08-01-2007, 12:10 AM
LITTLE ROCK - Waterfowl may not be on the minds of many duck hunters, but last week's meeting of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission mainly focused on that sport. Specifically, the Commission announced the proposed duck season dates. The Commission also heard a proposal to ban any electronic device used as a wildlife decoy for the 2008-2009 migratory bird seasons.
AGFC waterfowl program coordinator Luke Naylor said that the quality of habitat for breeding waterfowl in the U.S. and Canada is better in 2007 than in 2006, in some cases much better. "The late spring habitat condition reports have been positive and that may lead to more young birds in the flight this season," Naylor said. "Overall, this information bodes well for Arkansas waterfowlers," he added.
Based on this year's survey results of more than 8 million mid-continent mallards and more than 5 million ponds in Prairie Canada, the prescribed regulatory option for the Mississippi Flyway will likelybethe liberal package, Naylor explained. "The expected liberal package would result in a 60-day season with a 6-bird daily bag limit," he said.
Using the liberal season parameters, the proposed season dates for the 2007-2008 waterfowl season are:
Nov. 17 - Dec. 18, Dec. 26 - Jan. 6 and Jan. 12 - Jan. 27
Youth waterfowl hunt: Dec. 22-23
The proposed bag limits are the same as last year's limit of six ducks consisting of four mallards (only one of which may be a hen), two wood ducks, two redheads, one black duck, one pintail, one canvasback, three mottled ducks or two scaup. The season structure will be approved at the August commission meeting.
A proposed regulation change for the 2008-2009 migratory bird seasons is the banning of all electronic decoys in the taking of migratory game birds. If approved the decoy ban would become effective after July 1, 2008. The ban would include any electronic device that uses electronic current including, but not limited to, batteries, solar or AC power, which is used as a wildlife decoy.
The Commission took the next step in acquiring a conservation easement on what will be known as the Moro Big Pine Wildlife Management Area. The 15,929-acre forestland in CalhounCountyhas been owned by the Potlatch Forest Holdings. A conservation easement is a voluntary, legal agreement placed on a piece of property that limits certain types of uses or prevents development from taking place now and in the future, but enables the landowner to retain ownership.
The AGFC is partnering with The Nature Conservancy, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and Arkansas Forestry Commission to acquire and manage the new WMA. When the sale is closed, it will be the largest conservation easement ever established in Arkansas.
As a condition of the easement, the project partners developed a forest management plan for the property that includes a wildlife section and guidelines for harvesting timber. It will be a "˜working forest' conservation easement - one that allows for traditional forest uses, such as timber operations and hunting, that are both ecologically sustainable and economically viable. The forest will be managed in a way that continues to provide forestry jobs, wood products and also protects the environment for future generations of Arkansans.
AGFC commissioner Freddie Black said the purchase is a benefit for all outdoor enthusiasts. "It's a great example of how to better utilize management for the betterment of all wildlife. This will really expand outdoor opportunities for all Arkansans for years to come," Black said.
Also at the meeting, the early migratory bird season dates were approved.
Dove<br />
Sept. 1-23, Oct. 6-21 and Dec. 15-Jan. 4
Teal<br />
Sept. 15-30
Other early season migratory bird season approved seasons included:
Common Snipe<br />
Nov. 1, 2007 to Feb. 15, 2008
Season length and bag limit: 107 days, 8 bird daily bag limit
Woodcock<br />
Nov. 10 to Dec. 24
Season length and bag limit: 45 days, 3 bird daily bag limit
Virginia and Sora Rails<br />
Sept. 15 to Nov. 23
Common Moorhen and Purple Gallinule<br />
Sept. 1 to Nov. 9
In other business the commission:
*Approved the resurfacing of the main parking lot at the Maurice Lewis Access on ColumbiaCountyLake. The parking lot is the largest and most used of the lake's three accesses. Cost of the resurfacing is expected to be $80,000.
*Approved an exception to the restrictions on importation of wildlife into the state. Mallard ducks may be imported for use in an official field trial in accordance with a current wildlife importation permit. The ducks must have a seamless metal band on theirleg that identifies them as captive raised. The permit holder must possess documentation that the waterfowl have originated from a flock participating in the National Poultry Improvement Program and have tested negative for duck virus enteritis within 60 days.
