Home  /  Nature Center

Education Outreach

TOPIC

Education

CATEGORY

Classroom

Nature Center

Programs

Bring The Outdoors Into Your Community

Complete the form below to bring the AGFC to you! Outreach staff will follow up to coordinate a visit. Due to a high level of statewide interest, please allow AGFC as much advanced notice as possible to ensure we can accommodate one of your preferred dates.

Certain popular items like the mobile aquarium have protocols and guidelines. Please review these guidelines before filling out the form below.

Click here to plan a visit or participate in a class at one of our nature centers.

---

Search Education

Search

More on Education

2024 Marksmanship Challenge

Teacher Leader Council

School of Conservation Leadership

2024 Free Fishing Weekend

More on Classroom, Nature Center, Programs

Teacher Leader Council

School of Conservation Leadership

Volunteer

Prescribed Burn Associations (PBA)

Natural State Landowner Conservation Awards

The post Education Outreach appeared first on Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

PINE BLUFF — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Gov. Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center will again host its annual Wetlands and Wildlife Festival from noon to 5 p.m., Oct. 28. This family-friendly celebration of conservation is a great way to enjoy an afternoon with family and friends learning about all the outdoors has to offer.

This celebration of the outdoors is one of the center’s largest events. Jason Hooks, nature center director for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, says the lineup this year looks to be better than ever, with new vendors and conservation partners on hand.

“We’ll have door prizes, including a $500 gift card to Hunters Refuge,” Hooks said. And we’ll have food trucks, hunting demos, all sorts of games and music for attendees. With it being Halloween weekend, you can bet we’ll have lots of candy for the kids to enjoy, too. The nature center and trails will be open for folks to explore while you’re here as well.”

Cathay Melvin, an Arkansas children’s author, will be here to sell and sign copies of her book: Cypress Knees and Tupelo Trees. She will also do a book reading for the kids.

The Arkansas Hawking Association’s Kenley Money will demonstrate hunting with raptors.

“We even have KTPB, 98.1 ‘The Hog,’ doing a live broadcast from the event,” Hooks said. “Randy Turner and his shed hunting K9’s will also be at the event to do a demonstration. This hunting demo with the dogs has proven to be a favorite with the crowd.”

The event is sponsored by Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion, Jefferson Regional Medical Center, Dew Drop Auto Parts and Repair, and many more Jefferson County and Pine Bluff  businesses.

 Visit www.agfc.com/naturecenters or check out the center’s Facebook page for more details.

The post Wetlands and Wildlife Festival returns to Pine Bluff nature center appeared first on Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — Thanks to a proclamation signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders last week, Sept. 23 has officially been named National Hunting and Fishing Day in Arkansas. With the fall weather finally arriving, it’s a perfect time to take someone new into the outdoors and pass on a passion for conservation. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has cooked up the following five ways anyone can enjoy the benefits of hunting and angling on this special day:

Taste Test

The J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center will welcome the World Champion Squirrel Cook Off this year beginning at 9 a.m. Sept. 23. The contest, produced by Arkansas-native and local celebrity Joe Wilson, will feature culinary artists from camp cooks to five-star restaurant chefs producing exquisite dishes highlighting squirrels as the star of the show. Although it’s overlooked as a source of protein by many people unfamiliar with squirrel hunting, bushytails are abundant, easy to hunt and provide new hunters plenty of opportunities for success.

Wilson has worked with the AGFC to put together a lineup of events and activities to keep everyone entertained, from a BB gun shooting challenge to live music and more food than you could hope to eat, all celebrating the bounty that nature provides.

Visit www.facebook.com/squirrelcookoff for the latest information on the event.

Deer Season Kickoff

Arkansas’s archery deer season opens statewide 30 minutes before sunrise Sept. 23. With the exception of a few special urban hunts that opened Sept. 1, this is the weekend most bowhunters have been practicing and scouting for. It’s also a great way to get a new hunter involved in the sport by letting them come along and enjoying some quiet time in a pop-up blind or two-person deer stand watching the woods wake up and come to life. If they’re interested in pursuing the sport further, be sure to sign them up for a hunter education course, where they can not only learn about hunting safety, but get a little insight from veteran hunters about tactics that can pay off in the field. Hunter education is required for any hunter 16 and older who was born after 1968. Children under 16 may hunt without hunter education under direct supervision of an adult 21 or older.

Download the latest Arkansas Hunting Guidebook for a complete list of hunting regulations, season dates and bag limits.

