For two, shutdown to delay elk hunt

Two hunters who drew coveted permits to hunt Arkansas elk next week will have to wait until next year if the federal government shutdown continues.

With the shutdown, hunting is forbidden in the Buffalo National River park and other national parks across the country.

Rodney Dodson of Fouke and Olivia Lowe of Conway drew permits to hunt elk in Zone 1, which is wholly within the Buffalo National River park area, said Keith Stephens, a spokesman for the Arkansas Game and FishCommission.

Zone 1 stretches from Ponca to Arkansas 123.

Wesley Wright, elk program coordinator for the commission, said there were 5,713 applicants for public-land elk permits this year. Twenty-eight permits were randomly drawn June 29 and issued to hunters throughout the state. There are eight permits for the first hunt on public land, which is to be held Monday through Friday next week, and 20 permits for a second hunt on public land, which will be held Oct. 28-Nov. 1.

Dodson and Lowe are in a unique situation becausetheir zones included no public land outside the national park boundary.

“These hunters have been notified about the zone closure and may be postponed until next year’s hunt,” Wright said. “If there is a resolution reached over the weekend, they are on standby to go hunting next week. If not, these two hunters will be allowed to come back next year and hunt the same zone and dates.”

There will also be a hunt on private land from Oct. 28-Nov. 1 through the commission’s Elk Management Assistance Program. The quota for that hunt will be28 elk - 8 bulls and 20 antlerless elk.

Fifty-six elk could be harvested during this year’s hunts, Wright said. Arkansas has about 700 elk, he said. That estimate is based on a count of 620 done earlier this year.

For next week’s hunt, Dodson was permitted to harvest an elk of either sex. Lowe had a permit to harvest an antlerless elk.

Dodson’s son, who goes by the same name, said his father has never hunted elk. Dodson said his father was already in Jasper on Friday getting ready for the hunt and would be unreachable.