LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will accept applications for one of seven permit-based dove-hunting locations Aug. 1-15. Every September, hunters get excited to start their hunting season with a blast. Dove fly through the state during annual migrations, presenting one of the most difficult wingshooting targets available in The Natural State,…
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Put your stamp on quail and turkey conservation
LITTLE ROCK — Anyone interested in helping conserve and promote quail and turkey habitat in The Natural State may want to take a second look at their options while renewing their annual hunting and license this year. Although the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s quail and turkey stamps won’t deliver your letter through the U.S.…
NIFA grant supports innovative blackberry research in Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Ryan Dickson, an assistant professor of horticulture for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, has been developing research since 2018 on growing blackberries indoors and recently secured a nearly $750,000 grant to further that work over the next four years. The experiment station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System…
Garden Interest Information Reception
Are you interested in gardening? Do you think you have a brown thumb? Drew County Master Gardeners are hosting a meet and greet to highlight some easy gardening ideas Saturday, August 3, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce on Gaines Street. Watch demonstrations and learn to make a container garden, tips…
Commission clarifies nonresident deer dog regulations, early archery hunt
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission today approved a dozen clarifications to regulations passed during May’s Commission meeting. While most changes were simple clarifications in wording, four changes may affect hunters during upcoming deer and turkey seasons. The first change was the reinstatement of a $100 nonresident turkey permit that can be…
Temporary catch-and-release fish advisory issued near Smackover
EL DORADO – Anglers fishing Holmes Creek and Smackover Creek should temporarily refrain from keeping or eating fish caught from portions of these Union-County waters due to the recent oil spill in the area. The Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment’s Division of Environmental…
Arkansas Department of Agriculture Raises Awareness on Invasive Species: Cogongrass, Manchurian Wild Rice, and Water Hyacinth
LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is issuing a public service announcement to raise awareness about the presence and potential threats posed by invasive species recently identified in Arkansas: cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), Manchurian wild rice (Zizania latifolia), and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). Invasive species, whether plants, animals, or other organisms, are non-native…
AGFC forest management earns high marks in independent audit
LITTLE ROCK — On the surface, cutting trees to make more trees may sound a bit counterintuitive, but that’s exactly what the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is doing, and according to the results of a recent audit, it’s just the right medicine for some of the forests under the AGFC’s care. The audit was…
AGFC works with private landowners to open new water for angling
LITTLE ROCK — Anglers looking for a new honey hole may be able to score some fishing time at a few new private waters this year, thanks to three landowners who joined the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Public Access to Private Waters initiative. Public access to water is abundant in Arkansas, but there’s always…
Fish kills natural summer phenomenon on small waters
LITTLE ROCK – Anyone who has ever had their breath taken away after sitting in a car that’s been parked in the summer sun will tell you that even a momentary drop in oxygen can turn things upside down. The same holds true for fish if the dissolved oxygen in a pond or lake crashes.…
Leftover WMA Deer Hunt Permit sale begins July 15
LITTLE ROCK — Nearly 700 permits to participate in special deer hunts at Arkansas wildlife management areas will be available for purchase beginning 9 a.m. Monday, July 15. These permits cover modern gun, alternative firearms, youth and mobility-impaired hunts that weren’t awarded through the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s annual WMA deer permit drawing earlier…
Paddlesports see national rise in fatalities
LITTLE ROCK — Sales of canoes, kayaks and paddleboards have surged since 2020, with more Americans than ever taking to the water aboard a paddling craft. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, boating fatalities associated with padding craft have increased as well. According to the USCG’s 2023 Boating Statistics, 304 injuries requiring medical attention were…
Increased enforcement efforts bolster safe waters during holiday weekend
HOT SPRINGS — Game wardens patrolling Natural State waterways reported no boating fatalities over the course of last weekend’s Independence Day celebrations, thanks in part to increased boating safety presence throughout the state. According to Sydney Grant, boating law administrator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, 121 AGFC game wardens worked 2,400 hours, patrolling…
Wildlife-inspired murals draw attention to Little Rock nature center
LITTLE ROCK — The Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in Little Rock provided plenty of canvas space for a recently unveiled collection of murals. Work by Fayetteville artist Jason Jones was revealed to the public June 24 on four exterior walls of the center at 602 President Clinton Ave. in the River Market…
Rehabilitated wildlife released in Ouachita River for Independence Day
SMACKOVER — Members of a coordinated response team were able to release just over a dozen turtles, frogs and other reptiles recovered from the recent oil spill near Smackover into the Ouachita River yesterday. The animals were cleaned and monitored by professional oil recovery contractors before release. The spill, which affected portions of Holmes Creek…
Plan Your Plots For Fall Success
LITTLE ROCK — Even though deer season is months away, there’s plenty of planning to be done now for landowners looking to increase the attractiveness of their land to deer during this fall’s hunting seasons. Jeremy Brown, Deer Management Assistance Program Coordinator in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Private Lands Habitat Division, says successful…
Report quail, turkey sightings and help biologists measure the hatch
LITTLE ROCK — Citizen scientists across Arkansas can help the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission keep tabs on this year’s eastern wild turkey and northern bobwhite hatch by reporting any birds of these two species they see during their summer travels. According to David Moscicki, Turkey Program coordinator for the AGFC, biologists can combine data…
Arkansas Wildlife Calendar Coming For Subscribers
LITTLE ROCK — Mark your outdoor days with the Arkansas Wildlife calendar! The 40th edition will be published July 1, but it’s not too late to get a copy for your kitchen, office, garage or business. If you order a subscription to Arkansas Wildlife magazine (the calendar is the July-August issue) by July 15, the 2024-25 calendar will be…
Summer travels can land bears in hot water
LITTLE ROCK — As if on cue, a bear sighting near Rock Creek Monday morning reminded everyone that Arkansas is home to the most successful reintroductions of a large carnivore in history. The Natural State’s Bear population is definitely a source of pride for many wildlife enthusiasts here in Arkansas, but it also means the…
It’s a Free Fishing Weekend!
Get the kids and all the family together and enjoy a weekend of free fishing, all on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has proclaimed June 7-9 as Free Fishing Weekend in Arkansas, and anyone (Arkansan or nonresident) of any age may fish the waters of Arkansas without a fishing license…
Apply for a WMA Deer Permit Hunt June 1-July 1
LITTLE ROCK — If you’re looking for a place to hunt white-tailed deer this fall in Arkansas, don’t miss the opportunity to apply for one of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s permit-based deer hunts on a wildlife management area near you. Applications for these draw hunt opportunities are available from 8 a.m. June 1-11:59…