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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is accepting applications for its next class of game warden cadets. Applications will be accepted until Oct. 30.

Becoming a game warden is much more than just checking hunting and fishing licenses. They respond to calls for help during natural disasters, search-and-rescue efforts and even assist other agencies in manhunts, drug enforcement and other high-profile law enforcement activities. They must be ready at a moment’s notice to dive into the water to save someone from drowning and be willing to spend hours on end during weekends and late nights staking out likely spots to catch poachers in the act.

Applicants must be a U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years old. They must have a high school diploma or the equivalent and a valid driver’s license with a good driving record. They must be able to swim, and pass physical, psychological, vision and hearing exams and pass a thorough background inspection.

Maj. Brian Aston at the AGFC’s Little Rock Headquarters says the Enforcement Division is hoping to fill 11 vacancies around the state with the next class of game warden cadets being recruited.

Competition is strong for these jobs, and applicants may come from many backgrounds. State troopers, former sheriffs, former military police and many other law enforcement professionals apply each year. Many professionals from other backgrounds such as firemen, EMTs and wildlife biologists also are regularly chosen to fill the ranks of cadet classes because their skills and experience in stressful situations are valuable to the daily interactions a game warden may have.

If selected, cadets will embark on 26 weeks of training, which includes 18 weeks at the AGFC’s H.C. “Red” Morris Enforcement Training Center in Mayflower. They will be trained in self defense, physical fitness, wildlife forensics and law enforcement as well as state law. Upon graduation from the center, each new game warden will be assigned to a duty station for an additional eight weeks of field training with a superior officer.

“We try to make some accommodations toward a new game warden’s desired duty station, but we have to fill vacancies in certain counties, so your assigned station ultimately is determined by the needs of the public and the agency,” Aston said. “Relocation may be possible once vacancies open in other areas of the state, but many game wardens become a part of their community and choose to stay once they’ve worked there for a few years.”

Visit https://jobs.agfc.com for a list of requirements, preferred skills and abilities and an electronic application form. Visit https://www.agfc.com/en/enforcement/becoming-game-warden for more information on becoming an AGFC game warden.

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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK –  The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission often talks about caring for fish during hot weather to prevent their mortality, but we’re just as concerned with angler health during the dog days of summer. 

The three most common issues AGFC game wardens run across during the heat of summer are life jacket use, overexposure to the sun and indulging in too many alcoholic beverages.

Keep Your Jacket On
Summer heat can be stifling if you don’t have much of a breeze, but that’s no excuse to take off your life jacket, the one thing that can save you from drowning in the event of an accident. Sure, those old orange “horse collar” life vests are downright uncomfortable, but there are many other options anglers can choose to stay safe on the water. Modern inflatable life jackets provide little more weight than a pair of suspenders and automatically deploy when submerged. 

According to AGFC Boating Law Administrator Capt. Stephanie Weatherington for the AGFC, wearing this one piece of equipment could save more lives on Arkansas’s waters than anything else.

“Nearly every boating fatality we deal with could have been avoided if the victim had been wearing a properly fitting life jacket,” Weatherington said. “And if it’s a child who is 12 or under, they are required by law to wear their life jacket any time they are on a boat unless it is a houseboat or party barge with railing that is not moving under power.”

Sun-Screen Test 
At one time, a “healthy tan” was a side effect of spending the summer on the water or lounging at the beach. While a certain amount of sunlight is essential to the human body, like anything else, overindulgence can lead to problems. Not only can too much sun cause a nasty sunburn, but it can cause long-term damage to the skin and even skin cancer. The easiest thing to remember is pack and use the sunscreen. The scent and brand really doesn’t matter; what you’re looking for is the SPF factor. 

SPF isn’t the number of minutes it’s good for; it indicates the amount of UV radiation the liquid shields from the skin. An SPF of 30 allows 1/30th of the sun’s radiation through, meaning it would take 30 times longer to receive the same effects as unprotected skin, but that’s only if it stayed on. Even water-resistant sunscreens will only last for a couple of hours before they begin to deteriorate from moisture, be it lakewater or perspiration.