Go Fish

The AGFC’s Family and Community Fishing Program and Fishing Derby Program have both loaded the deck for anglers this weekend. Nearly 50 FCFP locations have been stocked with catchable size-catfish, and many fishing derbies in the next few weeks will offer plenty of opportunities to introduce an angler to the joys of angling.

“Fishing derbies and quick trips to the local pond are a great way to introduce someone to angling,” AGFC assistant chief of education JJ Gladden said. “There isn’t a lot of investment in money or time, and with freshly stocked ponds your success rate is usually pretty good. Plus, the catfish we stock are raised the exact same way the farm-raised catfish you enjoy at restaurants and grocery stores, so there’s another great incentive to get new anglers hooked.”

Visit https://www.agfc.com/en/fishing/where-fish to find more locations to fish in Arkansas this weekend.

Visit a Nature Center

Even if you can’t break away for a full day of adventure, you can still join in on the fun at one of the AGFC’s nine nature centers around the state. Each center is full of fun activities and exhibits highlighting the comeback story of Arkansas’s wildlife from near extinction to flourishing populations of deer, bear, elk, alligator and waterfowl. Each center also hosts a variety of special events to focus on one aspect of the outdoors and give people something new with every visit. Check out https://www.agfc.com/en/explore-outdoors/nature-centers for a list of nature centers around the state. A list of special events hosted by educators at nature centers also is available at https://www.register-ed.com/programs/arkansas/240-arkansas-outdoor-skills-network.

Share the Harvest

If you’re around central Arkansas this weekend and have some extra wild game from last year’s harvest, cleaning out that meat from the freezer and donating it to the needy is a great way to build support for hunting. Each year, Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry partners with Bass Pro Shops in Little Rock to put on a food drive geared specifically to hunters. From 10 a.m-2 p.m. Sept. 23, the AHFH refrigerated truck will collect any professionally processed deer meat to be distributed to food banks around the state. Anyone donating meat or making a cash donation to AHFH will be eligible to win a 40-quart Cabela’s Polar Cap Ice Chest or one of four $100 gift cards donated by Bass Pro Shops.

The freezer cleanout isn’t the only way to donate your deer to AHFH. Dozens of participating deer processors will hold aside a portion of your game upon request to help feed Arkansans in need. Visit www.arkansashunters.org to learn more about how this organization has put millions of meals on the table of needy Arkansans in the last decade.

National Hunting and Fishing Day was established in 1972, and has become the largest, most effective grassroots movement ever undertaken to promote outdoor sports and conservation. Celebrated on the fourth Saturday of September, the federally recognized holiday brings together sportsmen and women from across America to celebrate the rich tradition of hunting, sport shooting and fishing through organized local, state and national events aimed at introducing new audiences to the outdoors.

The post Best ways to celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day in Arkansas appeared first on Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

SPRINGDALE — In less than a month, northwest Arkansas will once again welcome a culinary competition of dishes including ingredients ranging from grits and greens to sauce piquant and savory spices, all celebrating the world’s most underrated source of protein — squirrels. After a three-year hiatus, the World Champion Squirrel Cook Off will be held beginning 9 a.m. Sept. 23 at its new home, the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center in Springdale.

Up to 40 three-person cooking teams will be firing up grills, smokers and other cooking implements beginning at 9 a.m. and will be presenting their dishes to a panel of judges beginning at noon. Awards will be announced at 3:30 p.m. to wrap up the cooking portion of the day. All cooking must be done on-site and all meat in entries must contain at least 80 percent squirrel, which will be verified before cooking begins. Complete rules and instructions to nab one of the few remaining cooking team spots are available at www.facebook.com/squirrelcookoff.

The cook off has much more in store for visitors than watching someone stew a pot of squirrel and dumplings. Event organizer, Joe Wilson, is as close to an Ozarks-bred P.T. Barnum as you’ll find in modern America, and he’s cooking up quite a show for the event’s comeback.

“We’re going to bring back the world-champion squirrel-skinning contest, and I’ve heard from reigning world champion Clifton Jackson who said he’ll be there to defend his title,” Wilson said. “We’ll also have a world’s hottest squirrel hot wing-eating contest and the AGFC folks at the nature center are going to have a pellet rifle shootout and all sorts of squirrel-focused fun, including videos and crafts for the kids. You won’t be able to swing a squirrel in this place without finding something worth watching or doing.”

