Arkansas Wild

watching fishing bicycling hiking festivals competitions travel gear geocaching conservation climbing hunting hiking

WINTER 2012

Legacy leadership

Winter Fishing

The Ranger Boats company continues to grow.

Tips and tricks for reeling in a trophy this season

pg. 14

pg. 20

GO with the flow water retention makes for fantastic fishing pg. 28

+ Plus Great Backyard Bird Count Geocaching Calendar of Events Reader Photos

Elk expansion What the proposed habitat stretch could mean for elk and landowners pg. 36

2 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 3

Table of CONTENTS 10 Great Backyard Bird Count

By Paige Parham

12 Fishing Tips

Become a more proficient angler

By Joe Mosby

10

14 Legacy of Leadership

By Kat Robinson and Grav Weldon

20 Winter Fishing

By Emily Griffin

22 Kayak Fishing in Arkansas

By Zoie Clift

12

28 Trickle-Down Theory

White River minimum flow nears reality

By Joe Mosby

30 Bayou Meto Warterfowl Management Area

By Emily Griffin

14

32 Eagle Watching

Opportunities abound in Arkansas

By Joe Mosby

36 Elk in Arkansas

Forest Service reviewing comments on Bearcat Hollow

By Jeff Dezort

40 Finders Keepers

By Ariel Blackwood

22

42 Winter Wonderland

The Photography of A.C. “Chuck” Haralson

44 Caldendar of Events 48 In The Know

News updates from the outdoors

36

42 4 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

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Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 5

CONTRIBUTORS Kat Robinson is a food and travel writer covering Arkansas and the American South… and now also the Communications Manager of the Tourism Division for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. Kat’s adventures can be followed at Tie Dye Travels (www.tiedyetravels. com) , the website chronicling her journey, and her weekly burger reports can be found on Eat Arkansas, the Arkansas Times blog for food lovers. Her guide to the best pies in Arkansas can be found on the Arkansas Times website.

Grav Weldon is a freelance photojournalist and 3-D animator who has spent the last year and a half shooting the state and its amazing oddities and delicacies. His latest show, “Facets of the Journey,” will be on display at OW Pizza Downtown in Little Rock through July 1st. You can follow Grav’s work through his blog site, persistentgravity.blogspot.com, or through his Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ persistentgravity.

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Zoie Clift is a travel writer for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. She has a master's in journalism from Boston University and received her bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Colorado. As part of her work with the department she covers assignments that highlight the distinctive cultural and outdoor destinations found across the state.

Along with her work, she enjoys photojournalism, hiking new trails, mountain biking singletrack routes, kayaking, and traveling the backroads of Arkansas with her pup Kip.

Joe Mosby of Conway has been a newspaper writer, editor and columnist nearly 60 years, with outdoors his primary field. Much of his career was with the Arkansas Gazette and the Conway Log Cabin Democrat. He was inducted into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame in 2002. Today he writes for the Game and Fish Commission, for the Log Cabin and as a syndicated columnist for Stephens Media.

Jeff Dezort is the editor of

the Newton County Times, a weekly newspaper in Jasper, Ark. He was a former associate editor and reporter for the Harrison Daily Times and has been covering the news in Northwest Arkansas for over 30 years.

Dezort is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and has a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He is a former Scoutmaster, is an avid angler and enjoys exploring the outdoors with his family.

hiking

201

Usually during this time of year, people are anxiously awaiting spring’s warm weather, but it’s been a mild winter so far—we haven’t been cooped up inside, fighting the freezing temperatures. What have you been up to during this unusually warm winter? Share your outdoor adventures with us on our Facebook page (facebook.com/ArkansasWild).

In this issue you will find a lot of information about fishing, but what we are really excited about are the stories from our two newest writers, Joe Mosby and Jeff Dezort (read their bios to the left). Mosby put together a number of stories for us in this issue, but one you should certainly take the time to read is “Trickle-Down Theory.” He lays out the minimum flow agreement between the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and tells readers what it could mean for fishing along the White River.

Dezort brought us up-to-speed on what the folks in portions of Pope, Newton and Searcy counties have to say about the proposed long-term habitat restoration project in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. If approved, the habitat restoration could mean the Rocky Mountail Elk population will have more room to grow, but many landowners are opposing the proposition.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Arkansas Wild. For more than 10 years we have worked to bring our readers features on the outdoors from every angle. From hunting and fishing to hiking and biking, Arkansas Wild has featured it all!

Heather Baker Publisher heatherbaker@arktimes.com

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is chief photographer for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. A 32-year veteran of the department, Haralson travels the state capturing images of Arkansas’s scenic natural beauty fnd travel attractions. His work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, National Geographic Dsicovery, Better Homes and Gardens, Women’s Day, Camping Life, and Backpaker, and in major newspapers including the New York Times, Chicago Tirbune and the Los Angeles Times. He’s now the proud grandfather of one-year-old grandson Wyatt.

Arkansas Wild is Interactive.

Get everything Arkansas Wild has to offer every issue by reading the interactive edition on your computer or handheld device. Arkansas Wild is full of links to useful websites, apps, videos, documents, valuable hunting information, tutorials, and more!

on Read the current issue for free at facebook.com/ArkansasWild or download the enansi p hanced PDF to read anytime on your iPad, laptop, or other portable device! x E 6 | Arkansas Elk Wild  Winter 2012 stretch habitat wners posed d lando pg. 36 the pro elk an What mean for could

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Heather Baker Publisher hbaker@arktimes.com

Editorial Emily Griffin Editor emily@arktimes.com Paige hunter parham Editorial Assistant Patrick Jones Editorial/Creative Art Director

Advertising Tamara Adkins Account Executive tamara@arktimes.com Kelly daniel Account Executive kellyd@arktimes.com Michelle miller Account Executive michelle@arktimes.com Emily Withem Account Executive emilywithem@arktimes.com kelly lyles Advertising Assistant

Photography Brian Chilson A.C. (Chuck) Haralson

Production Weldon Wilson Production Manager

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Carolina chickadee

The Great

Backyard Bird Count

By Paige Parham • Photos courtesy of birdsource.org

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual program sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. It’s free and easy to participate, all one needs is the interest to get involved and a spot to watch birds. You can watch for as little as 15 minutes, or as long as you like. The count will be taking place from February 17-20, and data will be collected from all over the United States and Canada.

Amateur bird counts like the GBBC are vital to the research of bird populations because they allow ornithologists to keep track of how groups of birds are doing over time. According to Dan Scheiman, Ph.D., Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon Arkansas, and Vice President of the Audubon Society of Central Arkansas, ornithologists rely on “citizen scientists” to do twice-yearly counts and report their data for analysis. Scheiman said, “Scientists cannot be everywhere at all times.

We rely on these citizen scientists to collect data for us experts to analyze.”

There are two types of counts that are done for the GBBC: Stationary and Traveling Counts. Stationary counts take place in one location, such as a park or a yard. In this type of count, you will simply report the highest number of species seen together at one time. Traveling counts are made over a distance, like walking a trail or through a patch of woods. This kind of count is not as accurate, because it is impossible to know whether or not you’ve previously counted a bird, and some could be repeated. Dr. Scheiman stressed, “You don’t need to be an expert to participate, you just need to identify and count what you can.” He went on to explain that there is a review board of experts and scientists who comb through submitted data for any unusual or inconsistent data. This provides a system of checks to account for data collection error on the part of participants.

How to participate: The GBBC 2012 will be held over four days. You will need to plan for a minimum of 15 minutes for 10 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

bird watching on at least one day. You will need to keep a separate checklist for each location on each day. Count the greatest number of individual birds of each species that you see together at any one time and note these on your checklist. If you aren’t an experienced birder, it would be helpful to get a regional guide to what birds you’re likely to see in your area. Checklists are available by zip code at birdsource.org, where you can also print out a form to keep track of your birds. When you’re finished, enter your results on the GBBC website at gbbc. birdsource.org/gbbcApps/input. This site will not be available until the count begins on Feb. 17.

Many people like to photograph the birds they find while participating and share their photos with other avid birders. A photo contest will take place online for people who would like to submit their pictures. All submissions should be in JPEG format, and as high resolution as possible. Judges from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society will review the entries and winners will be notified by email. All winners and finalists will be posted on the GBBC web site. The six judging categories for the contest are: Overall, Bird in its Habitat, Behavior, Group Shot (two or more birds,) Composition, and People Enjoying Birds. Photos can be submitted until March 1, but must have been taken during the four-day count. Upload your pictures to web1.audubon.org/imagePublic/gbbc_form.php.

The Audubon Society of Central Arkansas will host their monthly field trip during the count. The group will meet at 8 a.m. at Two Rivers Park on Lake Maumelle for a guided introduction to the GBBC and bird watching in general.

This activity is free to the public – be sure to bring a camera and some sturdy shoes. For more information, please visit ascabird.org or call Dr. Dan Scheiman at the Audubon Society of Central Arkansas at (501) 244-2229.

downy woodpecker mallard

Mourning Dove

red-shouldered hawk

Western Meadowlark

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 11

Fishing tips

Become a more proficient angler

By Joe Mosby Experienced fishermen are adept at picking up tips here and there, little things that can improve their chances of success out on the water.

Here are some assorted tips gathered here and there by anglers with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

• A small finish nail inserted in the body of a soft plastic lure will change the action of the lure. Try this without other weight on your rig. The lure will slowly sink just under the water’s surface.

• What color spinner bait should you use? For starters, think light in daytime, dark at night. Lightcolored spinner baits are white, chartreuse and yellow. Dark means black or purple. All sorts of variations are possible and may catch bass – blade colors can contrast with skirt colors and head colors.

• When pole fishing, keep the length of your line about the same as your pole’s length. Too much line makes the rig harder to control when a fish is on the other end. Too short a line, and you can’t reach some spots that may hold fish.

• Don’t throw away plastic worms that have been damaged by a fish or from some other cause. Most times, the damage is near

12 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

the front of the worm. Cut off the damaged portion, and you are left with a shorter worm, a six-inch worm becoming a four-inch worm – effective in many fishing situations.

• When you check over your fishing rods, run a Q-Tip around the inside of each guide. Tiny nicks may not be seen but are deadly for fraying fishing line. A nick will catch the cotton strands of a Q-Tip. Replace any nicked guides.

• A cocoa fiber doormat will be useful in your flatbottom fishing boat, mini-boat or canoe. It’ll keep your feey out of water that often accumulates in the bottom of a boat, and it’ll be a bit of insulation from cold water and thin aluminum or plastic. The mat is also heavy enough to keep from blowing out when the boat is trailered down a highway.

