LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism hosted Natural State Day at the Capitol today, showcasing the profound economic, cultural, and recreational impact of the outdoor industry in Arkansas. Attendees experienced exhibits from over 30 outdoor recreation organizations and businesses, highlighting Arkansas’ thriving outdoor economy. Article by Arkansas Department of…
LITTLE ROCK – Several Arkansas wildlife management areas will be closed temporarily to daytime public access for short periods of time during February and March. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services, in cooperation with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, will be conducting aerial operations to facilitate feral hog…
LITTLE ROCK – Thirty juvenile Alabama shad are striking out on a 650-mile journey from the Ouachita River in southwest Arkansas to the Gulf Coast and beyond, and for the first time in history, biologists with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will be tagging along. BySarah Baxter, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission The Alabama…
LITTLE ROCK – When America’s founding fathers affixed a bald eagle to the Great Seal of the United States in 1782, they likely had no idea they were highlighting what would become one of the greatest wildlife comeback stories of all time. Article by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission America’s symbol stood on the…
LITTLE ROCK — Stocking threadfin shad is a relatively new endeavor for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. These tiny, silvery minnows may not be glamorous, but they have a big impact on your favorite sport fish, be it bass, crappie or walleye. They also are somewhat delicate, making them not only difficult to raise…
LITTLE ROCK — Anglers turning the pages of the newly revised 2025 Arkansas Fishing Guidebook, which is arriving at local sporting goods stores this week, will notice a few changes to regulations on the “New This Year†section in the front. Most changes to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s fishing regulations were minor modifications to…
JASPER — Twenty elk were harvested during Arkansas’s 2024 season, including some impressive bulls, according to Wes Wright, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s elk program coordinator. By Jeff Williams Editor, Arkansas Wildlife Magazine Of the 20, 14 were taken on private land and six from public land. Nine were bulls and 11 were antlerless. All nine…
MOUNTAIN HOME – As anglers head out to some of The Natural State’s world-class trout tailwaters for a shot at a trophy trout this winter, please remember to watch out for the many nests (called redds) they’re making as part of their annual spawning run. Unlike warmwater species that prefer a spring-to-summer spawning season, Arkansas’s…
JASPER — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is wrapping up a four-year population study concerning the effects of chronic wasting disease and is asking hunters for their help recovering the deer tagged for the project. During the last four years, researchers from the University of Georgia have trapped adult male and female deer and…
MONTICELLO — Game Warden Austin Powell keeps racking up major honors for his enforcement work for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, but he knows he doesn’t do that work alone. Article by Jim HarrisManaging Editor, Arkansas Wildlife “There’s no way any one person could win any award like this by himself,†Powell said of…
LITTLE ROCK — When the eggnog is finished and the last of the holiday feasts are over, many live Christmas trees are destined to sit next to the road until the sanitation department picks them up. Instead of tossing your festive fir to the curb on Dec. 26, donate it to the Arkansas Game and…
LITTLE ROCK – A colleague once received a pair of jumper cables from his father-in-law for Christmas. The only response he could give was, “Thanks, I hope I never need them.†They may not have had the charm of a new set of golf clubs, but those jumper cables have bailed him out of more…
LITTLE ROCK – As water begins to accumulate in public duck hunting areas throughout Arkansas, hunters are starting to scramble to find the water and the ducks. Hunters can help keep Arkansas’s lakes and rivers healthy by taking a few moments at the end of each hunting day to inspect their boats, trailers and hunting…
FOUKE — Sulphur River Wildlife Management Area is known for its remoteness, but the recent addition of an AGFC water trail and birding trails makes the area more accessible for outdoor enthusiasts. By Kirsten Bartlow,AGFC Watchable Wildlife Program Coordinator The 18,155-acre area in Miller County is the largest remaining tract of bottomland hardwoods in the…
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is asking waterfowl hunters and wildlife watchers heading to the field to keep an eye out for any sick or dead birds they find in the wild that may be the result of avian influenza. The risk of humans contracting the disease remains low, but hunters…
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas students interested in a conservation career may be able to find a little tuition assistance thanks to the colorful wildlife-themed license plates found on cars throughout The Natural State. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Conservation Scholarship Program is accepting applications for the 2025-26 academic year until Dec. 31, 2024. The…
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will hold its first-ever public land draw hunts for northern bobwhite this December and the time to apply begins Dec. 2. Article by Randy Zellers, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. For the 2024-25 hunting season, Stone Prairie WMA in Faulkner County and Little Bayou WMA in…
MOUNTAIN VIEW — The 2025 Arkansas Conservation License Plate was unveiled at a special presentation Wednesday night at Ozark Folk Center State Park. The image, a brown trout swimming in prime Arkansas tailwater habitat, is sure to stir emotions in the souls of anglers throughout The Natural State and envy in the eyes of anglers…
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation has the perfect opportunity to contribute to conservation efforts in Arkansas and maybe pick up a fantastic gift for that someone special on your holiday shopping list. Tickets for their annual “12 Guns of Christmas†membership drive are available now. Article by Randy Zellers. Arkansas Game…
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas deer hunters working with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Deer Management Assistance Program and Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry are putting meat in the freezer for hundreds of Arkansas schoolchildren, thanks to a new partnership to better coordinate hunts used to balance their deer herds. Article by Randy Zellers, Arkansas…
MOUNTAIN VIEW — Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Director Austin Booth tendered his resignation during today’s monthly commission meeting at the Ozark Folk Center Visitor Center auditorium. Booth’s resignation becomes effective Jan. 4, 2025. He’s been the AGFC director since 2021. Booth explained that the commitments of his family and faith had to be balanced…