AGFS approves dates, regulations

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission approved 42 hunting regulations for the 2014-15 seasons at its monthly meeting in Little Rock, including hunting season dates.

Modern gun deer season will take place in respective deer management zones on these dates:

Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10 and 11: Nov. 8-30

Zone 4: Nov. 8-9

Zone 5: Nov. 8-9 and Nov. 15-16

Zones 4A, 5A, 14 and 15: Nov. 8-Dec. 7

Zones 4B-5B: Nov 8-16

Zones 9, 12 and 13: Nov. 8-Dec. 14

Zones 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 8-Dec. 25.

Archery deer season will run Sept. 27-Feb. 28, 2015, statewide.

Muzzleloader deer season will run Oct. 18-26 and Dec. 13-15 statewide. It will run Oct. 18-26 and Dec. 29-31 in zones 9, 12, 13, 16, 16A and 17. Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B will be closed.

Dates for the 2015 spring turkey season will be April 18-May 3 statewide, and April 18-26, 2015, in zones 4, 4A, 5A and 9A.

Additional season dates are posted on the the commission’s website at agfc.com.

Other major regulations included adding one doe to the firearms deer bag limit in zones 2, 3, 6, 6A, 8, 8A and 10. Bear hunters will be required to submit a premolar from any bear they kill within seven days of the kill. The commission also added a modern gun permit deer hunt at Raft Creek Bottoms WMA. Only shotguns or muzzleloaders will be permitted.

Also, the commission approved spending $250,000 to purchase 42 acres along the Little Buffalo River at Jasper from William and Tamara Pickett. The AGFC plans to build an elk education center on the property. The funds will come from sales of the AGFC’s conservation license plates.

In wildlife management business, the commission approved spending up to $1.95 million to purchase 959 acres of land from Jon and Deanna Cypert that is adjacent to Raft Creek WMA. Two North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants will cover $1.836 million, while the AGFC will provide up to $114,232.

Cory Gray, the AGFC’s deer biologist, briefed the commission on the 2013-14 deer season. Hunters checked 213,199 deer, a small decrease from the record 213,487 checked in 2012-13.

“This is the first time in Arkansas history that hunters checked more female deer than male,” Gray said.

Hunters checked 107,247 does and 105,952 bucks.

Sports, Pages 19 on 04/18/2014

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