• A paddle bumping against the gunwale of an aluminum boat or canoe can be loud enough to spook fish. A length of old rubber or plastic garden hose, split down the middle and fastened to the gunwale, can silence these bumps.

• On a windy spring day, try fishing a bank into which the wind is blowing. Wind-driven water often pushes food fish and insects toward the bank, with feeding fish

following down underneath.

• Hook sharpening is overlooked by most anglers except the professionals like tournament fishermen and fishing guides. A small whetstone should be in your boat or tackle box. Just a few short strokes will eliminate problems like burrs on hook tips cause by punching into something like an underwater snag.

• If you haven’t been fishing for a while, spend a few moments before leaving home to spool new line on to your reel. If not, at least cut off the last several feet of old line, which may be worn, nicked and brittle. It may prevent a break and a lost fish.

• If you are pole fishing for crappie, bream or something else, try working two rigs when first starting out. Use one bait at one depth, another bait at a different depth until you locate the fish.

• Trout fishing tip from Gaston’s White River Resort: The Smithwick Rogue is a good lure for larger fish in flowing water. It is most effective on the first and second rise of water normally during the early mornings to mid-afternoons. Cast the Rogue to your target, allow it to rest on the surface for a few seconds, then crank it down and pause, continue the retrieve with short sweeping strokes of your rod tip, repeat.

• When the fishing is slow, try slowing down. Many anglers, especially those using lures like spinner baits and crank baits, tend to work them too fast.

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If you are bait fishing with minnows, worms or crickets, let them sit longer than usual.

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Legacy of Leadership

By Kat Robinson • Photos by Grav Weldon

Getting ready to purchase that boat at one of the big shows this season?

Chances are, if you’re buying a bass boat, you’re about to buy a Ranger -- or one of the other brands that come out of the Ranger Boat plant up in Flippin. The plant makes 72 percent of the bass boats sold in the world, plus walleye and pleasure boats, every one of them custom made by hand. Take a tour with us and learn more about this north Arkansas enterprise.

14 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

for fun and pleasure.

The innovations that came out of Flippin became industry standards. Ranger became the go-to boat for tournament fishing, especially with Bassmasters and with the operation previously known as Operation Bass—which was renamed FLW for Forrest L. Wood’s initials.

Mickey wood

It started in 1968 in a garage on Main Street. Forrest and Nina Wood ran a guide service on nearby Bull Shoals Lake. The Woods saw the value in making the then heavy, clunky wooden boats used on the lake and on the White River less weighty, more maneuverable and easier to handle. They and his brother Mickey set up shop in a garage on Main Street and made six fiberglass boats that would be the first boats to carry the Ranger name.

The Woods bought an old nightclub on the outskirts of town, the Silver Star, a former stop-in popular with the workers who built Bull Shoals Dam back in the fifties. There they expanded the operation, building 600 boats in 1969 and doubling that in 1970. Boats were $1000, complete with lights and steering.

On May 4, 1971, fire consumed the plant. The next day some 40 orders were salvaged from an old desk.

Several dealers offered to pay for their boats in advance to help fund reconstruction, and friends and family helped clear the slabs. Forty days later, the new plant was in operation.

Ranger Boats started at a time when Americans were turning to the water

Wood sold Ranger Boats in 1987, but the family remains tight with the company.

I took a tour of the facility with Mickey Wood, Forrest Wood’s younger brother, and learned a lot more than I thought I would ever know about bass boats than I ever thought I might absorb. *** Mickey Wood was at the front desk of the headquarters building when I walked in the door. We shook hands and he asked me what I wanted to know. I told him I was along for the ride and to share whatever he thought was pertinent.

We headed over to the plant next door in his truck. Past the break room up front we went right into the plant, an operation that seemed to span out a mile in every direction. I followed him through the noise straight back to a section where there were a sea of boat hulls on rolling racks.

This is where boats begin. Each one begins as two parts, a fiberglass hull and a fiberglass deck. The paint and fiberglass process takes 48 hours to complete. The molds themselves take six days to make. They’re created from wooden plugs and are designed these days by CADCAM designers, though back in the day they were carved by hand. The plug is then cast in fiberglass, which becomes a mold.

Each model requires a hull and deck mold to be made, and the process to bring that concept to reality can cost a half million dollars before the first boat is even assembled.

First thing into the mold is the color, a blend of glitter and clear gel coat that’s layered in to create the particular color for each boat. There are dozens of different sorts of gel coats, from primary colors to golds and silvers and coppers to teals and ambers and all sorts of blends. They’re sprayed directly into the molds, layer after layer, the details of the custom design taped off and sprayed down. You’ll never have to worry about that trim coming off, either—since it’s part of the actual coat of the boat.

“We build the boats directly into the mold like this,” Wood told me, “then when we pull it out it will be a colored hull.”

The deck is the same way, and those deep and shiny bright colors are also sprayed into a mold that will eventually be reversed and attached to a hull. Every layer of paint goes into the mold before the fiberglass is applied, to give the best definition of every detail.

The next step is the first application of fiberglass. Inch-long fiberglass threads are mixed with a catalyzing agent and a resin and applied to the mold. The cobalt and peroxide resin covers the inside of the mold, dries and becomes a virtually unbreakable solid in a matter of hours. The plant will utilize about 7.5 million pounds of fiberglass thread this year to create these boats.

We watched as a series of crews handled several boats. One team sprayed down a deck with the fiberglass mixture from a special nozzle. The next team went over the deck with brushes and fine tools to make sure the mixture had made it into every nook and cranny in the mold. Another crew was fitting yet another deck with reinforcements, which were in turn sealed in with another layer of fiberglass and gone over by a team with more fine tools.

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 15

They’ll practice for weeks before the tournament on the lake to see where they can find fish.”

“What’s the fastest you’ve recorded a boat at?”

“An eighteen and a half footer with a 250 horsepower motor, with two people and tackle? 78 miles an hour,” Wood said.

workers get started on another ranger boat

“The fiberglass is 3/16ths of an inch thick when it goes on,” Wood said.

“Twenty minutes later, they’ll roll the fiberglass and make it smooth.

More fiberglass goes on, and it’s made smooth. Each different model gets different guts and different reinforcements, but they all surpass Coast Guard requirements.”

They’re not all Ranger brand boats.

Four brands are built here. Ranger, of course, but also Triton, Stratus and Champion. Then the boat market began to sink a few years ago, Ranger acquired these other brands and brought them to Flippin. Each one has its own specifications, but every one has to meet the high quality standards set by the Woods.

the consumer. Each one is custom made. If you want a Ranger Boat, you go to the dealership and place your order. There may be a floor sample that the dealership ordered—but even that boat was custom made for that location.

But why all the fiberglass? Why the emphasis on reinforcements? Wood says it’s to fit the needs of tournament fishermen. “Our boats are meant to go up to 60 to 80 miles an hour on the water,” he told me. “Bass fishermen in tournaments want to get from point A to point B as quickly as they can.

We came at that point to the only robot in the entire plant—a special machine that cuts out every little indentation, every live well access, every place a hose or a tank goes in with water shot from a high force nozzle at 6400 psi. It’s all programmed into a computer by one of the guys at the plant…and it’s done this way for the utmost accuracy.

From there, we walked back further into the plant, to an area where the hulls are painted and processed.

Though the type of fiberglass is different here, the hulls go through the same sort of process as the decks over a 48 hour time period. The biggest difference is in the type of fiberglass strands employed in the composite construction. Within the fiberglass layers in the hull molds, woven robing is placed. This 24 ounce dry fiberglass fabric is impregnated with resin to create an almost

We passed alongside more boats in further states of construction, with even more layers of reinforcement and fiberglass added. Some already had tanks attached, live wells that allow circulating water to keep fish from expiring before they’re brought in to shore. At the end of the third line, there’s a big metal frame overhead.

Workers attach each deck to the frame, pull it out of the mold and invert it. It goes back on a rack and keeps being moved along the line.

Ranger only makes fishing boats— bass, walleye and multi-species.

Some boats are strictly for fishing, others for pleasure… really, it’s up to 16 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

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fittings all go in before the boat is sent on to the finishing room next door.

Boats aren’t just a means to get where you’re going on a lake any more. Ranger Boats are fully integrated into the 21st Century with top of the line fish finders; The two-story museum features hundreds of magazine covers heralding GPS onboard satellite Ranger Boats, plus all sorts of memorabilia and a taxidermy collection. locators and all sorts of computers. You can impenetrable hard coat. easily sink thousands of dollars into your boat with these custom additions.

After several applications of fiberglass But people order them. and several finishing rounds, the hull is completed. Once it’s dry, it’s paired There are other add-ons, too, like with its deck. A big yellow frame is these boat anchors that sit on the back used to pick up the deck, slide it over of the boat on either side of the motor. to the hull and carefully drop it into Instead of the traditional weightplace to be permanently joined. This on-a-rope, these are long fiberglass is when any additional component poles that telescope downward to the between the hull and deck is added. bottom of the waterway. There are For instance, in the Ranger brand two so you can also hold your position boats, there’s a certain type of foam at the same time. that’s pumped between hull and deck to make it even more unsinkable. The Then there are roofs—yes, boat roofs, other boats made at the plant have T-tops to keep the sun off your face different procedures and different and neck. They’re more often added to materials—but once again; it’s all made pleasure crafts, but I saw a few being to far surpass Coast Guard regulations. fitted to tournament boats as well.

The gas tanks are added at this point.

Each gas tank holds between 30 and 60 gallons of gas—which may seem like a lot, until you realize that the average boat won’t get you the sort of mileage on the water you get on the road. You think your car gets bad gas mileage? Boat motors tend to get fewer miles to the gallon than automotive motors. Factor in the resistance of the water and it all makes sense. A two stroke motor gets about four miles to the gallon, while a four stroke gets about six. There are also kicker motors—smaller motors useful in hitting the exact spot or maneuvering once you find your exact location.

Speaking of motors, they’re attached at this point, too—whichever type the model calls for or the customer asks for—be it Mercury, Yamaha, Evinrude, Honda or Suzuki. Other bits are added at this point too—rub rails, dials and 18 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

After each boat has been assembled and before they leave the plant, each boat is subject to a water test. They’re submerged in a water tank and the pumps and electrical are tested. If there’s anything wrong, the boat will be deconstructed back to the point where the error can be fixed, and then they’re rebuilt. Wood says they’ll go as far as they have to, to fix a problem before a boat is sent out. Everything is checked—the clamps, the live well, even the radio.

