Plenty of hunting opportunities remain in late winter

LITTLE ROCK – If you did get enough hunting in during the fall, don’t despair. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission reminds sportsmen that a favorite type of hunting may have ended, but opportunities remain in a number of other fields.

One of the better aspects of late winter hunting in Arkansas is that you won’t run into the crowds you did many times during the fall. The ranks of hunters are well dotted with one-day or one-weekend participants. They may go deer hunting on opening day, and this is enough to last them and their story telling for the rest of the year.

It’s is always wise to check weather forecasts this time of the year, to dress in layers than can be removed as needed and perhaps to carry a change of clothes and an extra layer of something in your vehicle.

Take a bottle or two of water along. Getting thirsty isn’t just a warm weather thing.

Here’s a current hunting season menu to choose from:

Squirrel: through Feb. 29.
Rabbit: through Feb. 29.
Duck: through Jan. 27.
White-fronted goose (some hunters call ‘em specklebellies) – through Feb. 3.
Snow, blue and Ross’ goose: through Feb. 3. The Snow Goose Conservation Order begins Feb. 4 and runs through April 27.
Canada goose: through Feb. 3.
Falconry: Jan. 28 through Feb. 17. This means you hunt with a bird of prey, not hunt FOR a bird of prey.
Snipe: through Feb. 15.
Deer archery: through Feb. 29.
Turkey archery: through Feb. 29.
Quail: through Feb. 10.
Crow: through Feb. 17, Thursdays through Mondays (Tuesdays and Wednesdays are closed).
Furbearers: trapping through Feb. 17 excluding coyote, beaver, muskrat and nutria. Coyote trapping through March 31. Beaver, muskrat, nutria trapping through March 31.
Furbearers: hunting of gray fox, mink, opossum, red fox, striped skunk through Feb. 29.
Raccoon day or night hunting through March 31. Bobcat and coyote hunting through Feb. 29.
River otter hunting through Feb. 29. Muskrat, nutria and beaver hunting through March 31.

All these hunting seasons that are open now are statewide except for the public areas with special rules that may close off some activities.