2023-24 Waterfowl Season Dates

WATERFOWL (cont.)

percent giving a favorable response to the opening day being moved to the later date. To accommodate the plans of hunters and businesses impacted by the different dates, the AGFC will delay implementation until the 2023-24 waterfowl season. Those season dates will be as follows:

• Duck, Coot and Merganser — Nov. 25-Dec. 3; Dec. 9-23; and Dec. 27, 2023-Jan. 31, 2024

• White-Fronted Goose — Oct. 28-Nov. 10; Nov. 25-Dec. 3; Dec. 9-23; and Dec. 27, 2023-Jan. 31, 2024

• Canada Goose — Sept. 1-Oct. 15; Nov. 25-Dec. 3; Dec. 9-23; and Dec. 27, 2023-Jan. 31, 2024

• Snow, Blue and Ross’s Goose — Oct. 28-Nov. 10; Nov. 25-Dec. 3; Dec. 9-23; and Dec. 27, 2023-Jan. 31, 2024

• Snow, Blue and Ross’s Goose Conservation Order — Feb. 1-2, 2024; Feb. 5-April 25, 2024

• Youth Only Waterfowl Hunt — Feb. 3, 2024

• Youth, Military and Veteran Waterfowl Hunt — Feb. 4, 2024 These dates may be subject to change if USFWS frameworks for the 2023-24 waterfowl season dictate a change in total season days or season structure.

In addition to the date changes, the new regulations package increases the daily bag limit on whitefronted geese from two to three birds per hunter per day.

Today’s regulations package also saw some changes on some AGFC-owned WMAs. Beginning with the 2023-24 duck season,

Continued on Page 10 WATERFOWL (cont.)

waterfowl hunting will now be limited to Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday on Bell Slough, Ed Gordon Point Remove, Frog Bayou and Galla Creek WMAs and on the Dyer Lake Unit of Ozark Lake WMA. Additionally, boat access on all WMAs with current boating time restrictions will be expanded to preclude any boats on the WMAs for seven days preceding the first day of the first segment of regular duck season.

Another regulation that passed in today’s waterfowl package includes the requirement for nontoxic shot for all migratory bird hunting on AGFC WMAs that have waterfowl access restrictions. This primarily concerns dove hunting and early migratory bird hunting, as lead shot will still be allowed for other small game hunting, such as rabbit and squirrel, on these areas.

An additional regulation will require all boats on these WMAs to operate only with a stock, factory exhaust system.

Implementation of this regulation

also will be delayed until the 2023-24 waterfowl season.Black bear

Bear season also saw a major change during this year’s regulations setting process, with the addition of an open hunting season in Bear Zones 3 and 4 for the first time since modernday bear hunting was instituted. Bear Zones 3 and 4 will have season dates of Dec. 10-16, 2022 and a conservative quota of five bears in Zone 3 and 25 bears in Zone 4. The limited season will help prevent overharvest and enable the growing bear population to continue to thrive in this portion of Arkansas. The opening of archery bear season in Zones 1 and 2 also saw an expansion, with both of those seasons now opening the weekend before the archery deer season opening date (Sept. 17 for the 2022 season).

AGFC Director Austin Booth said the new season is a testament to the AGFC’s continued efforts to increase opportunity for hunters and anglers and the continued use of hunting as a scientifically sound tool for population management of wildlife species in Arkansas.

“The black bears’ decadeslong resurgence in Arkansas is proof, not only that Arkansas possesses first-class bear habitat, but that our state treasures this important resource,” Booth said. “Make no mistake, this conservation milestone was unthinkable 70 years ago, when wild black bears scarcely existed at all in Arkansas. But thanks to Arkansans, we are watching the successes spread across the state. This is a tremendous marker for south Arkansas, the Arkansas Game and Fish and sportsmen.”

Three notable regulation change proposals were tabled and were not included in today’s regulations package: the implementation of a one-bird statewide annual turkey bag limit, the issuance of a permanent “sticky” tag for turkeys and the implementation of a third buck tag for hunters who submitted a full, sixdeer annual bag limit for chronic wasting disease testing.

Chris Fletcher, liaison to the AGFC from the Governor’s Office, read a special proclamation from Gov. Asa Hutchinson, announcing noon June 10 through 11:59 p.m. June 12 as Free Fishing Weekend.

During this weekend, any-

Continued on Page 13 WATERFOWL (cont.)

one can fish without the requirement of a fishing license or trout permit.

An annual tradition sponsored by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and approved by Gov. Hutchinson, Free Fishing Weekend gives many people the opportunity to enjoy the amazing angling The Natural State has to offer.

Residents and nonresidents may fish without a fishing license or trout permit. All other regulations, such as daily limits and size restrictions on certain bodies of water, still apply during this weekend.

In his address to the Commission, Booth announced the selection of Ben Batten and Brad Carner to fill two vacant deputy director positions at the agency. Batten, previously chief of fisheries, and Carner, previously chief of wildlife management, will join Deputy Director Spencer Griffith in leading the conservation efforts of the AGFC under the direction of Booth and AGFC Chief of Staff Chris Racey.

“This is a point in time for our agency, that we have such a large and aggressive vision that we can’t afford to slow down on either the terrestrial or aquatic side of our conservation work, so we will continue to have both of these men continue to lead this agency in positions commensurate with their leadership and skills in management of not only the resource, but of the staff that work daily to make a difference in Arkansas,” Booth said.

At the end of the meeting, Commissioner Bobby Martin moved to have Commissioner Bennie Westphal sit as acting Commission chairman for his remaining time at the AGFC. Westphal was selected by Hutchinson to fill the remainder of the late Joe Morgan’s term in December 2020. His appointment will conclude at the Commission’s next meeting, which is scheduled for June.

“This is not a trite move, this is more a signal of the respect and relationship that we garner deeply with Bennie,” Martin said. “In this brief time his contributions are immense, and we know they’re not going to stop. When we say once a commissioner, always a commissioner, it probably means a lot of things to a lot of people, but we know this guy will never ever stop.”

The motion passed by unanimous vote.