Laying out the welcome mat

Water levels increasing in public areas for migrating waterfowl

By Jim Harris

AGFC Communications

STUTTGART — Record warm temperatures in Arkansas and to the north of the state during November, along with a lack of significant rainfall in the region, have slowed the success rate for many duck hunters in The Natural State.

However, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has been able to put some water on several wildlife management areas and greentree reservoirs in recent weeks, as the second segment of the Arkansas waterfowl season opened this past Tuesday. The 14-day segment will run through sunset Dec. 23. The final and longest segment of the 60-day season runs from Dec. 27-Jan. 31.

The state is looking for some large flights of ducks to venture this way. Brett Leach, the AGFC’s Waterfowl Program Coordinator, said, “Over the last week I’ve heard states north of us reporting some pretty good numbers of birds as northern and mid-latitude states began to ice up and received some favorable rains. We have a couple days of rain predicted for late this week and early next week, so hopefully we’ll see some improved habitat conditions throughout the state and a good bird response.”

Forecasts calling for a 100 percent chance of rain Saturday and high probability of rain on Monday could bring more than 2 inches of rain to some areas of central and eastern Arkansas.

AGFC waterfowl biologists were out looking for those ducks that have settled in Arkansas this week as part of the annual December aerial survey.

Biologists reporting habitat conditions from the state’s WMAs managed for waterfowl had good news from several areas of the state. Dave Donaldson Black River WMA has 100 percent coverage in its GTRs. Flooding has begun at Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMAin northeast Arkansas with water pulled from Lake Charles; a park employee there noted the lake was down about 1 foot over the past week. GTRs were about 50 percent flooded as of early this week, and a couple of moist-soil units had 100 percent coverage. The Conway George Tract units at Sheffield Nelson Dagmar WMAhave between 75 and 90 percent coverage now.

These three hunting units are available to youth hunters and a mentor for each youth with an online permit on weekends, and are open to all ages for online-draw permit hunting every Wednesday.

Steve N. Wilson Raft Creek Bottoms WMA saw some slight drop in water coverage in some units over the past week with no rain and the White River at Gregory falling. However, some units have 80 to 100 percent coverage. Raft Creek has online permit draw hunting on weekends and is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays to self-serve permit hunting; obtain permits at the boat ramps and follow instructions to fill them out before and after your hunt.

Ed Gordon Point Remove WMAhasn’t seen total flooding yet, with coverage ranging to dry in some units up to 80 percent water coverage in others.

Earl Buss Bayou DeView in northeast Arkansas will see its water-control structures set to begin flooding the Thompson Tract greentree reservoir on Monday, Dec. 16. In east-central Arkansas, contractors are completing work on the elec-

See DUCKS, page A8

Photo courtesy of AGFC DUCKS

From page A7

trical components on the new water-control structure at Glaise Creek (people driving over the roadway at the structure should use caution when crossing). Plans are for the new structure to begin operating starting Dec. 20, pending the electrical work being finished.

For hunters awaiting good news at George H. Dunklin Bayou Meto WMA, pumping has been ongoing at Buckingham Flats as water is available. Water reportedly has reached the back levee and some water is seen in the lower sloughs. Other popular areas such as Upper and Lower Vallier and Temple Island have not had enough water for hunting. The waterfowl rest areas of Bayou Meto WMA— Halowell Reservoir and Wrape Plantation — are seeing active pumping and flooding take place, bringing coverage in many of the moist-soil units to as much as 90 percent.

Complete habitat coverage reports are available below.

Good News From the North Missouri’s drought conditions dissipated in late November and into December, and ducks that were pushed by blizzards and big temperature drops south out of the Canadian boreal forest and the prairie pothole regions in the Dakotas and Minnesota made their way into The Show Me State, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Missouri’s precipitation received well-above normal amounts for November, though the state remained warmer than normal. A wintry blast that roared through the middle of Missouri after Thanksgiving also had an effect on the hunting conditions. The MDC reports that a blast of arctic air into Missouri at the start of December led to a major influx of mallards, and hunting reports around the state were good, though shallow wetland areas in the north and central parts of the state had challenging, icy conditions on managed wetlands.