*Approved the use of electronic ignition muzzeloaders.
*Approved the repair of a collapsed structure on LakeWilson in AshleyCounty. The 150-acre lake lost about five feet of water depth when the structure collapsed on July 13.
Fishing regulations changes suggested for 2008<br />
LITTLE ROCK -- A slate of 20 proposed changes for Arkansas fishing regulations in 2008 has been recommended to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission by its Fisheries Division staff.
Nearly all of the suggested changes are related to a particular lake or area, and the couple with statewide effect are minor. The recommendations were made after suggestions from anglers at public meetings around the state, from letters, e-mails and phone calls to AGFC offices and from the AGFC fisheries biologists.
One of these statewide measures would allow disabled persons that hold either a three-year disability fishing license or a three-year combination license to fish in "Family Fishing Waters," which are park and community ponds around the state limited to youth people and senior citizens for fishing. A disabled person could be accompanied by one fishing helper who has a current fishing license, according to the proposal outlined by Fisheries Chief Mike Armstrong.
Another statewide move would be to add bullhead catfish to the definition of bait fish that are allowed in the state. Minnows, goldfish, crawfish, shad, sculpins and small bream are some of the other designated bait fish.
The proposed regulations will be up for approval at the commission's August meeting, and those approved will go into effect on Jan. 1.
The other proposed fishing changes:
1. Put Family Fishing regulations on Salem City Lake in Fulton County.
2. Remove the 13- to 16-inch protected slot limit on largemouth bass on Lake Hogue in Poinsett County.
3. Remove limits on white bass and hybrid striped bass on LakeMonticello. These fish were put into the lake by unknown persons contrary to AGFC management plans.
4. Put Family Fishing regulations on Armory Pond on the Southern Arkansas University campus in Magnolia.
5. Put Family Fishing regulations on Mattocks Park Lake in El Dorado.
6. Allow barbed single point hooks and just one pole or rod for fishing in the Greers Ferry Tailwaters, the trout waters of the Little Red River.
7. Add the Cossatot River to Ouachita Zone Quality Streams for smallmouth bass with a daily limit of two bass 12 inches or longer.
8. Put a 20-inch minimum length limit on striped bass on Beaver Lake.
9. Require a trout permit to fish on the Lake Greeson Tailwaters, Little Missouri River, from Narrows Dam downstream to the Arkansas Highway 27 bridge.
10. Add the Buffalo River Lower Wilderness Area to Ozark Zone Quality Streams for smallmouth bass with a daily limit of one bass 18 inches or longer. The affected area would be from Clabber Creek near Rush downstream to the White River.
11. Put Family Fishing regulations on Mike Freeze England Community Pond, a new 14-acre facility in England.
12. Allow snagging for catfish on the Black River from the Missouri border to SpringRiver and on the St. Francis River from the Missouri border to Payneway in northeast Arkansas. Daily limit for snagging will be five catfish, only two of which can be flatheads.
13. Reword the definitions of minimum length limits, maximum length limits, protected length limit and how to measure a fish's length.
14. Restrict boat motors to 30 horsepower, at the propeller and jet pump, on the Eleven Point River in northeast Arkansas.
15. Clarify the AGFC's Family and Community Fishing Regulations.
16. Prohibit "passive fishing devices" on Lake June at Stamps. These include trotlines, yo-yos, jugs and other such fishing methods. Catfish limit on the lake would be lowered to five a day.
17. Limit fishing to a single barbless treble hook in the Norfork Tailwaters, North Fork River, catch and release area.
18. Limit bait used on LakeNorfork to farm-raised bait or bait caught in the wild from the lake itself. Bait such as shad brought in from other areas would be banned.
Three Arkansans selected for Outdoor Hall of Fame<br />
LITTLE ROCK - Three Arkansans with many years of innovative activities to improve and expand Arkansas' outdoor resources and the enjoyment of hunting and fishing have been selected as the 2007 inductees for the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame.
Jim Hill of Nashville, Rick Hampton of Bayou Meto and Phyllis Speer of Buffalo City will be recognized at the 2007 Outdoor Hall of Fame banquet and ceremony on Friday, Sept. 14, at Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. The Outdoor Hall of Fame began in 1992 as a project of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and Ducks Unlimited to recognize Arkansans' achievements in outdoor fields and to protect wildlife habitat.