Bushytail won’t be the only thing on the menu, either. In addition to samples of squirrel eats that some teams will offer, Wilson is preparing to have a 9-foot alligator rotisserie for attendees to enjoy, as well as another first for the event. Five-time Memphis in May World Barbecue Contest champion Mark Lambert is bringing a 400-gallon pot to cook up the world’s largest batch of rabbit fricassee for attendees to enjoy.

“YouTube barbecue celebrity Malcolm Reed is one of the judges we’ve lined up for the cooking contest, as well as Brent Reaves from the MeatEater group’s popular Bear Grease podcast,” Wilson said. “We’ll also have live music playing throughout the day, and a celebration of all things outdoors. If you walk away hungry or bored, I don’t know if there’s any help for you.” 

CUTLINES:

COOKING
Up to 40 teams will test their wild game cooking abilities at the World Champion Squirrel Cook Off Sept. 23 in Springdale.

SQUIRREL BANNER
The World Champion Squirrel Cook Off has been featured on a national scale in The USA Today, CBS Sunday Morning and MeatEater productions.

The post World Champion Squirrel Cook Off returns Sept. 23 appeared first on Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

Jeff Williams

Editor, Arkansas Wildlife Magazine

FORT SMITH – Bruce Stanton, vice president and general manager of the PRADCO fishing division, made two announcements on the deck of the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center Thursday afternoon. One recognized the needs of future generations; the other was a surprise that honored a longtime contributor to the joys of fishing.

“We make lures right here in Fort Smith that go to over 4,200 Walmart stores, they go to over 60 countries,” Stanton said. “It’s exciting to announce that on behalf of our team members, we’re going to donate $150,000 to kick-start a fundraiser for the Huckabee Nature Center right here in Fort Smith.”

The nature center, which opened Aug. 31, 2006, at 8300 Wells Lake Road, is loaded with interesting displays, although they’ve fallen behind the technological curve after 17 years. An effort to “reimagine” the possibilities at this nature center and others already has begun.

Tabbi Kinion, chief of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Education Division, told the crowd of about 100, many of them PRADCO employees, that the AGFC earmarked $350,000 from the Conservation License Plate Program for the project.

“If you think about the kids from 2006, when this place opened, those folks are having their own children now,” Kinion said. “It is time to reimagine this place for a new generation. Today we are so excited and proud to be working with PRADCO Outdoors and other partners as we reimagine this place for Fort Smith’s families for generations to come.”

Fort Smith Mayor George McGill spoke to the growth of the area and the nature center’s position.

“The timing is right for this,” McGill said. “Our children and our friends and guests from all across the country are going to come to this place, and when they leave they are going to go, ‘Wow, we have to go back.’ The children are going to say things like, ‘Grandpa – that was so cool! When can we go back?’ ”

Plans for the updated exhibits and displays are in the early stages. Kinion and Spencer Griffith, an AGFC deputy director, offered a brief presentation of potential plans for about a dozen local civic and business leaders before PRADCO’s announcements. A wide range of possibilities that would widen the scope of the nature center’s impact will be considered; none of those ideas has been adopted, although the plan is to move relatively quickly.

“We look forward to working with the community to really make this center the crown jewel that it is,” Deke Whitbeck, president of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, said. “Just as Chaffee Crossing is undergoing revitalization right where we’re standing, this nature center is going to follow suit and do the very same thing.”

Bennie Westphal of Fort Smith, an AGFC commissioner during 2021-22, has been instrumental in bringing people together to bring the nature center up to date.

“I am passionate about the outdoors and nature,” Westphal said. “I want more kids and families to get excited about the outdoors. I had friends in church that started taking me outdoors and it’s been a blessing to me.”

Whitbeck says the effort will reach far and wide.

“Bennie and I are going to be calling on just about everyone here in the River Valley to see if we can raise some funds to help bring this center where we think it should be,” Whitbeck said.

The Arkansas River Valley Nature Center is the first of nine that are in line for updates. Eric Maynard, an assistant chief in charge of nature centers in the AGFC Education Division, says Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center, which opened Dec. 17, 2008, will be next.

For his second announcement, Stanton called Bill Jarboe to the lectern. “Bill has worked at PRADCO for 53 years,” Stanton said as he directed Jarboe and his wife, Debbie, to a sign covered by a sheet of fabric.

“Instead of announcing it, I’m going to let you all pull it off,” Stanton said as the sign was revealed. “We’ve got PRADCO Outdoor Brands Bill Jarboe Family Fishing Pavilion,” Stanton said. The sign was to be installed at the pavilion on the south side of Wells Lake. An interpretive panel about PRADCO and Jarboe was unveiled later at the pavilion.

