Deer hunters will get their first opportunity to hunt with modern firearms Saturday through Wednesday during the private land antlerless-only modern gun hunt.
This is the third act of the annual Arkansas deer hunting extravaganza that began Sept. 24 with the opening of archery season. Muzzleloader season -- the second act -- ended Sunday. The private land antlerless-only hunt is next, followed by the statewide youth deer season Nov. 5-6.
The headline act, modern gun deer season, opens Nov. 12. Its duration depends on the deer management zone.
As for the matter at hand, the private land antlerless-only season is an opportunity for private landowners and lease members to reduce the number of antlerless deer on their property.
Reducing the number of does might be desirable for a number of reasons. It can reduce competition for food, which is especially important for hunting clubs that lease industrial pine forestland. These properties generally contain limited and marginal natural forage. This can limit body weights and antler growth.
Reducing the number of deer obviously increases the amount and quality of nutrition available for remaining deer.
Secondly, reducing doe numbers can help balance the buck-to-doe ratio on a property. That can compress the breeding period and intensify rutting activity. That enhances the overall deer hunting experience.
For an antlerless reduction program to succeed, landowners and lease clubs must actually kill enough does to matter. Killing one or two doesn't contribute much.
As always, hunters must be careful to avoid shooting button bucks because a button buck counts against your season limit of two bucks. Examine a deer's head closely. A doe head is sleek and straight. A button buck has prominent nodes in front of the ears that interrupt its symmetry.
You must also brace yourself for the possibility that a mature, trophy buck will offer a ridiculously easy opportunity that you will have to decline. This is not merely possible under Hendricks' Luck. It is probable.
For this reason, some hunters do not participate in the private land antlerless-only season. It's heartbreaking to encounter an exceptional buck that you will probably not see again.
You can, of course, kill a buck with a bow or crossbow during the private land antlerless-only season, but checking a buck during these dates as an archery or crossbow kill might invite scrutiny from the AGFC's enforcement division. Document an arrow kill as thoroughly as you can. Photos are advisable. Video is better. Don't clean the crossbow bolt or arrow.
Even though the youth deer season follows, the private land antlerless-only season is a great time to take a child hunting. It eliminates the decision that some create by passing on a doe in hopes of getting a buck.
On the other hand, it might require a delicate explanation and some consoling when Hendricks' Law comes into play.
Trapping workshop
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will hold a furbearer trapping workshop Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in downtown Little Rock.
This event will demonstrate how conservationists use trapping to help manage wildlife and habitats. Studies by Delta Waterfowl, for example, demonstrate a strong scientific correlation between waterfowl, furbearers and furbearer control.
AGFC employees will introduce participants to Arkansas' fur-bearing mammals and explain how trapping furbearers benefits other species such as wild turkeys and bobwhite quail. They are preferred prey for furbearing animals like raccoons, bobcats, skunks and coyotes. Otters, another popular furbearer, can severely impact game fish populations in streams, rivers ponds and other compact water bodies.
The AGFC will also cover topics like basic trapping safety, traps and equipment, selective trapping techniques, best management practices, trap preparation, and Arkansas trapping regulations.
Even if you don't intend to take up trapping, the workshop will be instructional for justifying trapping as a legitimate wildlife management tool.
For more information, call 501-907-0636.
Sports on 10/27/2016