|
 LITTLE
ROCK - Biologists from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission last week
presented their proposals for this year's hunting seasons at the
agency's monthly meeting in Little Rock.
The commission will study the proposals and make a decision at its March
17 meeting in Little Rock. If approved by the commission, the state's
deer bag limit would remain at three deer - the same as the previous
season.
The season bag limit is three deer, of which no more than two may be
legal bucks. Hunters may not take more than two does using firearms.
Additional restrictions may apply within certain zones and Wildlife
Management Areas.
One major change this year would be the increase in zone and WMA quota
doe permits. Last year about 7,000 of the permits were available to
hunters. This year that number will be raised to more than 13,000 of the
popular permits. Another change includes a two-day early youth-only
modern gun deer hunt to be held Nov. 5-6.
Proposed deer hunting seasons and bag limits:
Archery/Crossbow
All Zones Oct. 1,
2005-Feb. 15, 2006
Bag
Limits:
Zones
1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11: Two, no more than one legal buck
All other
zones: Three, no more than two legal bucks
Youth Modern Gun
All Zones (except on some WMAs): Nov. 5-6, 2005
Bag Limit:
One, either
sex (With no antler restrictions.
Zone doe quota permits are not required)
Muzzleloader
Zones 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15:
Oct. 15-23 and Dec. 17-19, 2005
Zones 4 and 5: Closed
Zones 9, 12, 16, 16A and 17: Oct. 15-23 and Dec. 30-Jan. 1, 2006
Bag
Limits:
Zones 1, 2,
6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 One legal buck and one doe*
Zones 3 Three, no more than one doe*
Zone 13 Three, no more than one doe
Zones 4A, 5A, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 16A and 17 Three, no more
than two does
Modern Gun
Zones 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11: Nov. 12-20 and Nov. 25-Dec.
4, 2005
Zone
4: Nov. 12-13, 2005
Zone 5: Nov. 12-13 and Nov. 19-20, 2005
Zones 4A, 5A, 13, 14 and 15: Nov. 12-Dec. 11, 2005
Zones 9 and 12: Nov. 12-Dec. 18, 2005
Zones 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 12-Dec. 29, 2005
Christmas Holiday Modern Gun
Dec. 26-28,
2005,
No
dogs
Bag Limits:
Zones 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11: One legal buck and one doe*
Zone 3: Three, no more than one doe*
Zones 4, 5 and 13: Three, no more than one doe
Zones 4A, 5A, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 16A and 17: Three, no more
than two does
*by Zone Doe Quota Permit
Other big game hunting seasons and bag limits:
Elk
Sept. 26-30, 2005 and Dec. 5-9, 2005
Turkey
(Fall)
Bag
limit: 1
Either sex
Archery: (all zones) Oct. 1, 2005-Feb. 15, 2006 either sex
Firearms:
(closed in zones 1A, 4, 4A, 4B, 5, 5A, 5B, 7A, 9, 9A and 10)
All other zones: Oct. 24-30, 2005
Bear
Bag
limit: 1
Archery
Zones 1 and 2: Oct. 1-Nov. 30, 2005
All other zones: closed
Muzzleloader
Zones 1 and 2: Oct.15-23, 2005
All other zones: closed
Modern Gun
Zones 1 and 2 : Nov. 1-30, 2005
Zone 5: Dec. 10-18, 2005
Zone 5A: Dec. 3-18, 2005
Zones 3, 4, 6 and 7: closed
Proposed
small game seasons and bag limits
Quail
Nov. 1, 2005-Feb. 5, 2006 Bag limit: 6
Rabbit
Sept. 3, 2005-Feb. 28, 2006 Bag limit: 8
Squirrel
(Fall) Bag limit:8
Statewide Sept. 10, 2005-Feb. 28, 2006
Squirrel
(Spring)
May 13-June 11, 2006 Bag limit:8
Crow
Sept. 3, 2005-Feb. 23, 2006 Thursday-Monday
Furbearers
Hunting: Sept. 1, 2005-Feb. 28, 2006
Trapping: Nov. 11, 2005-Feb. 5, 2006
Other issues being considered by the commission include:
Prohibit
handguns and muzzleloader shotguns for deer hunting in deer zones 4 and
5, including WMAs located within these two zones.
Announcement of the 2006-2007 opening dates
for archery, muzzleloading and modern gun deer seasons in March 2005.
Significantly increasing the penalties for certain violations.
Reinstituting the requirement of completion of a hunter education course
prior to making application for the Zone/WMA Doe Quota and WMA deer
permit hunts.
Create a new code making it illegal to hunt from a moving motorized land
vehicle such as an ATV |