This year's inductees:
Jim Hill is a rancher and a veteran state legislator with a lifelong interest in hunting, camping and other outdoor activities. He drafted the legislation in 1996 that led to the passing of today's Conservation Sales Tax that has greatly bolstered ArkansasState Parks, Game and Fish Commission, Natural Heritage Commission and Keep Arkansas beautiful.
Rick Hampton is a farmer, waterfowl hunting enthusiast and a former Game and Fish Commission member who was a key figure in a number of wildlife-related developments in the late 1970s and 1980s - the changing of directors at the Game and Fish Commission, restoring elk to Arkansas and bringing back Canada geese to Arkansas.
Phyllis Speer's sideline has made her a celebrity across the state in addition to her two decades in educational work for the Game and Fish Commission. She has won renown and a following as the co-host and cooking specialist on the popular Arkansas Outdoors program on Arkansas Educational Television Network.
Steve Smith, director of the Game and Fish Foundation, said, "Once again, we are extremely proud to be honoring outstanding Arkansans who have done much to benefit our outdoor resources. We're pleased to salute Jim Hill, Rick Hampton and Phyllis Speer in our 16th year of Outdoor Hall of Fame celebrations. All three of them demonstrate the importance of leadership, ingenuity and diversity in bettering our state's conservation and environment. They will make our induction banquet on Friday, Sept. 14, another attractive, successful event for all Arkansas. In the past inductions, we have raised well over a million dollars for critical wildlife habitat and conservation education ."
Past inductees of the Outdoor Hall of Fame are: 1992 -- Forrest Wood, Ben Pearson, Henry Gray, Ruth and Rollie Remmel and Neil Compton; 1993 -- Win Rockefeller, Harold Alexander, Rex Hancock, Larry Nixon, Jane Gulley and Jerry McKinnis; 1994 -- George Purvis, Bobby Murray, Jane Stern and Charlie Craig; 1995 -- Dave Whitlock, Jane Ross, Bill Apple and George Fisher; 1996 -- Pat Peacock, Joe Nix, George Cochran and Bill Norman; 1997 -- Gene Rush, Kay Kelley Arnold and Cotton Cordell; 1998 - Dale Bumpers, Bob Apple, James Flanigan and Rayo Breckenridge; 1999 -- Jim Gaston, Carol Griffee and Chick Majors; 2000 - Mike Huckabee, Steve N. Wilson, Mary Klaser and Fred Berry; 2001 -- Carl Garner, Richard Davies and Nancy DeLamar; 2002 - Steve Frick, Joe Mosby, Barbara Pardue and John Selig; 2003 - Charlie Hoover, Andrew Hulsey, Zettie Jones and Steve Smith; 2004 -- Janet Huckabee, Larry Grisham and Ron Duncan; 2005 -- Dr. Mamie Parker, Butch Richenback and Randy Hopper; and 2006 -- Kirk Dupps, Cathie Matthews and Kaneaster Hodges.
For more information on the Outdoor Hall of Fame and tickets to the induction banquet, contact Smith at (501) 223-6396.
AGFC night at I-30 Speedway benefits boating safety program<br />
LITTLE ROCK - Atrkansas Game and Fish Night at I-30 Speedway will be held this year on Saturday, Aug. 11. The special event will raise funds for boating safety educational work in the state.
From each adult paid admission, Speedway officials will donate $1 to the boating safety program of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in memory of the late sprint car driver Carl Dean Farish. Farish was killed in a boating accident.
Come early to see the agency's mobile aquarium, along with exhibits, demonstrations and other displays. Adults wearing any article of camouflage clothing will get $1 off the regular admission price.
A special celebrity race will match several local celebrities and media personalities. Scheduled to compete in the race from KARK-4: Tracy Douglass, Melissa Simas, Sydney Hart and Courtney Collins; from KATV-7: Anne Pressly and Amanda Manatt; from FOX 16: Jennifer Akers and from CW Arkansas: A.J. Parker.
Gates will open at 5 p.m., and races will start at 7:30 p.m. I-30 Speedway is located at Exit #126 off Interstate 30.
