Arkansas Out-of-Doors May/June 2012

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012 - 1

MAY/JUNE 2012

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

VOL 40

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

NO 3

"Alligator"

by Peyton Cate – Best of Show, 2012 Wildlife of Arkansas Student Art Contest

2 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012

"I didn’t care I just wanted to wet a hook and catch some fish. Funny thing was Lewis didn’t even like to eat fish, but he would help me clean them and Mary Lee would cook them for us."

President’s Letter July 1, 2012 My best fishing buddies!

I have lost my two best friends and my best fishing buddies; age is catching up with me.

My past father-in-law, Lewis, and mother-inlaw, Mary Lee, were my best friends and my best fishing buddies for over 30 years. They got me started in wade fishing - put on my old clothes, old shoes and grab my rod & reel, stringer, and a small snap on tackle box with our best lures in it and decide on where we are going to go cast our lines.

You see, I grew up in Polk County, Mena, Arkansas, which has some of the best clear water fishing in the state. Polk County is a rural area located in the Ouachita National Forest. Lewis and Mary Lee grew up in the area and knew the streams very well. Lewis and I would go over all of our options and then just couldn’t always decide which river to go fishing in. I didn’t care, I just wanted to wet a hook and catch some fish. Funny thing was Lewis didn’t even like to eat fish, but he would help me clean them and Mary Lee

would cook them for us. I really like fresh, clear-water fish, they are the best tasting. I could eat more fish than the average person, and I still like fresh fish.

Back to the deciding where to go, Mary Lee would get up early and fix lunch so we wouldn’t be in a hurry to get home.

We had to drive a good ways on dirt roads to get to where we wanted to fish. After a lot of going over our possibilities for where to go, Lewis would finally make up his mind and we packed up the car and headed out. Seven of Arkansas’s major rivers start in Polk County and are ideal

for wade fishing - shallow, clear and very rocky. If you haven’t ever wade fished you are missing the best time of your life.

These rivers have a lot of large bream, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and some crappie. One of our favorite rivers was the Cossatot, which has a lot of rocks and swift waters, but clear and clean.

Mary Lee and my wife would take our two small children on down the road to another crossing and let the kids play in the water and get the fire started for when Lewis and I would catch up with them by fishing our way downstream. Lewis and I

would clean the fish and we would cook them on site. If you have never eaten fresh caught fish on the river bank you are missing a great thing.

These were some of the best times of my life and most enjoyable times for my family and me. I miss Lewis and Mary Lee they were always fun to be with and we created a lot of good memories together. So I would like to dedicate this to Lewis and Mary Lee Faulkner from Mena, Arkansas.

Thanks for your support

Wayne Shewmake - AWF President

Arkansas Wildlife Federation Mission Statement

To promote conservation, responsible management and sustainable use of Arkansas’ fish, wildlife, habitat, natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities through education and advocacy.

President - Wayne Shewmake 1st VP - Ellen McNulty 2nd VP - Jerry Crowe Treasurer - Gary Bush Secretary - Lucien Gillham

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Arkansas Wildlife Federation 9108 Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 101 Little Rock, AR 72205

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012- 3

AWF Banquet Approaches

By Ethan Nahté

It’s quickly approaching that time of year when AWF holds its Governor’s Annual Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet. This year the banquet will be emceed by Steve “Wildman” Wilson as AWF holds the event once again at The Center of Bryant on Saturday, August 25th.

Unlike last year, which was filled with an all-day event, booths featuring vendors and sponsors will be set up and available for viewing what they have to offer when the doors open at 5:30 pm. This will also be when attendees can begin bidding on silent auction items. Last year’s event had easily more than 100 items ranging from arts and crafts, outdoor gear and congo drums.

The dinner will begin at 6:00 pm, once again featuring fried quail, roasted Cornish hen, probably a variety of wild game, and plenty of veggies and breads. Last year’s event catered to approximately 500 people. This year AWF actually expects closer to 700 to be in attendance.

Of course the event is all about honoring those individuals, companies and organizations that have gone the extra mile for conservation in Arkansas. The awards ceremony will commence after dinner, with a special presentation going to USFS wildlife biologist Dwayne

Rambo for a Connie Award for “Special Achievement.”

Rambo, who works in the Ozark-St. Francis district and is based out of Hector, is being given this award from the National Wildlife Federation in recognition of the work he has done, especially on the Bearcat Hollow Cooperative Project.

The live auction will once again feature a Youth Elk Hunt Permit donated by Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

AGFC has also donated a Bear Den Certificate for two. This will allow the winner and one other person to accompany AGFC when they go to a bear den to study the black bears.

Generally they tranquilize the mother and do measurements and other scientific tests on her and the cubs. If you are familiar with Wildman’s TV program you have probably seen a shot of him and/or winners holding the cubs.

Two other items that will be in the live auction include an African Safari for two, provided by Van Wijk Safaris, and an Argentinian Dove Hunt for four people, provided

by Sporting Adventures International. If you are looking for a trip out of the United States, one of these packages just might be the thing for you. We will be set up to take Mastercard, Visa, American Express or Discover, as well as in-state checks or cash for any items won in the silent or live auctions.

Forest Service Announces Decision on Collaborative Restoration Project RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. -- Forest managers have announced a decision on the Bearcat Hollow Phase II project, which encompasses approximately 38,000 acres of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests in Pope, Newton and Searcy Counties, AR. The project was designed to promote forest health, restore certain areas of the forest suffering from oak decline, and improve wildlife habitat. An initial public scoping letter was mailed to interested members of the public and partner agencies in mid-2011 describing the actions proposed in the area.