Stanton also handed out 100 commemorative Heddon Super Spook Boyo fishing lures

(designed by Jarboe) that read: “March 30, 2023 Dedication Day, Bill Jarboe Family Fishing Pavilion, Wells Lake at the Janet Huckabee Nature Center.”

“Bill has spent 53 years as a tool-maker, fishing lure designer and design engineer for

PRADCO,” Stanton said. Some of Jarboe’s famous lures are the Heddon One Knocker Spook, the One Knocker and Hard Knocker BOOYAH rattle baits, and two of PRADCO’s bestsellers – BOOYAH Pad Crasher and Pad Crasher Jr. frog lures. He’s also designed spinnerbaits.

“He’s just a valuable asset to us,” Stanton said. “He’s still designing lures today.” PRADCO has held fishing derbies at Wells Lake, provided fishing rods to youngsters and

employees have organized cleanup efforts. Stanton says that dedication will continue in Jarboe’s name.

“What we really wanted to do was honor Bill and his family with a permanent monument to what you’ve done,” Stanton said. “As long as the Huckabee Center’s here, as long as this fishing pavilion is here, your name’s going to be on it.”

Jarboe credited his family and colleagues with his success.

“Having my family’s support has been fantastic over the years,” Jarboe said. “My wife had to raise four kids while I was traveling to China; it wasn’t easy. The other thing is the company I work for, from PRADCO in Fort Smith all the way to EBSCO in Birmingham (Alabama), fantastic people to work with and for. That’s one reason why PRADCO stayed in Fort Smith – because of the people that we have here.”

####

CUTLINES:

BRUCE
Bruce Stanton of PRADCO addresses a crowd at Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center. Seated are (left to right) Fort Smith Mayor George McGill, Bennie Westphal of Fort Smith, AGFC Education Division Chief Tabbi Kinion and AGFF President Deke Whitbeck.

MAYOR
Fort Smith Mayor George McGill speaks to a crowd; seated are Bruce Stanton of PRADCO and Tabbi Kinion of the AGFC.

RIBBON
Debbie and Bill Jarboe, with family members behind them, cut the ribbon to dedicate the Bill Jarboe Family Fishing Pavilion.

The post PRADCO donates to ‘reimagine’ nature center appeared first on Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

LITTLE ROCK — Each year thousands of parents across The Natural State spend the last week or two of March racking their brains trying to find fun family activities they can enjoy with their children while they’re out of school for spring break. Instead of wasting away the kids’ days off from school, take advantage of the opportunity to plan an outdoor adventure at an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission nature center.

The AGFC operates nine nature centers throughout the state, as well as a fully staffed shooting range in Mayflower. Each of these locations will have special programs and events March 18-25 to keep families entertained with wholesome outdoors fun.

On sunny days, take advantage of each center’s excellent hiking trails with interpretive signs to teach hikers about some of their surroundings. If the weather takes a turn for the worse, you can still enjoy plenty of outdoor-oriented experiences, thanks to various indoor displays and programs offered by knowledgeable staff.

Best of all, admission to the centers and regular programs are absolutely free thanks to the Amendment 75 Conservation Sales Fund, which is shared by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Parks, Heritage and Tourism and Keep Arkansas Beautiful to protect and promote Arkansas’s fantastic natural resources.

Visit https://www.agfc.com/en/education/calendar/public-event/spring-break-2023-events to see a calendar of events for this year’s Spring Break programming. Each center also has its own website and Facebook page to keep you up to date on the latest programs. Visit www.agfc.com/naturecenters to learn more about each center and link to their Facebook pages.

The post Turn spring break into a nature break this year with the AGFC appeared first on Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

SPRINGDALE – Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Chairman Bobby Martin and AGFC staff welcomed local leaders and community members today to cut the ribbon on a new playground at the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center in Springdale.

Martin addressed a crowd of more than 100 fifth-graders from northwest Arkansas, stating that he wished he had “the crowd’s energy” at the special event. He added that this latest addition to the AGFC’s newest nature center is a perfect example of ways the AGFC engages young Arkansans to build a lifelong passion for the outdoors.

“This is a great facility to help kids get outdoors,” Martin said.

Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse also spoke about the addition and the work the AGFC and its many partners have put into making northwestern Arkansas a hub of outdoor recreation.

“I want to thank the AGFC and the Walton Foundation for this great looking playground,” Sprouse said. “Kids will now get outside and enjoy what God has given us.”

The unique playground was constructed by Natural State Treehouses using locally sourced natural materials. Much of the wood used was repurposed from an invasive cedar removal project in partnership with the Ozark Natural Science Center.

