kevin August 25th, 2009

Arkansas dove season opens September 5, and excitement is building since this is really the kick-off season to several months of great hunting in The Natural State.  If you’re new to dove hunting, or maybe you just haven’t hit the field in a couple of seasons, here are some quick, essential tips to get you ready for some prime time wingshooting.

What to Hunt With: Your trusty 12 or 20 gauge shotgun will do just fine. An automatic is preferable since dove are fast fliers. And because dove are small in size, you’ll only need to hunt with a small load, such as 7 1/2 or 8 shot. If you’re new to the sport, or a bit rusty, you’re going to waste an embarrassing amount of shells, so buy several boxes. But, that’s what dove hunting is all about. Just have fun.

What to Wear: Dove have good eyesight and are very sensitive to movement, so matching your clothing to your surroundings is very important. Early in the season, If you’re going to be on a treeline or in green fields, that Mossy Oak or Realtree camo will do just fine. If you’re planning to hunt in harvested stalks or grain fields (especially later in the season when all the green has faded) then a duck hunting pattern may work a little better for you such as Shadowgrass/Wetlands/MAX 4.

Where to Hunt: Generally, dove avoid tall vegetation. Try recently harvested fields, along power lines and fence rows, around barns or other similar structures and even gravel spots, as they eat gravel to aid in digestion) Dove will also hold-up in small groups of trees for shade. Anywhere near a water-hole in these environments is a good bet, especially at dawn, as dove fly from the roost to the closest water source. The opposite is true at dusk.

If you don’t have a good place to hunt, you may be able to score a spot on AGFC dove hunting fields (see link below.)

Check out the Arkansas dove season dates, limits, regulations and contact info to inquire about AGFC-provided dove fields in the Arkansas Hunting Forum.

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ducktape May 21st, 2009

The Arkansas WMA known as Ed Gordon is popular among Arkansas Duck hunters. However, many people do not know the story of how this Arkansas WMA was formed. Well in today’s post I will share with you the information I received yesterday from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

While I personally have never hunted Ed Gordon I do know people that have hunted it and hunt it exclusively. They do kill ducks there as it is one of the few areas I believe that offers good Arkansas duck harvesting in the River valley. The WMA is very well maintained and is an example of what happens when hunting groups get together and work for the same common goal.

MORRILTON – A long-standing belief among Arkansas outdoor enthusiasts is if the state’s varied interests could join together, they could move mountains for the benefit of wildlife and outdoor recreation by the state’s citizens.

Continue reading this story of Ed Gordon in our Arkansas Hunting Forum.

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ducktape April 7th, 2009

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission set the hunting season dates for this years fall seasons.  A few notable items:

• antler restrictions in zones 16, 16A and 17 moved from 3-point rule to a 4-point rule
• zone 6 was split into 3 zones and zone 8 into 2 zones, new zones will be 1A, 6A and 8A
• 2 more days were added to the youth modern gun deer hunt on Jan. 2-3
• A proposal to add telephone checking also was approved by the commission

The new telephone checking option starts with the October bow season. Along with the phone checking, on-line checking will still be available as will the check sheets at DMAP camps. The change allows more real-time, accurate data for the AGFC biologists, which is beneficial to gauge the deer herd’s health in Arkansas.

The commission also announced the 2010 opening hunting season dates for deer season. Arkansas Bow season will open on Oct. 1, 2010 followed by muzzleloader season on Oct. 16, 2010 and modern gun season on Nov. 13, 2010. The 2009-2010 public meeting dates for various wildlife were also announced. The 2009 Arkansas waterfowl meetings will be held June 2 from 7-9 p.m., spring turkey on Aug. 25 from 7-9 p.m. and the 2009-2010 general hunting public meetings on Jan. 5, 2010 from 7-9 p.m.

For the full read up on this newsletter from the AGFC head over to our forums and check it out. Post your opinions or any thing you want to add that we may have missed.

• Arkansas Game and Fish
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kevin December 16th, 2008

It’s true that the need for a good “huntin’ dog” may not be as great as it used to be around Arkansas.

Arkansas deer hunting restrictions. A dwindling upland game bird population. A depreciation of the Arkansas hunting sports such as coon hunting.

These are just a few factors that have nearly made extinct the practice of trading a hand-me-down shotgun or a jug of “special blend” for a champion pup, something that used to be common practice around these parts.

But, of course, every dog will have his day. There are still plenty of reasons to seek out a dog bred for Arkansas hunting (i.e. duck hunting). The only question is, which  breed?

Check out the 14 Best Hunting Dogs from Outdoor Life Magazine in the Arkansas Hunting and Fishing Forum.

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kevin November 12th, 2008

As part of our continuing effort to make Arkansas Outdoors Online your one-stop for outdoor information and entertainment, we’ve added the Arkansas Fish and Game Forecast charts as a new scouting tool. The forecasts will update daily, so make sure to check back everyday, especially before heading into the woods or onto the water.

While you’re here, come and join the hunting discussions going on in the Arkansas Hunting Forum.

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ducktape October 22nd, 2008

With Arkansas’ bow season underway, rifle season just around the corner, and duck season opening in less than a month, the Arkansas deer and duck hunting forecast for the rest of the year looks awesome. From those Thanksgiving Day traditional duck hunts to the three-day Christmas deer hunt, yes, I would have to say all Arkansas hunters like this time of year. Take a look over in the Arkansas Hunting Forum for a complete list of hunting seasons and Arkansas deer and duck hunting forecasts.

On a weather note, it looks like a cold front is moving in from the north. Nebraska and South Dakota saw a little snow yesterday. Lets all keep our fingers crossed for the push of ducks down this way, as well as hope this cold front gets the deer into some more aggressive patterns.

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ducktape October 1st, 2008

LITTLE ROCK – Leftover Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Wildlife Management Area Arkansas deer hunting permits will be on sale at several AGFC regional offices and the Little Rock office beginning Monday, Oct. 6, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A limited number of the $10 permits for modern gun, muzzleloader and youth hunting are available. They are the leftovers from the commission’s permit process this year and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Each buyer must furnish date of birth, address and current driver’s license number or Social Security number for each hunter. There is one change to note this year. This year the AGFC will not require a hunter’s education card in order for a youth 15 and under to purchase a permit. A buyer may purchase permits for up to four individuals for each type of hunt. Permits are not transferable or refundable. Cash, check, debit or credit cards and money orders are accepted for payment.

The rest of the information available in the Arkansas Deer Hunting Forum

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