Once the boat is finished and checked over, it’s introduced to its custom built trailer. The trailers are built to accommodate each boat—aluminum trailers for saltwater boats and channel tube for freshwater boats.

They’re designed to perform well at any speed limit and come with similar gel coat and flair to each boat. Once the boat’s on the trailer, a shrink wrap

is applied and the boat is ready to go.

Most of the boats are sent to the dealership from whence they were ordered by one of the trucks in Ranger’s fleet—but sometimes a customer wants to come pick up a boat himself. Mickey Wood told me about a gentleman from New Jersey who drove down to the plant to pick up his boat. He says the guy had just arrived about the same time the boat came off the line. It’s like getting a new car, or even better.

The plant will make about 4500 boats this year. That may not seem like a lot—until you consider the number of people who own a boat. Most folks who purchase a boat purchase it for a lifetime. Boats are handed down through families. Few buy more than one boat—with the exception of pro fishermen, of course. It’s an investment, but if you take care of a boat it can easily last you a lifetime.

That means waxing the hull, properly winterizing the boat and just being smart about boat care.

Some 4,500 boats may seem like a lot, but the market has shrunk significantly. While some 64,000 boats were made market-wide five years ago, there will be just 9,000 new boats made this year. Half of those boats come from Flippin, and Ranger Boats comprise 72 percent of the bass boat market worldwide.

The recession has taken its hit here.

Just a few years ago the plant was running 24 hours a day, three shifts of workers hauling tail seven days a week to keep up with the demand. But then the bottom fell out of the market.

Ranger was lucky—and smart. By acquiring other brands the plant has been kept busy, and layoffs have been stymied. Today workers operate in two shifts over five days a week and are just able to keep up with the demand.

The little boat-making operation has come a long way, and it’s guaranteed a great future for the Flippin community.

Thanks to good decisions and a great product, Ranger Boats should be around for a long time to come.

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 19

Fishing

By Emily Griffin Photo by Noel Vick, Traditions Media, LLC

Arkansas anglers shouldn’t cast their rods aside just because cold weather has set in. Fishing season never closes in the Natural State and with 20,000 miles of fishable streams and rivers, 600,000 acres of lakes, bayous, farm ponds, creeks and sloughs you won’t have to go far to get your bait in the water.

As the water temperatures cool, larger fish move to more shallow water in search of food, giving an average angler the chance to snag an enormous fish. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has compiled a list of promising cold weather fishing waters and this is a summary of what they had to say.

Brian “Bro” Brosdahl puts the pins to a Lake Ouachita crappie.

Live minnows were the magic potion. He quivered a 1/16 jig and live microshiner deep within 30 to 35 foot deep brush piles.

20 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

St. Francis River The St. Francis River Sunken Lands in northeast Arkansas prove to be a hot spot for spotted bass. The Sunken Lands were formed by the 1811-12 New Madrid Earthquake, and some say can produce a limit of 2- to3-pounders in an a single hour.

The best area to cast is in the barrow pit lakes created during river levee construction. The lakes start around the Missouri boarder and run south to Marked Tree on both sides of the river inside the levees, and nearly all are open to the public. Favored lures include spinnerbaits, jig-and-pigs and crayfishimitation crankbaits.

Beaver Lake To the west, Beaver Lake boasts a healthy population of both striped bass and hybrid striped bass, and in the early winter the 28,000-acre impoundment serves up fast-paced action for both these hard-hitting sportfish. Look to the creek mouths for the best fishing. Favored bait is live shad.

Lake Greeson Fall is a great time for striped bass fishing on Lake Greeson. In deep, clear lakes like Greeson the water remains warm longer in the fall so trolling with lures or live shad is your best bet. When the water temperatue cools to the mid-60s, stripers move to more shallow water and can be caught early and late in the day.

In Lake Greeson’s Chimney Rock area, stripers frequently feed on the surface in early morning and just as it is getting dark. Use minnow-imitation topwater lures and crankbaits.

Little Red River The Little Red offers 29 miles of ideal trout habitat below Greers Ferry Dam at Heber Springs. Brown trout running five to eight pounds are common catches; however, the Little Red is home to the world record 40-pound, 4-ounce brown trout, so snagging a 20- to 30-pounder could always be possible.

The brown trout spawning run occurs from mid-October through November, making these especially good times to fish. During Fall runs, some river stretches harbor 5,000 browns per mile.

Some anglers score fishing from the bank or riverside docks. Others enjoy float fishing, fly fishing and casting lures like spinners, spoons, jigs and sinking minnow crankbaits.

Upper Ouachita River The Ouachita River above Lake Ouachita is one of the finest smallmouth and spotted bass streams in the state. One of the best fishing sections is the 4-mile stretch from Oden to Pencil Bluff, about 6-8 hours of floating if you fish at a leisurely pace during normal water conditions. Look for smallmouths out of the current behind boulders and downed trees, and find spotted bass in deep pockets below rocky bluffs and banks.

Favorite lures include a brown 1/8-ounce jig tipped with a brown pork frog.

Lake Norfork and Bull Shoals November is a good month to catch crappie in lakes Norfork and Bull Shoals.

After choosing a fish-attractor site marked with a buoy, run your boat over the site, using sonar to determine the positioning of the brush. On these lakes, the brushpiles will extend about 100-150 feet on each side of the buoy. Take your boat a cast away from your maker buoy, 20 or 30 feet, and using a 4-pound-test line and a 1/16-ounce jig head, cast to the buoy. Count the jig down until you get a hit or hit brush. If you get a hit, use the same count next cast. If you hit brush, use a shorter count.

Lake Catherine Another great spot to hook crappie is Lake Catherine near Hot Springs. Fish under a pound are seldom caught, and there are lots of one-to two-pound slabs.

At the state park marina, employees receive numerous reports of crappie in the 2-1/2 to 3-pound range.

One excellent big crappie hot spot is the Tiger Bay area across from the park marina. The river channel runs through this area, with many fallen trees extending over the channel banks in 10-15 feet of water. Many jumbo crappie suspend in those trees. Local anglers catch them by anchoring a boat over this structure and fishing jigs, small spoons and small horsehead spinners.

Lake Columbia This 3,000-acre impoundment owned

by Columbia County was built primarily as a water supply for Magnolia and the surrounding area, but planners didn’t forget the lake’s recreational importance.

Good numbers of 1- to 5-pound Florida largemouths are caught by visiting anglers.

Near dawn and dusk, bass move to shallow waters to feed on small fish, and a small minnow-imitation topwater can look scrumptious to the big ones. Lake Columbia lies six miles northwest of Magnolia on Arkansas Highway 344.

Lake Erling In Lafayette County, this 7,000-acre lake offers excellent bream and crappie fishing, and big largemouths. Hundreds of thousands of Florida-strain bass have been stocked here, and local anglers often catch trophy-class fish. Once- to 4-pounders are common, and Erling anglers have taken home many lunkers over 10 pounds.

A good technique here is to find a stumpcovered hump near the old Bodcau Creek channel and work it with buzzbait.

Lake Brewer Since it was opened in 1983, Lake Brewer has been known as a bassing hot spot. This 1,100-acre reservoir was built as a water supply for Conway, just 15 miles to the east. Anglers shouldn’t be surprised to catch lots of 1- to 3-pound largemouths, with some lunkers over five pounds taken.

Brushpiles placed in the shallows and near the channel of Cypress Creek hold largemouth bass year-round. In the northeast corner just above the launch ramp, bass congregate around an inundated gravel pit just off the creek channel. Large fish often are taken along the ramp and deep creek channel near the dam and around the submerged farm poind just above the south launch ramp.

One of the best fishing techniques here is to work the shoreline with prop baits near dawn and dusk when the water usually is calm.

For more information about these or other Arkansas fishing hot spots visit the Arkansas Game and Fish website at agfc.com.

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 21

kayak fishing on the ouachita river

Photo by arkansas department of parks and tourism

Kayak Fishing in Arkansas

By Zoie Clift The fish are always biting somewhere, even in places you can’t reach by boat. But you can reach many of these hard-to-reach waterways by kayak.

“Kayak fishing is ready to explode in Arkansas as recreational kayaking has done over the past five years,” said Don Jackson, an avid fisherman and owner of Ouachita Outdoor Outfitters in Hot Springs. “It has opened up a whole new avenue for fisherman in that he or she can fish lakes, rivers, ponds, bayous, or many places that big boats cannot go for a minimal investment.”

Kayak fishing has been established for some time in the coastal areas of the country, and now the sport is migrating inland. The practice is also growing worldwide, with the first world championships held in Australia last year in Port Macquarie along the New South Wales coast.

22 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

Among those that competed in the event was Jose Chavez, a pro kayak angler based in Tampa, Florida. After the tournament, Chavez traveled to Arkansas to fish Lake Ouachita.

“Kayak fishing is an incredible experience where I feel I am connected with nature in everything I do,” he said. “You are able to get away from the crowds, experience nature intimately, and make a stealthy approach to fish that will never learn of your presence. It is also very inexpensive to get started. All you need is a kayak and basic safety and fishing equipment. There are no expenses for gas or maintenance plus it’s great exercise.”

Arkansas’s mild climate means fishing is available year round. The state has over 9,700 miles of fishable streams and rivers and 600,000

acres of lakes, numerous bayous, creeks and sloughs that provide a variety of freshwater species to catch.

Along with these opportunities, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission operates warm-water hatchery systems and trout fisheries.

Chavez, who is a member of the Hobie Fishing Team, said the fishing he usually does in Florida is in shallow grassflats where sight fishing is the predominant way of locating fish. “While fishing in Lake Ouachita we were mostly fishing in water of 25-35 feet in depth so that took a little adjusting, “ he said.

“Also, I mainly fish for either redfish, snook and trout in Florida. What amazed me about Lake Ouachita was that there were so many gamefish readily available to the kayak fisherman. I found myself trying to catch as many species as I could.”

Continued on page 24

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Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 23

Kayak

Continued from page 22

When Chavez first started fishing in Florida, he primarily fished from land and would either fish from a pier or wade fish the flats. One day he was doing a long walk through a flat to get to one of his favorite fishing spots.

After 30 minutes of walking he was nearly there, and then it happened…a kayaker passed him, got to his spot, caught a bunch of fish and then moved to the second spot he was going to fish.

“By the time I made it to the first spot, the bite had shut off since he had caught so many fish from that location,” said Chavez. “When I got to my second spot I experienced the same thing, the bite was just off. That’s when I realized I needed to get a kayak and I went out and bought my first one.”

Jackson said more kayak manufacturers are making kayaks

specifically designed for smaller bodies of water. “They are very stable and well designed to accommodate kayak fisherman,” he said. “They have live wells, rod holders, anchors… and are better outfitted with fishing options than regular kayaks. Some are designed now where you are able to stand and sight fish and have very comfortable and adjustable seating for all day fishing.”

Jackson added that fisherman also save on cost going the kayak route. “With so many tournaments and fishing events during the year fishermen generally have a four wheel drive vehicle pulling a 20 foot bass boat with a 200 hp motor,” he said.

“The expense is enormous.”

As for tips on picking a kayak, Jackson advised trying one out first (“I wouldn’t buy a car without driving it first,” he said). Outdoor outfitters usually have programs that allow

potential buyers to demo gear before buying. “We have a rental program for our general recreational paddlers and we will demo any kayak the customer wishes to try out,” he said. “We are fortunate to have Lake Hamilton close enough that we can demo a kayak any day during the week.”

Chavez said he believes kayak fishing in Arkansas could take off because of the diverse fishing available.

“Getting a kayak fishing club together with an online forum is one of the best ways to bring people together that share the interest of fishing, and a great way to expose the rest of the community to what the kayak fishing community is up to,” he said.

“It generally doesn’t take long for people to see the great fish kayakers can catch and make them realize they could also be getting on the water with friends and have a good time catching fish.”

Photo by arkansas department of parks and tourism

Lake ouachita

24 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

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Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 25

Something new – the development of the state’s largest cardiovascular network

Announcing the partnership of Heart Clinic Arkansas, Drs. Watkins, Bauer, and Meadors, and St. Vincent Health System What this means for heart patients today: • The state’s largest cardiology group • The state’s most experienced heart surgeons • The most advanced diagnostic technology and treatment options available

We’re improving heart care for you and for all Arkansans for years to come by: • Investing $36 million in state-of-the-art cardiology facilities at St. Vincent Infirmary and St. Vincent North • Building 7 all-new cardiac cath labs and 4 new operating suites • Creating the state’s first hybrid cardiac cath lab/ operating room

You’ll still be able to see your trusted physician at the hospital or emergency room of your choice.

Plus, you can visit our clinic locations throughout Arkansas.

Learn more about this exciting development at StVincentHealth.com.

26 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

Cardiologists: C. Douglas Borg, M.D., F.A.C.C. Mangaraju (Raj) Chakka, M.D., F.A.C.C. Charles W. Clogston, M.D., F.A.C.C. John A. Colleran, D.O., F.A.C.C. Debasis Das, M.D., F.A.C.C. J. Lynn Davis, M.D., F.A.C.C. Van H. De Bruyn, M.D., F.A.C.C. David M. Evans, M.D., F.A.C.C. Forrest D. Glover, M.D., F.A.C.C. David D. Griffin, M.D., F.A.C.C. David C. Hicks, M.D., F.A.C.C. Randy A. Jordan, M.D., F.A.C.C. Morris E. Kelley, M.D., F.A.C.C. Eleanor E. Kennedy, M.D., F.A.C.C. Valerie McNee, M.D., F.A.C.C. Donald F. Meacham, M.D., F.A.C.C. Tena E. Murphy, M.D., F.A.C.C. Eric J. Robinson, M.D., F.A.C.C. Scott W. Rypkema, M.D., F.A.C.C. Mark A. St. Pierre, M.D., F.A.C.C. Thomas W. Wallace, M.D. Not pictured: Marvin W. Ashford, M.D., F.A.C.C. Leon Roby Blue, M.D., F.A.C.C. Bradley R. Hughes, M.D., F.A.C.C. Andrew G. Kumpuris, M.D., F.A.C.C. Aravind (Rao) Nemarkommula, M.D., F.A.C.C. Rod Parkhurst, M.D., F.A.C.C. Jim E. Shuffield, M.D., F.A.C.C. Sayyadul (Sid) Siddiqui, M.D., F.A.C.C. Cardiovascular surgeons: F. Michael Bauer, M.D. Frederick A. Meadors, M.D. Charles J. Watkins, M.D. Leadership: Peter D. Banko, FACHE St. Vincent President & CEO Jonathan P. Timmis St. Vincent Senior Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer Marcia L. Atkinson, MHSA

St. ViNCeNt Heart CLiNiC arkaNSaS CLiNiC LOCatiONS: St. Vincent Heart Clinic arkansas – kanis 10100 Kanis Road, Little Rock 501-255-6000 St. Vincent Heart Clinic arkansas – University 415 N. University Ave., Little Rock 501-664-6841 St. Vincent Heart Clinic arkansas – North Little rock 4000 Richards Road, Suite A 501-758-5133 St. Vincent Heart Clinic arkansas – Searcy 711 Santa Fe Drive 501-279-9393 SateLLite LOCatiONS: St. Vincent Heart Clinic arkansas – arkadelphia 870-230-1000 St. Vincent Heart Clinic arkansas – Cabot Cabot Medical Clinic 501-758-5133 St. Vincent Heart Clinic arkansas – Cabot Westport Drive 501-758-5133 St. Vincent Heart Clinic arkansas – Camden Ouachita Valley Family Clinic 501-664-6841 St. Vincent Heart Clinic arkansas – Clinton Ozark Health Medical Center 501-255-6000

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HOSPitaLS aND eMergeNCy rOOMS St. Vincent infirmary Two St. Vincent Circle, Little Rock 501-552-3000 • 501-552-2680 ER

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Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 27

Trout fishing in Arkansas, a multimillion dollar industry as well as a highly popular recreational pursuit, received a welcomed boost in January with the completion of a minimum flow agreement.

The contract is between the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It applies to Bull Shoals dam and lake in northern Arkansas and follows a similar 2009 agreement for nearby Norfork dam and lake. The basic result is a small amount of water will be released at the two dams when downstream water quality is low because of drought. This takes place in later summer and early fall – August, September and November.

When the current stops flowing, dissolved oxygen in the water dwindles, and the trout suffer, sometimes dying.

Trickle-Down Theory White River minimum flow nears reality

By Joe Mosby

28 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

“Hey Charlie, the fish are suffering.

Can you give us a little water”?

At first glance, it seems simple – just turn on a trickle of water at Bull Shoals and Norfork dams when water is too low to keep fish healthy.

In reality, however, it is a complex and hotly debated matter between more than one federal agency, state agencies and private citizens over who controls the water in the two lakes, which are key components of the White River system that lies mostly in Arkansas but partly in Missouri.

The two dams were built by the Corps of Engineers and are operated by that agency. The Game and Fish Commission is in charge of the trout. But a third agency is much in the picture – the Southwest Power Administration, which handles the electricity output and has maintained firm control of lake levels for decades.

Electricity is generated with eight turbines at Bull Shoals Dam and two turbines at Norfolk Dam. The electricity is distributed through several utility companies in the Midwest.

The dams were built with congressional mandates of flood control and electricity generation.

Norfork was completed in 1943, Bull Shoals in 1951. Fish and recreation were not mentioned in the acts creating the dams and the lakes.

Downstream from the two dams is some of the nation’s finest trout fishing. Trout came in after the dams were built and resulting cold water releases wiped out the native fish – primarily bass, crappie, bream and catfish.

The federal government agreed to furnish trout as compensation for the lost fish. Trout took to the nutrientrich water, and a major industry sprang from it – float fishing for trout.

The problem was in periods of little rainfall, late summer and early fall, the White and its tributary North Fork, become nearly stagnant with little water coming through the two dams.

The agreement to maintain a minimum flow of water year-round came only after years of negotiation, debate, multiple meetings and congressional nudging.

Forrest Wood, a former member of the Game and Fish Commission, worked on the construction of Bull Shoals Dam in his teen years. He followed this with a fishing guide service then moved into building bass boats, and reached prominence with his Ranger boats that achieved international acclaim.

But Wood, who lives close to the White River at Flippin, saw the years the effect of drought and late summer temperatures on the river’s trout.

In bygone years, the low water situations were countered with a phone call, usually from a fisheries biologist to a Corps of Engineers person at the dams. “Hey Charlie, the fish are suffering. Can you give us a little water”? A small release at the dams took care of the low water problem until power generation kicked back in and fall rains arrived.

Wood served as a Game and Fish commissioner from 1998 to 2005 and brought fist-hand knowledge of the low oxygen problem with him.

When he started his term, debate was taking place over dividing the White and Norfork rivers into zones, some allocated to fly fishing and others to float fishing.

“I said, ‘instead of arguing over who gets this little bit of the pie, let’s make the pie bigger.’”

Wood added that later “We went to Washington in Witt Stephens Jr.’s plane, and met with our people in Congress – Rep. Tim Hutchinson, Rep. John Boozman and Rep. Marion Berry. We laid in the floor and kicked and hollered about minimum flow.”

This led to agreement among Congress, the Corps of Engineers, Southwest Power and the Game and Fish Commission, first for Norfork Dam in 2009 and then for Bull Shoals Dam in 2012 under Section 132 of the federal 2006 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act. Modifications have been underway since 2009 on Norfork dam and lake. They will now begin on Bull Shoals dam and lake. These include a pipeline through Norfork dam, generator adaptations at Bull Shoals and adjustments to parks on the lakes and nearby county roads, since water in the lakes will be at slightly higher levels part of the time.

For Bull Shoals Lake, modifications will be made to 31 “recreation features,” to four Corps of Engineers roads and to one Taney County, Mo., road because of the higher water. The changes are generally minor – moving picnic tables, adjusting swimming areas, modifying parking lots.

Downstream from the dams, trout should have a better life. Gasping for oxygen in late summer and fall should end. Fishermen should have more action at the end of their lines in the form of bigger and friskier trout - rainbows, browns, cutthroats and brooks.

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 29

Wrape Plantation/Buckingham Flats Enhancement Project

By Emily Griffin

As part of Ducks Unlimited’s 75th anniversary celebration, members of the organization’s conservation staff have chosen one special habitat project from each state as the “best of the best” of DU’s 75 years of conservation work. For Arkansas, Bayou Meto WMA was chosen. Here is what the conservationists had to say.

Ducks Unlimited and its partners enhanced 1,162 acres of habitat within the Wrape Plantation (712 acres) and Buckingham Flats (450 acres) units of Bayou Meto Waterfowl Management Area, one of the largest state-owned WMAs in the nation. Enhanced habitat included agricultural fields planted for wildlife, a natural hardwood brake and a greentree reservoir on Buckingham Flats.

