Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Biologist notes plenty of deer in Clark County

The May 25 Rotary program on deer and turkey hunting was presented by Charles Self, a private lands biologist and employee of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Self works out of the Camden office.

Self began his talk on turkeys by noting there are 11 counties in the South Central Arkansas region, 129 clubs and 361,000 acres on which to hunt turkeys.

Self said he works in these 11 counties and that Clark County is in Zone 12.

He primarily works with private landowners and hunting clubs on deer management programs. Self currently coordinates herd management with 129 clubs on about 320,000 acres.

Self said, during his career he has conducted intensive herd management with about 600 clubs on 650,000 acres. He also serves on the state deer team in an advisory capacity.

"I have the statistics monitoring Zone 12's deer harvest from 1938 until 2005," Self said. "It is increasing. Currently, our zone makes up about 48 percent of Arkansass statewide deer harvest."

Self said major factors effecting deer harvests include the weather, availability of foliage, and the mating season.

"There has been an improvement in the quality of bucks in Clark County. The average buck bagged in 2005 was equal to the best one in 2004," he said. "Hunting has come a long way since the four-point spreads we were seeing around here 15 years ago."

Self said the bag limits for Zone 12 for firearms hunters have increased to two legal bucks and two legal does. This is also true in Zones 13, 14, 15 and 17. Hunters can bag up to four legal does by archery and crossbows in these same zones.

"There have also been days added to the deer season," he said.

Turkey harvest

Self changed the subject to turkey hunting and said this years harvest is about 13,500 statewide.

"This is alarmingly decreasing," Self said. "But if we see more turkeys in the summer, we can harvest more in the fall. It is decreasing because we have fewer gobblers."

Self said turkey season has 24 days locally. He said 85 percent of all turkey breeding takes place before April 10. The season has been shortened to allow more breeding.

"We need gobblers. The turkey population decreased some in 2004 as well," he said. "The last two years we have had poor hatching and periods of heavy rain."

Self said the Game and Fish Commission exists to take care of the deer and turkey that are in the Clark County area, as well as throughout Arkansas.

"In bucks, age is important. Good healthy deer make good animals. Genetics does matter."

Self said the predator population of coyotes and bears is an asset to the deers, as it makes the ones who survive healthier.

In other business, Rotarians voted to donate $255 for a Gurdon band student to go to camp this summer.

Rotary President Ed McKinnon passed out letters from the third grade in appreciation for dictionaries they club donated for the second year in a row.

"The kids loved it," McKinnon said.