Arkansas Out-of-Doors Nov/Dec 2013

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E A R K A N S A S W I L D L I F E F E D E R AT I O N A F F I L I AT E D W I T H T H E N AT I O N A L W I L D L I F E F E D E R AT I O N

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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit 128 Russellville, Ark. 72801

VOL 41

NO 6

Natural and Serene PHOTO BY ETHAN NAHTÉ

2 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2013

Arkansas Wildlife Federation Mission Statement

To advocate for the sustainable use of Arkansas’ wildlife habitats and natural resources for future generations.

Thanksgiving has just passed and Christmas is here. I would like to reflect on some things I have to be thankful for over the past 4 years as president of AWF. First of all I am thankful to our God who has given us all of these beautiful things on earth to have and share while we are here.

I am thankful for my mother for doing all she could to provide for so many in our family during hard times (my mother

others had that we were without.

I also want to thank my wife and family who support the volunteer work I do.

As for AWF I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as an important part of such conservation-minded organization that wants to do what we can to benefit wildlife and for people to enjoy the rewards of nature and give back. I am thankful for the support of AWF board members and, of course, AWF Execu-

ent board has been one of the most supportive boards I have served on, and I’ve served on many. We are a hardworking, hands-on board.

I am thankful to several organizations who have been AWF partners in conservation, like the USFS, Ozark National Forest, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, National Forest Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, Arkansas Tech University Fisheries & Wildlife Society, University of the Ozarks Planet Club, Little Rock I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as an important Air Force Base, and many others who part of such conservation-minded organization that wants have been a part of the Bearcat Hollow to do what we can to benefit wildlife and for people to enjoy Project. This project has given new life to wildlife in the Ozark National Forest the rewards of nature and give back. area. I am so thankful for all the other organizations that do what they can to help had 16 children). Even though we didn’t tive Director Ethan Nahté. Without them conservation, for I feel we are all carehave much, we appreciated what we did AWF could neither function nor accom- takers of this great place we call earth have and didn’t always realize what most plish our conservation goals. AWF’s pres- and, while we are here, we should do the

best we can to leave something for the future generations.

I want to thank the men and women in our military who give so much for America and our freedom we all have and enjoy every day.

I want to thank AWF members and sponsors for all their support, for without them we would not be the oldest and largest conservation organization of our kind in Arkansas. AWF is an all-volunteer organization and continues through the financial support of our members and sponsors. I would like to ask you to become a supporter of AWF and help us continue. Help us to pass on our natural heritage to future generations and the rights we have today. Become a “Doer” not a just a “User.”

Wayne Shewmake President AWF

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President - Wayne Shewmake 1st VP - Ellen McNulty 2nd VP - Odies Wilson, III Treasurer - Gary Bush Secretary - Clay Spikes Arkansas Wildlife Federation is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization and AWF (tax# 71-6059226) IRS Requirements: You are receiving $10 in goods for your membership, through AWF bi-monthly newspaper

Arkansas Wildlife Federation P.O. Box 56380 Little Rock, AR 72215 (501) 888-4770 arkwf@sbcglobal.net www.arkansaswildlifefederation.org

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December- 3

Farm Bill update: Sodsaver Slipping Away

by Ryan Stockwell With only a few workdays left for Congress between Holiday breaks, time is running out for completion of the Farm Bill.

Despite the fact that little advancement has been made to date, there is still a chance that the Farm Bill conference committee will be able to complete their negotiations and Congress will be able to pass a final farm bill. Congressional members and stakeholders alike have roundly rejected the idea of

yet another short term extension. Moreover, the conference committee continues to push forward on resolving key differences between the Senate and House versions of the Farm Bill.

While food stamp (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program or SNAP) funding levels and crop support systems (price supports vs. crop insurance) are garnering the lions’ share of attention, key conservation issues remain as significant topics of debate. In particular, Sodsaver, a provision

States With Largest Land Conversion And Their Outdoor Economies Acres of non-cropland converted to cropland, 2011 to 2012

South Dakota

Number of hunters in 2011

Retail sales of hunting goods in 2011

Jobs created or maintained from hunting retail sales in 2011

27,128

270,287

$723,236,029

11,034

Texas

26,395

1,146,657

$2,118,800,404

36,170

Florida

24,961

241,792

$965,096,389

14,673

Iowa

22,301

253,071

$448,854,497

6,975

Kansas

20,932

282,626

$404,795,400

6,200

California

16,385

394,471

$1,141,737,383

20,640

Georgia

15,441

391,644

$977,169,692

23,996

Indiana

14,682

391,738

$229,913,491

3,765

Minnesota

12,453

476,540

$733,229,489

12,439

Illinois

12,273

511,766

$1,324,341,410

18,049

Wisconsin

11,413

894,522

$2,565,720,458

34,180

Montana

10,080

150,071

$633,572,345

11,140

North Dakota

9,908

82,440

$147,595,292

2,254

New York

9,708

823,410

$2,252,489,306

23,697

Ohio

9,643

552,936

$853,801,721

20,471

Pennsylvania

9,115

774,930

$985,541,569

15,211

Michigan

8,803

528,936

$2,361,806,575

34,473

Colorado

6,979

259,200

$465,114,406

8,355

Virginia

6,268

432,416

$976,807,941

20,492

State

Nebraska

54,876

128,445

$562,145,198

For a complete list of converted acres: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=newsroom&subject=landing&topic=foi-er-fri-dtc For a complete list of economic data on hunting: www.sportsmenslink.org

8,856

that protects remaining native grasslands by reducing subsidies on row crops from converted native grassland, remains highly contested, as do proposals by Senator Hoeven (ND) to weaken Swampbuster provisions to make it easier for farmers to drain wetlands while continuing to receive taxpayer subsidies.

Those opposing a national Sodsaver provision wrongly argue it adds red tape to farm bill programs. In reality, farmers already have to maintain and show cropping history and records to determine crop insurance rates. In the event a portion of land has no cropping history and becomes farmed, farmers already must make a declaration for no history in order to qualify for crop insurance at reduced guaranteed yields. Adding sodsaver would simply save taxpayers an estimated $16 million per year by reducing the subsidy to ensure that farmers are not converting fragile grassland for the sake of farming the government. Opponents also argue sodsaver is only needed in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). However, USDA data shows the vast majority of all land conversions occur outside of the PPR. Beyond taxpayer savings, sodsaver has an additional value to the hunting and outdoor economy. Hunters spend over $38 billion per year annually. Waterfowl hunting is a significant economic driver for many Great Plains, Mississippi River, and Delta states (see chart). In Arkansas alone, over 363,000 hunters generate over $1 billion in retail sales annually, sustaining over 17,500 jobs. That outdoor economy relies upon

waterfowl dependent upon grasslands and wetlands throughout their migratory territory, not just in the Prairie Pothole Region.

Converting grasslands and wetlands to agricultural production ends up costing hunters and the outdoor economy. And based on the fact that we have been losing grasslands, wetlands, and forests at a record pace (see chart), the outdoor economy is in for some difficult times.

A while back, I met a duck hunter on a plane. He told me of the long history his family had hunting ducks in North Dakota.

But then, a few years ago on their annual hunting trip, they arrived to North Dakota to find their favorite wetland had been drained, burned, and put into agricultural production. In fact, during that ominous visit, the night sky glowed from all of the wetlands set afire. They, and many other hunters like them, have not gone back since. The once thriving outdoor economy in that area is now a ghost town.

Grasslands and wetlands need protection. In 2012, Arkansas lost over 4,200 acres of grassland, forest, and wetlands to row crop production. Our outdoor heritage and economy are too important. Contact your Senators and Representative to tell them we need a national Sodsaver in the next farm bill. Also tell them you oppose any efforts to weaken Swampbuster’s vital protections of wetlands. For more information contact the author.

Ryan Stockwell is the Senior Agriculture Program Manager for National Wildlife Federation. He may be reached at stockwellr@nwf.org

Farm Bill update

By Josh Saks, NWF’s legislative director

Although it has been a bumpy road, farm bill negotiations continue to move forward, and conferees appear to be nearing in on a deal, although nothing is definite yet. With so little time left before members go home for recess, the chances of a final farm bill being passed by the end of December are slim, but not impossible. Early January may be more likely for a final vote.

According to some reports, it sounds likely that negotiators have agreed to include a link between basic conservation

provisions, known as conservation compliance, and crop insurance subsidies in the final bill. This is one of NWF’s top priorities in the farm bill. While it is a great sign, we are still very concerned that these conservation provisions could be watered down in the final bill in a way that would be very damaging to wetlands.

We are also working to ensure that the final bill includes a national sodsaver provision to protect native grasslands--a provision that is contained in the Senate bill, but is restricted to a small regional area in the House bill.

4 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2013

Trail Tales

By Johnny Sain, Jr.

Box calls, broadheads, an Arkansas stone, half a bag of Zoom super-flukes, a carton of BBs and assorted other outdoor paraphernalia litter the table. That familiar odor of Hoppe’s Number 9 mingles with the Shine’s acorn scent, and the bouquet is brought together with a faint whiff of Funke’s trapping lure in a flavor named ribeye.

Welcome to the back room, lovingly christened “Dad’s room,” of my house.

Storage boxes filled with other trinkets stack on top of each other like Legos. One holds nothing but assorted knives I’ve managed to collect over the years. One holds my ammo, which is pretty limited for a hunter, but includes several boxes of small game and turkey load shotgun shells in 20 gauge, a box of .22 long rifle, a can of .22 caliber pellets for the air gun, three .243 shells and a quarter box of 30/30 ammo my dad bought 25 years ago. Atop the ammo box sits an old tube quiver crammed with arrows; one representative of each type I’ve shot over 27 years of bowhunting and 3-D tournaments. The arrows number 24. And I never bought less than a half dozen of each.

I’ve got a box labeled “archery” that’s filled with spare parts and old broadheads I never use, but can’t bear to part with because even though I haven’t needed anything in it for more than five years, you just never know. Two containers overflowing with assorted turkey calls anchor the east end of the table. A big cardboard box full of softplastic lures rounds out the containers as well as my organizational skills. The rest of the table is covered with a hodgepodge of other outdoor equipment.

Though I’ve pared down quite a bit, it’s still a good sized collection. I’m not even counting bows, guns, tackleboxes, treestands, boots, clothing and fishing poles. I’d hate to calculate what I’ve spent on outdoor supplies during my lifetime. When you figure in fuel to get to those wild places, and time that could have been spent in pursuit of money, it’s safe to say I’ve spent a fortune. Some would say I frittered that fortune away because I spent it all for a few precious seconds of connectivity to something wild.

Those seconds were the culmination, the much clichéd cherry on top, of time spent in the woods or on the water. Those seconds weren’t a neces-

sity to enjoyment of the time spent “out there,” but rather the pathway to a deeper connection.

Those magical seconds made me a participant in the circle rather than an observer.

The tools I use to insert myself within the circle are carefully chosen, and in recent years I’ve purchased less equipment for reasons that are difficult to explain. So I’ll leave the explanation to a much smarter and more talented writer than me.

Aldo Leopold is one of my most revered heroes. His words of wisdom written decades ago still ring true today, and he warned us about falling for the seduction of gadgets -- trading enrichment in nature for comfort and ease: “Civilization has so cluttered this elemental man-earth relationship with gadgets and middlemen that awareness of it is growing dim. We fancy that industry supports us, forgetting what supports industry.”

Leopold goes more in depth with another quote: “I have the impression that the American sportsman is puzzled; he doesn’t understand what is happening to him. Bigger and better gadgets are good for industry, so why not for outdoor recreation? It has not dawned on him that outdoor recreations are essentially primitive, atavistic; that their value is a contrast-value; that excessive mechanization destroys contrast by moving the factory to the woods or to the marsh. I do not pretend to know what is moderation, or where the line is between legitimate and illegitimate gadgets. Yet there must be some limit beyond which money-bought aids to sport destroy the cultural value of sport.”