Fluctuating temperatures reflected hunting conditions, which they said ranged from tough to great. The southern portion of the state remained ice-free and had good hunting conditions.

Missouri as of Dec. 3 reported 1,172.333 total ducks, at 45.5 percent rise over the 5-year average and 39.7 percent greater than the previous 20year average. They estimated 818,880 mallards, which is 47.4 percent greater than the previous 5-year estimate (555,698 mallards) and 25.9 percent greater than the 20year estimate.

Illinois biologists estimated more than 750,000 mallards in the area between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers in early December after frigid temperatures and snowy conditions pushed ducks southward.

As water begins to accumulate in public duck hunting areas throughout Arkansas, hunters are starting to scramble to find the water and the ducks. Hunters can help keep Arkansas’s lakes and rivers healthy by taking a few moments at the end of each hunting day to inspect their boats, trailers and hunting equipment for vegetation and other stowaways that could spread to new areas and destroy wildlife habitat.

Arkansas fishermen have heard the mantra “Clean, Drain and Dry” for years, but anglers aren’t the only boaters in Arkansas that can do their part. Waterfowl hunters’ boats likely spend just as much, if not more, time in flooded vegetation and muddy areas where invasive plants such as giant salvinia and water hyacinth lurk. Before leaving the boat ramp for home or a new hunting destination, always inspect your gear and remove any vegetation or debris, and make sure your boat plug is pulled and allowed to drain.

That way any invasive species that may exist on the area won’t be transported to new locations.

Matt Horton, Aquatic Nuisance Species Program coordinator for the AGFC, says harmful plants like giant salvinia, water hyacinth and Cuban bulrush can be easily transported as plant fragments or seeds clinging to decoys, decoy bags, boats, trailers and even in the mud clinging to waders. Also, small plant fragments and seeds, as well as invasive mussels and snails can survive in small amounts of water found in boat hulls, livewells and bilge areas.

“Preventing the spread of invasive species is the best way to fight them,” Horton said.

“Once they become established, fighting them can be a full-time job and take away manpower and resources from other important fish and wildlife management work that needs to be done.”

Hunters can help prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species by following the three-step process of clean, drain and dry anytime they move to new water: Clean all equipment – Remove all plants and pieces of vegetation, seeds and mud off your waders, decoys, blind, truck, boat and trailer, and wash all equipment and gear with a high-pressure washer.

Drain your boat – Drain all water by removing all drain plugs from your boat when you leave the boat ramp.

Dry – Let all gear dry, preferably for five days, before visiting new waters. If there isn’t enough time to air dry between trips, use a towel to wipe dry remaining wet surfaces.

Horton also reminds anyone using a boat that, according to the AGFC’s Code of Regulations, all drain plugs must be removed at the boat ramp when leaving a body of water and during transport, including those in live wells and bilge areas, where invasive species may lurk.

A list of aquatic nuisance species found in Arkansas is available at www.agfc.com/ans as well as an easy-to-use online reporting form to report aquatic invasive plants and animals as hunters and other outdoors enthusiasts find them. Take a clear picture of the organism and note the location (GPS location preferred) to help AGFC identify and quickly respond to contain and eradicate new introductions before they spread or become established.

New invasive species introductions continue to increase in Arkansas. Just this year, early reporting helped AGFC eradicate two introductions of giant salvinia in the Illinois Bayou and Clear Lake and water hyacinth and Cuban bulrush in Lake Georgia Pacific. Also, Cuban bulrush was detected for the first time in Millwood Lake, Pool 2 of the Arkansas River, as well as Lake Erling and Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture responded to eradicate Purple Loosestrife at Lake Bentonville, which hasn’t been observed in Arkansas for over a decade.