Application period for WMA turkey hunt begins Dec. 17

LITTLE ROCK – Beginning Monday, Dec. 17, Arkansas turkey hunters may apply for limited permits on several Arkansas Game and Fish Commission wildlife management areas for the 2008 spring turkey season.

Applications may be submitted at www.agfc.com and will be available from license dealers and AGFC offices throughout the state. The application period is open through Jan. 17, 2008.

Online applications must be submitted and paper applications must be postmarked on or before Jan. 17, 2008, to be eligible for the computer drawings. Selected applicants must pay a $10 processing fee. Applicants under 16 must have a hunter education card. Draw results will be available at www.agfc.com after the first drawing in January. Applicants can go to the Web site and type in their applicant ID number (either driver’s license, Social Security or hunter education number) and date of birth to view the information.

Quota permit hunts are planned on Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita, Camp Robinson Bell Slough, Cut-Off Creek, Dr. Lester Sitzes IIIBois d'Arc, Gulf Mountain, Harold E. Alexander Spring River, Hobbs State Park Conservation Area, Holland Bottoms, Lafayette County, Moro Big Pine, Rex Hancock Black Swamp/Cache River NWR, Shirey Bay Rainey Brakeand Sulphur River wildlife management areas. A quota hunt is also scheduled for Felsenthal NWR on April 10-12 and April 17-19, Holla Bend NWR on April 12-13 as well as on Pond Creek NWR on April 19-20.

Several WMAs in Arkansas will hold youth turkey hunts, and they include Bayou Meto, Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita, Big Lake, Choctaw Island, Cut-Off Creek, Gulf Mountain, Harold E. Alexander Spring River, Hobbs State Park Conservation Area, Holland Bottoms, Lafayette County, Madison County, Moro Big Pine, Rex Hancock Black Swamp/Cache River NWR, Rick Evans Grandview Prairie/Hope Upland, Sulphur River, Trusten Holder, U of A Pine Tree WDA, W.E. Brewer Scatter Creek, Felsenthal NWR, Holla Bend NWR and Pond Creek NWR.

 Youth and quota permit hunts for Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita WMA are separate from the permit hunts on Felsenthal NWR. To apply for a Felsenthal NWR or Pond Creek NWR spring turkey permit, contact the Felsenthal NWR at (870) 364-3167 or www.fws.gov/felsenthal.  To apply for a Holla Bend NWR spring turkey permit, contact Holla Bend NWR at (479) 229-4300 or www.fws.gov/southeast/hollabend.

The spring 2008 turkey season will begin with the youth hunt on March 29 to 30 for zone 17 and April 5 to 6 for the rest of the state. A hunter education card is not required for the general youth hunt, only the permit youth hunt. Youths without a hunter education card during the general youth hunt must be under direct supervision of a holder of a valid hunting license at least 21 years of age.

The rest of the season will be April 12 to May 2 in zones 1, 2, 3, 4B, 5, 5B, 6, 7, 7A, 8, 9 and 10; April 12 to 25 in zones 1A, 4, 4A, 5A and 9A and April 5 to 27 in zone 17.

The bag limit for the spring season will be two legal turkeys in all zones. Hunters will not be able to harvest more than one legal turkey per day and no more than one jake. Hunters will also be limited to two turkeys per season. There is a one legal turkey limit for both the youth and quota permit hunts. Turkeys taken during a youth or quota permit hunt count as part of the season bag limit.