The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission had a busy two-day meeting at The Lodge at Mount Magazine Wednesday and Thursday with topics ranging from using dogs to pursue deer to conservation programs improving thousands of acres of wildlife habitat on private land.
Thursday's meeting opened with a group of speakers voicing concerns about a proposed regulation change which would require all dogs pursuing game in Arkansas to be outfitted with a tracking collar capable of GPS location and remote correction. Jan Jones, president of Arkansas Dog Hunters, and Ronnie Powell, president of Scott County Fox, Wolf and Deer Hunters Association, spoke in representation of the hunters who would be impacted by the requirement. Arkansas dog hunting enthusiast Lee Kuykendall also spoke to the Commission during briefings held Wednesday. Chief among their concerns was the cost of equipment required to satisfy the regulation change and it being burdensome on many hunters who do not have the financial means to acquire it. Kuykendall also spoke about limitations of current electric collar technology and its inability to correct a dog from crossing a property line without adversely affecting the dog's future ability to hunt.
Arkansas State Senator Terry Rice was one of three representatives from the Arkansas General Assembly who spoke in representation of their constituents about the proposal. Rice said he understood and appreciated the position in which Commissioners are placed, balancing the needs of the hunters who are passionate about deer hunting using dogs and landowners who have had repeated issues with trespassing and dogs disturbing their hunts.
"We've got to find some kind of option that can be worked out that can be as fair as possible," Rice said.
Commissioners and AGFC Director Austin Booth all echoed Rice's sentiment of trying to come up with solutions that balance enjoyable hunting opportunities for everyone and the rights of landowners and leaseholders who want a different hunting experience. They asked members of the dog hunting community to pose some alternatives to the proposed regulation that would work.
"We want to come up with some solution," Commission Chairman Stan Jones said. "We absolutely don't want to take away what you've done all your lives."
AGFC Fisheries Chief Tommy Laird introduced two proposals to clarify existing fisheries regulations to the regulations package:
-- Continue the removal of bag limits on Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir during the lake's renovation.
-- Clarify the code concerning largemouth bass size limits on Tommy L. Sproles Lake Pickthorne. The change to a daily limit of 2 with only one exceeding 21 inches was made in 2018 and is reflected in the Fishing Guidebook and signage at the lake, but code language was not updated at that time.
Commissioners also asked staff to draft code language and proposals to add three additional changes to the regulations package for consideration in April.
-- Remove the restriction of motion decoys for waterfowl hunting on AGFC-owned wildlife management areas;
-- Allow certain weapons capable of firing straight-walled ammunition of .30 caliber or larger during the statewide muzzleloader season, and
-- Replace the current 3-day trip fishing license with a 4-day trip fishing license at the same price. (This change would be contingent upon approval by the Arkansas General Assembly.)
Although the change to muzzleloader season was not proposed as an official rule change in the public comment survey conducted in February and early March, it received numerous comments. The change to again allow motion decoys on WMAs during duck season comes from communications with hunters who wish to see more consistent regulations for private and public land hunters and the desire to use additional types of decoys to add motion to their spread.
The two newest proposals will be available in an additional public comment survey, available for input through March 31 on the AGFC website.
The Commission is expected to hear the first reading of these additional proposed regulations at its April 10-11 meeting, and will vote on the final regulations in May.
The Commission also heard from Koen Masingale, a 12-year-old hunter who shared pictures of his journey into hunting and angling thanks to his parents and getting involved in programs offered at the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center. Masingale has competed and won at the AGFC's Marksmanship Challenge and Big Squirrel Challenge and has attended many educational programs held at the center. He recently signed up to participate in the 2024 Archery in the Schools Program and had the highest single score of any student in the Elementary and Middle School Division.
"I'm in a virtual school, most of my recess is fishing or hunting," Masingale said. "But I didn't know I could participate at first. Kendra at the center let me know I could enter, and I had a great time."