Engineers devised and installed a state-of-the-art water delivery system, including more than 2 miles of underground pipeline. This will provide dependable water for wetland management at Wrape Plantation and better water-level management on Buckingham Flats, to prevent stress on valuable red oaks.

Bayou Meto WMA encompasses more than 33,800 acres within the heart of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, providing vital migration habitat 30 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

for millions of waterfowl winging their way between the breeding grounds and the Gulf Coast.

Bayou Meto is the crown jewel of public lands for waterfowl hunting. This project enhanced the Wrape Plantation rest area as well as the adjacent Buckingham Flats hunting area.

The opening days of waterfowl season can be very crowded at Bayou Meto, with 1,500 to 2,000 hunters using the area each day. Approximately 350 hunters use the area daily the rest of the season.

This project was funded in part by a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant.

Bayou Meto WMA Statistics • The topography of Bayou Meto

WMA is generally flat with little more than an 11-foot change in elevation over the entire area. The area has a north-south elongation, with the southernmost extension of the area separated from the main body by a distance of one mile.

• There are eight permanent

streams, totaling 30.5 miles, including Five Forks, Wabbaseka

Bayou, Government Cypress Slough, Bear Bayou, Dry Bayou, West Bayou, Cross Bayou, Little Bayou Meto and Big Bayou Meto. Twelve intermediate streams, totaling 23 miles in length, form an extensive drainage network which feeds the major permanent waterways.

Seventeen ditches totaling 26 miles contribute to the flooding and drainage. The largest and most significant is the Salt Bayou Ditch which extends eight miles into the WMA. Six lakes, totaling 1,080 acres, are on the area. Halowell Reservoir is the largest, being 600 acres, followed by Grand Cypress Lake, Cox Cypress and Wrape Lake.

• There are 20 food plots on Bayou

Meto WMA. They are managed on a two-year rotation. Openings may be control burned, bush-hogged, disked and/or planted to provide supplemental wildlife foods and nesting and bugging areas for turkeys.

Seasonal flooding of bottomland hardwoods offers abundant forage for waterfowl and hunting opportunities.

Bayou Meto WMA can be reached off U.S. highways 79, 165, 152, 88 and 276. Access to most of the area is by walk-in and boat only. The Government Cypress Tract is walkin only.

photo by ducks unlimited

Bayou Meto Waterfowl Management Area

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 31

Eagle Watching

Opportunities abound in arkansas

By Joe Mosby

When winter is in full swing in late January and in February, numbers of Arkansans and their visitors who enjoy the outdoors go looking for eagles.

photo by Jim Gaston

A few decades back, seeing an eagle was rare in the state.

Now you stand a good chance of seeing one or more in nearly every section of Arkansas.

Where can you find eagles? Start your thinking with water. The big, majestic birds are usually found around water because fish make up a major part of their diet. The Arkansas River all the way across the state is prime eagle territory in winter. So are the big man-made lakes and even smaller lakes.

For beginners in the eagle viewing game, participation in a specially designed state park program can help. Some of these state park eagle events are long-running, annual activities. Dress warm, take the family and head out for a day of wildlife watching.

Some other tips for eagle outings:

Look for flying eagles in the skies and roosting eagles in treetops. Eagles soar with wings straight out from their bodies; vultures soar with wings in a V shape. Scan the treetops carefully. Sometimes eagles will sit in dead or leafless trees, making them easy to spot, but at other times one may be tucked up in the boughs of a pine tree.

Some upcoming Arkansas State Parks eagle events:

Bald Eagle Bonanza at Lake Catherine State Park near Hot Springs, Jan. 20-22. Lake tours, guided hikes, guest speakers and live birds demonstrations. Phone 501-8444176 or go online to http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/ lakecatherine.

Eagle Cruise on Beaver Lake at Hobbs State Park Conservation Area, 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21. Preregistration required at 479-789-5000. Cost is $10 plus tax for adults and $5plus tax for children 6 to 12.

Use binoculars. You can adjust the neck strap for yourself; focus the eyepieces for your own eyes, and practice finding objects while looking through them. If you don’t have a pair of binoculars, call ahead to a state park you’re visiting; it’s likely they’ll have some you can check out or share.

Eagles Et Cetera at DeGray Lake Resort State Park near Arkadelphia. This is Arkansas’s oldest eagle event. Lake tours, guided walks, live bird demonstrations and other activities. Phone 501-865-5850 or go online to http://www. degray.com/.

Take along bird field guides. Even though you’re planning to see eagles, you can also view other wintering birds during your outing. Different species are common in the natural divisions of Arkansas, and water areas give glimpses of loons, grebes, herons and a variety of ducks.

Eagle Watch Weekend at Lake Ouachita State Park near Mountain Pine and Hot Springs, Feb. 25-26. Lake tours and other programs and activities. Phone 501-767-8366 or go online to http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/ lakeouachita.

32 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

TAG YOUR RIDE SHOW YOUR PRIDE

Show everyone your support for Ducks Unlimited 24/7, 365 days a year.

Purchasing a Ducks Unlimited license plate for your vehicle benefits Ducks Unlimited’s habitat work in the breeding grounds and here in Arkansas and ultimately, Arkansas duck hunters.

Pick one up at your local Arkansas Department of Finance today, or visit Arkansas Ducks Unlimited online at AR.Ducks.Org for more information.

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 33

CRAIG AND ALEX HILBURN

Trophy Harvests With hunting season drawing to a close, we asked readers and Facebook fans to send us pictures from their recent hunting trips. On these pages are just a few of the photographs submitted. You can view all of the photos on our Facebook page: facebook.com/ArkansasWild.

C.W. CADIE AND RYAN

KELLI GOLDEN AND KIMBER

W

LA

JOSEPH ZUBER 34 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

BLACK RIVER AT BATESVILLE WHITE RIVER AT GASTON’S

WHITE RIVER AT GASTON’S

BLAKE ROBERSON

CHRIS WITHEM

MASON MILLER

WHITE RIVER AT GASTON’S LAUREN’S FIRST DEER

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 35

boxley valley

elk in arkansas Forest Service reviewing comments on Bearcat Hollow

By Jeff Dezort

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is reviewing comments it has received from individuals about a long-term habitat restoration project in a large section of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest.

Mike Mulford at the Big Piney District Ranger’s Office in Jasper said Thursday, Jan. 26, about 100 comments were received from 30 individuals in response to the Environmental Assessment for the Bearcat Hollow Project Phase Two. The comment period ended Jan. 10.

While Mulford said the number of responses was “not monumental,” he said he felt there was a “good response.”

Some of the comments received were redundant, he said. Some may be lumped together, and comments will 36 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

be reviewed only if they fall within the scope of the project.

Someone may comment they are opposed to prescribed burning, but prescribed burning is already an approved practice. However, if a comment relates prescribed burning to a particular part of this project it will be reviewed and made part of the document, Mulford explained.

The final environmental analysis may take a couple of months to complete.

Individuals who made comments will be notified when the document will be released to the public. It will appear on the Internet, Mulford added.

The Bearcat Hollow project area is comprised of 62-square-miles located within the Big Piney Ranger

District of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest in portions of Pope, Newton and Searcy counties. More specifically, it is located east of the Richland Creek Wilderness area, west of the community of Witts Spring, south of FS Road 1201 and the community of Eula, North of the intersection of State Highway 16 and Forest Service Road 1355 (old Highway 27). Part of the project area is bounded by State Highway 16 south from the community of Ben Hur to the community of Witts Spring.

The USFS is not working alone.

Arkansas Wildlife Federation (AFW), along with National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), Arkansas Tech Fisheries & Wildlife Society support the project and entered

photos by emily griffin

stewardship agreements on Phase One which cost about $1 million including all partner funds.

Phase Two includes measures that would allow for the expansion of habitat that would encourage growth of the Arkansas elk herd, which has become a controversial subject among local residents, farmers, and wildlife groups.

A Newton County landowner approached the quorum court at its first meeting of the year Tuesday, Jan. 3, asking the justices of the peace to formally go on record opposing the Bearcat Hollow Project.

Shawn Porter, of Parthenon, said his opposition to the project is due to the absence of any environmental impact

study regarding the elks’ impact on the native forest ecosystem.

More specifically, he contends, the U.S. Forest Service is using the elk to justify increased forest clearcutting, bulldozing, herbicide use, and burning of tens of thousands of acres in the Richland Creek and Buffalo River watershed.

“I think it’s a mistake,” Porter said. “It’s stupid to bring big game in an area that won’t support it without making pasture,” he added.

Game and Fish and the Forest Service have to grow crops for elk to survive here.

Porter also predicted that bull elk at ponca Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 37

as elk expand there will be increased conflicts with landowners.

Other opponents have also spoken out recently about the three-year plan, calling for prescribed burns of 13,792 acres, thinning 8,889 acres of woods and cutting down 740 acres of trees. New trees would be planted on part of the land.

Barry Weaver, co-chairman of the Newton County Wildlife Association, told another Northwest Arkansas newspaper that elk have gone from a novelty when re-introduced into the area 30 years ago to a nuisance that tears down fences and competes with cattle for grazing land.

“It’s just an ever increasing activity for the elk to be able to expand their herds in these streams that are tributaries of the Buffalo River,” Weaver is quoted as saying.

In the same newsstory, Kent Bonar of Deer, a former naturalist for Arkansas State Parks and a member of the Newton County Wildlife Association, called the plan an effort to make the Ozark Mountains look like the Rocky Mountains, with large pastures where the elk can graze.

“Whether it’s criminal or not, it’s sure evil,” Bonar said. “There’s an arrogance in the idea that you can do better than God. They’re assuming that natural landscapes are basically inferior, and they’re going to do something better.”

Residents commonly question how landowner conflicts with the elk will be resolved. Will agencies compensate landowners for damages from nuisance elk? Will these agencies seek to prosecute landowners who shoot elk that damage their property?

Some people believe expanding the elk onto the Ozark National Forest could result in more problems down the road for both landowners and native wildlife.

Wesley Wright is the elk program coordinator for the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. He sees the elk as a boon for business in some counties as tourists flock to wherever the elk make an appearance.

Even the Arkansas Game & Fish commissioners themselves went elk watching at Ponca late last year when they held one of their

regular monthly business meetings in Harrison.

Mulford said he understands the local issues involving the elk, but notes that the Bearcat Hollow projects provides optimal wildlife habitat for other game and nongame wildlife species that include deer, turkey, migrant birds, and small mammals. It is hoped that the restored habitat will bring quail “back into the picture.”