As a result of public input from scoping, additional alternatives were developed and presented for public comment in December 2011. A final Decision Notice and finding of no significant impact was issued in June 2012.

According to Jim Dixon, Integrated Resources Team Leader on the Big Piney Ranger District, there are no “one size fits all” solutions for the unique area. “We have many tools to choose from,” he said. “This isn’t like painting a wall with a broad brush... it’s more like a stained glass window, where each piece is unique and requires special attention.”

The Proposed Action selected by forest managers includes harvesting timber to increase herbaceous vegetation for wildlife,

and to improve overall heath and diversify the ages of trees in some of the project area; prescribed burning in conjunction with restoration thinning to increase wildlife and herbaceous species numbers, richness, and diversity; treatment of invasive non-native species which compete against native wildlife food sources by applying and monitoring the effects of herbicide in selected areas; creation of wildlife openings and water sources; restoration of native cane and glade areas; and construction, reconstruction andclosure of some existing roads.

All actions outlined in the Proposed Action will adhere to Arkansas Best Management Practices (BMPs) and standards and guidelines of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests Resource and Land Management Plan (FLRMP). Impacts resulting from management actions, such as sedimentation or smoke, will be temporary and within state and forest parameters. Bearcat Hollow Phase II is part of the larger, landscape scale Arkansas/Missouri Pine-Oak Woodland Restoration Partnership and will connect areas being restored on public lands managed by the two states and federal agencies. A number of other state agencies and nongovernmental organizations are partners in restoring the unique area. Located adjacent to private lands and the Gene Rush Wildlife

The banquet is first come-first served. Tickets can be bought at the door the evening of the event, or you can purchase tickets from most AWF board members, or by ordering via the mail, phone or e-mail. Tickets are $25 for a single ticket or $40 for a couple. Orders placed after August 10th will be held at will-call at the door.

There is also time to donate items to the silent auction or to sponsor the banquet. For more details, please contact the office or a board member. You can see who the active board members are and who lives in your district by visiting www.arkansaswildlifefederation.org/about-awf/staff-board

Governor's Annual Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet Date: Place:

Time:

Management Area (WMA), the project is important for restoring and maintaining habitat for wildlife species including deer, turkey, elk, and many other game and nongame species.

Dixon said research has indicated that restoration projects such as this one can increase the number of existing species from 7-10 per acre to 75+ per acre. That number is consistent with monitoring conducted in other Big Piney Ranger District restoration areas. Species across the broad spectrum are expected to increase including vegetative and herbaceous species, amphibians, insects, reptiles, songbirds, and other game and nongame species.

Public involvement was instrumental in shaping the final decision. Two issues studied in detail as a result of public feedback during the official comment period were herbicide use and the creation of wildlife openings.

According to Dixon, herbicide will only be used at minimal levels, but are an accentual part of the management plan to reach both the restoration and desired future condition goals for this project.

“We will closely monitor the effects of herbicide application and water quality in the areas we treat,” he said. “In areas where nonnative invasive species are present, we know from experience that manual treatments and

August 25, 2012 The Center of Bryant Bishop Park 6401 Boone Road Bryant, AR Doors Open @ 5:30 pm Dinner @ 6:00 pm

prescribed burning won’t work to control these prolific species. If left unchecked they will continue to spread throughout restoration areas and the project in general.”

Additionally, wildlife openings greater than 20 acres will incorporate strips of trees across them to break them up visually where practical.

Other actions withheld or modified by the Decision Notice that differ from the initial actions proposed in mid-2011 and the Proposed Action presented in late 2011 include deferring construction of 41 miles of horse trails and two day-use parking areas until a later time, and limiting the acres that can be prescribed burned between April 15th and June 15th to no more than 25% (3,448 acres) of the total acres to be prescribed burned (13,792) over any 5 year period.

An analysis of the road system throughout the project area revealed the need for construction, reconstruction and maintenance on some roadways, decommissioning of 6 miles of road and closure of 20 miles due to continuing erosion, safety concerns and unnecessary wildlife disturbance.

The Bearcat Hollow Phase II project is now subject to appeal by people who provided substantive comments during the official 30 day comment period. For more information on this decision, log on to http://www. fs.usda.gov/detail/osfnf/landmanagement/ planning/?cid=stelprdb5212180. To find out if you are eligible to file an appeal, contact the Big Piney Ranger District at (870) 4465122 or email at mmulford@fs.fed.us.

4 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012

Student Success Stories Idun Guenther

When I first started graduate school, my professors asked me, “Are you back for more punishment?” I laughed and replied, “I suppose I am.” I had completed my undergraduate degree in Biology four years prior to my return to Arkansas Tech University (ATU). I had spent those years in-between school playing in the woods, savannas, and fields with a plethora of different animal species in a few different states.

I may not have chosen a traditional route for higher education but I wanted to gain more experience in the field and explore different options to narrow down my interests. Would I study mammals, birds, fish, plants, trees, snakes, amphibians and so forth? Honestly, after I received my bachelor’s degree, I had

no idea what my long-term career goals were or what I wanted to study in graduate school.

The time I spent working technician jobs helped me gain more hands-on experience with wildlife, build up my resume, and focus in on my passion (non-game species).

