Biologists with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission recently proposed continuing a conservative-turkey-season structure. The conservative-season structure has been in place since 2007. If approved at the October meeting, the season would be 18 days for most of the state, with an additional two-day youth hunt.
The proposed season would begin April 16, 2011, and continue through May 3, 2011, in zones 1, 2, 3, 4B, 5, 5B, 6, 7, 7A, 8, 9, 10 and 17. In zones 4, 4A, 5A and 9A, the season would run April 16, 2011, through April 26, 2011. Zone 1A would remain closed. A youth hunt is proposed for April 9-10, 2011, in all open zones. Another proposal for the turkey season would absorb zones 17A and 17B into Zone 17 and eliminate the one-week-earlier opening date for those zones.
The Wildlife Management Division arrived at the conservative season after reviewing turkey-season harvest information and brood-survey and gobbling-chronology figures for the past several years. Fall turkey season was closed in 2009 and will remain closed in 2010 to complement the conservative strategy.
A change in the season bag limit was also proposed by AGFC turkey biologist Mike Widner.
“After reviewing final brood-survey results that show poor gobbler carryover and better reproduction in some areas of Arkansas, the staff now supports a more restrictive bag limit and proposes a two-bearded-turkey, no-jake regulation,” Widner explained.
The turkey team did not recommend any change to the already more restrictive bag limit in zones 4, 4A, 5A and 9A, Widner said.
If approved, the bag limit for those zones would be one bearded turkey and no jakes. Youth hunters will still be allowed to harvest one jake in any open zone.
— Information courtesy of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission