By Joe Mosby
Arkansas News Correspondent
LITTLE ROCK — State wildlife officials Thursday recommended a 60-day duck season with a daily limit of six ducks, of which four could be mallards.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will consider the recommendation by its wildlife management division at the commission’s Aug. 20 meeting, after season guidelines are handed down by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The 60-day, six-ducks-a-day season is the maximum allowed under the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Adaptive Harvest Management Plan that has been in effect since the late 1980s. The maximum has been in effect in Arkansas for the past dozen years. Surveys this summer have shown duck breeding conditions are good in Canada’s prairie regions and in the upper Midwest of the United States.
Two options were given in the proposed duck hunting dates by the wildlife staff. Both have three segments. One is Nov.26-Dec. 6, Dec. 6-24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 31. The other option is Nov. 21-29, Dec. 10-23 and Dec. 26-Jan. 21.
A two-day youth hunt was proposed for Feb. 6-7, but commissioners promptly objected and suggested Dec. 5-6 for the youth hunt. February is too late, too cold, one commissioner said.
The duck season dates also include the hunting of coots and mergansers.
The wildlife staff also proposed changing the daily duck limit for Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area to three ducks a day, of which two can be hens. Previous limit was one hen a day.
Goose hunting proposed dates were also offered. These were white-fronted or specklebelly geese, Nov. 14-Dec. 5, Dec. 12-24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 31. Snow, blue and Ross’ geese, Nov. 7-Dec. 24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 31. Canada geese, Sept. 1-15, Sept. 26-Oct. for the Northwest Zone only and Dec. 26-Jan. 30.
A snow, blue and Ross goose conservation order was proposed for Feb. 1-5 and Feb. 8-April 25. This has been in effect for several years in an attempt to reduced numbers of the geese that are greater than the capacity of their breeding grounds in Arctic regions.
The commissioners gave final approval to early migratory bird hunting dates.
Dove season will be Sept. 5-Oct. 18 and Dec. 5-30.
Teal season will be Sept. 12-27.
Rail season will be Sept. 12-Nov. 20.
Woodcock season will be Nov. 7-Dec. 21.
Snipe season will be Nov. 1-Feb. 15.
Purple gallinule and common moorhen seasons will be Sept. 1-Nov. 9.
The spring turkey season resulted in 11,122 turkeys begin taken by hunters, said Mike Widner, turkey program coordinator. This was down by 339 from the 2008 spring hunt.
Slight declines were in the Ozarks, Ouachitas and the Gulf Coastal Plain, and the Delta had an increase in turkey successes, he said.
Sharp County in northern Arkansas was again the top turkey hunting county with 421 birds checked in.
Blake Sasse, furbearer program coordinator, reported that the fur take dropped by about 40 percent in the 2008-2008 season, largely due to lower market prices. The taking of all species of furbearers declined in Arkansas except for red fox, he said.
The commissioners gave approval to a nine-mile watchable wildlife trail on the Choctaw Island Wildlife Management Area near Arkansas City in Southeast Arkansas. The work will include building two pedestrian bridges, raising some low areas, installing directional and informational signs and graveling of parking areas.
