The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission approved early migratory bird hunting seasons, heard proposals for the late migratory bird seasons and discussed an earlier opening for the spring turkey season during its monthly meeting Thursday in Little Rock.
Early migratory bird seasons include dove, early teal season, woodcock, snipe and gallinule. The commission approved a two-segment dove season that will run Sept. 5-Oct. 24 and Dec. 19-Jan. 7, 2016. The daily limit will be 15 mourning doves, with a possession limit of 45. There will be no daily or possession limit for Eurasian collared doves.
EARLY MIGRATORY SEASONS
Dove Sept. 5-Oct. 24; Dec. 19 - Jan. 7, 2016
Teal Sept. 12-27
Woodcock Nov. 7-Dec. 21
Purple Gallinule Sept. 1 – Nov. 9
Common Moorhen Sept. 1 – Nov. 9
Rail Sept. 12 – Nov. 20
Common Snipe Nov. 1-Feb. 15, 2016
LATE MIGRATORY SEASONS (PROPOSED)
Duck, Coot and Mergansers Nov. 21-29, Dec. 10-23, Dec. 26-Jan. 31, 2016
White-Fronted Goose Nov. 19 – Jan. 31, 2016
Snow, Blue and Ross’s Goose Nov. 19-Jan. 31, 2016
Late Canada Goose – Nov. 19 – Jan. 31
Special Youth Waterfowl Feb. 6-7
Snow, Blue, Ross’s Goose Conservation Order Season Oct. 10-Nov. 18; Feb. 1-5, 2016 and Feb. 8-April 25, 2016.
Early teal season will run Sept. 12-27. The daily limit will be six teal, and the possession limit will be 18.
Early Canada goose season will be Sept. 1-15, and Sept. 19-28 in the northwest zone. The daily limit will be five Canada geese in the early season, with a possession limit of 15.
As expected, Luke Naylor, the commission's waterfowl biologist, proposed a 60-day duck season in three segments. The segments will run Nov. 21-29, Dec. 10-23 and Dec. 26-Jan. 31. The daily limit will be six ducks, of which no more than four can be mallards, and of which no more than two can be hens. Daily, hunters can kill no more than two pintails, one mottled duck, three scaup, three wood ducks, two redheads, two canvasbacks and one black duck. The possession limit will be no more three daily limits of each species.
At Bayou Meto WMA, the daily limit will be four ducks. No more than three can be mallards, and no more than two can be hens.
The commission also heard a proposal to start turkey season a week earlier than in the past but took no action.
Commissioner Ken Reeves of Harrison made a motion for the earlier season, but the wildlife management division opposed it because data about the spring hatch and nesting success are not available. The motion passed a in a 4-2 committee vote but was not voted on during the formal meeting.
"In 40 years of practicing law, yesterday's presentation by Brad Carner [chief of wildlife management] was one of the best I've ever seen," Reeves said. "It was thorough and substantive, and most of us on the commission know more about turkeys now than we did before. I know the staff disagrees with my recommendation. We'll see how the poult-to-hen data turns out after the surveys."
In other business, the commission approved the purchase of a 160-acre inholding at Dagmar WMA and a 5-acre inholding at Two Bayous Creek WMA in Ouachita County. The Ouachita County purchase will provide access to a remote portion of the Ouachita River.
Sports on 07/17/2015