For more information, contact the Steve "Wildman" Wilson at 501-223-6408 or the Speedway at (501) 455-4567.
Forrest City angler sets goldeye bar at 11 ounces<br />
FORREST CITY - Randy Lee King of Forrest City became the first Arkansas goldeye record-holder May 6. He was fishing with a minnow in the St. Francis River near ForrestCity when the 11-ounce record struck.
Now that goldeye has been added, 56 species of fish are on the state-record list.
Many fishermen haven't caught a goldeye and wouldn't know what it was if they did catch one. It's in the same family as the mooneye, a fish that's probably a little bit better known. Goldeyes can get as big as 3 pounds.
The nocturnal goldeye inhabits several rivers in Arkansas, particularly the Arkansas and Mississippi, and is more tolerant of turbid water than the mooneye. It's known for its large canine teeth and large eyes. The goldeye is a commercial fish in several northern states, including North and South Dakota.
New this week of agfc.com<br />
A link to an instructional video on removing single bats from living areas of your home has been added to the Nuisance Wildlife page at http://www.agfc.com/wildlife-conservation/nuisance.aspx
The April-June 2007 edition of the Life in the Rocks newsletter is available at http://www.agfc.com/data-facts-maps/publ...rocks.aspx
A downloadable document titled, "How Do I Become a Wildlife Rehabilitator" has been added at http://www.agfc.com/wildlife-conservatio...ators.aspx
The new list of Fishing Derbies from the Aquatic Resources Education program is available at http://www.agfc.com/fishing/special-prog...urces.aspx
Facts concerning Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia have been added to the Fishing Information section at http://www.agfc.com/fishing/resources-fishing/vhsv.aspx
An article about secretive marshbirds from the March-April 2007 issue of Arkansas Wildlife magazine. Is now available under the Birds section of the Wildlife and Conservation division of the website at http://www.agfc.com/wildlife-conservatio...dness.aspx
The April-June 2007 edition of the Black Bass Newsletter is available at http://www.agfc.com/data-facts-maps/publ...etter.aspx
Early-season migratory game bird season dates (Dove, Teal, Rail, Woodcock, Common Snipe, Purple Gallinule and Common Moorhen) are available at http://www.agfc.com/hunting/waterfowl-mi...birds.aspx
AGFC waterfowl program coordinator Luke Naylor said that the quality of habitat for breeding waterfowl in the U.S. and Canada is better in 2007 than in 2006, in some cases much better. "The late spring habitat condition reports have been positive and that may lead to more young birds in the flight this season," Naylor said. "Overall, this information bodes well for Arkansas waterfowlers," he added.
Based on this year's survey results of more than 8 million mid-continent mallards and more than 5 million ponds in Prairie Canada, the prescribed regulatory option for the Mississippi Flyway will likelybethe liberal package, Naylor explained. "The expected liberal package would result in a 60-day season with a 6-bird daily bag limit," he said.
Using the liberal season parameters, the proposed season dates for the 2007-2008 waterfowl season are:
Nov. 17 - Dec. 18, Dec. 26 - Jan. 6 and Jan. 12 - Jan. 27
Youth waterfowl hunt: Dec. 22-23
The proposed bag limits are the same as last year's limit of six ducks consisting of four mallards (only one of which may be a hen), two wood ducks, two redheads, one black duck, one pintail, one canvasback, three mottled ducks or two scaup. The season structure will be approved at the August commission meeting.
A proposed regulation change for the 2008-2009 migratory bird seasons is the banning of all electronic decoys in the taking of migratory game birds. If approved the decoy ban would become effective after July 1, 2008. The ban would include any electronic device that uses electronic current including, but not limited to, batteries, solar or AC power, which is used as a wildlife decoy.
The Commission took the next step in acquiring a conservation easement on what will be known as the Moro Big Pine Wildlife Management Area. The 15,929-acre forestland in CalhounCountyhas been owned by the Potlatch Forest Holdings. A conservation easement is a voluntary, legal agreement placed on a piece of property that limits certain types of uses or prevents development from taking place now and in the future, but enables the landowner to retain ownership.
The AGFC is partnering with The Nature Conservancy, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and Arkansas Forestry Commission to acquire and manage the new WMA. When the sale is closed, it will be the largest conservation easement ever established in Arkansas.
