AGFC renames Bayou Meto WMA for Dunklin

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission voted Thursday at its monthly meeting in Little Rock to rename the Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area to honor George Dunklin of Stuttgart.

The area’s new name officially is the George H. Dunklin Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area.

Dunklin, who served on the commission from 20052012, also served two terms as president of Ducks Unlimited and as DU’s board chairman.

Established in 1948, Bayou Meto has grown to 33,832 acres and is the world’s most famous public duck hunting area. It also offers excellent deer and squirrel hunting.

Brad Carner, chief of the AGFC’s wildlife management division, said Dunklin is widely known internationally for his contributions to waterfowl conservation.

“Bayou Meto is the single largest WMA owned by AGFC,” Carner said. “It is widely known across the North American continent for waterfowl hunting opportunities available there.

“George Dunklin is widely known in our state and across the North American continent for his efforts to advance waterfowl conservation across North America, and he was involved in two major renovation projects at Wrape Plantation and Halowell Reservoir.”

The commission originally intended to rename the Wrape Plantation portion of the WMA for Dunklin, but amended the proposal Wednesday to rename the entire WMA.

In a similar item, the commission also named a new public access at George’s Creek near its confluence with Crooked Creek in Baxter County after Mark Oliver, the AGFC’s former chief of fisheries.

Oliver, who was a district fisheries biologist in north- central Arkansas for 21 years, worked to obtain an access to Crooked Creek between access points at Snow and Kelly’s Slab, said Chris Racey, who succeeded Oliver as fisheries chief. Oliver announced the acquisition to the commission in June 2015 in his last meeting before retiring.

“He recognized the importance of this access to provide an opportunity for a one- day float for anglers in this part of the state,” Racey said. “This piece of property is very strategic, and he recognized that for a long time. He made a dedicated effort over 30 years to acquire this piece of property.”

In wildlife management business, the commission accepted a grant for $ 360,000 from The Conservation Fund, by way of the Diamond Pipeline Northern Long- Eared Bat Mitigation Fund, to purchase 240 acres adjacent to Gulf Mountain WMA in Van Buren County.

The Bank of Little Rock owns the property. Diamond Pipeline provided funds to The Conservation Fund to preserve habitat for the northern long- eared bat, a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. Northern long- eared bats inhabit the property. The commission will pay about $ 12,100 for an appraisal, environmental property assessment, title review and insurance, survey and closing costs.

The property will also provide opportunities for public hunting, birdwatching and outdoor recreation.

Also, the commission approved the donation of one youth elk hunting permit each to the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The organizations will auction the permits to pay for habitat improvements and educational efforts.