Strong words to think on here.

Our outdoor tools help us travel to secret places and step into ancient roles. They can make the travel and the roles easier. But what are we giving up? Ease of catching and killing is a poor substitute for the intrinsic values we find in the woods and in the marsh.

Nowadays most of my equipment is the bare minimum for the job. You’ve got to have arrows, hooks and bullets, but every year I shave a few more gadgets off the table; limiting technological advantages offered by the modern world. No, I won’t be chucking rocks at a rabbit while wearing a loin cloth, but as a hunter I’m on the trail toward a more intimate relationship with nature. This trail is best travelled with an uncluttered pack.

“Wildlife of Arkansas” Student Art Contest 2014

By Ethan Nahté Attention schools and teachers, especially art and science teachers! And let’s not forget those creative students who enjoy the arts! It’s that time of year again when Arkansas Wildlife Federation (AWF) partners with Creative Ideas for the annual “Wildlife of Arkansas” Student Art Contest.

The art competition is free to enter and open to any Arkansas student grades kindergarten – 12th grade. Last year’s contest saw double the number of individual entries from the previous year, over 600 pieces of art, and an increase in the number of public, private and home school participants. Though there is no entry fee, there are over $3,000 in prizes and cash awarded to each of the 52 winners, four per grade (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention).

The contest serves two purposes: Helping to keep the arts alive in our schools; Getting children to notice their native surroundings, be it wildlife or a scenic vista. The artwork varies from crayon and fingerpaints, pen and ink to acrylics, oils to multimedia. Last year’s Best of Show was a multimedia piece by Jimmie Battles (Cabot Junior High, North) for “Serenity,” a wonderful piece of art produced on wood which combined various wood carving and cutting techniques along with twine.

For the past three years the awards ceremony has been held in May at the AGFC Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center on the Riverfront in Little Rock. In addition, the museum allows AWF and Creative Ideas to display the winning art throughout the month of May during Riverfest, so approximately 10,000 people see the art. 2013 saw the art show go on tour to the other AGFC Nature Centers, more than doubling the total number of visitors that saw the gallery presentation. There are hopes to repeat the touring art show once more in 2014.

In addition, 2013 was the first year that a calendar had been produced featuring the winning art. All 52 winners were included in the December 2013 – December 2014 calendar with the proceeds going back into the art contest. Repeating the production of the calendar for 2015 is dependent upon how well the current calendar sells. Schools and other non-profits were given a discount rate to purchase calendars so that they could do their own fundraiser.

This year’s competition deadline is March 14, 2014. Contest rules and registration form can be found in the upcoming issue of Arkansas Out-of-Doors or schools can contact Sharon Hacker, president of Creative Ideas: SKHacker@sbcglobal.net.

(Please do not contact AWF or AGFC with questions. Please do not send your artwork to AWF or AGFC. Creative Ideas has a specific address for artist/schools to send their work.)

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December- 5

Giving to the right organization doesn’t just help them, it can help you too

By Gail Murdoch Certified Financial Planner™ Cardinal Investment Group

If you donate to the right type of organization it is a wonderful blessing to them but it can also be a nice blessing for you as well. In addition to feeling good about supporting a great cause, you can get a nice tax deduction as well. That’s what I call a win-win situation.

I advise my clients to choose charities that are important to them. If you are reading this it is likely that you support the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and will benefit from their conservation and wildlife advocacy efforts. A donation not only helps you at tax time, it will help make your voice heard and keep your interests protected.

The total benefits that Arkansans have already received from the conservation and advocacy efforts of the AWF are hard to measure. One of their most notable contributions is their role in helping to create the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Most of the financial plans that I create for my clients include charitable giving and here at the end of the year, it can be a very effective tool for reducing your tax burden.

If you itemize deductions on your tax return, then a qualified charitable deduction can reduce your tax bill. Please remember that if a tax deduction is important to you, you need to verify the non-profit status of your favorite charity before contributing. Make sure that it is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization or you will not be allowed a deduction. Qualified non-profits usually post that information on their websites. AWF has it posted at http://www.arkansaswildlifefederation.org/take-action/joindonate. This is the page to make an online contribution as well.

Timing is important here. Contributions are deductible in the year they are made so be sure and send in those gifts by Dec. 31 if you want them to apply to your 2013 tax return. If you make a donation using your credit card, it is deducted in the year the charge is made, not when the credit card bill is paid. Similarly, checks that are written and postmarked by the end of the year will be deductible for this year even if they aren’t cashed until 2014.

Gail Murdoch is the owner of Cardinal Investment Group, an investment and financial planning company in Conway (Securities offered through St. Bernard Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC). She is a regular contributor to The Atkins Chronicle and The Dover Times newspapers and has won awards for her news writing. Murdoch is a Certified Financial Planner™ and devotes a lot of her time to educating the public on financial matters. For more information, visit www. cardinalinvestmentgroup.com.

Corps Wants to Recycle Your Christmas Tree for Fish Cover HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. -- Christmas trees don’t have to go in the trash after Christmas.

In fact, all those trees in homes and businesses across the area can be put to good use. After the holidays, complete your gift giving by donating your tree to the fish in Greers Ferry Lake.

The Corps will use donated trees to create fish habitat in the lake by placing fish shelters made of bundles of Christmas trees. To donate your tree, drop it off from Dec. 26 until Jan. 17 at Sandy Beach near the boat ramp in Heber Springs, Devils Fork Park’s high-water boat ramp near Greers Ferry/Fairfield Bay, or Choctaw Park’s boat ramp in the Clinton area. Please do not block access to the ramps for those folks wanting to launch boats.

We will only use live trees, not artificial ones, to make the fish shelters. Please remove all tinsel and ornaments to protect aquatic life. Local businesses, with leftover trees, are welcome to drop off their trees as well. Take advantage of this opportunity to improve fish habitat and provide better sport fishing at our lake.

Volunteers are welcome to help drop fish shelters into the lake. For more information, call Park Ranger Jason Presley at the Greers Ferry Project Office at 501-340-1905.

Recreation information can be found on the Internet at www.swl.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/littlerockusace, and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/usacelittlerock.

SFRED Invites Youths to Speak Out On Public Lands DENVER – A national sportsmen’s coalition working for the balanced use of our public lands and the continuation of hunting, angling and other outdoor traditions wants to hear from youths on what public lands mean to them.

Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development is sponsoring an essay contest with the theme “the importance of public lands to me.” The contest is open to youths 15 to 19 years old. The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2014. Five winners will receive an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of their congressional delegations and other officials.

“We hunters and anglers are the beneficiaries of farsighted leaders and conservationists who realized the importance of conserving public lands for future generations. We are determined to keep the legacy alive and believe it’s crucial to encourage young people to explore our public lands and speak up for what is important to them,” said Brad Pow-

ell, senior policy director of the Sportsmen’s Conservation Project at Trout Unlimited.

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has talked about the importance of connecting young people to nature to build the next generation of conservation leaders, noted Ed Arnett, director of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership’s Center for Responsible Energy Development.

“Secretary Jewell is right to focus on youths and the vital role they will play in making sure there will always be enough space to sustain our big game herds, plenty of clean, clear water to support fisheries and landscapes that nurture our connection to the natural world,” Arnett said. “Conserving public lands are critical to that as well as to fueling local economies nationwide that benefit from recreation, tourism and people seeking a high quality of life.”

Essays should be submitted to Powell, bpowell@tu.org. For more details, go to www.sfred.org.

6 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2013

Fox squirrel featured on 2014 conservation plate LITTLE ROCK – The newest conservation license plate from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission features a fox squirrel. It’s the 15th plate in the series that supports the AGFC Conservation Scholarship Education Fund.

The plates cost $35 per year – $25 goes to scholarships for students who study conservation; $10 goes to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration for administering the license plate program.

Students studying wildlife management, natural resources and educational career paths may apply for the conservation scholarship. Applicants must be full-time students and Arkansas residents with a 2.5 grade-point average. Applications must be submitted by June 1 for fall semesters. For more information on the scholarship, go to http://www.agfc.com/education/Pages/EducationConservationScholarship.aspx.

Hundreds of Arkansas students have benefited from the conservation scholarships, and a number of them are working as wildlife biologists and in other capacities with the AGFC. Others are in conservation-related positions with other agencies and with private companies.

The latest plate in the series debuts each Jan. 1. To purchase a gift certificate online go to http://www.agfc. com/aboutagfc/Pages/CLPGiftCertificates.aspx

Opportunity abounds in late season dove hunting LITTLE ROCK – When Christmas approaches, a handful of Arkansas hunters go after doves.

Surprised that dove hunting did not end after a couple of days in early September? True, that is the usual concept of dove hunting, but the challenging birds are around in abundant numbers late in the year.

The late dove season runs from Saturday, Dec. 21, through Sunday, Jan. 9, statewide. The daily limit is 15 mourning doves, with no limit on Eurasian collared doves.

Doves that live in Arkansas are joined by birds migrating from northern areas in December and January.

In early September, hunters are used to seeing doves in singles and pairs. Late in the year, though, doves hang together in bunches, sometimes several dozen birds.

A good area to look for December doves is in the Arkansas River corridor. Two factors bring the doves to this travel area. One, it is a migration path for many variety of birds, doves included. Two, food in the form of weed seeds is plentiful.

In other areas, farm fields are where doves often are found even if the spilled or leftover soybeans and grains are mostly gone. Check the edges of fields where weeds with seeds may be used by doves.

The weather may be a complete change from early September dove work, but the basics are the same. Camouflage is virtually essential. Many hunters like to set up with a tree or at least a fence post behind them to break up that telltale human silhouette. Consider two essentials for doves – food and water.

Shooting, like in the early seasons, can be at close range, medium range or long range. Most hunters load up with shells carrying shot in sizes 7½, 8 or 9.

A caution, though. If you go for a doubleheader of dove and duck hunting, be sure to empty pockets and shell holders of ammunition for one when switching to the other. You absolute cannot have lead shot shells on you when hunting ducks, and “I just forgot” doesn’t cut it with state or federal wildlife officers.

2014 Conservation Achievement Awards

By Ethan Nahté It’s time once again for sending in nominations for the Arkansas Wildlife Federation’s “Governor’s Annual Conservation Achievement Awards” for 2014. The annual event has been taking place for more than 50 years and recognizes those who have gone the extra mile in conservation in over a dozen categories. The 2014 nominations focus on achievements from July 2013 through the nomination deadline on June 15, 2014. (See official rules and form in this issue.)

If you know of an individual, business, organization, teacher or student who has done something worthwhile in conservation of wildlife, forests, prairies, or water then please help AWF recognize them by nominating. You don’t have to nominate someone or every category.

It goes without saying that most recipients of the conservation awards dedicate a lot of time, effort, and sometimes money in helping to protect the environment. It’s nice to get a pat on the back for one’s efforts.

Spring is just around the corner which gives everyone plenty of time to do an interesting project such as a Certified Wildlife Habitat (visit nwf.org for details), plant trees, create a recycle station, build bird/bat houses, or anything else you can imagine while helping the environment.

In addition to the nomination form, the most important detail to remember is to supply AWF with a bio/description of why the nominee is deserving of the award. This may include newspaper clippings, printed internet articles, studies/results, and possibly a photo of the nominee doing something related to their nomination. Any nominations submitted without any supporting material will be disqualified.

Full rules and nomination forms will be available in upcoming issues of Arkansas Out-of-Doors with hopes that a downloadable/printable version will be available online at ArkansasWildlifeFederation.org before spring 2014. You may also request a PDF version from AWF at arkwf@sbcglobal.net.