European expansion changed the ecosystem. Wildfires were suppressed to protect settlements. It is estimated there was a homesite for every 50-60 acres. More trees were allowed to grow and the canopy of leaves blocked the sunlight needed by herbaceous plants on the forest floor, said Mulford.

“Research tells us a segment of the ecosystem historically existed and to restore it, I think, is a good thing,” Mulford said, “to restore these areas and create diversity. The seed bank is there,” he continued. It’s believed that there are between 57 and 67 herbaceous species. Allowed to regenerate they will attract a wide variety of butterflies and songbirds.

FACT:

photo by joe mosby

The Newton County Wildlife Association (NCWA) has long been vocal in its opposition to the elk herd’s expansion. The elk herd originated from 112 Rocky Mountain elk stocked along the Buffalo National River in the early 1980’s. The herd now numbers approximately 500 and is steadily increasing.

Due to recent land purchases by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and related agreements with the U.S. Forest Service, the elk’s population and range is expanding.

Rocky Mountain Elk are not native to this region. The smaller Eastern Elk once native to Arkansas are now extinct.

38 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

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Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 39

Geocaching: The sport that keeps outdoor lovers hunting, even when it isn’t hunting season.

By ARIEL BLACKWOOD

As hunting season comes to an end, geocaching comes to the rescue of active outdoorsmen and women searching for an exciting way to stay outside while still having fun.

So here’s how it works: It’s like you have joined a worldwide game of hide and seek, and you’re it.

Individuals and organizations hide the caches throughout the world, and record the exact locations on the internet. The finders, then, can locate the items using a Global Positioning System (GPS).

After the official container with one or more items has been uncovered, the successful Geocachers have the options to peruse the current inventory or leave one for the next “cacher” before entering their feedback online, keeping other explorers up-to-date.

When the game was created in 2000, the idea was to uncover hidden containers in the woods and “take some stuff and leave some stuff.” The idea is now overflowing with popularity and continues to sprout all over the globe with 1,619,338 currently active caches worldwide, according to geocaching. com, the official site for geocaching.

40 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

The game has served as a quicksand of enthusiasm for all ages, providing a natural atmosphere and a catchy concept with a competitive flair.

The problem, however, is that the “natural atmosphere” is becoming polluted as the trend spreads, and the sport is losing its enjoyable touch due to dirty sites and trashy caches. So, the official Geocaching headquarters has created the “Cache In, Trash Out” (CITO) movement to keep explorers eager to hunt for the latest caches.

The environmental initiative brings communities together to help keep the geocaching journey enjoyable.

Annual projects include litter cleanup, removal of invasive species, revegetation efforts and building trails.

The movement, however, continues year-round, as hunters are encouraged to help maintain the areas in which they uncover their caches. While the hunt is fun and exciting, it can easily be ruined by litter and road kill.

Okay, let’s get down to business.

What is the best way to locate the cache and what should you expect upon discovery? Global Positioning Systems range from your car’s monotone navigation system to

handheld devices to smart phones; the choice is yours.

The most popular handheld geocaching device is the Magellan eXplorist GC, which navigates you within a few feet of the cache, leaving only the dirt-digging up to you.

The App Store also offers a free Geocaching intro application as well as an advanced GPS and cache guide for $9.99. So, however you choose to locate it, make sure your GPS of choice is easy and accessible for your Geocaching journeys.

The “treasure” found in the caches are usually small items, ranging from key chains to toy jewelry to coupons.

Some caches include “trackables” or travel bugs, which are items with a series of letters and numbers allowing the finder to track the bug’s journey and record where it is headed next through online travel bug tracking systems. The finder of the item can take it as a souvenir and leave another item for the next lucky explorer.

Each cache will also contain a log book, aside from all the goodies, which each finder should sign to

record his or her accomplishment.

Although Geocaching is a fun and flexible sport, some individuals or organizations choose to take their caching to the next level and use the official Geocaching terminology.

The secret “language” is to help distinguish true Geocachers from “geomuggles”, or non-Geocachers.

They abbreviate certain terms such as “Did not find” and refer to the problem as a DNF. A “ROT13” is a hint encrypted in the geocaches helping the hunter to find the exact location of the cache.

Here are some local caches to jump-start your journey.

Building Green, Building Hope 2 Difficulty: Easy • Size: Medium

This should be an easy find on the Heifer International campus. This cache is also one of the few in downtown Little Rock capable of holding travel bugs.

Hint: “Baa Baa Black Sheep”

For It’s 1,2,3 Strikes You’re Out Difficulty: Moderate • Size: miniscule

This tiny cache is located in front of Dickey-Stevens Park. Parking is available in the large lot nearby and the site can be reached by walking under the bridge.

Hint: “Hanging out in the garden of the immortalized players.”

The clues work in a simple but secretive way. The cacher moves the letters encrypted thirteen letters up or down in the alphabet. For example, if the letter “A” was used, it would represent the letter “N” because “N” is thirteen letters away from “A”, and so on. The concept is a little confusing, but an interesting twist to the giving of clues.

Gate of Foster Robinson House Difficulty: Moderate to difficult • Size: unknown

Other secret caching terms and acronyms include “TFTH”, meaning thanks for the hide, “TOTT”, or tools of the trade, notifying other cachers of necessary tools to locate the geocache, “SWAG” meaning stuff we all get, often referring to the trade items left in caches.

Specializing In ALL Things Water

This cache is located in front of a historical house that was designated as a historical landmark. Many special events are held in this previous home of Harry Foster and later Joe T Robinson.

Hint: no hint. You’re on your own.

The community of Geocachers all over the world is strong and diverse, but those who love the sport vow to play by the rules while keeping the activity fun and stress-free for all. The “Cache in Trash Out” movement is a helpful source for cachers who enjoy the journey just as much as the final accomplishment of locating the cache.

With a little bit of information and an itch to get outside, consider the Geocaching experience a playful way to interact not only with friends and other cachers but with the outdoor environment as you hunt.

Among the 10,800 active caches located throughout Arkansas, you are sure to encounter fellow cachers and beautiful scenery along the way. Happy caching!

4100 Rixey Road • Sherwood 501-834-0998 • www.h2osportz.com Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 41

WINTER WONDERLAND THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF

A.C. “Chuck” Haralson

By EMILY GRIFFIN There’s nothing quite as peaceful as fresh falling snow. Although Arkansas hasn’t seen much snow this season, I can’t help but be excited about the possibility of seeing the Ozark National Forest covered in snow or pine cones preserved in ice. On these pages, Arkansas Wild presents a selection of photos by A.C. “Chuck” Haralson taken during snowy days in Arkansas.

42 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

Clockwise from Top Left: Whitaker Point, Barn in the Ozark National Forest, The Cossatot River, iced over pine cone at the State Capitol, Queen Wilhelmina State Park, a waterfall at Petit Jean State Park.

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 43

calendar events Gumbo, exotic meats, chicken wings and an amateur cooking contest at the Annual Gumbo Fest on April 21.

COMMUNITY-WIDE FISH FRY

February 3: Community wide fish fry with chicken strips and bake sale. This event will take place at the Grand Prairie Church in Stuttgart.

Eat-in or Carry-out. Serving from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets $11. For more information call Hal Lovett at 870-672-1737.

EAGLE TOUR

February 3: Lake Dardanelle State Park is proud to offer free winter lake cruises for the best chance of seeing our national symbol the American bald eagle. Many other spectacular birds may also be in the area for viewing including American white pelicans, ducks, and snow geese. Please dress warmly as temperature and winds can be more severe on the lake. In an effort to accommodate as many people as possible for our tours we will be taking reservations this year. Call the visitor center to reserve your seat. We will begin boarding 15 minutes before the tour, at the boat dock near the Fishing Tournament Weigh-in Facility. Also, in case of inclement weather, call 1 hour before tour time for possible cancellations.

Event time: 2-3 p.m. For more information or to make your reservation, call 479-967-5516.

ARKANSAS SPORTS SHOW

February 3-5: This event will take place at the ASU Convocation Center in Jonesboro. For more information call 870-972-3870.

DUTCH OVEN OUTDOOR COOKING WORKSHOP

February 4: Ever noticed that all food tastes better cooked outside and over a fire? It’s a longstanding tradition in the State Parks of Arkansas. Here is your chance to learn to cook tasty meals in the great outdoors and discover the secrets of successful Dutch oven cooking. Advance payment is required. Meeting place: Pinnacle Mountain State Park visitor center at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Admission: $15. For more information and to make your reservation call 501-868-5806.

WINTER DISCOVERY LAKE CRUISE

February 5 and 19: Discover Lake Maumelle as it springs to life in the middle of winter! Each 44 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

year, this area hosts thousands of birds that have migrated south for the winter. A park interpreter will guide the way as we take a boat on the lake to search for critters, maybe even a few lingering bald eagles. Dress in layers for extreme cold and windy lake weather. Advance payment is required. Meeting place: Jolly Roger’s Marina for 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Admission: $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12. For more information and to make your reservation call 501-868-5806.

DUCKS UNLIMITED 75TH ANNIVERSARY CONVENTION

February 10 and 11: Make plans now to attend the annual Arkansas Ducks Unlimited state convention at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Rogers, AR to celebrate Ducks Unlimited’s 75th anniversary with fellow Ducks Unlimited members and volunteers. Event time: 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. For more information contact Bob Butler at 501-847-3888 or Tye Anderson at 501-593-8359.

“MIGRATING THROUGH THE RIVER VALLEY”

February 10 thru 12: Come to Mount Nebo State Park for a weekend dedicated to the birds. All weekend long we will have various bird themed programs to suit everyone’s fancy. The Arkansas River Valley is a great place to see winter birds!

Contact the park for a program schedule at 479-2293655.

SWEETHEART HAYRIDE & CAMPFIRE

February 11: Take your sweetheart on a romantic hayride through fields and woods followed by a cozy campfire, blankets, and snuggling recommended. Advance reservations and

payment required. Meeting place: Pinnacle Valley Rd. ¼ mile East on Hwy. 300. Meeting time: 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission: $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 6 -12. For more information or to make your reservation, call 501-868-5806.

LIL’ WILD ONES

February 11: You are invited to join us for the program series Lil’ Wild Ones the second Saturday of each month through the school year at 2 p.m. We will explore the wildlife and habitats of Arkansas through nature stories and hands-on activities!

These programs are recommended for children ages 4-8. For more information call the Will Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center at 501-907-0636.