After I finally decided what my specific wildlife interests were, I came up with a research project and completed my master’s degree at ATU in Fisheries and Wildlife Science last December. Two weeks after graduation, I hadn’t heard back from any of the wildlife positions for which I had applied.

However, the long-awaited phone call came only one month after I finished school.

I am now working as a wildlife biologist for West Virginia University Research

Corporation. I moved to a quaint little town in the eastern part of WV. The mountains, streams, and outdoor activities have pulled me in and I have enjoyed nearly every moment that I’ve been here.

I work for two agencies here, which can get a little confusing when I try to explain it to someone, but here it goes. My job duties are divided between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Division of Natural Resources (DNR).

NRCS has several conservation programs (e.g. Conservation Stewardship Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program, etc.) that assist landowners with conservation practices that provide environmental, financial, and technical benefits.

The DNR makes recommendations for management and sustainability of the natural resources in the state, such as hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-related regulations. Several wildlife monitoring programs, censuses, and research projects are conducted by this agency, as well. One of the projects that I will be participating in is the Breeding Bird Atlas II. I am currently working on a project called Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) to restore and create habitat for the Goldenwinged Warbler (GWWA) in West Virginia.

This bird is a Neotropical migrant that is declining in numbers due to loss of early successional habitat and hybridization with the Blue-winged Warbler. The program is replacing WHIP for 2012 and will provide

financial incentives to landowners who want to enhance part(s) of their property for GWWAs and are eligible for the program.

I look forward to more projects like these and I enjoy working with the landowners here. It is encouraging to see so many private landowners that are aware of current environmental issues and conservation needs in their area. Their enthusiasm to participate in programs such as WLFW makes me feel like a difference can truly be made. My experiences so far as a wildlife biologist have been great; I get to do so many different things. There’s never a dull moment for sure and I don’t think there is anything I’d rather have chosen as my career.

[Editor’s Note: If you would like to find out more about the GWWA or the Breeding Bird Atlas programs that Idun is working on feel free to contact her.)

Idun Guenther Wildlife Biologist – WVURC USDA/NRCS Field Office RR 2 Box 51-B Buckeye, WV 24924 304-799-4317 idun.guenther@wv.usda.gov If you are a student or recent graduate, regardless of grade, and have been successful with a project related to conservation, the environment, or wildlife, send us your story and an image.

Your Local Healthy Living, Healthy Planet Magazine www.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012- 5

Trail Tales Life Beyond the A/C

by Johnny Sain, Jr.

It is hot. And as I write this it’s only May. Thankfully, it looks like a cool front will be moving through with the promise of lower temperatures and rain later this week. That might be enough to get me outside. Admittedly, I don’t want to get far from the A/C in the hottest parts of day during an Arkansas summer. It wasn’t always like this. My family didn’t even have air-conditioning until my fifteenth summer.

Dad was a big believer in the attic fan. Every window was open and there was a constant breeze in the house. Sure, the breeze often felt as though it were blowing from a place across the River Styx, nevertheless, it helped to evaporate the sweat from our bodies. I don’t remember much complaining either. It sure beat the box fans.

I spent many summer days blissfully unaware of the dangers that summer heat posed. I fished, rode my bike, and played baseball, sometimes enduring triple digit temperatures with nary a problem. Of course common sense was the rule back then. If you got too hot you sat in the shade for a while.

Feeling a little parched? Take a swig of water from the back faucet. If you must walk or ride somewhere a long ways off, try to plan an early morning or late afternoon trip. Like I said, common sense. Common sense should rule us today as well.

Just because the 2 p.m. temperatures are soaring is no reason to call the entire day a bust when it comes to outdoor pursuits.

There is indeed something magical about a sunrise and summer sunrises are perhaps the best. Forests, fields, and waterways seemingly devoid of wildlife

during the day are often teeming with critters as the warm summer night gives way to daylight. If you get up early enough, you can hear the last of the whip-poor-wills or chuck-wills-widows for the night and sometimes for the season. Most are silent after mid-June. Accompanying the night birds is a singer not normally associated with nocturnal serenades, the mockingbird. Mockingbirds really like third shift in the summer. Maybe it has to do with the heat, but they belt it out from sunset until dawn during the hot months.

If you like to fish then you know how good it can be on the water at sunrise. Early mornings at the water’s edge also provide many opportunities for wildlife viewing. Raccoons and mink are often late getting home during the short summer nights.

Whitetails slip up to the water’s edge for a morning drink before retiring to a shady thicket.

Mid-day is the time to forage for creek critters.

Every rock is a potential hiding place for crayfish and hellgrammites. You might glimpse a mad-tom if you look quickly. The mini catfish is usually no more than a flash as it scoots under another rock.

The darters might hang around for a while as you gently lift the flattened creek rock before “darting” for cover.

As the sun sets and the velvet purple deepens in the eastern sky, the katy-dids and tree frogs begin their evening melody. It’s hard to hear them over the buzzing of cicadas, but somehow the harmony of a summer evening all comes together. The fireflies flash through the forests and hayfields and you realize that life beyond the A/C is possible and can even be quite enjoyable in the midst of an Arkansas summer.

Eagle Mountain Magnet archery team repeats second place national finish

BATESVILLE – For the second year in a row, the Eagle Mountain Magnet Archery Team has again taken second place in the returned victorious from the National Archery in the Schools Program tournament held in Louisville, Kentucky on May 11th and 12th. The team finished runner-up to Alabama’s state champion, Foley Intermediate.

