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Keith Stephens

Chief of Communications

You are hereby notified that Commissioners of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will meet on the following date and times to consider any business that may be brought before the Commission. Unless otherwise stated, meetings will be held at the AGFC offices, 2 Natural Resources Dr. in Little Rock. To view the virtual commission meeting online, please click on this link.

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Oct. 27, 2023

Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission unanimously approved a special permit that outlines the rules for removing and collecting items from the lakebed of Lake Conway during its renovation.

According to AGFC Deputy Director Ben Batten removal of objects from Commission property is normally prohibited, but many people have expressed interest in collecting objects found on Lake Conway’s lakebed while it is drained. The new Item Removal Permit will enable curious Arkansans to enjoy this added benefit of the temporary drawdown without causing lasting damage to the property or disturbing historical artifacts.

“We’ve already seen a few people walking around on the lakebed since the water level has dropped and a Facebook group focused on the items people find during the renovation has gotten more than 4,000 members in a short amount of time,” Batten said. 

The permit, which will be available at www.agfc.com/lakeconway within the next few days, must be printed and carried by anyone on the lakebed and outlines the rules for removal of objects on the lakebed. Permit holders may only access the lakebed between sunrise and sunset and may not use any motorized vehicles. Metal detectors are allowed, but only hand tools may be used to dig and any holes must be less than 3 feet wide and no more than 12 inches deep. No property or possessions may be left overnight and all disturbed areas must be filled and returned to their natural state before sundown each day. Any archeological, cultural or historical artifacts, including Native American artifacts may not be removed or disturbed in accordance with federal and state laws.

AGFC Director Austin Booth also announced the recipients of this year’s AGFC Campbell Awards, which recognize three AGFC employees for their leadership, spirit and community service. Tara Bennett, an administrative assistant who started her career in the AGFC’s education division in 2018, was the first award recipient announced. Her role in supporting the agency’s hunter recruitment efforts, such as mentored hunts, the Becoming an Outdoors Woman program, the Master Angler program and the agency’s new Grand Slam fishing program has proven invaluable to the mission of the AGFC.

“[Bennett] consistently goes to other people to move the agency forward in their job responsibilities,” Booth said. “As we think about an agency that is roughly 650 people strong, this is exactly what we need from people. Thinking not just about their responsibilities but where the agency is going as a whole.” 

The second recipient of today’s Campbell Awards was Jon Stein, AGFC fisheries supervisor in northwest Arkansas who initially began working with the agency in 2003. His contributions not only to conservation but to his community and church serve as a beacon of leadership and shine a light on the character of employees at the AGFC. 

“Jon is one of these names among the Commission that is well known, well respected; not just for holding fish, but for how much he loves his community,” Booth said. “To quote one of the [nominations] for one of Jon Stein’s Campbell Award, it is that , ‘He is the epitome of the Fisheries Division’s spirit and there is not a single employee that does not look up to Jon Stein.’”

Rob Willey, AGFC Habitat Program coordinator, was the final Campbell Award winner recognized at today’s meeting. A 24-year employee of the AGFC, Willey has tackled some of the agency’s most challenging tasks, including the promotion of proper forest management techniques to benefit wildlife. Willey is at the forefront of the AGFC’s initiatives to properly measure and evaluate the agency’s bottomland hardwoods and uplands to make management decisions that are the most beneficial to wildlife today and in the future. 

“Two things stick out to me about Rob; the absolute passion he has in his eye that’s palpable for nature. But he also understands the people side of this. He understands what it means to people individually and culturally in Arkansas,” Booth said. “When I think about people who make this agency’s future the brightest, it’s people like Rob Willey.”

The Commission also took a moment to recognize the life of Steve Parish, who worked for the AGFC as a surveyor for 35 years and recently died.

In his monthly report to the Commission, Booth continued to praise the contributions of many people to conservation and explained how he and his family are personally affected by the efforts of conservationists past, present and future. He spoke about his recent opportunity to take his son along on an archery deer hunt and the memories that were made. He also spoke about Andy Simmons, who recently died and willed his duck-hunting property to the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation to be used to introduce new hunters and conservationists to the outdoors. And he talked about a soon-to-be-released opportunity for even more people to contribute to conservation through special tax reimbursements for valuable habitat work they complete on their property. 

“Whether we’re trying to educate the next generation on how to enjoy Arkansas’s outdoors; whether we’re trying to think about the future deer herd for the next generation of hunters or whether we’re recognizing our own [employees], I would encourage everyone listening today…to never forget that the most important part of conservation is people.”

