Arkansas WMA's

[HogBiologist]

I was camping in the area a couple weeks ago and if the numbers are not hurting yet.  One biologist thought based on the area impacted CWD must have been around for at least 10 years.  I question that because of the negligible impact in observed numbers and also harvest.  I'd guess it has just recently arrived and is spreading quickly.  If it has been around for 10 years then look out, it will be everywhere.  Deer are harvested from the public land in that area and transported all over for cleaning and disposal.  Big big problem brewing.

It's not  that it's  believed it has been around for 10 years, the prevalence rate is what would be expected 10 years post first discovery or introduction.

[Ozarks Hillbilly]

HogBiologist, Do you know if Arkansas Game and Fish received all of the test results yet from the Deer and Elk that were tested last month?

[strutnrut]

Pretty much...Arkansas game and fish has 0 ambition at taking the turkey population seriously.  They shortened season, fail to plant/burn/cut for diversity, and have not attempted to contact states like Missouri, Mississippi, or Alabama to get some help....AND when I called them and ask "Why Not?" I get talked down to and diverted. 

I plan on calling each commissioner this year to speak my mind in more detail and get some solid answers.



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Interesting take on that.  So your are saying the AGFC does not care about wildlife?  Interesting statement, considering we do care.

If they don't get the hogs under control you won't have any turkeys in the White River Lower Basin. Now if turkeys was Ducks AGFC would be all over the problem.

[HogBiologist]

HogBiologist, Do you know if Arkansas Game and Fish received all of the test results yet from the Deer and Elk that were tested last month?

Not yet. They should come back in the next week or two.  I posted a thread with the latest update as of last week. The total now is 56 positive cases.

[HogBiologist]

Pretty much...Arkansas game and fish has 0 ambition at taking the turkey population seriously.  They shortened season, fail to plant/burn/cut for diversity, and have not attempted to contact states like Missouri, Mississippi, or Alabama to get some help....AND when I called them and ask "Why Not?" I get talked down to and diverted. 

I plan on calling each commissioner this year to speak my mind in more detail and get some solid answers.



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Interesting take on that.  So your are saying the AGFC does not care about wildlife?  Interesting statement, considering we do care.

If they don't get the hogs under control you won't have any turkeys in the White River Lower Basin. Now if turkeys was Ducks AGFC would be all over the problem.

I don't understand why you're getting that ducks are such a big deal. I hardly see any work done with ducks.  There may be some in the Mississippi alluvial Valley, but that doesn't make up the majority of the state of Arkansas.

[cuttinAR]

It's not  that it's  believed it has been around for 10 years, the prevalence rate is what would be expected 10 years post first discovery or introduction.

Not sure I understand.  Can you explain the difference of how that doesn't mean it hasn't been around 10 years if we have that prevalence rate?  Just for the record, I'm not one to blame AGFC for this problem but I also recognize how big of a deal it has become in the last few weeks.  It seemed controllable at first.  I don't envy your position or AGFC's concerning this, it will be tough dealing with the public.

[HogBiologist]

It's not  that it's  believed it has been around for 10 years, the prevalence rate is what would be expected 10 years post first discovery or introduction.

Not sure I understand.  Can you explain the difference of how that doesn't mean it hasn't been around 10 years if we have that prevalence rate?  Just for the record, I'm not one to blame AGFC for this problem but I also recognize how big of a deal it has become in the last few weeks.  It seemed controllable at first.  I don't envy your position or AGFC's concerning this, it will be tough dealing with the public.

What this means is that in a statistical situation the prevalence rate,or the rate at which the disease is in the population, is what would be expected 10 years after the initial outbreak.  No one knows how long CWD has been in Arkansas.

[Spurs]

Pretty much...Arkansas game and fish has 0 ambition at taking the turkey population seriously.  They shortened season, fail to plant/burn/cut for diversity, and have not attempted to contact states like Missouri, Mississippi, or Alabama to get some help....AND when I called them and ask "Why Not?" I get talked down to and diverted. 

I plan on calling each commissioner this year to speak my mind in more detail and get some solid answers.


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Interesting take on that.  So your are saying the AGFC does not care about wildlife?  Interesting statement, considering we do care.

I would like to see the AGFC manage the habitat better.  And no, I don't think the controller are concerned about the TURKEY in Arkansas.  When I go to other state public property and see vast amounts of row crops and prescribed burning over tens of thousands of acres, I get envious. 

I used to hunt an area here (cut off creek wma) where they planted millet, oats, and other seed grasses back in the 90s and early 2000s.  This area was completely covered with turkey...now, they bush hog the natural grass and weeds....now you are lucky to hear a bird.  Also, the hog population is booming there...but the only thing to combat this is a hand full of traps...

Now to the commissioner issue.  The same area allowed boats under power in the creek and a small slough leading through center of the duck area.  The boats could be paddled or pushed outside of that small area.  About 2 years ago, they outlawed it.  When myself and a large amount of close friends contacted the AGFC commissioner, we found out that a group of hunter were using outboards to come in from different area...outside of the legal slough and creek I described earlier.  Now, instead of having a warden sit up there, write tickets, and stop the issue, they punished everyone else.  The only outcome of that rule change was that my 10 year old son cannot hunt with us and several older men that used to paddle small boats in the area won't be able to access the duck area anymore....all but one small spot is over 3/4 mile walk.

This is one example on one small area in a vast number of problems with the AGFC.  In my neck of the woods, there is one man controlling the rules and regulations on WMAs...I will refrain from name dropping.  I was told, personally, by each commissioner, that they took the advice of this man.  I know of 10 people that contacted each commissioner via email and phone about this boating thing (I know more did, but I didn't speak directly to them), guess what, the rule is still in place....guess the people's voice doesn't count with the AGFC.

Sorry for my rant, but the AGFC is really dropping the ball in recent years.  The turkey population and lack of habitat management for turkey is simply amazing.