Commission Approves North Arkansas Land Purchase

Story by: Guest Contributor

First posted on 04-23-2007

LITTLE ROCK – It’s been many years in the making, but the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission today announced that it had reached an agreement to purchase one of the largest private parcels of land along the Buffalo National River. During the regular monthly AGFC commission meeting, commissioners said they soon will be purchasing 2,761 acres in Searcy County.

The property is southwest of the town of St. Joe near the National Park Service’s Woolum Access to the Buffalo National River. The property is south of the Buffalo River and west of Richland Creek and encompasses a portion of the Ozark Highlands Trail.

The AGFC, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation and other conservation partners have tried to purchase this property since the 1990s. This tract will have a profound influence on habitat management on adjacent public lands such as Gene Rush WMA, Ozark National Forest and Buffalo National River, according to AGFC Chairman Sheffield Nelson. “It’s a very critical piece of land. I personally think it’s one of the best purchases that we could make for the people of Arkansas,” Nelson said.

Commissioner Freddie Black of Lake Village echoed Nelson’s comments. “It was a piece of land that was missing from our WMA. We’re very excited about this purchase,” Black said.

The land didn’t come cheap, but commissioners felt strongly that the $8,284,500 price tag was worth the expense. The land will provide consistent habitat management on the Buffalo National River, Gene Rush WMA and the Ozark National Forest, according to AGFC Chief of Wildlife Management Doyle Shook. “It will ensure year-round resources for viable populations of deer, elk, turkey, rabbit, squirrel, furbearers and a host of non-game species. Strong wildlife resources will bring ample recreational opportunities and economic benefits to the area,” Shook added.

The commission also approved the hunting season and regulation structure for the 2007-2008 season, including an alligator hunting season in the state. One more step is required for the season to go into effect in the fall. A minute order signed today by commissioners authorizing the season will be sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Once the USFWS gives the final approval, 40 alligator possession tags will be available for certain public and private lands in southwest and southeast Arkansas. The proposed season would be the last two weekends in September.

A new one-time hunting permit also was approved by the commission. The new permit allows hunters the opportunity to experience the sport for the first time while deferring the hunter education requirement. The DHE permit will be available to anyone at least 16 years of age and born after Dec. 31, 1968. The DHE permit hunter will be required to hunt with an adult at least 21 years of age who has a valid hunter education card and hunting license. Hunters must still purchase a hunting license, but the hunter education requirement will be waived. The DHE permit will only be available once over the hunter’s lifetime.

In addition to last month’s hunting season structure, several additional season and regulation proposals were approved at today’s meeting. Two new deer zones were approved for northeast Arkansas. The two new zones are designated 4B and 5B and have a modern gun season (shotgun with slugs or muzzleloader) Nov. 10-18.

Hunting season dates for the state’s newest WMA were also approved. Deer hunting on the Moro Big Pine WMA in south Arkansas will be open Oct. 1-Feb. 29 for archery, a muzzleloader permit hunt from Oct. 13-18 and a modern gun youth permit hunt on Nov. 3-4. A modern gun permit hunt will also be available from Nov. 10-15, Nov. 23-28, Dec. 8-13 and Dec. 26-Dec. 31. The seasonal bag limit of two deer, with no more than one legal buck, will be in effect for Moro Big Pine WMA. The WMA also will have a fall archery turkey season Oct. 1-Jan. 31.

The commission also opened turkey zone 1 to fall gun hunting, made revisions to depredation permit requirements and removed the WMA two-per-day limit on coyote.

The fall hunting season dates also were approved at the meeting.

Season dates for the 2007-2008 deer hunting season:

Archery – All zones: Oct. 1 to Feb. 29.

Modern Gun - Zones 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11: Nov. 10 to Nov. 18 and Nov. 22 to Dec. 2.
Zone 4: Nov. 10 to Nov. 11.
Zones 4B and 5B: Nov. 10 to Nov. 18
Zone 5: Nov. 10 to Nov. 11 and Nov. 17 to Nov. 18.
Zones 4A, 5A, 13, 14 and 15: Nov. 10 to Dec. 9.
Zones 9 and 12: Nov. 10 to Dec. 16.
Zones 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 10 to Dec. 25

Muzzleloader - Zones 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15: Oct. 13 to Oct. 21 and Dec. 15 to Dec. 17.
Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B: Closed.
Zones 9, 12, 16, 16A and 17: Oct. 13 to Oct. 21 and Dec. 29 to Dec. 31.

The statewide Christmas holiday modern gun deer hunt will be Dec. 26 to 28 with the special youth modern gun deer hunt in all zones (excludes certain WMAs where a modern gun or muzzleloader permit is required to hunt) is scheduled for Nov. 3 to 4.

In other business, the commission:

*Reviewed the proposed sportfishing regulation changes for 2008. Meetings will be held across the state during May to review those proposed changes.

*Approved a $100,000 request to overlay a 1-mile section of the main access road to the Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA. Commissioners also approved $40,000 for an asphalt overlay, curb and drainage work at the Bull Shoals Marina access. The money for both projects will come from the state’s Marine Fuel Tax.

*Received a review of 2006-2007 deer harvest and biological data report from AGFC deer biologist Cory Gray. Gray said that the deer harvest was up from the 2005-2006 season. A total of 164,579 deer were checked, which resulted in a 24 percent increase from the previous season. There also was a 26 percent increase in the buck harvest, a 27 percent increase in the doe harvest and an 11 percent increase in the button buck harvest
from 2005-2006.

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