Tabbi Kinion, chief of the AGFC’s Education Division, was excited about the opportunity to showcase the playground, which has already been discovered by many regular visitors of the nature center and field trip groups.

“This playground could not have been completed at a better time with spring break right around the corner and Arkansas families looking for fun activities for their students,” Kinion said. “We’re excited to provide an additional draw to the center as we hope to ignite a passion for the outdoors in Arkansas’s children.”

A grant from the Walton Family Foundation was critical in the addition of the playground. This is the second grant WFF has contributed to the nature center, with the first being used during its initial build in 2019.

“The Ozark Highlands Nature Center is a beautiful educational shared space for the entire region to enjoy,” said Jeremy Pate, Walton Family Foundation Home Region Program deputy director. “The new nature-inspired playground and outdoor spaces add to the experience. It’s a place where everyone can learn, play and connect with one another.”

The J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center is a 32,000-square foot facility on 61 acres for learning about the natural world and outdoor recreation in northwest Arkansas. It is the ninth nature center developed by the AGFC with the help of the Amendment 75 Conservation Sales Fund. Learn more about the Ozark Highlands Nature Center at www.agfc.com/ozarkhighlands or follow the nature center on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JBJHFOHNC.

CUTLINES:

Kids enjoying playground
More than 100 young Arkansans were present for today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center playground.

Ribbon cutting
Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse (left) and AGFC Chairman Bobby Martin officially cut the ribbon to the latest addition to the nature center’s outdoor exhibits.

Kids sitting
Unique playstations built of repurposed natural materials encourage youth to use creativity and imagination while enjoying a day outside at the center.

####

The post AGFC cuts ribbon on new nature center attraction appeared first on Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will host outdoor writer Keith “Catfish” Sutton for a special seminar this March at two locations in The Natural State.

The presentation, “Learn New Tricks for Catching Big Slabs,” will begin at 6:30 p.m. March 9 at the Gov. Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center in Pine Bluff, and it will be repeated beginning at 6:30 p.m. March 14 at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in Little Rock’s Julius Breckling Riverfront Park. Each seminar is approximately 2 hours long.

With recent advances in technology, many anglers may find themselves discouraged because they can’t justify the price of some modern sonar and equipment, but Sutton’s tried-and-true techniques are ideal for all anglers.

“Crappie are the most popular panfish in Arkansas,” Sutton said. “But many anglers find them hard to catch outside the spring spawning season. This seminar, for both beginning and experienced fishermen, will provide simple tips anyone can use to catch more crappie year-round.”

Sutton, a native Arkansan, has been an avid crappie fisherman for five decades. His first-hand knowledge of the sport and tips he’s learned from pro crappie anglers nationwide, form the basis for his book, The Crappie Fishing Handbook, which will be available for sale at the seminars.

The seminars are free, but registration is required as seats fill up quickly.

Register for the Pine Bluff Seminar “Learn New Tricks for Catching Big Slabs”

Register for the Little Rock Seminar “Learn New Tricks for Catching Big Slabs”

Cutline:

Keith “Catfish” Sutton has authored many books on fishing for crappie as well as his namesake catfish.

The post Catfish to teach crappie anglers at AGFC nature centers appeared first on Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

LITTLE ROCK – Thanks to wildlife violation fines collected by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission Division of Rural Services has awarded grants totaling $645,493.22 to promote wildlife education and improve school conservation programs to 206 schools, school districts and conservation districts in 68 Arkansas counties.

“Contrary to what some Arkansans may think, the AGFC never sees a single penny from citations our officers write,” AGFC Director Austin Booth said. “Instead, that money is invested in the children of that county to help instill that love of the outdoors that makes Arkansans unique.”

All schools in the state are eligible to participate in the program, but only money collected in the county where the violation occurred may be used as grant funds for that county.

The funding has helped schools create and maintain archery, fishing, and competitive shooting sports programs. Schools also have used the money to help improve wildlife education by purchasing educational materials, materials for the creation of indoor and outdoor habitats, lab supplies, and field trips to AGFC nature and education centers. Conservation districts have used the funding to help promote wildlife conservation awareness in the communities by hosting environmental education days and fishing derbies for children of all ages.

“As Arkansans, we are fortunate to live in a state with abundant wildlife and outdoor recreational opportunities,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “Supporting programs that enhance education and outdoor activities for students is an important investment in the future of our state.”

