Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Zone Changes Are Discussed

Deer hunting zones in Arkansas would be streamlined and realigned for more efficient management of wildlife under a proposal given the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission at its February meeting in Little Rock Wednesday, Feb. 23.

Some zones would be merged, resulting in fewer zones overall, but

bringing up an old and highly controversial question for hunters and for the Game and Fish Commission: deer dogs. Should dogs be allowed for deer hunting in the new zones, or should they be banned?

The agency's commissioners want Arkansas sportsmen to give their views.

Commissioner Mike Freeze of England said, "We are considering merging some zones that do not allow dogs for deer hunting with some zones that allow dogs. The whole idea behind realigning our deer zones is for improved management of our deer. We need hunters to help us with their opinions, and yes, we know deer dogs is a touchy subject for many hunters. We want to listen to them but also ask that they try to understand the needs for these changes."

Zones proposed for the changes are in north Arkansas and the Delta area of eastern Arkansas. Zones affected are the current 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6A, 7, 8, 10, 13 and 19A.

In the rest of the state's deer zones, no consolidations or major boundary changes are planned.

The commissioners at their February meeting heard David Goad, assistant chief of wildlife, report the 1999-2000 deer hunting season has gone well from preliminary reports. Hunters are becoming more accustomed to the 3-point rule for bucks, meaning they can't kill spikes and fork horns.

The objective of bringing the state's buck-doe ratio more closer to a favorable balance is nearer, he said, although the overall number of deer taken by hunters may be down slightly from last year's record amount.

Goad said unseasonably warm weather at the opening of modern gun hunting in November was a major factor in the lower numbers of deer checked by hunters at the beginning of that season.

Final recommendations for the 2000-2001 hunting seasons will be made by the staff at the Commission's March 16 meeting in Little Rock. Then the seasons and other hunting regulations, except for waterfowl hunting, will be set at the April meeting.

Written comments on the zone realignment, on the use of dogs for deer hunting in these zones and on other hunting issues for the coming season can be mailed to Hunting Regulations, Wildlife Management Division, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, 2 Natural Resources Dr., Little Rock, AR 72032 or by e-mail to WMD@agfc.state.ar.us