As a condition of the easement, the project partners developed a forest management plan for the property that includes a wildlife section and guidelines for harvesting timber. It will be a "˜working forest' conservation easement - one that allows for traditional forest uses, such as timber operations and hunting, that are both ecologically sustainable and economically viable. The forest will be managed in a way that continues to provide forestry jobs, wood products and also protects the environment for future generations of Arkansans.
AGFC commissioner Freddie Black said the purchase is a benefit for all outdoor enthusiasts. "It's a great example of how to better utilize management for the betterment of all wildlife. This will really expand outdoor opportunities for all Arkansans for years to come," Black said.
Also at the meeting, the early migratory bird season dates were approved.
Dove<br />
Sept. 1-23, Oct. 6-21 and Dec. 15-Jan. 4
Teal<br />
Sept. 15-30
Other early season migratory bird season approved seasons included:
Common Snipe<br />
Nov. 1, 2007 to Feb. 15, 2008
Season length and bag limit: 107 days, 8 bird daily bag limit
Woodcock<br />
Nov. 10 to Dec. 24
Season length and bag limit: 45 days, 3 bird daily bag limit
Virginia and Sora Rails<br />
Sept. 15 to Nov. 23
Common Moorhen and Purple Gallinule<br />
Sept. 1 to Nov. 9
In other business the commission:
*Approved the resurfacing of the main parking lot at the Maurice Lewis Access on ColumbiaCountyLake. The parking lot is the largest and most used of the lake's three accesses. Cost of the resurfacing is expected to be $80,000.
*Approved an exception to the restrictions on importation of wildlife into the state. Mallard ducks may be imported for use in an official field trial in accordance with a current wildlife importation permit. The ducks must have a seamless metal band on theirleg that identifies them as captive raised. The permit holder must possess documentation that the waterfowl have originated from a flock participating in the National Poultry Improvement Program and have tested negative for duck virus enteritis within 60 days.
*Approved the use of electronic ignition muzzeloaders.
*Approved the repair of a collapsed structure on LakeWilson in AshleyCounty. The 150-acre lake lost about five feet of water depth when the structure collapsed on July 13.
Fishing regulations changes suggested for 2008<br />
LITTLE ROCK -- A slate of 20 proposed changes for Arkansas fishing regulations in 2008 has been recommended to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission by its Fisheries Division staff.
Nearly all of the suggested changes are related to a particular lake or area, and the couple with statewide effect are minor. The recommendations were made after suggestions from anglers at public meetings around the state, from letters, e-mails and phone calls to AGFC offices and from the AGFC fisheries biologists.
One of these statewide measures would allow disabled persons that hold either a three-year disability fishing license or a three-year combination license to fish in "Family Fishing Waters," which are park and community ponds around the state limited to youth people and senior citizens for fishing. A disabled person could be accompanied by one fishing helper who has a current fishing license, according to the proposal outlined by Fisheries Chief Mike Armstrong.
Another statewide move would be to add bullhead catfish to the definition of bait fish that are allowed in the state. Minnows, goldfish, crawfish, shad, sculpins and small bream are some of the other designated bait fish.
The proposed regulations will be up for approval at the commission's August meeting, and those approved will go into effect on Jan. 1.
The other proposed fishing changes:
1. Put Family Fishing regulations on Salem City Lake in Fulton County.
2. Remove the 13- to 16-inch protected slot limit on largemouth bass on Lake Hogue in Poinsett County.
3. Remove limits on white bass and hybrid striped bass on LakeMonticello. These fish were put into the lake by unknown persons contrary to AGFC management plans.
4. Put Family Fishing regulations on Armory Pond on the Southern Arkansas University campus in Magnolia.
5. Put Family Fishing regulations on Mattocks Park Lake in El Dorado.
6. Allow barbed single point hooks and just one pole or rod for fishing in the Greers Ferry Tailwaters, the trout waters of the Little Red River.
7. Add the Cossatot River to Ouachita Zone Quality Streams for smallmouth bass with a daily limit of two bass 12 inches or longer.