In other business, the Commission:

• Heard a report from AGFC Deer Program Coordinator Ralph Meeker on the status of Arkansas’s deer herd.

• Approved a budget increase of $ 3.5 million for the renovation of Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery in Lonoke.

• Formally elected all new game wardens and agency employees hired within the last two years to serve the AGFC and the people of Arkansas.

• Awarded retiring game warden Sr. Cpl. Brad Brewer his service sidearm for more than 30 years of service to the AGFC.

• Authorized the Director to execute a permanent easement with the City of Mountain Home for a sewer line easement on Commission property.

A recording of the meeting is available at on the AGFC’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/live/<wbr></wbr>RCU8I8-lo4w?si=<wbr></wbr>lkbP90iLdHZSZ0IK

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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK – When you are getting ready for the hunt, a small but potentially important item in your gear should be the 2023-24 Hunting Guidebook of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and there’s more than one way to carry it.

The guidebook is a summary of the AGFC’s hunting regulations. It also has things like forms for permission to hunt on private land, forms for giving your game to someone else, sample deer tags and much more.

The easiest way to keep all of the AGFC’s regulations guidebooks handy is to bookmark the web page www.agfc.com/guidebooks. That’s where the most up-to-date version of each hunting and fishing guidebook can be found. Clicking on each guidebook will open a downloadable copy to your phone or home computer.

Another option to download AGFC guidebooks is the new AGFC smartphone app. In addition to buying your license and checking your harvested deer, the app has a section titled “Regulations and Info” that has some great resources for hunters and anglers, including downloads of the current guidebooks. If you have the old AGFC app, you’ll need to delete it and download the new version. We’ve also developed a handy instruction guide for some of the most asked questions on setting up the app and checking game at www.agfc.com/en/agfc-mobile-app-how-to.

If you’re an old soul who still wants to read your information in print, the AGFC still distributes hundreds of thousands of guidebooks across the state. You can find our guidebooks anywhere licenses are sold, including major retail stores, outdoor stores, bait shops and all AGFC nature centers and regional offices.  

Take a guidebook along. They are free and available all over the state. One in your pocket, backpack or vehicle could come in handy.

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Keith Stephens

Chief of Communications

You are hereby notified that Commissioners of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will meet on the following date and times to consider any business that may be brought before the Commission. Unless otherwise stated, meetings will be held at the AGFC offices, 2 Natural Resources Dr. in Little Rock. Click here to view the Thursday commission meeting online.

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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — The last few cold nights have leaves changing and deer hunters double-checking their equipment in anticipation. Make sure a valid hunting license is on that “to do” list as you get ready for the muzzleloader season opener this Saturday.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Deputy Director Spencer Griffith points out that setting up your new profile on the AGFC’s new licensing system and smartphone app only takes a few minutes and can help keep hunters on the right side of the law when it comes to harvesting their deer this year.

“The new system enables users to buy licenses, check game, and stay informed about hunting seasons, harvest reports and regulations,” Griffith said. “We also worked with the vendor to make sure the site has a familiar feel like those used in popular e-commerce sites like Amazon.”

Hunters and anglers can visit https://www.agfc.com/en/agfc-mobile-app-how-to for step-by-step instructions and videos on setting up their account, checking a deer and adding youth hunters to your account.

Renew your auto-renew
One feature that’s been carried over from the previous platform is the popular auto-renew system for annual hunting licenses. During their purchase, a hunting or fishing license buyer can check a box to have the AGFC licensing system store their payment information and automatically bill the license holder each year when their license expires. It’s a handy way to make sure you’re never caught in the last-minute scramble to make sure you’re legal the morning before heading for your hunt. But Griffith explains that the new system will need everyone to reestablish their payment credentials and automatic renewal options.

“Everyone who previously enrolled in auto-renew should still visit the site to make sure their information carried over,” Griffith said. “If your renewal happened before September, you should be good, but you’ll still need to re-enroll for the future. Either way, it’s smart to go ahead and verify your license is valid before you head to the woods.”

Check with E-tags online
Double-checking your license is especially important if you plan to use the AGFC’s website or app to check your deer in the field. The new system will populate your account with the amount of electronic deer tags your license includes upon purchase.

“Once these show up on your license in the app, you can check your deer, even if you don’t have cell service,” Griffith said. “But you need to make sure you’re ready for success before you leave the house for deer camp. Once you’ve checked a deer, you don’t need to physically tag it as long as it stays with you until you get back home. If you leave it somewhere like a deer camp, a processor or taxidermist, you still need to make a tag with your name, contact information and check confirmation number to claim the deer as yours in case a game warden comes to check on things.”