Another way to cool down is to stay in the shadows. On some rivers and lakes, there may be plenty of trees overhanging the shore to offer some shelter, but if you know you’re going to be fishing or boating out in the open, invest in a sunbrella. Game wardens and other law enforcement officers on the water often can be seen under the shade of a canopy or roof on their boats when the summer sun is breathing down. Not only will it prevent overexposure to UV radiation, the shade feels a little cooler for these individuals who spend many days on the water each summer. 

Dress for the occasion
A tank top or T-shirt may have been common years ago, but many anglers you see today cover up a bit more. Thin UV-protective materials have come a long way. Lightweight facemasks, hoods and gloves also are available to help protect portions of the body most people don’t think twice about, until they receive a painful sunburn. Clothes like this also come with SPF factors, so pay attention to the labels.

Dodge high noon
Anglers can beat the heat and the sunburn if they simply avoid those hours when the sun is beating down from straight overhead. Summer fishing often is best during the first few hours of daylight and dusk, leaving a lot of time to bake in the sun between. Instead of slogging through a sweaty day on the water, get to the lake early and catch up on some naptime on shore once the sun is high. If you’re not an early bird, head out an hour or so before sunset and enjoy that end of the fishing day. Just be sure your navigation lights work properly so you can make your way back to the ramp safely if the fishing picks up and you stay out a bit later than planned.
 

Hydrate with real water
Sun not only stings the skin, it saps your body of moisture, which can cause dehydration. Sugary or carbonated drinks can magnify the drying effect of the exposure to UV rays. It’s always smart to have some extra drinking water nearby and remember to take an occasional drink, even if you don’t feel all that thirsty.

“Alcohol isn’t a good option for rehydration either,” Weatherington said. “Alcohol actually reduces the amount of water that gets into their cells.”
Aside from contributing to dehydration, alcohol impairs judgment and can cause very dangerous situations for boaters and their passengers. The effects of alcohol are more potent when out in the summer heat because of natural stress factors like the sun, wind and waves rocking the boat.

“A person who might have a drink or two at home and not feel anything may discover the same amount of alcohol really impairs their response time, balance and judgment when they combine it with the common surroundings of summer boating,” Weatherington said. 

This summer, be safe. Take the simple steps that could save your life. Summer heat and alcohol are such mundane things that their dangers are easily overlooked. Wear your life jacket, bring plenty of water, wear sunscreen or protective clothing and pay attention to what your body is telling you. If you decide to drink, make sure not to overindulge, and have a designated driver.

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CUTLINES:
PONTOON BOAT
Anglers and other boaters should take heed to a few helpful tips from veteran game wardens on how to stay safe and hydrated on the water this summer.

KIDS IN LIFE JACKETS
Even when the heat picks up, a life jacket is the number one way to stay safe on the water. 

SUNSCREEN
Applying sunscreen, not suntan lotion, will help prevent sunburn and skin diseases later in life, but you have to apply it regularly throughout the day. 

DRINKING WATER
Hydrating with real water is essential when the temperatures are hovering around the 100-degree mark. Avoid sugary drinks and drinks with caffeine in them. 
 

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AGFC Enforcement’s Role in The Natural State

The AGFC Enforcement plays a crucial role in preserving and protecting Arkansas’s natural resources and wildlife. As the law enforcement division of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, their primary responsibility is to enforce the state’s wildlife and boating laws, ensuring the sustainable management of the state’s wildlife and aquatic resource

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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — With last year’s increase in turkey reproduction and a strong start to the 2023 spring turkey season, biologists and staff at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission are cautiously optimistic about recent trends in Arkansas’s turkey woods. One trend that still has AGFC game wardens concerned is the continued use of bait by some poachers to illegally shoot their turkeys.

According to the AGFC’s Code of Regulations, hunters, whether on public or private land, may not hunt turkeys with the aid of bait. An area is considered baited if any food (including shelled, shucked or unshucked corn, chops, wheat or other feed that could serve as a lure or attractant for wildlife is present or has been present in the last 10 days. An area must be completely clear of bait for at least 10 days before it is eligible to be hunted.

So far this season, Arkansas game wardens have issued 75 citations or warnings for major violations related to turkey hunting. Twenty-one of those violations were hunting over bait.

“Catching people who are baiting turkeys requires a lot of time and hard work,” Col. Brad Young, chief of the AGFC’s Enforcement Division, said. “There’s a lot of preseason work identifying where the baited areas are, then you may spend a lot of early mornings out there before the violator shows up. It may take several sits before you finally catch them in the act.”