8. Put a 20-inch minimum length limit on striped bass on Beaver Lake.
9. Require a trout permit to fish on the Lake Greeson Tailwaters, Little Missouri River, from Narrows Dam downstream to the Arkansas Highway 27 bridge.
10. Add the Buffalo River Lower Wilderness Area to Ozark Zone Quality Streams for smallmouth bass with a daily limit of one bass 18 inches or longer. The affected area would be from Clabber Creek near Rush downstream to the White River.
11. Put Family Fishing regulations on Mike Freeze England Community Pond, a new 14-acre facility in England.
12. Allow snagging for catfish on the Black River from the Missouri border to SpringRiver and on the St. Francis River from the Missouri border to Payneway in northeast Arkansas. Daily limit for snagging will be five catfish, only two of which can be flatheads.
13. Reword the definitions of minimum length limits, maximum length limits, protected length limit and how to measure a fish's length.
14. Restrict boat motors to 30 horsepower, at the propeller and jet pump, on the Eleven Point River in northeast Arkansas.
15. Clarify the AGFC's Family and Community Fishing Regulations.
16. Prohibit "passive fishing devices" on Lake June at Stamps. These include trotlines, yo-yos, jugs and other such fishing methods. Catfish limit on the lake would be lowered to five a day.
17. Limit fishing to a single barbless treble hook in the Norfork Tailwaters, North Fork River, catch and release area.
18. Limit bait used on LakeNorfork to farm-raised bait or bait caught in the wild from the lake itself. Bait such as shad brought in from other areas would be banned.
Three Arkansans selected for Outdoor Hall of Fame<br />
LITTLE ROCK - Three Arkansans with many years of innovative activities to improve and expand Arkansas' outdoor resources and the enjoyment of hunting and fishing have been selected as the 2007 inductees for the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame.
Jim Hill of Nashville, Rick Hampton of Bayou Meto and Phyllis Speer of Buffalo City will be recognized at the 2007 Outdoor Hall of Fame banquet and ceremony on Friday, Sept. 14, at Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. The Outdoor Hall of Fame began in 1992 as a project of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and Ducks Unlimited to recognize Arkansans' achievements in outdoor fields and to protect wildlife habitat.
This year's inductees:
Jim Hill is a rancher and a veteran state legislator with a lifelong interest in hunting, camping and other outdoor activities. He drafted the legislation in 1996 that led to the passing of today's Conservation Sales Tax that has greatly bolstered ArkansasState Parks, Game and Fish Commission, Natural Heritage Commission and Keep Arkansas beautiful.
Rick Hampton is a farmer, waterfowl hunting enthusiast and a former Game and Fish Commission member who was a key figure in a number of wildlife-related developments in the late 1970s and 1980s - the changing of directors at the Game and Fish Commission, restoring elk to Arkansas and bringing back Canada geese to Arkansas.
Phyllis Speer's sideline has made her a celebrity across the state in addition to her two decades in educational work for the Game and Fish Commission. She has won renown and a following as the co-host and cooking specialist on the popular Arkansas Outdoors program on Arkansas Educational Television Network.
Steve Smith, director of the Game and Fish Foundation, said, "Once again, we are extremely proud to be honoring outstanding Arkansans who have done much to benefit our outdoor resources. We're pleased to salute Jim Hill, Rick Hampton and Phyllis Speer in our 16th year of Outdoor Hall of Fame celebrations. All three of them demonstrate the importance of leadership, ingenuity and diversity in bettering our state's conservation and environment. They will make our induction banquet on Friday, Sept. 14, another attractive, successful event for all Arkansas. In the past inductions, we have raised well over a million dollars for critical wildlife habitat and conservation education ."