Renewable Youth CID
Some young hunters aged 6-15 will be hitting the woods with muzzleloaders this weekend, but the real excitement for the young guns is Arkansas’s Modern Gun Youth Deer Hunt Nov. 4-5. No matter what season the youth is hunting, they’ll still need to make sure they have a Customer Identification Number in the AGFC license system to check big game. The number, labeled YCID in the AGFC license system’s hunting license menu, is free, but hunters will need to go through the purchase process to secure their number each year and validate their allotment of deer tags. Once obtained, the youth hunter will be able to check their deer just like anyone else when they’re logged in with their account.

“Their CID number doesn’t change, but it needs to be renewed each year to make sure the tags show up to check your deer when it’s time to celebrate,” Griffith said.

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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

SPRINGDALE — Thanks to a decades-old partnership, the U.S. Forest Service and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission are able to offer over a million acres of public hunting opportunity in the Ouachita and Ozark/St. Francis National Forests. Getting the most out of remote portions of these rugged lands, however, takes a little extra effort. Arkansas outfitter Casey Brewster has discovered the therapeutic power of hunting and relaxing in these out-of-the-way public lands, thanks to some ingenuity and a few surefooted assistants. He and his organization lead veterans and first responders on special multiple day hunting trips using pack goats to get their supplies where they need to go.

ATVs and other motorized forms of transit are not allowed in most of the forest due to the damage they can cause if left unchecked on public land. Many hunters have learned the value of animals, such as horses, mules and even goats, to help them set up camp in Arkansas’s public wilderness. The animals cause much less disturbance and add more to the experience for many hunters and outdoors enthusiasts. 

Brewster is a part-time worker with the AGFC and research scholar for the University of Arkansas who was one of the project leads in the AGFC’s effort to reintroduce collared lizards in restored habitat in the Ozarks. He also founded Snake Mountain Pack Goats, a nonprofit organization that uses specially bred goats to carry the gear necessary for multiple-day getaways, guiding his clients and friends on deer hunts, bear hunts, smallmouth fishing trips and campouts, all at no charge.

“I get some strange looks leading a string of goats on hunting trips and plenty of questions from curious hikers,” Brewster said with a smile when we caught up with him at the World Champion Squirrel Cook Off in September.

Brewster was wounded in combat in Iraq before his current career with the AGFC and the University of Arkansas. While he had loved the outdoors before his deployment, engaging in the outdoors and focusing on his education were pivotal in his adjustment back to civilian life.

“When my former spouse and I first got our farm out in West Fork, the property was overrun with non-native invasive weeds,” Brewster said. “I’d wanted goats for a long time, and using them to clean up that area of invasives was a great excuse to get a few. Then I started seeing some videos of people using goats for elk hunts out West, and I started making contacts to learn more. When I learned I could incorporate the goats and the outdoors into helping veterans and first responders, it just sort of all came together. ”

The goats aren’t just pack animals on the journeys. Working with them often becomes part of the experience for his guests.

“We call it, ‘mountain therapy,’ Brewster said. “We take people who may be having some difficulties and let them get away from everything, relax and just immerse themselves in the experience.”

The goats even help raise funds to continue the group’s mission. Staff lead day hikes and participate in other events to raise funds. 

“Yes, some of our staff lead some goat yoga experiences to help with fundraising, too,” Brewster said.

Goats may not be for everyone, but they are essential to Brewster’s style of outdoor adventure.

“If you hunt or hike on leased or private land where you could get a side by side or ATV or only spend an hour or two on your hunts, maybe a string of goats isn’t for you,” Brewster said. “But a lot of public land in Arkansas has terrain and regulations that prevent the use of those things. If you’ve ever looked at some of those remote places and just knew that you could have the place to yourself if you could figure out how to get in there, goats can be a real game changer.”

In addition to their go-anywhere abilities, goats are much more agreeable than llamas, mules and other pack animals. The larger pack animals often require more effort to stay on lead, but goats are much more dependent on their owners. Brewster says most goats won’t wander out of sight of their team, and practically any tame goat will want to follow you, so they can be used without much training.

“They’re just a lot easier,” Brewster said. “I don’t really have to bring in food because they’ll eat pretty much whatever is available, and they don’t need much water. Even then, they’ll drink water right out of a bottle I carry and dip down in puddles and creeks to collect along the way.”