Eagle Mountain Magnet scored 3,247 out of a possible 3,600 points. Top scorer for Eagle Mountain was Jack Looney. Looney finished second in the sixth grade division by shooting a 292 out of possible 300. Over 2,800 archers from 85 elementary teams in 38 states competed for the elementary division title.

Officials from the Guinness Book of World Records presented tournament officials with a plaque denoting that a new world record had been set at the 2012 national tournament. The tournament now holds the record for the largest archery tournament ever held in one location. Almost 8,000 archers competed in the elementary, middle school and high school divisions. China held the previous record.

The team will begin preparations for the NASP world tournament held on Oct. 4-6 in Orlando, Florida at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The team will be conducting fundraisers throughout the summer to offset expenses for the tournament. Anyone interested in donating can contact Principal Pat Rutherford or Coach Susan Parker 870-698-9141.

6 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012

Gordon Bagby AGFC Education Specialist Central Arkansas Nature Center With the onset of summer, many people spend more time enjoying Arkansas’ public waters. Whether fishing, floating, skiing or any combination of water sports, one thing is critical: boating safety. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission offers free boating safety courses at locations across the state. The six hour course or its online version is required for residents born after 1985. Instructor-led classes are free but there is a fee for the online course. A list of courses is available at www. agfc.com beneath the Education section of the menu bar. Have fun and stay safe on the water this summer.

AGFC Watchable Wildlife Coordinator Kirsten Bartlow reports that the Crooked Creek Water Trail will be unveiled soon. The 22mile trail is a result of a partnership with The Nature Conservancy and the Arkansas Canoe Club. Access points surrounding Yellville will provide ways to enter the creek, and Bartlow says camping areas can be found along the route. Watch for an announcement online at www.agfc.com. You may also request to receive the weekly email newsletter, Arkansas Outdoors, on the website so you never miss any updates.

Did you know that professional bass fishing began in Arkansas with a tournament at Beaver Lake in 1967? Were you aware that an Arkansas angler won the first Bassmasters Classic tournament in 1971? Arkansas has been heavily involved in the sport since its inception and the Central Arkansas Nature Center has a temporary display that highlights the history. Larry Nixon, George Cochran, Penny Berryman, Mark Davis and Kevin Short have loaned trophies, jerseys, photos and other memorabilia for the display which will be in the center through Independence Day. BASS and FLW Outdoors also provided information and photos for the exhibit. The center is open Tuesday – Saturday, 8:30 – 4:30, and Sunday

afternoon, 1:00 – 5:00. Admission to all AGFC nature and education centers is free thanks to funding from Amendment 75 of 1996.

Upcoming Events at Central Arkansas Nature Center Online GIS Data Manager, June 28, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission GIS Analyst will show how its free online application can be used to maximize hunting, fishing and other outdoor experiences. The program will be in the nature center classroom and seating is limited. Call the center at 501907-0636 if you would like to reserve a seat.

Boating Education Classes The following boating education classes will be held at the nature center. Registration is required by calling the center at 501-907-0636.

Saturday, June 23, 9:00 – 4:00 Tuesday, July 10 and Thursday, July 12, 6:00 – 9:00 pm Saturday, August 25, 9:00 – 4:00 pm A complete list of boating education classes is online at www.agfc.com under the Education section of the menu bar.

Commission considers Arkansas hunting season proposals

LITTLE ROCK – During the monthly meeting in March the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission commissioners were presented with proposals for the 201213 hunting seasons. Commissioners will study the proposals and make a final decision at their April meeting.

AGFC Chief of Wildlife David Goad presented the proposed changes to the Commission. “We’ve heard what the public has been saying and we’re trying to follow their input,” Goad said.

Several changes are proposed for the 2012-13 hunting season. A quick rundown of a few of the proposed changes: Proposed season dates for the 2012-13 deer hunting season: Archery – All zones: Sept. 15-Feb. 28.

Modern Gun - Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10 and 11: Nov. 10-Dec. 2.

Zone 4: Nov. 10-11.

Zone 5: Nov. 10-11 and Nov. 17-18.

Zones 4A, 5A, 14 and 15: Nov. 10-Dec. 9.

Zones 4B and 5B: Nov. 10-18.

Zones 9, 12 and 13: Nov. 10-Dec. 16.

Zone 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 10-Dec. 25.

Muzzleloader - Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10, 11, 14 and 15: Oct. 20-28 and Dec. 15-17.

Zones 9, 12, 13, 16, 16A and 17: Oct. 20-28 and Dec. 29-31.

Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B: Closed.

The statewide Christmas holiday modern gun deer hunt is proposed for Dec. 26-28. Two special youth modern gun deer hunts are proposed. The first would be Nov. 3-4 and the second Jan. 5-6, 2013. A proposed antlerless only modern gun deer hunt would be held in zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 8, 8A, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 16A and 17 Oct. 13-17.

A proposal also was made to modify Flood Prone Zone F. The opening and closing of the zone has been based on the level of the White River at St. Charles and the Arkansas River at Lock and Dam 1. The recommended change would be to eliminate the use of the St. Charles gauge and incorporate the Graham Burke Outlet gauge. The closing reading would be 150 feet msl and the opening reading would be 148 feet msl.

The Lock and Dam 1 closing would remain at 145 feet msl and opening at 143 feet msl.