Young says wardens have many tools available to aid in finding baited sites, but the two most important tools are tips from ethical hunters and old-fashioned boot leather.

“We need our sportsmen and women to make those reports if someone is baiting turkeys on property near where they hunt,” Young said. “Even if we can’t catch them in the act immediately, our game wardens take notes and use the information for future operations. Some have sat on a known poacher’s site for a couple of seasons before they were able to catch them in the act, but it’s going to happen eventually. Fellow hunters who care about the resource are the best aid we have in that effort.”

In addition to being unsportsmanlike, baiting can have serious impact to turkey populations.

Baiting carries with it some concerns with disease transmission as well as concerns with nest predation. Studies conducted on nest success in wild turkeys indicate that nests in close proximity to a baited area have higher rates of nest predation than those further from these sites. Raccoons, skunks and other nest predators attracted to the free meal at bait sites were able to more readily find nearby turkey nesting locations, wiping out the chance of a successful hatch.

“A lot of our biologists and wardens, including myself, are avid turkey hunters, too,” Young said. “When a poacher shoots a turkey over bait, they’re stealing that bird from someone who is willing to follow the rules and accept the challenge turkey hunting gives. We take it personally, and so should every other hunter who’s doing it right.”

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CUTLINES:

Two turkeys
Hunters have seen some increased success in Arkansas this turkey season. AGFC photo.

Turkeys under feeder
Baiting, while legal for deer on private land during fall, is not allowed anywhere during turkey season. AGFC photo.

Corn with badge
AGFC game wardens identify many baiting sites with the aid of fellow conservation-minded hunters. AGFC photo.

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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

YELLVILLE — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward of up to $5,000 to anyone providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for shooting four bald eagles near Pyatt in Marion County.

The eagles were discovered near Marion County Road 3021 on Feb. 13. Further investigation by the AGFC and USFWS has revealed the eagles were shot between mid-January and mid-February. Red-tailed hawks, a domestic dog and white-tailed deer were also found shot and killed in the immediate area.

Bald eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The violations of these statutes carry maximum criminal penalties of up to $250,000 and up to two years in federal prison.

Anyone with information concerning these eagles is asked to call the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement in Conway at 501-513-4470; or contact the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission at 833-356-0824. You may also text your tip to TIP411 (847411).

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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — Famous waterfowl hunter and outdoor writer Nash Buckingham once said, “A duck call in the hands of the unskilled is one of conservation’s greatest assets.” If he would have been bitten as badly by the turkey-hunting bug as he was ducks, he likely would have doubled down on this statement in reference to the all-American game bird. Most turkey hunters walk through the woods with hunting vests full of various slates, scratch boxes and mouth diaphragms to fit any situation, but veterans of the turkey woods know it’s better to keep those calls in your pocket until the time is right.

Brad Young isn’t just the colonel of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Enforcement Division, he’s as die-hard a turkey hunter as you’re likely to cross paths with. Having been introduced to the chase for wild turkeys by his grandfather at the age of seven, Col. Young has had more than enough experiences in the turkey woods to know a quiet walk through the woods can be more productive than a morning blasting locator calls and other noisemakers.

“I don’t even bring a locator call with me,” Young said. “There are plenty of things that will make a gobbler sound off without me adding to it and maybe tipping him off that something isn’t right in the woods.”

Young’s quiet attitude is reflected in his calling when he does start to draw a gobbler to him. Instead of hammering down on a box or trying to talk a turkey’s ear off, he starts the morning with some soft, hesitant hen sounds.

“Take that bird’s temperature with some soft yelps or clucks,” Young said.

The natural order of turkey breeding is for the hens to come to the gobbler, so hunters are already trying to put up the front of a female who’s playing hard to get.

“If he fires right off the bat, maybe you can get a little more aggressive, but sounding a little too eager can be a red flag to him that something is off.

CUTLINES: 

Gobbler
Arkansas’s regular 2023 turkey hunting season opens April 17.

Hunter with bird
AGFC Col. Brad Young has been chasing turkeys for more than 30 years.

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CUTLINES:

Streamside clinic
AGFC Malacologist Kendall Moles teaching students about freshwater mussels.

Boat stocking
AGFC Fisheries Biologist Dylan Hann guides intern during Florida bass stocking effort.

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