Arkansas Game Commission considers 2008-2009 hunting proposals

[Len Backus]

DUMAS – At the February monthly meeting in Dumas, commissioners for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission were presented with proposals for the 2008-2009 hunting seasons. The commission will study the proposals and make a final decision at its March 20 meeting in Little Rock.

The proposals include calendar adjustments, new codes, code revisions and code clarifications.

Proposed season dates for the 2008-2009 deer hunting season:

Archery – All zones: Oct. 1 to Feb. 28.
Modern Gun - Zones 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11: Nov. 8 to Nov. 30.
Zone 4: Nov. 8 to Nov. 9.
Zone 5: Nov. 8 to Nov. 9 and Nov. 15 to Nov. 16.
Zone 4A, 5A, 13, 14 and 15: Nov. 8 to Dec. 7. Zone 4B and 5B: Nov. 8 to Nov. 16.
Zone 9 and 12: Nov. 8 to Dec. 14.
Zone 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 8 to Dec. 25
Muzzleloader - Zones 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15: Oct. 18 to Oct. 26 and Dec. 13 to Dec. 15.
Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B: Closed.
Zones 9, 12, 16, 16A and 17: Oct. 18 to Oct. 26 and Dec. 29 to Dec. 31.

The statewide Christmas holiday modern gun deer hunt will be Dec. 26 to 28 with the special youth modern gun deer hunt in all zones (excludes certain WMAs where a modern gun or muzzleloader permit is required to hunt) scheduled for Nov. 1 to 2. During the special modern gun youth deer hunt, holders of 65+ licenses, who are accompanying a hunting youth, will be allowed to hunt deer and take the bag limit legal for the deer zone or WMA in which they are hunting. One other proposed change would eliminate the doubling of points for violations on the state’s Wildlife Management Areas.

The commission also tentatively announced the 2009 opening dates for deer season. Archery deer season would open on Oct. 1, 2009 followed by muzzleloader season on Oct. 17, 2009 and modern gun season on Nov. 14, 2009.