The Wildlife Management Division also recommended continuing the conservation turkey season structure and proposed a later opening date in the spring of 2013. A later conservative season will result in more hens being bred and heading to the next when the season opens.

To see a complete list of the proposals, go to: www.agfc.com/enforcement/ Documents/2012 2013GeneralHuntingRegulationProposals.pdf .

In other business, the Commission: • Approved a new code concerning non-liability for wildlife damages.

• Approved a new policy for the Conservation License Plate Scholarship Program.

• Approved a $25,000 budget increase to spot-gravel roads and parking areas on Henry Gray Hurricane Lake WMA. • Approved a $10,000 budget increase to grade and gravel six access areas at Lake Atkins.

• Agreed to a land donation at Pendleton on the lower Arkansas River. The area will become a fishing tournament weigh-in facility. The facility will be known as the Lauren Gasaway Pendleton Fishing Tournament Weigh-In Center.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012- 7

MAY/JUNE UPCOMING EVENTS 15th Annual Buffalo River Elk Festival Friday-Saturday, June 22-23, 2012

Jasper, Ark. Crafts, music, food, elk calling contest, elk permit drawings, kid’s fishing derby (children 12 and under), kid’s activities area, educational seminars, Dutch oven cook-off, fireworks.

For more information: Newton County Chamber of Commerce – (870) 446-2455. www.theozarkmountains.com

Arkansas River Cleanup

Saturday, June 23, 2012, 8:00 am – 10:00 am Parking Lot next to the Murray Park Arkansas River Boat Launch We will be cleaning up along the sixth longest river in the US, the Arkansas River, in Murray Park. Volunteers just need to show up ready to get their hands dirty, they will be supplied with breakfast, gloves, bags, sunscreen, t-shirts and water.

For details, more information or to sign-up visit: www. unitedcityblue.com/cleanup /littlerock

AGFC Online GIS program

Thursday, June 28, 2012, 7:00 pm Witt Stephens, Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center – Little Rock FREE but space is limited, so you must R.S.V.P. @ 501907-0636 The Game and Fish Commission offers GIS (Geographic Information Systems) technology on its website that can be used to improve hunting, fishing and other outdoor pursuits. WMA and lake points are available to download to make accurate destination

decisions. The agency’s GIS staff will show how to access and use this helpful information via personal computer and smartphone.

Arkansas Association of Alternative Educators (AAAE)

13th Annual Alternative Education Conference Monday – Tuesday, July 16-17, 2012, 7:30 am – 5:00 pm Wednesday, July 18, 2012, 7:30 am – Noon Embassy Suites Hotel & Convention Center Hot Springs, AR For questions regarding Exhibits contact: Tim Weiss tjweiss@sdale.org To reserve Exhibit Space contact: Sherry Chandler sherry.chandler@jvfl.k12.ar.us or (501) 317-6634

AWF Quarterly Meeting

Saturday, September 8, 2012 10 am – 2pm Location TBA

Working lunch provided- first come first served. Election of Board Members. For more information or to RSVP (so we know how much food to provide) contact: arkwf@ sbcglobal.net or 501-224-9200

Arkansas Environmental Education Association (AEEA)

Thursday – Friday, July 26 – 27, 2012 Fayetteville Town Center, Fayetteville, AR Make plans to attend the 2012 EE Expo on July 2627 at the Fayetteville Town Center in Fayetteville. The two-day workshop qualifies for up to 12 hours of ADEapproved professional development and will include field trips and workshops on Thursday and presentations and speakers on Friday. The event will feature presentations on environmental education programs and projects across the state, keynote address, door prizes, and a silent auction fundraiser.

Registration is now open!! For more information visit: http://arkansasee.org/expoeefest.html

76th Anniversary AWF Annual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet

Shrew not normally from Arkansas found in the Ozarks LITTLE ROCK - In a recently published research paper in the Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, researchers announced the identification in the Arkansas Ozarks of a species of shrew not previously known to exist in the state. The northern short-tailed shrew, which is generally distributed in the northern United States, was found in Madison, Newton, Pope, Sharp and Van Buren counties.

The northern short-tailed shrew is a small mammal, a little over 4 inches long, that is usually found in hardwood forests with deep leaf litter, but is adaptable to living in a variety of habitats. They usually eat worms, slugs, insects and occasionally even mice.

Saturday, August 25, 2012 Times: TBA The Center of Bryant, 6401 Boone Road, Bryant, AR Contact AWF for tickets or to sponsor at (501) 224-9200 or arkwf@sbcglobal.net

Back in 2010, Idun Guenther, a graduate student at Arkansas Tech University was studying small mammals on the Buffalo National River along with Matt Connior, of South Arkansas Community College. After catching the animals, the two decided that it would be a good idea to use the shrew’s DNA to determine which species they are, since many shrews look very similar to each other.

They sent samples to Dr. Russell Pfau of Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas who discovered that one of them appeared to be the northern short-tailed shrew, which had never been found in Arkansas. “I was very surprised to get a DNA sequence

of northern long-tailed shrews from one of the two specimens. In fact, I assumed it was a mistake of some kind,” Pfau said. With additional specimens provided by Guenther and Connior, he was able to confirm their presence. However, the question remained as to how widely they were distributed across the state.