Past inductees of the Outdoor Hall of Fame are: 1992 -- Forrest Wood, Ben Pearson, Henry Gray, Ruth and Rollie Remmel and Neil Compton; 1993 -- Win Rockefeller, Harold Alexander, Rex Hancock, Larry Nixon, Jane Gulley and Jerry McKinnis; 1994 -- George Purvis, Bobby Murray, Jane Stern and Charlie Craig; 1995 -- Dave Whitlock, Jane Ross, Bill Apple and George Fisher; 1996 -- Pat Peacock, Joe Nix, George Cochran and Bill Norman; 1997 -- Gene Rush, Kay Kelley Arnold and Cotton Cordell; 1998 - Dale Bumpers, Bob Apple, James Flanigan and Rayo Breckenridge; 1999 -- Jim Gaston, Carol Griffee and Chick Majors; 2000 - Mike Huckabee, Steve N. Wilson, Mary Klaser and Fred Berry; 2001 -- Carl Garner, Richard Davies and Nancy DeLamar; 2002 - Steve Frick, Joe Mosby, Barbara Pardue and John Selig; 2003 - Charlie Hoover, Andrew Hulsey, Zettie Jones and Steve Smith; 2004 -- Janet Huckabee, Larry Grisham and Ron Duncan; 2005 -- Dr. Mamie Parker, Butch Richenback and Randy Hopper; and 2006 -- Kirk Dupps, Cathie Matthews and Kaneaster Hodges.
For more information on the Outdoor Hall of Fame and tickets to the induction banquet, contact Smith at (501) 223-6396.
AGFC night at I-30 Speedway benefits boating safety program<br />
LITTLE ROCK - Atrkansas Game and Fish Night at I-30 Speedway will be held this year on Saturday, Aug. 11. The special event will raise funds for boating safety educational work in the state.
From each adult paid admission, Speedway officials will donate $1 to the boating safety program of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in memory of the late sprint car driver Carl Dean Farish. Farish was killed in a boating accident.
Come early to see the agency's mobile aquarium, along with exhibits, demonstrations and other displays. Adults wearing any article of camouflage clothing will get $1 off the regular admission price.
A special celebrity race will match several local celebrities and media personalities. Scheduled to compete in the race from KARK-4: Tracy Douglass, Melissa Simas, Sydney Hart and Courtney Collins; from KATV-7: Anne Pressly and Amanda Manatt; from FOX 16: Jennifer Akers and from CW Arkansas: A.J. Parker.
Gates will open at 5 p.m., and races will start at 7:30 p.m. I-30 Speedway is located at Exit #126 off Interstate 30.
For more information, contact the Steve "Wildman" Wilson at 501-223-6408 or the Speedway at (501) 455-4567.
Forrest City angler sets goldeye bar at 11 ounces<br />
FORREST CITY - Randy Lee King of Forrest City became the first Arkansas goldeye record-holder May 6. He was fishing with a minnow in the St. Francis River near ForrestCity when the 11-ounce record struck.
Now that goldeye has been added, 56 species of fish are on the state-record list.
Many fishermen haven't caught a goldeye and wouldn't know what it was if they did catch one. It's in the same family as the mooneye, a fish that's probably a little bit better known. Goldeyes can get as big as 3 pounds.
The nocturnal goldeye inhabits several rivers in Arkansas, particularly the Arkansas and Mississippi, and is more tolerant of turbid water than the mooneye. It's known for its large canine teeth and large eyes. The goldeye is a commercial fish in several northern states, including North and South Dakota.
New this week of agfc.com<br />
A link to an instructional video on removing single bats from living areas of your home has been added to the Nuisance Wildlife page at http://www.agfc.com/wildlife-conservation/nuisance.aspx
The April-June 2007 edition of the Life in the Rocks newsletter is available at http://www.agfc.com/data-facts-maps/publ...rocks.aspx
A downloadable document titled, "How Do I Become a Wildlife Rehabilitator" has been added at http://www.agfc.com/wildlife-conservatio...ators.aspx
The new list of Fishing Derbies from the Aquatic Resources Education program is available at http://www.agfc.com/fishing/special-prog...urces.aspx
Facts concerning Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia have been added to the Fishing Information section at http://www.agfc.com/fishing/resources-fishing/vhsv.aspx
An article about secretive marshbirds from the March-April 2007 issue of Arkansas Wildlife magazine. Is now available under the Birds section of the Wildlife and Conservation division of the website at http://www.agfc.com/wildlife-conservatio...dness.aspx
The April-June 2007 edition of the Black Bass Newsletter is available at http://www.agfc.com/data-facts-maps/publ...etter.aspx
Early-season migratory game bird season dates (Dove, Teal, Rail, Woodcock, Common Snipe, Purple Gallinule and Common Moorhen) are available at http://www.agfc.com/hunting/waterfowl-mi...birds.aspx