the U.S. House of Representatives. Booth compared HR 2773 as the modern-day equivalent of the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson Acts. These two pieces of legislation have funded the conservation efforts that fueled the…
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Subscribe to Arkansas Wildlife, receive 2022-23 calendar
It’s always a good time to subscribe to Arkansas Wildlife, the bimonthly magazine produced by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, although this may be the best time of year. The July-August issue of the magazine is the calendar edition, full of information about the Arkansas outdoors such as hunting dates and sunrise/sunset times, and…
Turtles taking to the streets; don’t box them in
Turtles are on the move all over Arkansas, and many can be found alongside roads in rural and suburban areas thanks to a wet, relatively cool spring that created excellent foraging areas in ditches and grassy areas beside the hustle of daily traffic. Many turtles are finishing up their annual breeding and egg-laying cycles, which…
Apply for a 2022 Arkansas alligator hunt permit
Applications for the 2022 Arkansas alligator season are available at www.agfc.com from 8 a.m., June 15 through midnight, June 30. Anyone interested in pursuing alligators on public land in Arkansas must apply for one of the six hunting locations within two of Arkansas’s three open Alligator Management Zones. The 2022 alligator permit draw will have…
Identify, avoid Arkansas’ six venomous snake species this summer
As summer approaches in the Natural State, many Arkansans will take to hiking trails, campgrounds, lakes, rivers and favorite swimming holes to enjoy time outdoors. While doing so, it’s important to be aware of Arkansas’ native snakes – including six venomous species – and how to avoid them. Arkansas has 39 native snake species. Six…
Sunrise at Slicks a fitting tribute to Arkansas’s duck dynasty
STUTTGART — Set among a backdrop filled with the sounds of soft greeting calls and the smells of a duck blind breakfast, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson joined the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to unveil the 41st annual state duck stamp in front of the crowd gathered in Stuttgart…
Pond Management workshop set for June 9
Unattended baby wild animals might not be abandoned
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas is blessed with an abundance of wildlife and their offspring. Throughout the spring and summer, it is not uncommon to come across unattended baby wild animals. But alone doesn’t mean orphaned when it comes to wildlife. Many people discover apparently lost or abandoned wildlife young and take them in, thinking they…
Arkansas WMA Deer Hunt Permit opportunities expanded, apply today
LITTLE ROCK — The application period for special deer hunting permits on many wildlife management areas in Arkansas is open until 11:59 p.m. July 1, and hunters will notice many new opportunities, thanks to regulations passed during the May Commission meeting. Many WMAs managed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission are open during fall…
Enjoy summer fun while practicing sun safety tips to avoid skin cancer, sunburn
LITTLE ROCK — As temperatures warm up and the school year winds down, Arkansas families are preparing to spend more time outside during the summer months. While the Natural State offers plenty of opportunities for fun in the sun, it’s important to practice sun safety by using sunscreen, avoiding prolonged sun exposure and wearing protective…
Safety first for Memorial Day boaters
LITTLE ROCK – The Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial beginning of summer for Arkansas’s boating fraternity. It’s one of the busiest times on the water, but can be one of the most dangerous if proper precautions aren’t taken. “Thousands of people hit the water for a day in the sun, but many do so…
Fall planting strawberries? When is too late, and too early, to plant in Arkansas?
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Planting strawberries in the fall to get a robust crop the following spring is typical with growers. But how late is too late for fall planting of strawberries in Arkansas? The Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, conducted a three-year study to provide…
College scholarships available for conservation-minded students
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is offering scholarships for any student interested in a conservation career. Applications will be accepted until June 15 for the fall 2022 semester. Scholarships are available for any Arkansas resident paying in-state tuition with a declared major related to conservation or agriculture. A complete list of…
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission sets 2023-24 waterfowl season dates, passes bear season expansion
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission today unanimously approved a package of regulations changes that included the adoption of a new waterfowl season structure, beginning with the 2023-24 seasons. The upcoming waterfowl season will follow the same format as last season, with the following dates: 2022-23 Arkansas Waterfowl SeasonsDuck, Coot and Merganser…
Arkansas turkey harvest inches up
LITTLE ROCK — Natural State turkey hunters saw an uptick in checked birds during this spring’s three-week turkey hunting season, which ran from April 18 to May 8. Hunters checked 7,578 turkeys, an 8 percent increase from last year’s 7,013-bird total. That number also includes harvest totals from the state’s youth hunters who enjoyed a…
Rescheduled wildlife rehabilitation workshop in Northwest Arkansas
SPRINGDALE — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, will host a free one-day workshop for anyone interested in learning about wildlife rehabilitation and the rules concerning rehabilitating native animals in Arkansas at 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. May 21 at the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center. This workshop was originally planned for February…
Find every AGFC fish attractor with your phone or fishfinder
LITTLE ROCK — Last month Jon Stein, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fisheries biologist in northwest Arkansas, had the opportunity to present to AGFC commissioners and the public the highlights from the latest large-scale habitat project at Beaver Lake. Biologists created 145 new fish attractor locations during the project, but it’s only the tip of…
Arkansas squirrel season opens May 15
LITTLE ROCK — With turkey hunting season wrapped up, many hunters will be putting away their shotguns until fall, but there’s another spring season that gives Arkansas hunters plenty of reasons to keep the scattergun cleaned and ready. Arkansas’s squirrel season opens May 15, and for those who enjoy chasing these treetop targets, it’s a…
Bowhunting opportunity for dinosaurs and sasquatch coming to AGFC archery range
CONWAY – Archery buffs throughout Arkansas are invited to take their shot at some of the most interesting targets and challenging situations offered in the bowhunting world at the R100 being held at the Camp Robinson Special Use Area archery ranges May 13-15. The archery ranges are at 331 Clinton Road in Conway. The R100…
17,800 trees given away during Arkansas Department of Agriculture “Free Tree Fridays” campaign
LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s second annual “Free Tree Fridays” campaign resulted in the distribution of 17,800 trees during 36 events held across the state each Friday from March 18 through April 29. The events were hosted by the Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division in honor of National Arbor Day, which is…
Tagged catfish are being stocked around the state
LITTLE ROCK – Thousands of channel catfish from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission hatcheries are being stocked at several locations around the state, and a select few carry a “bonus prize” if you catch them. Each of Arkansas’s Family and Community Fishing Program stocking locations have catfish wearing a brightly colored tag just behind their…