Protect your pets and plants from the cold this winter.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December- 7

Donated Christmas Trees Get Second Life as Fish Habitat LITTLE ROCK – Ask any Arkansas fisherman and you’ll get a multitude of answers about how they feel when it comes to underwater structure. Anglers may curse those logs and branches that snag their brand new lures, but they know that structure can be the key to a successful outing.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is asking that those leftover Christmas trees be used to help improve the state’s fisheries by dropping the trees off at several sites around the state. AGFC community fisheries biologist Ben Batten says that studies have shown that fish utilize underwater structure for cover.

“These trees are some of the best natural forms of underwater structure. Crappie, bass, bluegills and other fish will often use the trees to hide in and around,” Batten said.

The Christmas trees provide cheap, but quality underwater structures. They are easy to place in ponds and lakes, and they last for several years, Batten said. “More importantly, their limbs offer something to fish of all shapes and sizes,” he explained. The Christmas tree drop-off locations will be available immediately after Christmas.

Trees can be dropped off at the following locations: Lake Hamilton – Andrew Hulsey State Fish Hatchery Access Area.

Cox Creek Lake – Cox Creek Lake Access Area.

Lake Chicot – Connerly Bayou Access Area.

Camden – AGFC Regional Office on Ben Lane.

Upper White Oak Lake – Upper Jack’s Landing.

Magnolia – Columbia County Road Dept

Yard on Highway 371.

El Dorado – City recycling center dropoffs: one behind Arby’s and one on South Jackson.

Smackover – Recycling Drop-Off Center (these will be transported to El Dorado).

Millwood Lake – Cottonshed, White Cliffs Recreation Areas and the Millwood State Park ramp on the point.

Dierks Lake – Jefferson Ridge South Recreation Area.

DeQueen Lake – Any Corps of Engineers boat ramp.

Gillham Lake – Any Corps of Engineers boat ramp.

Lake Greeson – New Cowhide Cove and Self Creek Recreation Areas.

Arkansas River – Alltel Access underneath the I-30 Bridge.

Lake Pickthorne – Near the boat ramp.

Greers Ferry Lake – Sandy Beach (Heber Springs), Devils Fork Recreation Area and Choctaw Recreation Area (ChoctawClinton).

Dardanelle Lake – Dwight Mission Access, Highway 64/Piney Access, Cabin Creek Slough Access. Jack Nolen Lake – Largest access ramp on rip-rap near ramp.

Lake Conway – Lawrence Landing Access.

Harris Brake Lake – Chittman Hill Access.

Lake Overcup – Lake Overcup Landing.

Lake Barnett – Reed Access.

Jonesboro – Craighead Forest Park Lake boat ramp.

Lake Elmdale – Boat Ramp Access.

Bob Kidd Lake – Boat Ramp Access.

Crystal Lake – Boat Ramp Access.

Lake Willastein – Maumelle.

Walk Slow and Look Carefully for Diamonds

by Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Each year we share news stories of large diamonds, usually weighing two carats or more, that are found at the park. So far in 2013, six diamonds weighing over two carats have been registered at the Crater, and all of them were found on the surface of the park’s diamond search area.

While these large finds will no doubt inspire thousands of people to embark on their own diamond quests for months and years to come, there is often a great deal of chance involved in these large finds. The majority of diamonds found at the park tend to be smaller, weighing one quarter of a carat, on average. Most people only learn about these finds at the bottom of our weekly articles, where they are listed with the finders’ names, home cities and states, and the weight and color of each stone. Though these small gems don’t often get the same attention as their larger counterparts, the stories of their discoveries can yield honest advice to serve the novice diamond hunter.

This past weekend (Nov. 15-17) Matthew Blum, a 15-year-old Boy Scout from Tennessee, visited Crater of Diamonds State Park with his

troop. After hearing stories of large diamonds found on top of the park’s plowed search area, Blum decided to spend the morning surface searching for his own gem.

Just before noon as Blum walked past the park’s north washing pavilion, a peculiar shine in the soil caught his attention. Kneeling down for a closer look, Blum dug a small crystal out of the dirt and turned it in his hand. He noticed that it appeared to have a broken edge which had shone at him from the surface, while the other side featured smooth facets and a bright, metallic shine.

Thinking that he might have something special, Blum held onto his find and carried it to the Diamond Discovery Center. There, park staff certified it as a 14 point white diamond, about the size of a pencil point (100 points = one carat). When asked if he had any advice for other park visitors, Blum replied, “Walk slow and look carefully.” He noted that he had passed over the diamond once that morning without seeing it: “I originally walked over it because I was walking too fast.

But then I turned around and walked slower, and that’s when I found the diamond.”

Visitors to Crater of Diamonds State Park can read more stories of diamond finds at the Diamond Discovery Center, in our “Amazing Stories of Diamond Finds” collection. These tales of finds from over the years serve to entertain and inspire visitors every day, and they have helped lead many to their own diamond discoveries.

8 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2013

AOOD Writer Johnny Sain, Jr. Wins Again

by Ethan Nahté

At its 49th annual conference, held In Lake Charles, LA on Oct. 9-12, the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA) recognized winners in its “Excellence in Craft” competition, which is sponsored by Chevrolet. SEOPA is a nonprofit professional organization serving a membership spanning fourteen southeastern states, including Arkansas.

Members include magazine and newspaper writers, book authors, photographers, radio and television personalities, lecturers, editors, artists, industry representatives and others in the outdoor communications field.

First, second, and third place winners were announced in eight categories. Also included in the ceremony were recipients of the Sharon Rushton Award (recognizing outstanding coverage of youth in the outdoors), the Realtree Website Horizons Award, and coverage of the Branson, MO site where SEOPA met in 2011.

Among the 19 organization members recognized for their professional accomplishments were a number of multiple winners. They included Keith Sutton, who had the first place contribution in the Electronic Publication and Daily Newspaper categories as well as being the Sharon Rushton Award winner; Jim Spencer, with firsts in both Magazine and Magazine Short categories; Monte Burke; Johnny Sain; Glynn Harris; and Jack Horan.

Sain won third place for his Trail Tales “Six Point” article which appeared in the September/Ocotber 2012 edition

Corps Schedules Timber Stand Improvements at JFK Park HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. – The Army Corps of Engineers, Greers Ferry Lake Project Office will conduct timber stand improvements in John F. Kennedy Park Dec. 16 through Feb. 28, 2014. Camp area “D” will be closed until the timber harvest and cleanup is complete.

Timber stand improvement boosts the overall condition of

of Arkansas Out-of-Doors (AOOD). Sain has been writing the Trail Tales column for AOOD for a little more than two years.

Sain also writes an online blog known as “A View From the Backroads.” Realtree presented Sain with first place for their Website Horizons Award in 2012. This year Sain placed second.

Although there were many categories on the SEOPA site, below is a listing of the categories and winners in which Sain placed for 2013.

MAGAZINE STORY – SHORT (1,000 words or less) 1st Place: Jim Spencer, “Mallard Maelstrom” Ducks Unlimited – November/December 2012 2nd Place: Keith Sutton, “Alone, But Not on Christmas” Cabela’s Outfitter Journal – December 2012 3rd Place: Johnny Sain, “Trail Tales—Six Point” Arkansas Out-of-Doors - September-October 2012 REALTREE WEBSITE HORIZONS AWARD 1st Place: Jeff Samsel www.jeffsamsel.blogspot.com 2nd Place: Johnny Sain www.aviewfromthebackroads.com 3rd Place: Jeff Dennis www.sclowcountryoutdoors.blogspot.com

the stand and concentrates wood growth on a number of selected trees. Prescribed burns can improve wildlife food and habitat as well as appearance and health of the woods.

For more information regarding timber stand improvements call the Greers Ferry Project Office at 501-362-2416, or stop by the office located near the dam on Highway 25, three miles north of Heber Springs.

Recreation information can be found on the Internet at www. swl.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/littlerockusace, and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/usacelittlerock.

NRCS Accepting Applications for Conservation Activities LITTLE ROCK – Farmers and landowners in Arkansas have until Jan. 17 to submit applications to receive financial assistance to implement conservation activities through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program for the 2014 program year. Applicants can sign up at their local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service field service center.

Individuals and other entities actively engaged in agricultural production are eligible to participate in EQIP. The EQIP deadline is for consideration in the local and state funding categories.

The local categories are intended to focus on the primary resource issues in a localized area, as identified by the locally-led conservation workgroup representatives for each county.

The statewide categories are designed to address the resource concerns of water quality issues related to animal manure management and sedimentation, improved management of irrigation water and reduction in ground water use, forestland enhancement, livestock production, reduction of erosion, and improvement of wildlife habitat.

All applications will be evaluated for funding based on a state and national developed procedure to optimize environmental benefits. Applications ranking highest in a funding category will be funded subject to availability of program funds.

Applications competing for statewide funding must be eligible, evaluated and ranked by Feb. 14. Funding selections of eligible applications will be completed by Feb. 18 and obligations must be finalized no later than April 1. Applications not received by Jan. 17 will not be considered during this ranking period.

For more information, visit http://www.ar.nrcs. usda.gov/ or contact the local NRCS field service center.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December- 9

Kill Your Lawn For Wildlife and Water!

by Jerry W. Davis

Each week we, as a nation, mow 45 million acres of lawns, (area larger than Florida) with 54 million lawnmowers scalping the grass within an inch of the ground. Two million more acres of lawns are added each year. Over the growing season, 800 million gallons of gasoline are used and 17 million gallons are spilled filling mowers. Lawns are our biggest irrigated crop but we cannot eat it or sell it. It costs billions of dollars, gallons of water, and days to maintain. We weed, edge, aerate, blow, rake, fertilize, and add pesticides that kill beneficial invertebrates, wildlife, fish, and pollute waterways and groundwater. Lawns treated with pesticides increase childhood Leukemia by 6.5 times. We use 25,000 gallons of water per lawn to keep it green, half of our household water consumption.

Illinois Bayou Park Wildlife Observation Trail Opening Set RUSSELLVILLE – The city of Russellville has announced the grand opening of the Illinois Bayou Park Wildlife Observation Trail to be held October 31 at 10 a.m. The paved, level 2-mile, out-and-back trail runs along the north side of Lake Dardanelle.

Several trail spurs allow hikers, wildlife observers and anglers to access the shoreline and scenic beauty of the lake. The trail ends with a view to the south of Mt. Nebo.

Interpretive signs along the trail educate visitors about local wildlife and plants as well as the history of the area. With the Indian Removal Act of 1830, five tribes of Indians were forcibly removed from their lands and traveled what became known as

Europeans brought exotic grass seeds and the idea that manicured lawns were symbols of status and wealth. Status and power comes from the quality of person you are and not how well you maintain your lawn or what you own.

Our water supplies and wildlife habitats are declining.

Politicians know the solution is to kill the lawns. Yet, they spend time trying to take water from adjoining cities and states ignoring an obvious solution. The water shortage continues. Drought tolerant native plants would cut water use by 75%. Native plants provide habitat for birds and other wildlife. Non-native plants do not support native insects for the wildlife or produce plant pollinators, but native plants do. Forty three percent of our birds are declining and 265 bird species are imperiled because we have eliminated 870 million acres of habitat and compromised others. By wildlifescaping and birdscaping lawns with drought tolerant native plant species, more habitats are available for wildlife and water will be conserved.

Start by killing your lawns in small sections and plant native species. Trees such as oak, black cherry, American holly and red mulberry are good choices to produce insects

the Trail of Tears. One of those routes traveled through this area.

“Listen for the high-pitched, whistling call of the osprey as it patrols and fishes the waters of Lake Dardanelle. Wintering bald eagles, waterfowl and aquatic mammals are other wildlife viewing opportunities this trail along the water’s edge provides,” said Kirsten Bartlow, Watchable Wildlife Coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

The work for the Illinois Bayou Park Wildlife Observation Trail was completed with the assistance of a $100,000 grant from the AGFC Wildlife Observation Trails Pilot Program.

