LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission heard proposed hunting regulations for the 2012-2013 hunting seasons Thursday in Little Rock, including some significant deer hunting items.
For archery deer season, David Goad, the AGFC’s wildlife management chief, proposed a Sept. 15 opener, with the season ending Feb. 28. The traditional opening date was Oct. 1.
Proposed dates for modern gun deer season are Nov. 10-Dec. 2 in most zones, Nov. 10-11 for Zone 4, Nov. 10-11 and Nov. 17-18 in Zone 5, Nov. 10-Dec. 9 in Zones 4A, 5A, 14 and 15, Nov. 10-18 in Zone 4B and 5B, Nov. 10-Dec. 16 in Zones 9, 12 and 13 and Nov. 10-Dec. 25 in Zones 16, 16A and 17.
Proposed dates for muzzleloader deer season are Oct. 20-28, and Dec. 15-17 statewide, and Oct. 20-28 and Dec. 29-31 in Zones 9, 12, 13, 16, 16A and 17.
One major proposal will establish an antlerless modern gun deer hunt statewide Oct. 13-17. This proposal will replace the doe season that was held in 2011 and will allow hunters to kill button bucks without committing a violation.
“Last year it was a doeonly season,” Goad said. “There will be some button bucks harvested. We can’t help it, but we want to get those deer checked, and we don’t want to make violators out of people.”
The special youth modern gun hunt was proposed for Nov. 3-4.
For the 2013 spring turkey season, Goad proposed a 17-day season running from April 20-May 5 statewide, and from April 20-28 in turkey management zones 4, 4A, 5A and 9A.
The proposed season limit will be two legal gobblers or bearded hens, but no jakes. The limit will be one legal gobbler or bearded hen.
Even if Arkansas has a good turkey hatch in 2012, Goad said he would recommend keeping a conservative season in 2014, if not beyond.
Bowing to public pressure, Goad said he tabled a recommendation to eliminate the controversial flood prone zones that regulate deer hunting along major waterways in eastern Arkansas during flood events. Goad said he does not believe it’s necessary to keep the zones, but said landowners in that region favor keeping them. Instead, he recommended using a different gauge on the White River to trigger closing and reopening deer hunting in Flood Prone Zone F.
Currently, the St. Charles gauge is the trigger. Goad recommended using the gauge at the Graham Burke Outlet on the White River. Under this proposal, the White River must reach 150 feet MSL (30 feet), and the gauge at Lock & Dam No. 1 on the Arkansas River must reach 145 feet MSL at the same time to close deer hunting in that zone. Hunting would resume when levels hit 148 feet MSL at the Burke gauge and 143 feet MSL at Lock & Dam No. 1.
In a fisheries-related item, the Commission approved a land donation at Pendleton on the Arkansas River. The area will become a fishing tournament weigh-in facility. The facility will be known as the Lauren Gasaway Pendleton Fishing Tournament Weigh-In Center. The commission approved spending $5,000 to cover closing costs.
In other business, the commission approved spending $25,000 to put gravel on roads and parking areas on Henry Gray Hurricane Lake Wildlife Management Area, and also to spend $10,000 to grade and gravel six access areas at Lake Atkins.
Sports, Pages 19 on 03/30/2012