The standard rule for any pack animal, or people for that matter, is to keep any loads around 20 percent of their body weight. Where mules may carry 150 to 300 pounds of gear, most pack goats top out at 40 pounds of added baggage. An extra 80 pounds of gear distributed between two goats can make for a nice small camp, but Brewster’s team often works with a string of a dozen happy animals to create a full-blown base camp in their adventures.

Visit Snake Mountain Pack Goats for more information on Brewster and his team’s mission. To contact Brewster directly, email snakemountainfarms@gmail.com.

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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — Printed copies of this year’s Arkansas Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook are being produced as always and should be delivered throughout the state in the next few weeks. With every hunter carrying a phone to the field, it’s always great to download your own copy and have it at the ready no matter where you go.

In addition to listing the dates of the regular duck season segments (Nov. 18-26; Dec. 9-23; and Dec. 27-Jan. 31, for those who are interested) the guidebook walks you through bag limits and seasons for all of the migratory game birds legal to hunt in The Natural State. Page 4 also highlights changes hunters should pay particular attention to as they dust off the decoys and plan another year in the marsh and Arkansas’s famous flooded timber. In addition to price increases to nonresident hunters passed in May, regulations passed last year on aftermarket boat motor exhausts and hunting access during the week on some wildlife management areas will go into effect now that the year delay to let hunters adapt to those regulations has passed.

Regulation changes to pay special interest to this season include:

• Hunting on Bell Slough, Ed Gordon Point Remove, Frog Bayou and Galla Creek WMAs and the Dyer Lake Unit of Ozark  Lake WMA is limited to Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and the last day of regular duck season.
• One day (Feb. 3) is available for the Veteran and Active Military Waterfowl Hunt. Two Special Youth Hunt days remain scheduled (Dec. 2, 2023; Feb. 3, 2024).
• New requirements and fees have been set for nonresident hunting and guiding activities (see pages 12 -14).
• Boats on the following WMAs are required to have motors with only factory exhaust systems in place: Bell Slough, Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita, Big Lake, Camp Robinson, Cut-Off Creek, Cypress Bayou, Dave Donaldson Black River, Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois d’Arc, Earl Buss Bayou DeView, Ed Gordon Point Remove, Galla Creek, George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto, Harris Brake, Henry Gray Hurricane Lake, Petit Jean River, Rex Hancock Black Swamp, Seven Devils, Steve N. Wilson Raft Creek Bottoms, Sheffield Nelson Dagmar, Shirey Bay Rainey Brake and Sulphur River WMAs. The following national wildlife refuges also follow this regulation change: Cache River, Dale Bumpers White River, Felsenthal and Overflow NWRs.
• Unrestricted boating is allowed on a portion of the Cache River as it runs through or adjacent to Rex Hancock Black Swamp WMA (see Page  55).
• A 30-day Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Permit ($200) will be available for hunting on days allowed for nonresident public hunting (see Page 14).

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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — Biologists and staff from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will host a live Arkansas Deer Update on the AGFC YouTube channel beginning at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 for hunters heading into the meat of deer season.

Ralph Meeker, the AGFC’s Deer Program coordinator, will kick off the event with an overview of Arkansas’s deer population and harvest trends from the last few years. He’ll be followed by AJ Riggs, AGFC wildlife health biologist, with an update on chronic wasting disease in Arkansas’s deer herd and ways hunters can help monitor and slow the spread of this fatal neurological disease in Arkansas. Jeremy Brown, the AGFC’s Deer Management Assistance Program coordinator will follow up with instructions for the hundreds of deer camps enrolled in DMAP to ensure they tag and check their deer properly and work with the AGFC to maximize the potential of their property for hunting season.

An additional presentation on the new AGFC hunting license system and smartphone app will familiarize hunters with how to create a new account, check their deer (even without a cell signal) and add youth hunters to their account.

Viewers are encouraged to email their questions to deerinfo@agfc.ar.gov during the show to be asked and answered on air.

“We want to hear from everyone going into deer season and help them out,” Cory Gray, AGFC Research Division chief said. “We’ll try to address all of the general questions about Arkansas’s deer and deer hunting being asked by a lot of people. If it’s a question about a specific place or person, we’ll follow up with a direct reply the following day.”

Anyone interested in the state of Arkansas’s deer herd can click this link at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 to watch. You can also subscribe to the channel at www.youtube.com/@ArkansasGameandFishCommission, From a laptop, click the bell and select “All Notifications” and you’ll be reminded when the AGFC starts a new livestream or posts a new video. You can also change your notifications setting on a mobile phone by clicking your account icon and clicking “Notifications” to select your preferences. 

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