The first option for Duck season dates in Arkansas is the more traditional. The dates allow everyone to have that traditional Thanksgiving hunt with the family and friends, then a break for a week. The 2nd opener is proposed for Dec 9th, which is about like last year and goes until the 23rd. I like that 2nd season the most, allows us to spend time with our families for Christmas Eve and on the 26th we start back up for that last leg  until the end of the season on Jan 30th. A break down of the rest of the dates over in the Arkansas Duck Hunting Forum. If you can’t wait, check out our countdown to a couple Arkansas Hunting Season Dates

In other Arkansas Duck Season news, hunters will be able to go out to Big Lake, St. Francis Sunken Lands and Dave Donaldson Black River WMAs from Aug. 6 through Aug. 22, to repair and maintain public duck blinds, waterfowl hunting holes and boat lanes. While there are no public duck blinds  on Dave Donaldson WMA, the holes may be maintained during the daylight hours only.

Read the Rest of the info over in the Arkansas Duck Hunting Forum

With deer season just around the corner, we thought we’d take a look at some of the best public deer hunting spots in Arkansas in each region of the state: Northwest; Northeast; West Central; Central; South Central; Southwest; and Southeast.

While it would have been easy to order our list according only to harvest statistics, our ranking factors consisted of several variables beyond the total number of deer taken on each WMA/NWR. Of course, success rate and harvest numbers are taken into account, but this list also combines various other ranking factors including location, acreage/size, and “huntability” — meaning ease of access and quality of terrain.

As those of us who hunt a long of public land know, this type of hunting is about much more than just bagging a buck. Factors such as overcrowding, lack of access and almost unconquerable terrain (especially for the elderly and young hunters) can make you wish you would have just hit the snooze button on the morning’s hunt.

In the coming weeks, we’ll cover some of best public deer hunting spots in Arkansas, and give reasons why we consider each spot to be a prime location.

Stay tuned for a run-down of why our pick for Northwest Arkansas’s #1 public hunting area is White Rock WMA.

Check out the release below…

LITTLE ROCK – Last week, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission discussed dove season, the unofficial opening of Arkansas’s fall hunting season.

Early-season migratory game-bird season selections must be reported to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by Aug. 1. Approval for the seasons will take place during the Commission’s July meeting. Changes from last season are minor.

• Mourning Dove and Eurasian Collared Dove – Sept. 4-Oct. 19 and Dec. 11-Jan. 5
• Teal Season – Sept. 11-26
• Early Canada Goose Season – Sept. 1-15
• Northwest Canada Goose Zone Season – Sept. 25-Oct. 4

Stay tuned for the proposed Arkansas duck season dates for 2010-2011, be sure to sign up in the Arkansas Duck Hunting Forum for exclusive information for Arkansas duck hunters.

But if you’re one, like me, who considers a camera and tripod just as important as any firearm, entering the woods long before the sun peaks over the horizon is a two-fold decision that goes beyond hunting strategies.

The fact is, the moon itself, and the moonlit woods under a clear sky, present some of the most picturesque settings a photographer will ever find. However, capturing this striking setting with any clarity can be tricky. If you don’t know what you’re doing, there’s a good chance your beautiful moon shot could turnout to be an overexposed blob on a black background.

Here are a few very important tips for taking the best moonlight photos. Write them down in you’re hunting or photography journal, that way you’ll have them for quick reference when the time is right:

• Keep your exposure under 30 seconds when shooting the moon and/or nighttime sky. This will keep the stars from becoming streaky. On most occasions this will not be a problem, as a few second exposure will do, but it all depends on the amount of light available. If your exposure is too long and allows too much light in, your photo will end up bright, looking as if it is a daytime photo with stars. Of course, this could be the effect that you are after.

Come inside the Arkansas Hunting Forum for more tips and tricks for moonlight photography.

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