HIKES, HEARTS, AND HUGS WEEKEND

February 11 and 12: Enjoy a romantic weekend at Petit Jean State Park as a prelude to Valentine’s Day. Guided trail hikes and other activities are geared toward couples. Contact the park for a schedule of events at 501-727-5441.

Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count, sponsored by the Audubon Society of Central Arkansas, invites you to their monthly fieldtrip. The February trip coincides with the GBBC, and will take place on Saturday, February 18th at 8:00 a.m. Meeting place is at Two Rivers Park on Lake Maumelle. This activity is a great way for beginning birdwatchers to learn more about identifying birds, and is also an easy way to participate in the bird count. For more information, please call Dan Scheiman at (501) 2442229 or visit www.ascabird.org.

EAGLE WATCH WEEKEND

February 25 and 26: Bundle up, grab your binoculars, and hop aboard our tour boat in hopes of seeing our national symbol up close and in the wild. In addition to several lake tours, there will also be other programs and activities in the park. Admission: $9 for adults and $5 for children 6-12. Contact the park for a schedule and to make your reservation at 501-767-9366.

ARKANSAS GARDEN AND FLOWER SHOW

February 25 thru 27: This is a family-friendly event celebrating gardening in Arkansas. Events include educational speakers and demonstrations, shopping for garden-related items, a silent auction, and interactive children’s activities. Admission: TBA. Meeting place for this event: The Statehouse Convention Center. For more information, visit arflowerandgarendshow.org.

ABCD FISH FRY

March 2: Come in enjoy good fellowship and good food at the Grand Prairie Center in Stuttgart.

Proceeds to benefit the ABCD Scholarship Fund.

Event catered by Yoder Ruritan. Event time: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, call 870-673-1602.

“PACKING FOR HIKING 101” WORKSHOP

March 3: Learn what to pack in your backpack for safe and enjoyable hikes along Arkansas’s trails. Advance payment is required. Admission: $5. Meeting place: Pinnacle Mountain State Park visitor center. Meeting time: 1-4 p.m. For more information or to make your reservation, call 501-8685806.

ANTIQUE POWER SHOW

March 10 and 11: Enjoy antique tractors, trucks, engines, and more. In Brinkley, AR take exit 216 and travel ½ mile north on Hwy. 40. Please call 870734-1539 for details.

SPRING BREAK AT LAKE CATHERINE

March 10 thru 31: School is out, so it’s time to head to a local State Park. Join the park’s interpretive staff in a variety of nature programming during your spring break. Activities include hikes, educational programs, lake and kayak tours, night amphitheater programs, and more to make your camping experience memorable. Contact the

Lake Catherine State Park for a detailed schedule at 501-844-4176.

ARCHEOLOGY DAY AT PETIT JEAN

March 17: March is Archeology month in Arkansas, and you are invited to spend a day discovering some of the archeological treasures of Petit Jean Mountain, including the genuine Native American pictographs of Rock House Cave. Contact the park at 501-727-5441 for a schedule.

SPRING EQUINOX CELEBRATION

March 17: The Plum Bayou Culture built the unique mound complex here over 1,000 years ago. Activities

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SPRING BREAK PROGRAMS

March 9 thru April 1: School’s out, State Parks are in! Adventure awaits students and their families searching for a break from the academic grind. Kayaking, lake tours, night hikes, demonstrations, games, fun, and excitement are offered daily. Admission is free except for lake tours and kayak tours. Contact DeGray Lake Resort State Park for a schedule at 501-865-5810.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION BIG GAME BANQUET

March 10: Central Arkansas Chapter banquet.

This event will take place at the Sherwood Forest in Sherwood, AR. For more information contact Betty Thornquist at 501-796-2363.

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March 10: A whole new world emerges as nighttime falls in the forest. A park interpreter will help you explore how both human and animal senses adapt to low light levels. Please wear sturdy shoes; no sandals! Meeting place: Arkansas Arboretum. Meeting time: 7:30-9:30 p.m. For more information call Pinnacle Mountain State Park at 501-868-5806.

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 45

SPRINGTIME ON THE MALL FESTIVAL

March 31: Arts, crafts, and entertainment can be found at the Blytheville Springtime on the Mall Festival. For more information call 870-763-2525.

RESOURCE RENDEZVOUS FISHING DERBY

April 5: FREE fishing derby for kids 12 and under.

Bring your own pole, bait, and chairs. Meeting at the Lake Dardanelle State Park swimming beach from 9 a.m. to noon. Contact the park for further details at 479-967-5516.

FAMILY FISHING CRUISE

March 19: Get the whole family fishing while we lead you to our favorite spots on Lake Maumelle near the base of Pinnacle Mountain. You bring your own gear and bait. We supply the guide, party barge, and life jackets. Those ages 16 and up must have a valid Arkansas fishing license.

Advance payment is required. Meeting place: Jolly Roger’s Marina. Meeting time: noon to 2 p.m. Admission: $10 for adults and $5 children ages 6-12. For more information or to make your reservation, call 501-868-5806. at this ceremonial center may have included games, feasts, and other special celebrations. Starting at 4 p.m. you can participate in a Native American tools and weapons demonstration and use weapons similar to the ones used here so long ago. At 5 p.m. the resident archeologist will make a presentation on how the mounds are arranged to coincide with solar events. Following the presentation, park interpreters will give a guided tour of the mound site to observe the sunset in alignment with Mound A. Event place: Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park visitor center. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for children 6-12. For more information call 501961-9442.

SPRING CANOE FLOAT

March 17: Take off from the Little Maumelle boat launch and experience the beauty of spring on this guided 4.5 mile float. No experience is required, but you should be comfortable around water. Wear shoes that can get wet. Fee includes use of canoe, paddles, and life jackets. Bring a lunch and water.

Admission is $30 per canoe and advanced payment is required. Meeting time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information or to make your reservation, call 501-8685806.

MINI-DAY CAMP

March 21: Come and try a Pinnacle Mountain day camp for a day. See if your child would like to spend a full week with us in one of our summer day camps in our up coming summer program. Activities will 46 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

include nature programs and a guided hike on a park trail. Advance payment is required. Admission: $15.

Meeting place: Pinnacle Mountain visitor center.

Meeting time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information or to make your reservation, call 501-868-5806.

MEET AT THE PEAK

March 24: Climb the mountain, and then meet a park interpreter at the top for short presentations on sights, geology, wildlife, and more. Meeting place: Pinnacle Mountain Summit. Meeting time: 1-3 p.m. For more information call 501-868-5806.

KAYAK COVE ADVENTURE

March 24: Want to see Lake Catherine in a whole new way? Join a park interpreter for a kayaking adventure. Our stable, flat-water kayaks are easy to navigate and incredibly relaxing! No experience is necessary, but you should be comfortable around water. Kayaks, paddles, and life jackets are included in our fee. Spaces are limited. Pre-register and prepay at the visitor center is required. Meet at Lake Catherine Marina at 2 p.m. Admission: $15. For more information or to make your reservation, call 501844-4176.

KITE FLYING COMPETITION

March 25: Do you have a kite that flies high? Bring your kite out for some sun competition in the park!

Meeting at Pinnacle Mountain State Park overflow parking area at 1 p.m. For more information call 501868-5806.

GREAT ESCAPE WEEKEND AND EASTER EGG HUNT

April 6-8: Celebrate spring and the great outdoors at our Great Escape Weekend! Enjoy free naturerelated walks and other family oriented activities.

The celebration will conclude with an Easter egg scramble for about 2,000 eggs. Meet at Petit Jean State Park. Contact the park for a schedule at 501-7275441.

EASTER EGGSTASY

April 8: The Easter Bunny will stop in and hide more than 1,000 eggs for youngsters to find. Games, hikes, lake tours, and nature programs are offered throughout the day in addition to the egg hunt.

The hunt begins at 2 p.m. sharp! Admission is free except for the lake tours. For more information call DeGray Lake Resort State Park at 501-865-5810.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE SERIES

April 13 thru 15: Spring is the time for chirping birds and blooming flowers. There are plenty popping up around Lake Catherine State Park.

Guided wildflower and bird hikes and educational nature programs this weekend will explore the many birds and blooms in this gorgeous Ouachita Mountain landscape. Contact the park for a schedule at 501-844-4176.

WILDFLOWER WEEKEND

April 13 thru 15: Spend a weekend at Petit Jean State Park discovering the colorful heralds of spring Wildflower walks, talks, and evening presentations all relate to the celebration of wildflowers. Contact the park for a schedule at 501-727-5441.

EDIBLE AND MEDICINAL PLANTS

April 14: Learn traditional uses for some common Arkansas plants during this workshop conducted

by Mike Thennes, which will include indoor and outdoor sessions. Advanced payment is required.

Meet at the Pinnacle Mountain State Park visitor center at 10 a.m. For more information and to make your reservation call 501-868-5806.

O.N.E. DAY

April 14: O.N.E. stands for Ouachita Nature Experiences. Have you had one? Ever wanted to take your family on a camping trip, but were afraid you didn’t have the knowledge and skills necessary to create a fun and memorable experience? Here’s your opportunity to introduce the kids to the

great outdoors during Lake Ouachita State Park’s Ouachita Nature Experiences Day. This familyfriendly day of activities and skills training is designed for those who want to learn camping skills or improve on skills they have learned but haven’t practiced in some time. Meet at the Lake Ouachita State Park visitor center picnic area at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10. The fee includes a Dutch oven lunch. For more information or to make reservations, contact the park at 501-767-9366.

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“TELL ME YOUR STORY” DAYS AT THE DEPOT

April 20 thru 22: An annual event at the Depot Museum on Friday and Saturday from 7-9 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to noon.

The event is an oral history workshop to document and tape personal histories of past and former residents of the city of Manila.

The workshop will also copy significant photos related to Manila’s history. For more information call 870-561-3501.

ANNUAL GUMBO FEST

April 21: This event will take place at 310 MidContinent Plaza parking lot in West Memphis.

The amateur cooking contest is not only for gumbo but for exotic meat and chicken wings.

Entertainment, great food, and fun will be found here. For more information call 870-735-1134.

TRAIL WORK DAY

April 21: Celebrate Earth Day by giving back to Mother Nature for all she does for you. Place your mark at Pinnacle Mountain State Park by helping to beautify your favorite central Arkansas green space. Meet at the park’s Visitor Center at 9 a.m.

Contact the volunteer coordinator at the park for more information at 501-868-5806.