From I-40, take Exit 78 and head south on Mission Drive. Turn east on U.S. Highway 64. Travel 200 yards and turn left at the Illinois Bayou Park sign. The trailhead and parking are located near the park’s boat launch and restrooms.

and fruit for wildlife. Native shrubs like huckleberry, sumac, American beautyberry, and yaupon, are a few of many that provide food and cover.

There are many native flowers and vines to use but you are not likely to find them in chain store garden centers. These stores have major nurseries producing non-native plants and we import an additional 700 million exotic plants a year. Indian grass, big and little bluestem, and buffalograss, can be used to replace the non-native exotic grasses that cover our lawns and require excessive water and maintenance. Buffalograss is a prairie native that may be a replacement choice.

It provides habitat for wildlife and is extremely drought tolerant. A new buffalograss lawn turf variety requires little to no water or mowing.

Kill your lawn and plant native trees, shrubs and grasses for wildlife, and for water conservation.

Jerry W. Davis is a Certified Wildlife Biologist. He was a Forest Program Manager for the Ouachita National Forest.

Questions or comments regarding his article can be sent to jwdavis@cablelynx.com

For more information on the Illinois Bayou Park Wildlife Observation Trail, please contact Mack Hollis, Director of Russellville Recreation and Parks Department at (479) 968-1272 or mhollis@rsvlar.org

­Corps Plans Prescribed Burns Around Greers Ferry Lake HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. – When weather conditions are favorable the Army Corps of Engineers, Greers Ferry Project Office in coordination with the Arkansas Forestry Commission and other state agencies will conduct prescribed burns during the next several months in and around Greers Ferry Lake park areas.

Personnel will conduct prescribed burns at Lake Ice Road, Dam Site, Devils Fork, Heber Springs, Narrows, and Old Hwy 25 parks. More locations may be added if weather permits.

Corps officials said prescribed burns improve timber stand health and enhance wildlife value. Burning supports annual reestablishment of favorable native grasses and herbs which create food resources and cover for foraging and nesting wildlife.

It also reduces leaf accumulation and decreases the chances of damaging wild fires in developed parks during high-use summer months.

For more information, call the Greers Ferry Project office at 501-362-2416.

Recreation information can be found on the Internet at www.swl.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/littlerockusace, and on Twitter at https://twitter. com/#!/usacelittlerock.

10 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2013

How’s Your Habitat?

Deer Management Cooperatives – Partnering to improve your deer herd and habitat Daniel Greenfield, Private Lands Biologist AGFC, East Central Arkansas

Deer management cooperatives are partnerships between neighboring landowners or deer clubs that allow the participants to manage deer more effectively. These landowners or managers often encounter various limitations to managing for better deer due to the size of their property, limited resources, or number of participants. Cooperatives can be comprised of as little as five hundred acres made up of a few landowners or consisting of several thousand acres with a larger group of landowners/members. Usually, larger cooperatives are more effective because of their ability to better manage deer over larger areas while sharing equipment, ideas, and collecting needed deer data.

Why are deer management cooperatives needed? Cooperatives are needed to overcome many of the problems associated with managing deer effectively. Many properties that are being managed for deer are not large enough to cover the deer’s entire home range. A deer’s average home range covers around 1 square mile, so managing on less than 640 acres can be difficult. By working together, landowners with smaller acreage can control and manage the entire home range of a deer to see results in producing better quality deer.

Members working together across their combined acres to properly harvest both does and bucks can achieve improved harvest quality. Smaller property owners may not have the equipment necessary to manage the habitat to improve it for wildlife. They can also share equipment, manpower and ideas to reach their management goals more successfully. Increasing the size of a property that is being managed for deer can also increase the amount of data being gathered such as observation data, antler measurements, weights and age structure. This data can then be interpreted by a biologist to form a management plan for the entire cooperative property.

How do you form a deer management cooperative? The first step is to identify the area that you want to include in the cooperative. Usually, it is best to choose adjoining property next to that which you are currently managing and build the land base necessary to successfully manage deer. Once you have identified the properties you want to include, the next step is to determine who owns the property and contact them about the opportunity to form a deer cooperative. The best way to accomplish this is to invite your prospective partners to one of your club meetings or an informal gathering. Also, remember not to be too pushy. Your main goal at this point is to become acquainted and share your ideas and successes with them pertaining to deer management and explain the benefits- better and healthier deer.

How can a deer management cooperative or landowner receive help to manage deer? Each year, hundreds of deer clubs and landowners utilize the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) to improve populations and habitat. DMAP is a free AGFC program that assists deer clubs and landowners in managing their deer herd and habitat (yearly deadline to enroll is July 1st). Private Lands Biologists (PLB) are available to conduct a site visit on your property, discuss your management goals, provide habitat recommendations and develop a custom plan to fit your deer management objectives. The PLB can educate members on how to collect deer data accurately.

The data can then be used to manage the deer herd on a yearly basis. PLBs are very knowledgeable in all aspects of habitat management such as forest stand improvement, prescribed burning, food plots, native warm season

grass habitat and other practices that benefit deer and a wide range of wildlife. Minimum DMAP acreage requirements for the Mississippi Alluvial Valley & Gulf Coastal Plain are 1,000 contiguous acres. For the Arkansas River Valley, Ozark and Ouachita Mountains and Crowley’s Ridge, minimum acreage is 500 contiguous acres. This is where forming a co-op can take deer management to the next level when smaller landowners are willing to work together. Start this hunting season working with your surrounding landown-

ers to form a deer management cooperative.

For more information on cooperatives and improving your land for wildlife, contact an AGFC Private Lands Biologist at: Fort Smith - 877-4781043, Harrison - 870-741-8600, extension 114, Hope - 877-777-5580, Calico Rock - 877-2974331, Little Rock - 877-470-3650, Brinkley - 877734-4581, Jonesboro - 877-972-5438, and Monticello - 877-367-3559. To see which PLB covers you’re your county, go to: www.agfc.com/habitat and find & click on the 2013 Private Lands Map.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2013 - 11

Back off Honey!

by Dr. Robert Morgan

Back off Honey! It was a phrase I would repeat frequently on this trip. My friend David Thrasher and I were sliding his 20-foot Old Town Canoe into War Eagle Creek below the old Highway 412 Bridge. Honey is David’s dog. She accompanies him everywhere, even to the top of Boundary Peak, the highest point in Nevada. Honey had just taken her position in the canoe right under my seat. It’s hard to say just what kind of dog Honey is, but she is clearly descended from big dogs. Currently she weighs about 120 pounds. It was around 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 10th, a bright and sunny but cool day.

We were out for a day of creek fishing.

The canoe drifted out into the stream and we commenced canoeing at our normal pace, slow. Wait, make that really slow. I was rigged with a chartreuse plastic worm on a 1/8th ounce jig head and an ultralight spinning rod and reel. David had a variety of rods and a different rig for each. My first cast wrapped around the branch of a low hanging tree. David reminded me that we came to catch fish, not hoot owls. The next cast was better. My worm hit the water next to a log. I reeled it back in slowly bringing with it several leaves.

For the first hour or so, as David likes to say, the fishing was great, the catching was a little slow. After every cast we would remove a collection of leaves from our lures.

We had arrived at this creek just after the peak of autumn color and right in the midst of the peak of autumn leaf fall. For us, removing leaves from our lures was a minor annoyance. But for small Ozark streams in forested watersheds, leaves are an important source of food. All ecosystems ultimately rely on the sun as a source of energy. In streams where forest cover spreads over most of the channel, leaves spend their summers intercepting that solar energy and, through the process of photosynthesis, use the energy along with nutrients from the soil and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce organic matter. During leaf fall, the energy stored in the leaves is delivered to the stream.

When a leaf falls into the stream, organic matter starts to leach out of the leaf. Ecolo-

gists call this leached material “dissolved organic matter” or DOM. Bacteria and fungi use this material as food. Scientists are not really sure yet whether that bacteria and fungi ever gets into the larger food chain or if it just remains within the microbes in the stream. The leaves themselves are referred to as “coarse particulate organic matter” or CPOM. Fungi and algae quickly colonize the leaves making a slimy surface. Some macroinvertebrates -- macro meaning big, at least big enough to see, and invertebrate meaning animal with no backbone, so we are talking about big bugs and worms -- love this slime and start munching. The macroinvertebrates that feed on the slime on the leaves are called “shredders” because they shred the leaves. Shredded leaf parts and feces from the shredders continue to drift downstream. This material is referred to as “fine particulate organic matter” or FPOM. There are other benthic macroinvertebrates that spin webs, kind of like spiders do, to catch the FPOM as it drifts. They then wipe the FPOM from their nets and eat it. These macroinvertebrates are referred to as collectors. Our prey for the day was smallmouth and largemouth bass, which in turn prey on macroinvertebrates. So we put up with the annoyance and just appreciated the beauty of the trees and leaves.

Eventually, I managed to convince a small bass that my plastic worm was actually an invertebrate feeding on CPOM. He picked up the worm and ran. I set the hook. Honey perked up. Somewhere Honey had figured out that it was my job to catch the fish and her job to finish them off. The battle lasted a few seconds then I lifted the fish out of the water.

Honey made a lunge trying to chomp the fish in one bite. The canoe rocked but David managed to counter and keep us upright. Back off Honey was all I had to say. She continued to chomp at the air as I removed the hook and released the fish. Then she looked at me as if to say, “what’s the deal?”

We stopped for lunch on a gravel bar across from a big bluff. After lunch we fished the hole one more time. I caught a really nice bass. Our pace went from really slow to really, really slow. Fish catching picked up. With every fish, Honey did her best to get involved. We drifted along catch-

ing a fish every now and then. A few minutes before dark we pulled out at Withrow Springs State Park having canoed a total of 4 and ½ miles for the day.

War Eagle Creek doesn’t seem to get the respect that the better-known streams of the Ozarks get. Perhaps it is because the name “creek” sounds kind of diminutive while the others have the more impressive name, “river.” War Eagle has neither the crystal clear water of the Kings, nor the exciting whitewater of the Mulberry or Buffalo rivers.

Nevertheless, it does have an impressive collection of bluffs. Many of the bluffs have large overhanging ledges. Almost every bluff has a deep pool below that provides good fish habitat. Plus it is a lot closer to Springdale than the aforementioned rivers.

The source of the War Eagle is in the Boston Mountains, literally on the same mountain as the source of the White. The War Eagle’s source is actually about a hundred feet higher than that of the White. The stream tumbles off the mountain to the north while the White flows west before it turns north. After some miles, the creek flows under Arkansas State Highway 23 then it travels several miles along the highway flowing north toward Huntsville. Near the town of Aurora, the highway crosses the creek one more time and then leaves the valley. The Creek continues its northerly course east of Huntsville. It is in this reach that the city

once tapped the water of the War Eagle as its source of drinking water. Several miles later, the creek flows under U.S. Highway 412 northeast of Huntsville, the crossing where David and I launched his canoe. Four and a half miles later the War Eagle flows under highway 23 again in Withrow Springs State Park. From there it continues flowing north and west past the War Eagle Mill. Eventually, after 59 miles, the creek joins with the White River in Beaver Lake.

For the last 52 years, the War Eagle has been an important part of my life. In 1961 I joined Boy Scout Troop 122 sponsored by the Central Methodist Church in Rogers.

Mrs. Elliott, who owned the house across the bridge from the War Eagle Mill, frequently let us camp in the pine grove down from her house. On one of those trips, we were fooling around with fly rods. After a while I got to where I could cast a popping bug without catching my ear or tying a knot in the line in the process. I waded into the head of the pool at the pine grove. A few casts and I managed to lay the bug into a pocket in the river willows along the bank.