Outdoor education plays a vital role in understanding the need for conservation and participation in the outdoors, according to Tabbi Kinion, AGFC chief of education.

“The AGFC is happy to partner with Rural Services on this program,” Kinion said. “Thousands of Arkansas students will be outdoors or having hands-on experiences in nature centers, learning and perfecting skills. These grants offer the opportunity to learn about wildlife habitat and conservation as part of the Arkansas school experience.”

For more information, including a complete list of 2023 Game and Fish Wildlife Grant Award recipients and program narratives, visit https://www.arkansasedc.com/Rural-Services/division/grants/wildlife-education-grant.

CUTLINES:

Classroom
Wildlife fine grants can be used to pay for field trip expenses to AGFC nature centers and other conservation-oriented outings.

Archery
Hundreds of Arkansas schools have introduced archery programs to their students through the use of wildlife fine grants.

Trap shooting

Thanks to wildlife fines being redirected toward conservation education, many schools and organizations have expanded their shooting sports program to compete in competitive trap shooting.

The post Wildlife fines provide $645,493 to support conservation education in schools appeared first on Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

YELLVILLE — With more than 110 teams participating in last weekend’s statewide Big Squirrel Challenge, hunters young and old were rekindling the passion of small game hunting throughout Arkansas. When the sound of rimfire rifles and shotguns had ended for the morning and weigh-ins were concluded, it was a youth team in northern Arkansas who turned in the day’s heaviest three-squirrel limit.

Hank Duren and Sophia Layton brought a bag of three fox squirrels to Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center in Yellville that weighed in at 2,420 grams (5 pounds, 5 ounces). Not only was this good enough to take top honors in the statewide youth division for a bag of fox squirrels, it was the heaviest three squirrels any team turned in for the day.

Yellville produced another team that took statewide honors. The team of Emma and Zoey Wyatt brought in the day’s largest three-squirrel bag of fox and gray squirrels combined in the youth division with 1,970 grams (four pounds, 6 ounces) of bushytails.

Four categories were listed for this year’s competition, two adult and two youth. The difference between the categories was whether the participants weighed only fox squirrels or had a mixed bag of fox squirrels and gray squirrels.

“Last year’s event saw hunters with only fox squirrels dominate the event because they are going to be larger than gray squirrels,” Eric Maynard, assistant chief of education for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said. “But we have a lot of people who hunt in bottomland hardwoods in the eastern part of the state, so we separated these divisions to even the playing field statewide.”

In the adult competition, Blake Goodine and Kristian Starnes took the statewide fox squirrel title with 2,060 grams (4 pounds, 9 ounces) of fox squirrels. They weighed their squirrels in at the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center, the place where the first squirrel challenge began.

“We actually started the squirrel hunting competition at that center in 2020, not too long after it opened,” Maynard said. “That first hunt was small, but we saw some real potential in it and expanded it to become a statewide event last year. Now we’re already coming up with ways to make next year’s event even better.”

The adult fox squirrel/gray squirrel bag division saw a tie in the statewide competition. Cameron Tatom and Chad Rader weighed in 1,730 grams (3 pounds, 13 ounces) of squirrels at Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Nature Center in Columbus. Their score was duplicated by Robby Beene who brought his squirrels to the AGFC’s Dr. James E. Moore Jr. Camp Robinson Firing Range in Mayflower.

Ted Zawislak, north Arkansas private lands supervisor in the AGFC’s Private Lands Habitat Division, said that the event was a great collaboration between different divisions of the AGFC, with Education professionals giving presentations and helping promote the event and biologists weighing in the squirrels.

“The response from the public was great,” Zawislak said. “We even had one man and his grandson travel from Illinois to participate in the event. He has done squirrel-hunting competitions in Canada and his home-state, and said ours was one of the best.”

The AGFC had 11 weigh-in facilities throughout the state, which were advertised through social media, newsletters and agfc.com for weeks leading up to the event. The top two teams at each location received medals, and Gamo air rifles were awarded to each of the statewide winners. Door prizes and activities also were available at weigh-in locations to bring more atmosphere to the event. Teams were allowed to hunt legal shooting hours from noon Friday until noon Saturday. No registration was needed; teams just needed to arrive at a weigh-in station by 1 p.m.

“We saw a 65 percent increase in participation from last year, but it honestly may have been much better than that,” Maynard said. “Since teams didn’t have to register beforehand, we could have had quite a few more folks out there squirrel hunting who didn’t get enough big squirrels to come visit a weigh-in site.”

The post Yellville youth hunters dominate statewide squirrel hunt appeared first on Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.