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SAFETY EXPO

April 21: Lake Catherine State Park has teamed up with local sponsors and representations in both Hot Springs and Garland Counties, featuring 20 booths, free lunch, and live safety/ rescue scenarios on the banks of Lake Catherine.

Families can expect a host of giveaways and information provided in a relaxing setting. Each exhibit will feature representatives to answer questions and provide entertaining site stops all over the campground. Bring your family out for learning and fun from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information call 501-844-4176.

ANNUAL KIWANIS WINGS OVER COTTON FESTIVAL AND 5K

April 24: Games, craft booths, duck calling contest, silent auction/raffle, and other activities await you in Manila. This fun-filled event will start at 8 a.m. For more information call 870-930-7827.

ATTN Hunters: Now Available for Hunting Season, The New Beretta A400 XTREME UNICO 12ga Shotgun Handguns • Long Guns • Ammunition • Stun Guns • Tasers Pepper Spray • Lights • Lasers • Scopes Offering Concealed Carry & Basic Handgun Classes

205 N. Shackleford • Little Rock

501.224.4867 www.bullseyeAR.com

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 47

IN THE KNOW Feral hogs are destructive to Arkansas’s wildlife and habitat LITTLE ROCK – Every hunting season questions come forth like “Can I kill a feral hog in my zone”? Or, “What is the limit on feral hogs”?

A quick answer to these and other hog questions is that feral hogs are not game animals and are not regulated by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Feral hogs are nuisances, extremely destructive to wildlife and wildlife habitats and are not wanted. Persons who release hogs into the wild are subject to arrest and stiff penalties for violating Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission statutes.

On private land, feral hogs may be killed or trapped year-round, day or night, by a landowner or anyone with the landowner’s permission. All general regulations for hunting safety

should be observed.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission encourages hunters to shoot all feral hogs they see on wildlife management areas. Hunters may kill feral hogs on WMAs during daylight hours during any open hunting season as long as they are using a weapon legal for that

season. Only permit holders may hunt feral hogs during special permit hunts. Feral hogs killed on WMAs can be taken for processing or left where they were shot.

Hunters may not use dogs, bait or traps to hunt feral hogs on WMAs and may not hunt at night.

AGFC approves special fishing regulations for Lower White Oak Lake LITTLE ROCK – In a short meeting of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, commissioners last week approved special fishing regulations for Lower White Oak Lake near Chidester. The new regulations were necessary as a result of a leak in the lake’s water control structure.

In May, AGFC staff discovered a gate failure in one of two gates that regulates the water levels on Lower White Oak Lake in Ouachita and

48 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

Nevada counties.

The lake is divided by Arkansas Highway 347 into an upper lake of 612 acres and a 1,044-acre lower lake. Lower White Oak Lake is one of AGFC’s trophy bass-managed lakes. Currently, the 50-year-old lake is several feet below the normal lake level due to the leak and some evaporation.

The new regulations for the lake include doubling the daily limit for

all sportfish on Lower White Oak Lake between Jan. 1, 2012 and April 30, 2012. The new regulation will allow fishermen the opportunity to take the sportfish out of the lake as water is drawn down and repairs are being made to the gate structure.

reFRESH This ad is 100% recyclable.

Dispose of used motor oil and antifreeze properly. Otherwise, rain can wash these pollutants into our rivers, lakes and other fresh water sources. Keep Arkansas clean.

Make it SHINE.

KeepArkansasBeautiful.com

KAP 1211 007 reFRESH_7x4.875_4C.indd 1

12/22/11 9:50 AM

Good water does not happen by accident!

Central Arkansas Water and the Watershed Management Staff want you to get out and enjoy one of Central Arkansas’ most treasured resources this summer…

Lake Maumelle!

Go sailing, take your kayak for a spin or do a little fishing.

Bring a backpack and take a day hike through the Ouachita National Recreation Trail or stretch your legs for a short jaunt on the Farkleberry Trail. Pack a picnic, take in the view and enjoy the wildlife but remember to enjoy the outdoors responsibly - this is your drinking water.

Clean water adds to quality of life.

For more information on Lake Maumelle and the Watershed Management program, check us out online at www.carkw.com under the public information tag.

Photo: central arkansas water

Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 49

GOM Geocache of th e month

This featured cache is part of the 150 special geocaches located along Arkansas’s Great River Road National Scenic Byway. It is one of the original 10 caches placed along the historic roadway in Arkansas.

Named “History,” the cache is located somewhere on the grounds of the St. Charles Museum in historic St. Charles. The coordinates of the cache are N 34° 22.478 W 091° 08.133.

The cache is a waterproof container and is rated 1 in difficulty and 1.5 in terrain. The museum offers visitors the opportunity to explore the history of the town of St. Charles.

The museum contains Civil War artifacts and diorama, wildlife exhibits and artifacts. The museum is located on Broadway St. and the hours vary. Contact 870-282-3425 for more information on the museum.

St. Charles is located along the banks of the White River. On the morning of June 17, 1862, four Federal ships—the ironclads Mound City and St. Louis and timberclads Lexington and Conestoga—traveled up the White River to rendezvous troops in Jacksonport.

Confederate sharpshooters positioned along the banks of the White and attacked the four Union ships. Using guns from several Confederate warships, the marksmen began firing on the ships as they closed in on the town. One of the shots hit the steam drum of the USS Mound City, killing over 100 of the soldiers onboard. It would become known as “the deadliest shot of the Civil War.” A monument to those who perished was later placed downtown. The monument, which honors both Union and Confederates, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the only one known of its kind.

For more on geocaching in The Natural State, visit www.Arkansas.com/geocache. For more information on the “History Lesson” cache, log on to www.Geocaching.com/seek and search

by GC code for GC1AKZZ. For questions email DeltaTraveler@gmail.com.

50 | Arkansas Wild  Winter 2012

IN THE KNOW

Fort Smith nature center receives award

FORT SMITH – The Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center’s butterfly garden has received an award from the Master Gardeners River Valley Chapter. The garden was chosen Project of the Year by the chapter. Throughout the year, Master Gardners will come to the nature center to mulch, weed and plant.

Built in the fertile Arkansas River Valley, the nature center overlooks Wells Lake, a popular local fishing and picnicking destination. The center focuses on the wide variety of animals and birds that call the area home. While many visitors come to the center for the interesting exhibits inside, just as many find the trails, native plants, canoeing and fishing Wells Lake just as enjoyable. It sits on 170 acres of land in Fort Smith that were previously part of Fort Chaffee.

For more information on the nature center, go to www.rivervalleynaturecenter. com or call 479-452-3993.

Keep Arkansas Beautiful Receives National Honor LITTLE ROCK—Keep Arkansas Beautiful (KAB) has earned its secondconsecutive Diamond Level State Affiliate designation from Keep America Beautiful Inc. (KAmB), the nation’s premier community environmentalimprovement organization.

The Diamond Level designation recognizes KAmB certified state affiliates for receiving five consecutive President’s Circle Gold Awards. Over the past seven years, KAB has continued to meet all 10 criteria KAmB requires of certified state affiliates to support its mission and objectives at the state level. These include providing customized support to local affiliates, proactively marketing the KAmB system, maintaining regular communications with KAmB and local affiliates, implementing at least two program activities within the state, undergoing professional development training, and encouraging local training and awarding recognition.

As a certified state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful Inc., Keep Arkansas Beautiful works to inspire and educate individuals to reduce litter, recycle and keep Arkansas beautiful. It operates as a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and is overseen by a nine-member commission appointed by the governor. KAB is funded by 1 percent of the eighth-cent conservation tax and, by utilizing volunteers, returns to the state a cost benefit of $15.34 in community service for each program dollar spent.

For more information about KAB, call toll-free 888742-8701 or visit KeepArkansasBeautiful.com, or stay connected at Facebook.com/KeepArkansasBeautiful or YouTube.com/DontLitterAR.

THE ALL-NEW 2013 GS

ARRIVING FEBRUARY 6TH THE ALL-NEW GS LINE Premium * Luxury * F Sport * Hybrid

0% hesitation It is performance and handling that invigorate the driver. It is unforgettable styling, inside and out.

And it is industry-leading technology that keeps you connected like never before. Whatever GS you make yours—whether gas or hybrid, whether rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, whether equipped as Premium, Luxury or F Sport—from this car forward, nothing less will do.

PARKER LEXUS

"WHERE CUSTOMERS REFER THEIR FRIENDS"

w w w. pa r k e r l e x u s . c o m MONDAY-FRIDAY 8AM-5:30PM SATURDAY 9AM-3:30PM • 1 ShAckleFORD WeST BlvD. • lITTle ROck • 501-221-1700 Winter 2012  Arkansas Wild | 51

The Delta Conference Center & Resort’s

Coon Bayou Hunting Club Arkansas’s Newest Duck Hunting Venue

Coon Bayou Hunting Club Tillar, Arkansas

Get ready for more ducks than you can handle! And, a stay that includes great food and relaxing accommodations.

Mississippi Migratory Bird Flyway

Flurry on Coon Bayou

Located in the heart of the Mississippi Migratory Bird Flyway, the Delta Conference Center & Resort and Coon Bayou Hunting Club in Tillar, Arkansas are a haven to tens-of-millions of migrating waterfowl annually. That immense number of birds in flight makes Coon Bayou part of the most abundant waterfowl habitats in North America. The game bird activity is simply amazing.

All hunts come with a guide experienced in gun safety, blind/pit duck hunting, duck calling, decoy setting Two Bedroom Suites or Guest Rooms: In-room Flat screen and WIFI, On-site Dining, Gaming and Media Area All Meals are included

Make reservations for Dec. 10-18 Season.

Call 1-800-518-1387 to speak with a Delta Hospitality Specialist today. Or visit us online: DeltaConferenceCenter.com 7920 Bucksducks Road • Tillar, Arkansas

Ducks Aren’t the Only Reason to Shoot Here.

DELTA

C O N F E R E CENTER N C E C&E RESORT NTER CONFERENCE

DELTA

O N F EWild R E NWinter C E C2012 ENTER 52 C | Arkansas

The Delta also offers the finest in Olympic Bunker Trap and Clay Shooting with over 1,700 acres dedicated to these disciplines. In 2011 the Junior Olympic Qualifier was held here along with sporting clay’s Delta International Open and Delta Classic – both setting record highs in prize purse payouts. And now with the scheduled 2012 opening of Delta Place, our Course-side Guest Facility, shooters can stay close to all the clay action.

For details on Stay’n’Clay Packages & more click deltaconferencecenter.com