The river exploded. A few minutes later I lifted a hefty largemouth bass from the water. The bass got off easy; he was cooked on a campfire that evening. I, on the other hand, had just caught an incurable case of fishing fever.

Story continued on page 15...

WINTER BEAUTY IN ARKANSAS

Photos by Yvonne Duvall

2013 - A LOOK BACK

Photos by Wayne Shewmake & Ethan NahtĂŠ

14 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2013

Is it Too Late? Or Can Arkansans Help Bring Back the Monarch?

by Dr. Rita Littrell Old timers throughout the state describe times when thousands of monarchs gathered in flocks in a field or grove of trees during their annual fall migration from Canada to Central Mexico. Unfortunately, I have never seen this phenomenon in person but am fascinated by the descriptions. I had dreams of visiting Mexico to see the overwintering site. This past spring, I did not see a single monarch migrating to Canada. And I am on constant butterfly alert --- as attested by my sister-in-law who saw me dodge a butterfly when driving! In the fall, I did spot perhaps ten monarchs and found a few caterpillars on the milkweed in my yard. I was pleased to see that they had increased their numbers and were starting their trek back to their overwintering grounds. The day after we celebrate Halloween in the United States, Mexico celebrates the Day of the Dead. In Central Mexico, where the monarchs overwinter, they believe the returning monarchs represent the souls of the dead. This year very few ‘souls’ arrived and those were late.

For this article, I want to challenge Arkansans to understand the problem and encourage you to do something about it. I am drawing information from Jim Robbins’ New York Times article and the Monarch Watch website referenced below. For the past ten years we have seen a decline in the Eastern monarch population – defined as the monarchs east

of the Rocky Mountains. The overwintering monarch population has declined from almost 21 hectares in 1996-97 to 1.19 hectares in 2012-13. Last year’s low was estimated to be 60 million monarchs. This year they started straggling in a week late and are estimated to number less than three million. Does it matter? So I never see a flock of monarchs and my son never shows his children a migrating monarch. Does that affect his future?

What is causing the decline? Can we do anything about it at this late date? How can one person make a difference?

For years we worried about the destruction of the oyamel fir forests where the monarchs overwinter in the states of Mexico and Michoacan. The people of the region are very poor and logging provided a source of income. Since 1986 the Mexican government has worked to conserve the monarch habitat. So what is causing the current drastic decline? I found a book, The Last Monarch Butterfly by Phil Schappert at the Museum of Science in Boston. Museum gift shops have the best books! There I found the answer that I had been observing as a butterfly gardener: -- loss of native vegetation in the United States.

Only a few years ago when I sometimes had hundreds of monarch caterpillars in the fall; indeed so many that the milkweed for the caterpillars to feed on was depleted, out of desperation I would drive the rural highways and roads to find patches of bright orange native milkweed growing in the ditches.

I would cut it and keep it in water so that I would not waste a leaf of it. My memory doesn’t tell me the year, but according the graph of monarch populations, I am guessing it was the fall of 2003. Now when I drive the area roads, only rarely do I find that brilliant orange bloom of the butterfly milkweed – Asclepias tuberosa (link below). I would like to note that when I drive to Newton and Yell counties, I see much more of this milkweed. I understand that one lady is primarily responsible for reestablishing many native plants along the roadsides near Berryville. It is so refreshing to round a corner and discover a large burst of orange milkweed or the droop-

ing petals of the native coneflower. Once a few plants are established, they naturally multiply into larger communities.

Why has our milkweed in the roadsides disappeared? We, as a society, have determined that nicely mowed roadsides are more attractive than when we let the natural vegetation grow. And we don’t like broadleaf plants, so we spray to kill these plants before we mow the grass. I wonder how much this cost in road maintenance including mowers, people and sprays. This practice kills our naturally occurring milkweed and other plants that are necessary to sustain many insect populations including bees.

Another practice causing us to kill many insects is the biofuels subsidies that have incentivized farmers to grow genetically modified corn. Millions of acres of land once reserved in a federal program for conservation are now farmed. A crop, such as corn, is genetically modified so that it can be sprayed with Roundup. This kills all plants in or near the field except the crops that have been modified to withstand the Roundup. This results in larger corn crops at lower prices -- but at what cost? Robbins notes that as much as 60 to 90% of Iowa’s milkweed has been lost to this practice.

We can’t solely blame the farmer or the transportation department though. In addition to killing milkweed and flowers along the roadways we are turning farmland into developments and creating food deserts for insects. In our neighborhoods we want weed free lawns with the most exotic trees and shrubs. This creates biological deserts for insects and birds. As consumers of plants, we are destroying the monarch and other insects. I recall a recent conversation with a new butterfly gardener who was puzzling over her decrease in butterflies. I asked about her yard service which uses a variety

of chemicals to kill weeds and pests. Pesticides and herbicides do not discriminate between good and bad insects. They kill them all. For years I have been disturbed by the fact that Scotts Lawn Service includes a monarch butterfly with their logo. What does this say about the knowledge of the general population who doesn’t understand that many of Scotts’ services actually kill the monarch butterfly?

I have been fortunate to hear Doug Tallamy, a professor of entomology at the University of Delaware, warn of the perils of the disappearing insect. His book Bringing Nature Home describes the benefits of native plants. A native oak tree can host as many as 537 species of caterpillars. A willow may host 456 species. I sadly learned that the beautiful wiry ginkgo with those dancing golden leaves in our yard hosts a total of three species. But most people don’t care about insects. They are nuisances or pests.

Without insects, what would birds eat?

Some 80 percent of our food crops are pollinated by insects, including bees and butterflies. They are critical to our food webs and as they disappear we humans will come to realize why we needed them to maintain a balance of life on this planet.

At the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, we now have a butterfly house that features native species. People of all ages and from many parts of Arkansas love to visit the butterfly house. They marvel at the butterflies, caterpillars and chrysalides in brilliant colors and disguises. The photographers love to get photos of the butterflies nectaring on native flowers. But the message we want people to leave with is that they can host the butterflies in their own yard with some education and a little work – which several of us find to be very rewarding work! All of us working together can make spotting

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December- 15 butterflies along the roadways and trails, in the gardens, and at public venues a common sight. They live here, just like we do. And their presence does so much more than provide beauty; they play a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance that makes the earth inhabitable for humans. I have heard it said that humans could disappear from the earth and it would stay much the same, but if insects disappear from the earth, most of life will disappear with them. We cannot live without insects, but they can live without us.

And they will continue to live here if we will help them to do so.

So, given this description of the year the monarchs did not come, do we care about helping this magnificent creature that travels thousands of miles to Mexico and back to sustain its population? What can we, as Arkansans, do? I challenge you to understand, care and to take action.

I will suggest a few ideas that come to my mind. I hope that you will add to this list and more importantly take action. In Robbins’ article he tells of how the citizens of Florida made a huge outcry about the mowing of roadside wildflowers resulting in a new policy that left critical insect habitat un-mowed.

Arkansas Action Items: Seed milkweed and other native flowers along our roadways. This would be easy when we create new roads. Seeding is always a part of the construction process. Add in some Arkansas wildflower seeds including milkweed that is critical for the monarch and beneficial to other butterflies and insects.

Stop mowing and spraying our roadsides.

Reestablish native plants. If done throughout

the state, it could provide necessary corridors to support many types of wildlife.

Educate people. This can be done through print and other media. Keep Arkansas Beautiful provided my early education on this topic through Jack Singleton. Many area schools are educating the children and are developing butterfly gardens. Libraries and other public buildings could include butterfly gardens with signage to educate people.

Explain why the Diana fritillary is on our car tags. It is beautiful but more importantly it provides pollination services that are beneficial to us. In Arkansas, it is only found on Mt. Magazine.

Publicize Mount Magazine’s butterfly festival and the educational programs there.

Network with the programs at other Arkansas parks and provide educational programs specific to that region.

Involve the Arkansas Game and Fish in the conservation of the butterflies including the monarchs and the pipevine swallowtail. Increasing native flowers could partially offset the decrease caused by farming and development.

Seed or plant natives along trails such as the Razorback Greenway in Northwest Arkansas and those being developed in other parts of the state. Again, signage could help to educate people on the value of the plants.

Encourage master naturalists or master gardeners to create projects to establish native flowers along the roadways and in other public spaces.

Encourage parks to include native plants in their landscapes. Natives are hardier and once established they survive varied weather conditions better than a lot of the

exotic plant species.

Individuals, schools or public organizations can certify their gardens as Monarch Waystations or Butterfly Gardens. This educational process results in the designation indicating that you have provided plants necessary for butterflies.

Add your ideas and actions. What can you easily do to help?

As mentioned before, I am a butterfly hobbyist. My knowledge on this topic comes from interest, curiosity, observations and conversations with likeminded people. I, along with a core group of Butterfly Nannies at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks in Fayetteville, am passionate about providing habitat for the butterfly and the other insects in Arkansas. We recognize the need for education AND we experience the excitement of watching a swallowtail caterpillar create a sling as it turns into a chrysalis or a monarch butterfly emerge and dry its wings.

Please send an email or drop a note in the mail to Rita Littrell, PO Box 50, Elm Springs, AR 72728 or ritallittrell@gmail.com to share your ideas and actions you will take.

Sources and Information: Tim Robbins, New York Times, November, 22, 2013, “The Year the Monarch Didn’t Appear” http://nyti.ms/1dnJy62 Bring Back the Monarchs Campaign – Monarch Watch - http://monarchwatch.org/ bring-back-the-monarchs/ Photo of Asclepias tuberosa – http://www. monarchwatch.org/milkweed/guide/tubero. htm.

US Forest Service on Eastern Monarch migration - http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ pollinators/monarchbutterfly/migration/

...Cont. from page 11 The dreaded disease has plagued me the rest of my life. Had it not been for that fish, I might have made something of myself.

When I got to high school, every time I could talk dad out of his ‘62 Ford Fairlane on a Saturday afternoon I headed out to the low water bridge at the “Gar Hole.” From there I could wade fish a quarter of a mile of stream. About that same time, my friend John Leflar’s dad bought a blue 17-foot square stern fiberglass canoe. It was kind of a double hull configuration and weighed roughly 150 pounds. If we worked together, three of us could lift it onto the top of John’s Volkswagen Van. We were free to roam. The War Eagle was our favorite destination. Then in college several of us bought our own canoes. Probably because of its proximity to Fayetteville, the War Eagle was where we honed our paddling skills.

After college our canoe trips in general and War Eagle trips especially became less frequent. Usually when we got away for a trip, we all gathered at one of the big name streams. In the “Conservation Esthetic,” Aldo Leopold makes the point that nature is not something that happens in exotic locations, but it goes on everywhere. He states, “The weeds in a city lot convey the same lesson as the redwoods; the farmer may see in his cow-pasture what may not be vouchsafed to the scientists adventuring in the South Seas.” War Eagle is close to home, but it is a special place.

16 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2013

JANUARY/FEBRUARY UPCOMING EVENTS 24TH ANNUAL ARKANSAS BIG BUCK CLASSIC

Friday-Sunday, January 24-26, 2014 Friday – 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM Saturday – 9:00 AM – 9: 00 PM Sunday – 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Arkansas State Fair Grounds Little Rock, Arkansas

Join us January 24-26, 2014, for the 24th annual Big Buck Classic, the largest hunting event in Arkansas. The Arkansas Big Buck Classic is one of the largest shows of its type in the southern United States. It offers more attractions, more displays, more vendors and more deer antlers in one building than can be found at any show in many states.

For more information visit: BigbuckClassic.com or Facebook.com/ArkansasBigBuckClassic/

AWF ANNUAL MEETING

Saturday, February 22, 2014 10:00 AM – 2: 00 PM Bass Pro Shop 1 Bass Pro Drive Little Rock, AR 72210

AWF’s quarterly meeting will be held in the Conservation Room @ the new Bass Pro Shop, located off Otter Creek Drive near the I-30/I-430 interchange. Items on the agenda will include AWF’s strategic planning report & summary, Wildlife of Arkansas 2014 art contest, 2014 Banquet, and more.

