8/29/2007
Sportsmen may access public areas to repair blinds
POCAHONTAS - Hunters who utilize duck blinds on several northeast
Arkansas public hunting areas will soon get their chance to access these
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Wildlife Management Areas. Sportsmen may
access Big Lake, St. Francis Sunken Lands and Dave Donaldson/Black River
WMAs from Sept. 8 through Sept. 23, to maintain duck blinds, waterfowl
hunting holes and boat lanes.
There are no blinds on Dave Donaldson/Black River WMA, but hunting holes
may be maintained on that WMA. Maintenance will only be allowed into the
areas during daylight hours. Permits will not be required.
Maintenance may be done under the following guidelines:
 | All blinds located on Commission owned or controlled property are
public property and are available for use by the public on a first come
first served basis. Blinds may not be locked at any time and may not be
reserved in advance for future use regardless of previous use, maintenance
or construction history. |
| Maintenance and use of public duck blinds is at the users own risk.
The Commission assumes no liability for personal injuries, damages or loss
of property by anyone entering or hunting from public blinds. |
| Only blinds that are in good condition may be maintained. Blinds that
have been destroyed or are no longer safe or serviceable may not be
rebuilt. |
| Maintenance is limited to repairs necessary to keep the structure in a
safe and serviceable condition. Construction of new blinds is not
permitted and existing blinds cannot be enlarged or replaced or moved.
|
| Blinds determined by the AGFC to be unsafe, unserviceable, or to have
been illegally built, moved or altered will be permanently removed. |
| Certain levees and roads usually open to vehicular traffic may be
closed because of construction or logging operations on Big Lake and Dave
Donaldson/Black River. Only ATVs will be permitted beyond signs, locked
gates or barricades for maintenance purposes. |
| Identification numbers that have been placed on or near blinds are not
to be removed or painted over. |
| Boats; three wheeled, four wheeled, six wheeled or eight-wheeled all
terrain vehicles may be used on existing roads or trails to access blinds
or hunting areas. Trailers may be used with ATVs to transport repair
materials and/or equipment to blind locations. |
| No trucks or other passenger vehicles, farm tractors or implements,
including implements for use with four-wheelers, riding mowers or power
mowers may be used. |
| No chemicals, herbicides or defoliants may be used. |
| Chainsaws will be permitted only for the cutting of fallen logs from
boat lanes, trails and hunting spots. |
| No trees are to be cut, regardless of size. |
| No new holes or clearings are to be created. |
| Soil may not be plowed, cultivated or disturbed in any manner and no
seeds of any kind are to be planted. |
| Cutting of trees, application of chemicals or defoliants, or the
enlargement or creation of new openings will result in the permanent
closure of that location to hunting. |
| No maintenance may be done in areas that have been closed to hunting
by painted boundaries or signs, and any blind that is in a location that
has been permanently closed to waterfowl hunting because of illegal
activity will be permanently removed. |
| Blinds may not be relocated or moved from GPS coordinates established
by the AGFC. This includes floating structures. |
