The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission proposed three regulations for the upcoming waterfowl hunting season Thursday at its monthly meeting at Little Rock Central High School.
Following a recommendation change in the migratory bird season frameworks from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Commission proposed setting the 2025 teal hunting season for Sept. 20-28, a reduction from the previously allowed 16 days in 2024 to nine.
Commissioner Rob Finley, chair of the Commission’s Regulations Committee, said the reasoning behind the change was a drop in the latest blue-winged teal population survey.
“When this population falls below 4.7 million, the federal framework calls for a reduction in the number of early teal season days,” Finley said. The survey showed the population at 4.6 million.
Raising the northern pintail daily bag limit to three also was proposed. The daily limit was one last season.
“The federal frameworks allow an increase in the daily bag limit for northern pintail following the new interim harvest strategy adopted by all four flyways and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” Finley said. “This harvest strategy will be implemented until there has been three seasons with a three-bird bag limit and two years to analyze the data to conduct a full evaluation of the strategy.”
The Commission also proposed scheduling both the youth and active duty/veteran military waterfowl hunts for Feb. 7-8.
Commissioners will consider the three proposals in April.
Four regulations changes presented by Deputy Director Brad Carner were adopted by unanimous vote.
Conway County was added to the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone, and a ban on using natural deer urine as an attractant was lifted.
Harvest definitions for deer on Ed Gordon Point Remove, Lake Overcup and Cove Creek Natural Area wildlife management areas in Conway County, and Norfork Lake WMA in Baxter County were adjusted; the terms “legal buck” and “doe” were exchanged for “antlered buck” and “antlerless deer.” The requirement that an antlerless deer must be harvested and checked before an antlered buck may be taken on Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA was removed.
The other regulations change was simple housekeeping: A regulation that considered an area baited for turkey for 10 days after removal of the bait was inadvertently removed from the codebook during the last regulations cycle; it was reinstated.
In other meeting developments, Rachel Worthen of the AGFC Operations Division explained that several power lines and water lines must be moved at William H. Donham State Fish Hatchery in Corning to accommodate a highway bypass project. She also mentioned that a right-of-way easement will be given for two water lines at Lake Elmdale near Springdale. The Commission voted in favor of the adjustments.