A working lunch will be served. Meeting open to the public.

Please R.S.V.P. so we can provide enough food and drinks.

If you have an item that you would like to have placed on the Agenda please contact the AWF office by February 08, 2014: arkwf@sbcglobal.net or 501-888-4770.

WINTER 2013 - DUCK HUNT & BANQUET Friday – Sunday, January 12-14, 2014 Black River Technical College

1410 Arkansas 304 Pocahontas, AR 72455

Due to the inclement weather, the December Duck Hunt & Banquet was rescheduled for January 12-14.

In conjunction with the Wounded Warrior Project, the Northeast Arkansas Affiliate will host, partnered with American Legion Post #6- Randolph County, Arkansas Friday: Turkey Shoot & AGFC Safety Meeting/Guide Meeting @ Black River Police Academy - Pocahontas, AR... followed by Friday evening meal & activity with local VFW groups Saturday activities: Duck Hunt Seminars ‘with the pros’ after lunch @ Hunt HQ; Track Chair Demos Saturday night: “Pearl Harbor Tribute - December 7th, 1941” program at Banquet @ 6:00PM- Black River Technical College - Pocahontas, AR; Silent & Live Auction; Music Entertainment; Celebrity Guest; Key-note Speaker Dr. Gary Buxton; Other speakers -Wounded Warrior National Staff Members; AWF Board Member; WWII Veterans For info to hunt or volunteer contact John Phillips: jlphil@ sbcglobal.net or (870)926-3619 OR the Randolph County Veterans service Office- Mike Richardson, Veteran Officer @ veterans@suddenlinkmail.com or (870)892-3143

PROJECT LEARNING TREE & PROJECT WET WORKSHOP

in cooperation with Buffalo National River and National Park Service Friday, January 24, 201 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Bull Shoals/White River State Park 153 Dam Overlook Lane Bull Shoals, Arkansas This Professional Development workshop provides you with the Project WET and Project Learning Tree Activity Guides and training to use with your classroom or educational program. It is great for K-12 teachers, interpreters, as well as other educators who work with the public.

This workshop will have a unique focus on the Buffalo Na-

tional River and National Park - its land use, management, and natural resources.

COST: FREE! Pre-registration is required. Enrollment is limited to 25. Registration Deadline is Monday, January 20, 2014 TO REGISTER: Please send an email to Rob Beadel at rbeadel@arkforests.org. Please provide the following information: Name and date of the workshop you are registering Your name Email address Phone number PLEASE bring your own lunch—we’ll have a working lunch This workshop qualifies for 6 hours of ADE-approved professional development.

If you have questions, you may contact: Rob Beadel Arkansas Project Learning Tree Arkansas Forestry Association Education Foundation rbeadel@arkforests.org Theresa M. Johnson Education Research Specialist Heartland Network National Park Service/Missouri State University TheresaJohnson@MissouriState.edu

28TH ANNUAL ARKANSAS SPORTSHOW

Friday-Sunday, February 7-9, 2014 Friday- 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM Saturday – 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM Sunday – 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Arkansas State University: Convocation Center 217 Olympic Drive Jonesboro, AR 72401

Come see over 75,000 square feet of the latest sporting products designed to captivate hunting, fishing and boating enthusiasts of all ages - boats and motors, ATV’s fishing equipment, hunting gear, special seminars, attractions, outdoor sporting goods and water sports gear. The Arkansas Sportshow attracts over 15,000 visitors each year!

For more information visit: ArSportshow.com

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December- 17

AGFC Stocking Over 200 Tagged Rainbow Trout LITTLE ROCK – Thousands of rainbow trout have been stocked around the state in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Family and Community Fishing Program locations. Among these fish are over 200 specially tagged fish that not only offer a good meal, but a prize as well.

Over 20 locations around the state will each be receiving 10 tagged trout. These include all of the locations listed on Page 13 of the 2013 Arkansas Fishing Guidebook that are marked under the trout column plus a new location at Lake Bentonville. These fluorescent pink tags have “Community Fishing” printed on one side and “1-866-5403474” on the other side. This is the stocking hotline which anyone catching a tagged fish should call for more information.

If you catch a tagged trout, call the number on the tag and follow the instructions.

Mail in the tag and the AGFC will mail you a prize. All of the lucky anglers also will be

entered into a drawing to win one of three grand prizes, courtesy of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation.

The Grand Prize is $100 worth of fishing attire, a $150 fly rod and gear, tackle box and gear, along with hand warmers and assorted accessories. Second place includes a $100 fly rod and gear, a tackle box and gear along with hand warmers and assorted accessories. The third place prize includes $75 fly rod and gear, tackle box and gear, and hand warmers and assorted accessories.

The three grand prizes will be awarded on Feb. 13, 2014 at the end of the 6 p.m. newscast during KTHV Channel 11’s Weekend Outdoor Report.

Only one entry is allowed per person. All tags must be returned to the AGFC by Feb. 12, 2014 to be eligible. For more information or to find a location near you, visit agfc. com or call the stocking hotline at 866-5403474.

Deer Hunting Heading for Another Banner Season

LITTLE ROCK – Again, it is a banner deer hunting season in Arkansas. Current statistics indicate the total should pass 200,000 for only the second time in history.

Last year, Arkansas hunters checked 213,487, well above the previous high mark.

More important, however, are the indications that (1) the state’s deer herd is healthy and thriving, and (2) the ratio of bucks to does is moving closer to ideal.

This year’s deer check total has passed 175,000. The numbers are slowing since modern gun season has closed in much of the state. But it remains open in deer-rich south Arkansas, and the three-day Holiday hunt is still to come.

Ralph Meeker is the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s assistant deer program coordinator. He said that ultimately, he and Cory Gray, deer program coordinator, aren’t overly concerned about the number of deer killed each year. They are more interested in the biological data they collect from the deer that hunters kill.

“We’re really looking to see that people are successful and having a good time, that the deer population is successful and that we can keep it that way for generations to come for people to enjoy,” Meeker said.

“We don’t get real excited about breaking records. We’re more excited that hunters are

getting out there, participating and helping us keep the deer herd healthy.”

Why the recent increases in numbers of deer taken by hunters? Three basic reasons, according to the Game and Fish Commission.

One is deer are plentiful in the state, even over-abundant in places. Wildlife biologists estimate Arkansas has a million or more deer today.

Another reason is weather has been favorable for deer hunting with just a few rainy days.

Limits and seasons are more liberal than in past years. There is a six-deer season limit although most deer zones have lower limits.

Hunters can go to multiple zones to reach that limit of six, but AGFC staff members believe a comparatively small number of outdoors people reach that limit of six.

License sales indicate the number of number of hunters in Arkansas has not increased significantly, but unlike many other states, the numbers have not dropped either.

The hunting of doe, female, deer was prohibited in Arkansas for many years. As numbers of deer improved, limited doe hunting was allowed then expanded to keep male and female ratios in balance.

This season nearly as many does have been taken by hunters as bucks. Current totals show roughly 55 percent adult and button bucks have been checked to 45 percent does.

Arkansas Wildlife Federation P.O. Box 56380, Little Rock, AR 72215 Telephone: (501) 888-4770

“Your voice for hunting, fishing and conservation since 1936”

Arkansas Out-Of-Doors Advertising Agreement Arkansas Out-Of-Doors is the official publication of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation established in 1936, a non-profit, hunting, fishing, and conservation organization dedicated to promoting the wise stewardship of our natural resources. It is a newsprint tabloid publication that is published 6 times per year for the following issues: Jan.-Feb., March-April, May-June, July-Aug., Sept.-Oct., Nov.-Dec. The publication contains information about hunting, fishing and other outdoororiented activities. It also contains articles about conservation. It is mailed near the end of the first month of each issue date to approximately 4500 AWF members and it has an estimated readership of 13,500 to 17,500 people each issue. Those who read this publication enjoy the great outdoor, and they are interested in conservation.

Circle the issue in which the ad is to run: JANUARY – FEBRUARY ISSUE, reserve space

by Jan. 1. Camera-ready art due Jan. 5. Mailing date near the end of January. MARCH – APRIL ISSUE, reserve space by March 1, Camera-ready due by

Size

Centerfold Full pg 1/2 pg Horizontal 1/2 pg Vertical 1/3 pg Horizontal 1/3 pg Vertical 1/4 pg 1/8 pg

Dimensions

21.5"x11" 10.25"x10.125" 10.25"x4.75" 5.0556"x9.5625" 10.25"x3.125" 3.375"x9.5625" 5.0621"x4.75" 5.0621"x2.3125"

March 5. Mailing date near the end of March. MAYJUNE ISSUE, reserve space by May 1. Cameraready art due by May 5. Mailing date near the end of May. JULY-AUGUST ISSUE, reserve space by July 1. Camera-ready art due by July 5. Mailing date near the end of July. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER ISSUE, reserve space by Sept. 1, Camera-ready are due by Sept. 5. Mailing date near the end of September. NOVEMBER-DECEMBER ISSUE, reserve space by Nov. 1. Camera-ready art due

by November 5. Mailing date near the end of November.

Advertising layout and space: Advertising may send a slick or a black and white copy of a previous ad, a negative for black and white ads, a color key and four-color separations for color ads, or ads may be sent on a disk on CD (PDF, JPEG or EPS) to the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. We utilize 90-line screen, right reading, emulsion down. The AWF can assist in making the ad for the client. Depending on amount of time to layout ad, there may be additional fees for this.

1-2 ads

3-5 ads (5% off)

6 ads (10%off)

-$400 $225 $225 $165 $165 $145 $35

-$380 $215 $215 $156.75 $156.75 $137.75 $33.25

-$360 $205 $205 $148.50 $148.50 $130.50 $31.50

Color Include One spot color, additional Four color, additional

$$50 $100

$47.50 $95

$45 $90

Charges for covers: Inside front, additional Inside back, additional Back cover, additional

$75 $50 $100

$71.25 $47.50 $95

$67.50 $45 $90

(all sizes listed as Width x Height)

Name of business ���������������������������������������������������������������� Mailing address ������������������������������������������������������������������ Ad confirmed by (print and signature) ������������������������������������������������� Telephone_________________________________Fax �����������������������������������

18 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2013

Blanchard Springs Caverns Fall – Winter - Spring Schedule Sept. 3, 2013 – March 31, 2014 (All rates subject to change) OPEN

COST

ACCESSIBILITY

GROUP RATE

Dripstone Trail Tour

Yes, year-round; closed Mon. and Tues., Nov. thru March

$10.50/adult, $5.50/child ages 6-15, $.50/child ages 5 and under, $5.50 with Interagency Senior/ Access Pass (good for cardholder only)

Wheelchairs need two Yes, for at least 15 people ages 6 and strong assistants up, with reservations made at least a day in advance (call the Caverns, 870757-2211)

Discovery in the Dark Headlamp Tour (full Discovery Trail closed)

Yes, on Saturdays only at 12:45

$10.50/adult, $5.50/child ages 6-15, $.50/child ages 5 and under, $5.50 with Interagency Senior/ Access Pass (good for cardholder only)

No, has nearly 200 stairsteps

No, although reservations may be made at least a day in advance (go to www.recreation.gov)

Wild Cave Tour

Yes, year-round; by reservation only; closed Mon. and Tues., Nov. thru March

$75.50/person; must be at least ten years old; 10-12 year olds must tour with responsible adult

No, very strenuous climbing crawling, sliding tour

No; reservations may be made at least a day in advance (go to www.recreation.gov)

Visitor Information Center, Movie, Exhibit Hall

Yes, year-round; closed Mon. and Tues., Nov. thru March

Free

Yes

n/a

Camp-ground

Yes

Blanchard, $10 per night; Gunner Pool, $7.00 per night

Yes

Large and small group campsites at Blanchard, available by reservation; call 870-269-3228

Hiking Trails

Yes

n/a

One Accessible Trail at Visitor Info Center

n/a

Syllamo Mountain Biking Trail

Yes

Parking fee

No

n/a

Picnic grounds, swim areas

Yes

Day use fee unless holding a Caverns tour receipt dated that day

Picnic grounds yes; swim area no

Large and small picnic pavilions available by reservation; call 870-269-3228

US Forest Service, 1001 East Main Street, Mountain View, AR 72560 Phone: 870-757-2211 Caverns Tour Reservations: www.recreation.gov or call 1-887-444-6777 On the Web: http://www.fs.usda.gov/osfnf/

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December- 19

Magic Mix a Staple for Arkansas Backyard Bird Feeders

LITTLE ROCK – With winter on hand, a sizeable percentage of Arkansans are feeding birds in their yards, on decks and other handy places. Magic Mix is heavily in use.