Pfau contacted Blake Sasse, the nongame mammal biologist for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, for help in finding more specimens. “I just happened to still have dozens of shrews that were collected as part of a statewide project to study small mammals that was conducted on Wildlife Management Areas from 2002 to 2004,” Sasse said. With this additional information the team was able to conclude that the northern shorttailed shrew seems to only be found in the Ozarks region of Arkansas. They

also were able to confirm the presence of other shrew species in Arkansas counties where they had not previously been captured, but were known to occur in other parts of the state.

While Arkansas has gained a new species of shrew, it appears that it may have lost one as well since no Elliot’s short-tailed shrews were found as part of the study. It’s possible that this species never actually lived in Arkansas and that northern shorttailed shrews caught in the past were misidentified as Elliot’s short-tailed shrews based on a limited examination of some of their skeletal characteristics.

“This study highlights the importance of collecting specimens and maintaining them, along with their tissues, for future study. It also demonstrates the growing use of DNA technology in better understanding the diversity of living organisms,” Pfau explained.

8 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012

Student Art Awards Ceremony A Success

By Ethan Nahté

The 2012 “Wildlife of Arkansas” Student Art Contest awards ceremony, co-sponsored by Arkansas Wildlife Federation and Creative Ideas, was held May 4th at the Witt Stephens, Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center. The main hall of the center was filled to capacity with proud parents, grandparents and teachers as more than 50 Arkansas students, representing a variety of schools and home schools from around the state, received their awards.

The art competition was open to any Arkansas student. This year had a few less entries than last year, 302 total, but had a larger number of schools participating with 52, including those students who are home schooled. The theme was “Wildlife of Arkansas” which meant that students could create art that represented everything from animals to landscapes. The winners definitely created some amazing art, which stayed on display at Witt Stephens throughout Memorial Day and was seen by approximately 10,000 visitors. That makes for a tremendous gallery showing for artists just dabbing their brush into the field.

Judges for the competition were all from University of Central Arkansas - Bryan Winfred Massey, Sr., Professor of Art-Sculpture/3D Design; Sandra Luckett, Assistant Professor of Art-Painting; Jessica Camp, Senior Painting Student and Co-Director Black Box Gallery Jurors’ statement: “The jurors were really impressed with the work submitted for this year’s 2012 Arkansas Wildlife Federation and Creative Ideas K-12 Student Art Contest. The quality of the work per grade was overall very well thought out and executed. The jurors selection of the winners in each grade level was based upon the use of the space, use of medium, subject matter, creativity, innovation, exploration, and not solely upon his or her skill or level of talent, although that was important.”

Listed are the winners for each grade. HM stands for Honorable Mention: Kindergarten: Arkansas Apple Blossom (Westwood Elementary) 1st Chris Limon Frog (Pea Ridge Elementary) 2nd Croix Licause Busy Bee (Woodland Heights) 3rd Gavin Vandenberg HM Daniel Thurman Ducks (Pea Ridge Elementary)

5th Grade: 1st Annabel Copeland 2nd Jan Paneda 3rd Madison Jones HM Gracie Downs

1st Grade: 1st Cooper David 2nd Reilly Ingram 3rd Emma Ramsey HM Drew Maulding

Bison (Pea Ridge Elementary) Lady Bugs (Pea Ridge Elementary) Spring (Forest Heights Elementary) Frightened Rabbit (Pea Ridge Elementary)

6th Grade: 1st Keeyah Yohn Wilderness Wonderland (Green Forest Middle School) Morning Dew (Harrison Middle School) 2nd Sophie Johnson Arkansas Waterfall (Home School) 3rd Gracie Turner HM Caprece Mroszczak Arkansas Sun Flowers (Pinkston Middle School)

11th 1st 2nd 3rd HM

2nd Grade: 1st Caroline Coyle 2nd Emma Turner 3rd James Adams HM Haley Erickson

The Old Mill (CAC) Frisky Red Fox (Home School) Beaver (Pea Ridge Elementary) Turtle (Florence Mattison Elementary)

7th Grade: The Solemn Perch (Taylor High School) 1st Laura Lane Bass Prize (Pinkston Middle School) 2nd Jessica Schulte 3rd Austin Rose A Defenseless Armadillo (Pinkston Middle School) HM Claire Barnes Turtle (Pinkston Middle School)

Facing Extinction (Pea Ridge Elementary) Foster’s Apple Blossom (Mood Elementary) Arkansas Waterfall (Westwood Elementary) Red Bird (Pea Ridge Elementary)

8th Grade: Wildlife Wonder (Sheridan Middle School) 1st Sarah Harrington 2nd Tabitha Nicole Saldana Arkansas Pine Cone (Norfork High School) The Predator (Taylor High School) 3rd Ali Smith HM Rachel Unwer Looking For Dinner (Home School)

12th Grade: 1nd Annie Sixbey Gobble, Gobble (Little Rock Christian Academy) Stanky (Little Rock Christian Academy) 2rd Samantha Osterholm 3rd Lauren Worthington Todd (Little Rock Christian Academy) HM Katie Wilkinson Blue Heron at the Lake (Mt. Saint Mary)

Otter Study (Williams Magnet) Hawk (Prairie Grove Elementary) Humming Bird Study (Williams Magnet) Wood Duck (Columbia Christian School)

9th Grade: Stormy Flight (Sheridan Freshman Academy) 1st Alex Ruggles 2nd Hannah Culpepper Red Foxes Playing (Sheridan Freshman Academy) 3rd Celeste Branson Tree Frog (ORSD: Acorn High School) HM Tristan Simmons Mallard Drake (Yellville Summit High School)

