Hunting: Proposed changes to Arkansas waterfowl season
Granted, it is several weeks until Mid-South duck hunters start shooting, but you might say the pot is already stirring for those non-resident hunters who hunt on wildlife management areas in Arkansas. Take notice, change may be on the way.
At its recent meeting in Little Rock the commissioners with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission proposed an amendment to waterfowl hunting regulations to specify when non-residents hunt waterfowl on wildlife management areas to specific dates.
If approved those dates would be the first nine days of the 2018-19 season (Nov. 17-25), the first 12 days of the third segment of the regular season (Dec. 26Jan. 6) and the last nine days of the third segment (Jan. 19-27). Non-residents still would be required to purchase a 5-day non-resident waterfowl permit, but they would be able to purchase as many permits as they wish to ensure they were able to hunt 30 days during Arkansas’s waterfowl season.
The proposal was introduced by commissioner Andrew Parker of Little Rock, who said in an AGFC press release, “Since the last duck season, members of this body have repeatedly heard from Arkansas sportsman and women that it (the proposal) was a step in the right direction, but the pressures from overcrowding on those WMAs still exist, especially on our most popular WMAs.”
The point is, Parker added, “The proposal is an effort to try and look for any possible way to avoid having to go to some kind of draw system, which is something the commission does not want to do.”
In other words, there are too many non-resident waterfowl hunters on WMAs.
It didn’t take long for sparks to fly on social media and other outlets over the proposal, especially from those nonresidents who have hunted Arkansas’ WMAs for years and years.
One of those lighting the fire is Richard Simms of Chattanooga.
“After decades of being the duck hunting mecca, Arkansas is doing its best to run off non-resident duck hunters,” said Simms, who runs a fishing guide service on the Tennessee River and is a well-known outdoors communicator.”
Simms admits he has never duck hunted in Arkansas, but had it on his bucket list. Not anymore. “I am marking Arkansas off my freelance duck hunting bucket list,” he says. “I don’t go where I’m not wanted. I assume Arkansas wildlife commissioners will be happy to hear that.”
The waterfowl pot has certainly been stirred by the AGFC proposal.
Pat Pitt of Olive Branch, Miss., who is a long-time Mid-South hunting and taxidermist guru, blames the controversial proposal on social media.
“Videos were posted year before last of the morning blast-offs with boats running into and over each other trying to get out of the launch area,” Pitt says. “The AGFC could potentially be libel for allowing this to continue. I saw it coming. Many have figured out ways to circumvent the system. It’s a zoo many times and stressful hunting, which is why I have little to do with this (proposal).”
Pitt calls the culprits in forcing the AGFC to make this proposal “internet scouts and hole hunters” who have “total disregard” of courtesy and sportsmanship is getting worse.
“If your group is in a (duck) hole and another group shows up and says they are going to hunt there, too, there is little you can do other than get into a fist or cuss fight,” Pitt says. “This is going to lead to a draw system before it is over I’d bet.”
Bill Cooksey, of Bartlett, who works for the conservation group Vanishing Paradise, has duck hunted Arkansas public ground for three decades and even once had a non-resident guide license for public ground. He says proposing new laws are nothing new for the AFGC in dealing with too many non-resident waterfowl hunters.
“None (of the laws) has had the desired effect,” Cooksey says. “Outlaw guides, shell limits, lower daily limits, 4 a.m. entry, horsepower limits and no wake zones have had no effect. Many appeared to make things worse. If ducks are there, a WMA will be packed the next day.”
Tony Dolle of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., says he waterfowl hunts in Arkansas 15-20 days each year. However, if this propos- al passes he will likely stop making duck hunting trips to Arkansas.
“Weather plays a huge part (in) determining when I hunt,” he says. “If this passes, I doubt I’ll come across the state line to hunt anymore. My licenses and other purchases made in Arkansas will be made in another state.”
Such a proposal would not be welcomed in Tennessee by Tommy Akin of Greenfield, Tenn., a former chairman of the state’s fish and wildlife commission.
“If it (such a proposal) came up in Tennessee, which I don’t think it will because we don’t have enough WMAs for this to be a factor,” Akin says. “I would be very much against it. I always thought a wild duck should be able to be hunted by anyone in any state, especially (on) public ground as long as their rules are met. If I owned a motel, restaurant or sporting goods store in Arkansas I would not be happy.”
The proposed changes were posted to give time for public response before the 2019 Arkansas Waterfowl Guidebook is published in mid-October. The commission will take public comments about the proposal for 30 days before voting at its Sept. 20 meeting in Fort Smith. The survey is posted on the agency’s web site at www.agfc.com.
Got an item or note? E-mail Larry Rea at lroutdoors@att.net or go to his web site at lroutdoors.com; listen to Larry Rea on Outdoors with Larry Rea on Saturday mornings from 6-7:30 on ESPN 790-AM and 1520-AM and 95.3 in Brownsville, Tenn., and 6:30-8 on News/Talk 101.5 in Jackson, Tenn.