What is Magic Mix? How do you make it? Where do you buy it?

Magic Mix is something like chili. There is no exact formula or recipe. Opinions vary widely, and the bottom line is whatever works for you is “right.”

Most Magic Mix has lard, peanut butter and corn meal as ingredients. Other ingredients can and often are added. Magic Mix is a name that came from some bird enthusiast years ago, and capitalizing it just seems logical, although it’s not a brand name by any means.

Lard, peanut butter and corn meal. Simple enough. Use lard and don’t use vegetable shortening. The latter doesn’t furnish nutritional needs for birds. Lard is available at any grocery or supermarket in plastic buckets of various sizes and is relatively inexpensive.

Peanut butter can be smooth or crunchy. Cheaper house brands work as well as the familiar brand names, and the birds won’t care.

Corn meal can be white or yellow or what is on sale or even what may have been around so long it’s got weevils in it.

Again, the birds won’t care.

One veteran household Magic Mix specialist uses no written or exact proportions but says it generally is about three parts lard, one part peanut butter and enough corn meal to make it bind together well. She adds a little flour to help with the consistency, and this is one of those individual additions to Magic Mix we’ll touch on later.

She puts the lard and the peanut butter in a large plastic mixing bowl then microwaves it for a while to partially melt these two ingredients. This makes it easily to blend. The corn meal is gradually added in the blending until it reaches the desired consistency of being formed into sticky balls.

Some Arkansas Magic Mix users add uncooked oatmeal to the blend. One says a small amount of sugar is added to her Magic Mix. Several Arkansans use raisins or dried cranberries. Chopped shelled nuts can be added – peanuts, pecans, walnuts or others – and these can be old and too stale for family cooking. Again, the birds won’t care.

Still another Magic Mix user sprinkles black oil sunflower seed into the blend.

And a couple of Arkansas Magic Mix users add dry cereal like corn flakes. One says to crush the cereal; the other doesn’t crush it. Stale cereal will work here, also. Leftover toast, biscuits or cornbread can be crushed or crumbled and added to the Magic Mix blend.

Magic Mix keeps well for several days, either at room temperature or in a refrigerator. To use Magic Mix, just put out a wad anywhere you choose.

A magic mix feeder is as simple as the mix itself. Get a narrow log and drill some holes in it. The holes don’t have to go through the log, they just have to be deep enough that they can be packed with magic mix. Then you can hang it from a tree or on your house. If you don’t have a drill, you can simply smear gobs of magic mix on the hanging log.

“Wildlife of Arkansas” 2014 Student Art Contest presented by

AR Wildlife Federation and Creative Ideas This exciting visual art contest offers K-12 students in the State of Arkansas the chance to display their creativity. As stated in the title we are continuing with the theme “Wildlife of Arkansas.” The beauty of the wildlife in our state will provide inspiration as the children of Arkansas explore their artistic abilities. The term Wildlife in not limited to animals, but can also include wildflowers, landscapes, lakes, etc. This year we are excited to announce the exhibit will travel throughout the state. Exhibit travel schedule TBA. Guidelines for Art (painting, drawing or collage) • This category is offered to K – 12th grade students.

• One entry per student accepted.

• Artwork must be student’s original work completed in the 2013-2014 school year.

• Entry must be on canvas, wood, paper or poster board.

• Medium can be oil, acrylic, charcoal, pastel, watercolor, graphite, ink, mixed media.

• Dimensions no larger than 30”x 40”.

• Artwork done on paper or poster must be affixed to a foam board backing.

• Students must fill out the attached form and tape it to the back of their entry.

• There are no exceptions to the rules.

Judging Submitted artwork is judged on creativity, skill and interpretation of the theme. A panel of professional artists will

choose the winners. There will be a 1st, 2nd, 3rd place and Honorable Mention for each grade. The winning pieces exhibit will begin at the Witt Stephens, Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center (602 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72201-1732) and travel throughout the state. Exhibit travel schedule TBA. Awards are as follows: 1st Place Winner - $100.00, award and certificate 2nd Place Winner - $ 50.00 and certificate 3rd Place Winner - $ 25.00 and certificate Honorable Mention - $ 15.00 and certificate Event Disclaimer • Judges decisions are final.

• Creative Ideas and Arkansas Wildlife Federation reserve the right to reproduce the • artwork for promotional purposes (e.g. Arkansas Wildlife Calendar). Students receive full • credit for any artwork reproduced.

• Not responsible for lost or damaged art.

Deadline and Criteria for Submission of Art Teachers are to collect the art, provide a list that includes their school name, students’ names and the titles of their artwork.

1. Submission deadline is March 14, 2014.

2. Shipped art must be post marked by March 14, 2014.

3. Request an Official Entry Form: Contact Sharon Hacker 501-837-0462 or skhacker@sbcglobal.net

AR Wildlife Federation and Creative Ideas Student Artwork Contest Form

“Wildlife of Arkansas”

* Please Print

Name_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ School___________________________________________________________________________ Grade____________________ Teacher ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Teacher’s Email ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Title of Artwork__________________________________________________________ Medium__________________________________ Note* Please tape this form to the back of the artwork. Do not forget to sign your artwork. Entries are due by March 14, 2014.

20 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2013

AWF ANNUAL CONSERVATION ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS NOMINATIONS For more than 50 years the Arkansas Wildlife Federation has honored Arkansas’ greatest conservationists and most passionate wildlife advocates at its annual Conservation Achievement Awards program. These Conservation Awards are presented to individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to protecting wildlife through education, advocacy, communication and on-the-ground conservation.

The categories listed below are open for nomination by the general public. Please note that AWF, along with AGFC, presents some awards at the annual banquet that are not open to public nominations. Not all categories may be awarded each year.

HAROLD ALEXANDER CONSERVATION of the YEAR AWARD The highest conservation achievement award presented by the Arkansas Wildlife Federation is given in memory of Harold Alexander - one of the foremost authorities and experts in Arkansas on conservation activities. Requirements for nominees to be considered: • A conservationist, professional or volunteer, whose contribution to an environmental field has been sustained over a period of several years • A person whose contribution to conservation is of such significance as to be known statewide, or nationally • A conservationist whose contributions are not necessarily related to a single issue or effort, but who has, over a period of time become known as a person whose activities and influence bring about positive changes in matters affecting the environment • A conservationist who, by this recognition, would serve to create a broader interest in conservation and by example, encourage others to outstanding accomplishments on behalf of our state’s natural resources REX HANCOCK WILDLIFE CONSERVATIONIST of the YEAR AWARD Rex Hancock was one of Arkansas’s premier wildlife conservationists who worked tirelessly on behalf of wildlife and wildlife habitats in the White River and Grand Prairie region of Eastern Arkansas. The Arkansas Wildlife Federation has named this special award in memory of Dr. Rex Hancock for his outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation in Arkansas. This award is for outstanding contributions to the management, enhancement and restoration of wildlife resources in Arkansas.

Dr. JOHN L. GRAY FORESTRY CONSERVATIONIST of the YEAR AWARD In June 2007, Arkansas lost a giant in the forestry field with the death of Dr. John L. Gray.

Dr. Gray served on the Arkansas Wildlife Federation Board of Directors for many years and chaired the Forestry Committee. At the July 2007 AWF Board meeting, the Forestry of the Year Award was renamed in memory of Dr. Gray. This award is for demonstrating outstanding leadership in the management of our state’s forest resources. Fish and wildlife management and best management practices must be a major component.

CAROL GRIFFEE CONSERVATION COMMUNICATOR of the YEAR AWARD Any environmental conservation organization understands the importance of publicity and media support to educate the general public about important issues regarding the environment. This award was renamed in 2011 in honor of Carol Griffee for all of her remarkable work as a journalist and conservationist. The Arkansas Wildlife Federation selects annually an individual or organization that has provided outstanding media news articles or programs that keep the general public informed of environmental issues and needs that impact The Natural State. This may include radio, TV, social media/internet, or print – including cartoonists.

CORPORATE CONSERVATIONIST of the YEAR AWARD This is awarded for significant efforts by an Arkansas business or corporation toward environmental restoration/habitat stewardship, including providing lands for wildlife conservation and public recreation; conservation education/awareness; wildlife and fisheries management or other natural resource programs; or pollution abatement. Efforts must be voluntary, involve employees and go above and beyond compliance with mandatory programs.

For significant achievement by a business in (This category is to honor a company, not an individual person.)

CONSERVATIONIST ORGANIZATION of the YEAR AWARD This award is for outstanding conservation achievement by a state or local organization, including but not limited to civic organizations, environmental groups, sportsmen’s clubs, garden clubs, etc., in addressing significant natural resource management and environmental quality challenges. Arkansas Wildlife Federation affiliates and nonaffiliates are both eligible.

CONSERVATION EDUCATOR of the YEAR AWARD This award is for outstanding performance in conservation education by a professional or volunteer. Those eligible in this category include individual teachers of the natural sciences; schools with a class or focus dedicated to science, nature or conservation; instructors on fish and wildlife management or environmental design and management; facilities/museums with a focus on various aspects of environmental education. Emphasis should be on teaching and working with students or the public rather than on research or administration. Instructors of boating or hunter safety are not eligible for this award as they are recognized by the AGFC at this event.

WATER CONSERVATIONIST of the YEAR AWARD This award is for outstanding contributions to the management, enhancement and restoration of fisheries resources; or for outstanding efforts toward improvement of water quality or conservation in Arkansas.

STUDENT CONSERVATIONIST of the YEAR AWARD This award is for a young Arkansan who has demonstrated a personal commitment to conserving the state’s resources and protecting the environment and by demonstrating leadership and accomplishment in conservation. The nominee must have been enrolled in a school (including university or college, or home-school), as recognized by the state of Arkansas within the nomination time period. Youth groups qualify.

AWF AWARDS PROGRAM RULES AND PROCEDURES 1) Winners may not be named in every category. Recognition will be based primarily on accomplishments from July 2013 – June 2014. Prior records may be considered, but this will be left up to the judges. Immediate past winners are not eligible to succeed themselves in the same category of accomplishment for which they were recognized the previous year.

2) Nominations may be hand-delivered, sent by USPS mail or other delivery service, or via e-mail to the Ar-

and worthy of recognition. The essay is required and should not exceed 3 single-spaced typed pages. Information such as past recognition, organization memberships, etc. may be appended to the essay. Documentation of accomplishments such as newspaper clippings, letters of support, photos, etc. should be included as a supplement to the essay. If a nomination is submitted for more than one category, a separate nomination form and complete essay must be submitted for each category entered. Non-electronically submitted essays and supporting documentation can be delivered as a

kansas Wildlife Federation at the address on the nomination form or to arkwf@sbcglobal.net. They must be postmarked on or before midnight June 15, 2014 or received electronically by 11:59 PM CST on June 15, 2014. Any nominations not meeting the deadline will not be considered.