3rd Grade: 1st Karlie King 2nd Sydney Foster 3rd Miguel Rodriquez HM Gracie Easterling 4th Grade: 1st Connor Swaim 2nd John Weaver, Jr. 3rd Audrey Nony HM Adam Pieratt

Little Duckling (Williams Magnet) Painted Bunting (Williams Magnet) Fish in Stream (Harrison Middle School) Beware (Pea Ridge Elementary)

10th Grade: 1st Jade Mason 2nd Alexa Tolbert 3rd Maggie McMorran HM London Farrar Grade: Arden Ricks Brittany Rush Elaine Gorgas Olivia Crabtree

Frank (Little Rock Christian Academy) Squirrel (Little Rock Christian Academy) Little Chip (Little Rock Christian Academy) Fly (Little Rock Christian Academy) Wolfie (Little Rock Christian Academy) Apple Blossom (Pottsville High School) Unbalanced World (Mt. Saint Mary Academy) Tarantula (Little Rock Christian Academy)

BEST OF SHOW Peyton Cate Alligator (12th Grade, Little Rock Christian Academy)

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012 - 9

Going It Alone on Beaver Lake May 28, 2012

To the northeast of the highway 412 bridge over Beaver Lake east of Springdale there are three large bluffs. I have been thinking about those bluffs since early April. Today they are my destination. I arrived at the Dr. Don Roufa access to Beaver at 7:30 AM. I unloaded my canoe and looked around a bit.

The sign at the access says that this used to be the site of Head’s Crossing. In the late 1800’s, Mr. Head operated a ferry across the White River at this point. For 20 cents a twohorse wagon could cross the river. A round trip was 35 cents. A footman could cross for a nickel. According to the sign, this was the shortest route to Hindsville and Huntsville by 3 miles. It is easy to see why this site was chosen. The valley is fairly narrow and both sides of the river have low hills without bluffs. Wagons could easily get down to the riverbank and then climb back out on the other side. The Head School was also in this area. The school was later renamed the Jaybird school because the guy who built it was named Jay. I never know what to expect when I head out to the lake. But something interesting always happens. Today Sharon and I once again had conflicting schedules so I was on my own. When I pulled into the parking lot at the Roufa access, my truck was the only one there. I noted that, but it was early so it likely wasn’t that unusual. By 7:35 I was on my way.

Paddling alone is not recommended in anyone’s guidebook. Clearly if there is an accident, you are on your own for help. But going it alone also has its advantages. For one, you can go at your pace, either fast or slow, and you can go wherever you want.

Plus, if you are late getting back, you can

501.847.7275

usually get forgiven. I frequently find myself paddling along.

The wind was calm and predicted to build to five miles per hour from the Northeast.

That would be perfect. I could paddle in calm water out to the bluffs, then ride the breeze back to the landing. At least that was the theory. I headed out to the bluffs. Thirtytwo minutes later I arrived. It was a pleasant paddle, calm water and not even any boat wakes.

The most notable thing about these bluffs is how massive they are. The USGS topographic map shows them to be a little over one hundred feet high and a couple hundred yards long. They are not polished limestone like you see on the Buffalo River but more angular and jagged. The color is gray and sandy brown.

At the base of the bluffs is a lush mixed hardwood forest. I was pleased to see that the wildflower show was not yet over. But it was smaller and more spread out. There were several patches of Dayflower, Commelina erecta, in the Spiderwort family.

As I paddled on to the north along the bluffs, I discovered there were actually four bluffs. One was out of site from the highway.

With side trips into a couple of coves it took around an hour-and-a-half to explore the set.

It was nice to be in the shade of the bluff as the sun was somewhat intense. The whole hour –and-a-half, not another boat passed.

The star of the morning was the birdlife.

I am by no means an expert on birds. There were dozens of calls that I was unfamiliar with and many birds I could not identify. At the back of a cove, there was a Wood Duck and six ducklings swimming along the rocks.

I tried to get close for a photo, but quickly I learned that Wood Ducks swim faster than old coots paddle. But she couldn’t outrun the

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telephoto. Other birds that I could identify either by sight or by call included: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Chickadee Cardinal Phoebe Indigo Bunting White Throated Sparrow Yellow Breasted Chat Yellow Billed Cuckoo Swallows Geese Redwing Blackbird Eastern Bluebird Killdeer Meadowlark Blackbird Baltimore Orioles Blue Jay Mockingbird

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It is 9:35 when I reach the end of the fourth bluff. The promised northeast breeze hasn’t arrived yet. But the lake is calm and no-one is around. So I keep going north. One of the advantages of going alone is that you can go as far as you like. At the mouth of Friendship creek I start heading back to the Roufa landing along the western shoreline. The promised northeast wind is now appearing, but it is coming from the southwest instead, straight from the Roufa landing to me. So goes my theory.

The western shore is mostly low hills, much of it still farmed. It is a pleasant paddle if not as spectacular as the eastern shoreline with the bluffs. The wind is a minor annoyance. As far as I can see, there are no boats. At 11:18 I arrive back at the landing. I have been on the water 3 hours and 38 minutes without seeing a soul.

Now that is a special day on Beaver Lake.

