Deer donation? Ask the Game Warden

Deer donation? Ask the Game Warden

Questions from local outdoors enthusiast get answered

By John Criner

Times Outdoors Columnist Q: Several private hunting clubs have numerous doe permits. Is there an organization that will accept these extra deer that club members harvest. If so, must the deer be processed?

A: Yes, Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry will gladly take all deer or even a portion of the deer that hunters harvest.

This organization pays for processing fees or you can pay the fee yourself as a donation. They have dropoff locations at processors throughout the State and each one may vary on how they accept donated deer.

The nearest one in our area is Wynne Meat Processing, and any deer they accept for donation must be field dressed before being dropped off.

Q: Billy is a 14-year-old hunter who has passed the Hunter Safety test. Does he have to have proof on him when hunting?

A: Yes, he will need to have proof of completing the Hunter Education course.

Q: Quite often when duck hunting in a pit, several hunters shoot into the same flock of birds, killing several at one volley. No one is sure that he killed a particular bird. The birds are retrieved by a single dog and put in a blind.

How does the Game Warden view the pile of a legal number of ducks but they are not divided into each person limit?

A: It is the responsibility of each individual duck hunter in a group to claim “their” harvested ducks and keep them in their possession during the hunt. Each hunter is only allowed to harvest six ducks per day, so it is very important for them to know how many they have killed. This is easily accomplished by each hunter having their ducks on their own lanyard or in their own pile.

Answers provided by Sgt.

Andy Smith Law Enforcement, District D-l. E-mail Louie. smith@agfc. ar.gov.

Phone: (877) 734-4581, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, East Centrai Regional Office, 1201 Hwy. 49 N., Brinkley, AR 72021, www.agfc.com.

Sgt. Andy SmitI