3) Attach the Nomination Form to the nominee's essay of achievements. The essay should be a narrative description of the nominee's accomplishments, including an explanation of their significance or impact and why the nominee's accomplishments are important

paper hard copy or in a digital format (i.e. flash drive or CD-Rom). Please provide a contact name, number and/or e-mail for nominee so that we may notify them if they are selected.

4) Nominations that do not meet all standards and criteria will be held until sender can be notified to obtain the information required. Please be certain to include your contact information if we have further questions. Program judges may declare any nomination ineligible if proper documentation and supportive materials are not included. The decision of the judging committees will be final.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December- 21

AWF ANNUAL CONSERVATION ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS NOMINATION FORM: NAME OF NOMINEE: ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

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NOMINEE'S ADDRESS: �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

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PHONE:__________________________________________________________ EMAIL: �����������������������������������������������������������������

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ADDRESS: ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

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PHONE:__________________________________________________________ EMAIL: �����������������������������������������������������������������

All nominations must be mailed to AWF by June 15, 2014 to be considered. AWF, P.O. Box 56380, Little Rock, AR. 72215, 501-888-4770

MEMORIAL GIFTS & HONORARIUM Remember Loved Ones "Forever"

You can remember a loved one with a memorial gift or honorarium to the Arkansas Wildlife Federation.

MEMORIAL GIFTS: If you would like to remember someone who loved wildlife, and the great outdoors of Arkansas, you can make a gift in that person’s name. What a beautiful tribute to their memory. Your memorial gift will continue the work of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and keep a loved one’s spirit alive through wildlife conservation.

HONORARIUM GIFT: Are you puzzled what to give friends or family members who “have everything?” Will an ordinary gift just not be enough? Then, consider making a donation to the Arkansas Wildlife Federation in their honor and acknowledge their special day, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or whatever they are celebrating.

Your gift is a special recognition to this individual or family in support of wildlife conservation programs. Gifts of $ 100 or more will receive wildlife print. All donations will receive a tax deductible receipt.

Make a Difference “Forever Memorials or Honorariums” Right Now by Completing this Information Below: Name of honoree_____________________________________________________________ Name of donor______________________________________________________________ Address____________________________________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________________________ City_________________________________State_____________ Zip Code______________ City________________________________ State_____________ Zip Code______________ Visa_________ Master Card____________ Credit Card #_____________________________________________________________ Expiration Date______________________________ Memorial______ Honorarium_____________ Amount of Gift $______________________ *The Arkansas Wildlife Federation can accept checks, and Master Charge or VISA Credit Cards *

Designation of Gift____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ We now accept MC/Visa/AMEX/Discover

Thank you for supporting wildlife conservation! Send to: Arkansas Wildlife Federation, P.O. Box 56380, Little Rock, AR 72215; or call 501-888-4770

22 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2013

November/December 2013 POSTMASTER: Send form 3579 to: P.O. Box 56380, Little Rock, AR 72215

ISSN0884-9145

Arkansas Wildlife Federation Officers and Board of Directors September 1st, 2013 to August 31st, 2014

Arkansas Out-of-Doors

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS WILDLIFE FEDERATION Arkansas Out-of-Doors is published 6 times per year by Arkansas Wildlife Federation, P.O. Box 56380, Little Rock, AR 72215. Third Class postage paid at Russellville, AR and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to Arkansas Outof-Doors, P.O. Box 56830, Little Rock, AR 72215, or call 501-888-4770.

This is the official publication of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. Printed matter includes hunting and fishing news, sporting information, articles on pertinent legislation, with special emphasis on environment and pollution problems. All Arkansas Wildlife Federation members are entitled to receive one copy of each issue of AOOD for one year.

Permission is granted to reprint any news article or item printed in Arkansas Out-Of-Doors with credit, please.

Executive Director �������������������������������������������� Ethan Nahté Editor in Chief ����������������������������������������� Wayne Shewmake Layout/Design ������������������������������������������Chris Zimmerman ZimCreative Views and opinions, unless specifically stated, do not necessarily represent the positions of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation.

Deadline Information: Unless other arrangements are made with the editor, copy for club news, features, columns and advertising must be in the Arkansas Wildlife Federation office by the close of business (noon) on the 20th of the month preceding publication. Thank you for your cooperation.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President: Wayne Shewmake, Dardanelle 1st Vice President: Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff 2nd Vice President: Odies Wilson, III, Little Rock Treasurer: Gary W. Bush, Marion Secretary: Clay Spike, Benton Executive Director: Ethan Nahté BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT LARGE Jim Wood, Dardanelle Dr. Charles Logan, Little Rock Bobby Hacker, Little Rock Mike Armstrong, Little Rock Lucien Gillham, Sherwood Jerry Crowe, Dardanelle Jared Schluterman, Russellville Lauren Ray, Springdale Wayne Shewmake, Dardanelle Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff Odies Wilson, III, Little Rock Clay Spikes, Benton Gary Bush, Marion REGIONAL DIRECTORS Director of Region 1 (Northeast Region): Pattie Duchene, Augusta Director of Region 1 Alternate (Northeast Region): Linda Cooper, Augusta Director of Region 2 (Southeast Region): Chrystola Tullos, Rison Director of Region 3 (Central Region): Lola Perritt, Mabelvale Director of Region 4 (Southwest Region): Vacant Director of Region 5 (Northwest Region): Mary Lou Lane, Dardanelle NWF Region: David Carruth, Clarendon NWF Special Projects: Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff NWF Regional Representative: Geralyn Hoey, Austin, TX PRESIDENT EMERITUS AND FIRST LADY EMERITUS: Bob and Rae Apple, Dardanelle

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION DELEGATES: Delegate - Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff Alt. Delegate - Jared Schluterman, Russellville

Westark Wildlife G. David Matlock, Fort Smith

ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT Ralph Oldegard, Mt. Home Larry Hedrick, Hot Springs Charles McLemore Jr., Bryant

Wounded Warrior Project - NE Arkansas Mike Richardson, Pocahontas, AR

AFFILIATE CLUBS: ATU Fisheries & Wildlife Society Jared Schluterman, President Russellville, AR Arkansas Chapter of American Fisheries Arkansas Trappers Association Gary Helms, President Texarkana, AR Cane Creek Hometowner’s Assoc.

Jessica Thompson, Sec./Treasurer – Scranton, AR Creative Ideas President: Sharon Hacker - Little Rock, AR Friends of Pontoon Park Friends of Bigelow Park Friends of Delaware Park Greene County Wildlife Club Rick Woolridge, President Paragould Little River Bottoms Chapter, Arkansas Wildlife Federation Vickers Fuqua, President Mike Young, Secretary & Treasurer Mt. Magazine Ranger District University of the Ozarks - Clarksville Jamie L. Hedges, Director of Outdoor & Evironmental Experiences

White River Conservancy Gayne Preller Schmidt, Augusta

Yell County Wildlife Federation James Manatt, President – Dardanelle Yell County Youth Conservation Club Randy Cole, Dardanelle, AR Arkansas Wildlife Federation Staff Executive Director - Ethan Nahté Editor in Chief - Wayne Shewmake Contributing Writers – Wayne Shewmake, Dr. Robert Morgan, Johnny, Sain, Jr., Ethan Nahté, Al Wolff, AGFC, Ellie Mae, Waymon Cox, Randy Zellers, Dr. Rita Littrell, Ryan Stockwell, Josh Saks, Gail Murdoch, Daniel Greenfield & Jerry W. Davis Contributing Photographers – Dr. Robert Morgan, Mike Wintroath, Ethan Nahté, Wayne Shewmake, Jack Bardwell, Yvonne Duvall, Heidi Stambuck Arkansas Wildlife Federation Address: P.O. Box 56380 Little Rock, Arkansas 72215 Office: 501-888-4770 // Cell: 501414-2845

Read back issues free at Issuu.com/AOOD

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2013 - 23

Little Free Libraries

by Environmental Ellie May

I have to admit, when it comes to snow and wintry weather, I am still like a big kid. My days as a kid or even enjoying snow days with my kids are well over, however it doesn’t stop me from loving it any less...until the Wifi goes out, followed by power, and eventually cell phones, laptops and Kindles charge no more. Then, I get a little less enthusiastic about building snowmen and posting cheesy pictures on Facebook of the cat and the fireplace. Well, you get the picture... winters in Arkansas are fun, yet not so fun.

It’s at times like these that make you ever so glad that we have nuclear power.

And, boy, do I ever respect my Nana. She was way more woman than a woman ought to be. If you’ve ever seen pictures of your previous generations standing in the cotton fields, then you know what I’m talking about. Those ARE men’s boots, Nana!

But, it also makes me glad when the power goes out that I still have some actual real life books on the shelf, and have not yet become totally reliant on my reading tablet. It also causes me to take pause and wonder when on Earth did I become such a clutterbug. I still have those books from my days at the university.

Our recent bout of bad weather also had me wondering about sharing some of those books. I would love to share them via Little Free Library. I have acquired information via littlefreelibrary.org, and this will make a great spring project. The rules are simple; take a book, leave a book behind. And, it’s such a fun way to share books that would otherwise get no people time.

It is on this site that you can either buy or learn how to build your own Little Free Library and officially register it to add your library to the world map. I have decided I would like one for my birthday. I am not sure who to ask, but certainly that would be a wonderful gift to ask for. These are such a wonderful way to share with neighbors, read notes about other’s thoughts on a certain book, or maybe even develop a neighborhood reading club!

There are two types of libraries - indoor and outdoor. The outdoor does need to be waterproof of course. As for squirrel-proof-

ing one, I don’t think that is possible, but that would make for some interesting video. There is a large variety of styles and building designs, but most libraries are generally 20” wide by 15” deep by 18” high and on a sturdy post or secure foundation. You can also find more details on Pinterest, Facebook and Flickr, as well as all kinds of interesting photos of free little libraries.

You may notice that while some designs resemble houses, or even log cabins, others may look like a birdhouse, school bus or something totally unique. In addition to being able to buy one of the many neat designs from the official website, this is also an opportunity for architects, designers and craftsmen (and women) to create their own. Some of the libraries you’ll see on the site, including some of the 22 located in Arkansas, are made from upcycled and recycled materials – a great way to conserve!

Ron and Bertie Wells in the Mt. Judea region built their library out of cedar trees from their own property. They had cut some trees for a memorial bench Ron built for his father who had passed in 2012. Bertie had asked for a Little Free Library for Christmas (Hey, maybe I can ask Ron!) and she got her wish instead of coal from his forge. She must’ve been a good girl in 2012.

Others have used items such as cabinets pulled after a home remodel; spare pieces of wood, gadgets, knobs and devices; and finishing off those small amounts of paint or lacquer left over after a big project whose cans are just collecting dust or taking up space while the stuff is about to turn into colorful crazy glue.

And just think, the books in your library might be more than just fiction. It could be DIY books for others on how to build and craft, or nature and environmental books. The Little Free Library can open an entire universe to your neighborhood. Not to mention giving you and the family a chance to take a walk or bike ride to go pick up a book or two while dropping off some of those

collecting dust which you’ve read dozens of times…okay, maybe once for some of you.

Some basic questions you might ask are, what if someone steals them? Technically, it is impossible to steal something that is free. However, if you do run low on books, you can always post a request for a book drive for additional donations. Another concern, what if someone leaves offensive books? While pulling explicit materials or sales and political materials would be something a steward would certainly take care of, Little Free Library does not promote censoring the books in the library.

Instead, let the library be something everyone gets some enjoyment from and let it brighten their day. If you place a free library in your area, please share it with us at arkwf@sbcglobal.net after you officially share it with the Little Free Library site so they can place your library on the map. We would love to see your library!