To name just a few of our reliable friends

10 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012

2012 “Wildlife of Arkans

Chris Limon - 1st Place - Kindergarten

Annabel Copeland - 1st Place - 5th Grade

Connor Swain - 1st Place - 4

Laura Lane - 1st Place - 7th

Alex Ruggles - 1st Place - 9th Grade

Sarah Harrington - 1st Place - 8th Grade

Jade Mason - 1st Place - 10th Grade

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012 - 11

as” Student Art Contest

4th Grade

Keeyah Yohn - 1st Place - 6th Grade

David Cooper - 1st Place - 1st Grade

Grade

Arden Ricks - 1st Place - 11th Grade

Karlie King - 1st Place - 3rd Grade

Annie Sixbey - 1st Place - 12th Grade

Caroline Coyle - 1st Place - 2nd Grade

12 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012

The Wildlife Society Tours Gene Rush WMA

By Al Wolff

The Arkansas Chapter of The Wildlife Society held its spring meeting for 2012 in Harrison, Arkansas this past April. The day began with biologists and other specialists from Arkansas Game & Fish Commission taking those who were interested on a tour of the Gene Rush Wildlife Management Area (formerly the Buffalo River WMA), a 20,085 acre area nestled in the Ozarks, the Buffalo National River being to its north and the Ozark National Forest to the south. It is about 15 minutes southeast of Jasper and 15 minutes Northwest of Marshall off of highway 123. It runs

along the border of the Bearcat Hollow area which AGFC has partnered with AWF and many other organizations. The 4 hour tour along mountainous dirt roads followed many stops to view and discuss Rx fire burns, wildfires and the general ecology of the various area. A splendid variety of native wildflowers and trees could be viewed as well as many birds, including lots of woodpeckers.

After lunch the tour group and others convened at the Quality Inn Convention Center in Harrison. After a welcome and introduction from the Arkansas Chapter’s president, Brad Carner, AWF’s Ethan Nahté gave a presentation on Bearcat Hollow. This

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was followed by a summary of habitat management efforts on Gene Rush WMA by AGFC field biologist A.J. Riggs. Next was Wes Wright , the elk program coordinator for AGFC, giving a status update on the elk population and the success of the program. Wright was followed by Arkansas State University’s Thomas Risch who discussed ASU’s research lab facilities and availability for usage. Out of Fayetteville’s University of Arkansas came Tyler Pittman who talked about the effects of prescribed fire on the nesting ecology of the Eastern Wild Turkey, primarily in the White Rock WMA, but also throughout the state, explaining some of the troubles that had befallen the Ouachita region with transmitters.

After a short break the group reconvened to handle business, including minutes from the fall 2011 meeting and the treasurer’s report. Next on the agenda was Adrienne Doyle of Arkansas Tech University (ATU) who gave her report on the effects of habitat structure on Bell’s Vireo nest success that she conducted in the Holla Bend Wildlife National Wildlife Refuge just outside of Dardanelle. Finally, Dr. Thomas Nupp of ATU provided the group with a report on a study done by recent graduate Idun Guenther (see accompanying story this issue) on the comparison of small mammal populations in exotic grassland/hayfields and restored native grasslands along the Buffalo National River.

Guenther, who had just accepted a job in West Virginia, was unable to attend.

The Arkansas Chapter of The Wildlife Society is 40-years-old this year. You can find out more about them at http://joomla.wildlife.org/arkansas/.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012- 13

More Cave and Mine Closures

By Ethan Nahté

The U.S.D.A. Forest Service Southern Region was issued order number 01-2012 for an emergency temporary closure of all caves and mines on National Forest System lands, effective May 21, 2012 until May 21, 2013 unless terminated earlier by the Regional Forester. This excludes the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico which falls into the Southern Region.

Although the order doesn’t state the reasoning behind the closure, more studies into the deadly white-nose syndrome (WNS) that is killing bats throughout the United States and Canada would be the most likely reason. Though white-nose syndrome began in New York and has spread over the past 5-6 years, states as far south as Florida are doing their own bat study to determine whether or not Florida has been affected by the fungus that has eliminated entire colonies of bats in other parts of the country. At this time, according to last year’s study, Arkansas is still free of any infection. Oklahoma, Missouri and Tennessee have found cases of WNS. The order prohibits, “Entering any cave or mine, regardless of distance or depth, located on National Forest System Lands in the Southern Region. 36 C.F.R. § 261.53 (a), (b), and (d).” The prohibition does not apply to caves or mines that are posted as open with official Forest Service signs. Persons exempted from the order are those with written authorization by a Forest Service Officer specifically authorizing an otherwise prohibited act or omission; Any Federal, State or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force working in the performance of an official duty.

The fine for violating the order is punishable by not more than $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or both. Hopefully people will heed the order for their own safety as well as the safety of the plants, animals and general ecology. Caves (and mines) are very delicate ecosystems. The benefits provided by these ecosystems are great, especially when it comes to bats and their importance in controlling the insect population and/or in dispersing seed and pollen, depending on the type of bat and the part of the world in which that bat lives or migrates. So as tempting as it may be to investigate an opening or go spelunking, only do so where it is legally allowed.

Naturally Techno

by Johnny Sain, Jr.

We live in the communication age. Updates and information are never more than a mouse click or phone touch away. Businesses and organizations across the globe utilize social media to keep associates in the loop and the Arkansas Wildlife Federation is no exception.

In addition to the AWF website, www. arkansaswildlifefederation.org, the AWF can be found on Facebook under www.facebook.com/ ArkansasWildlifeFederation or you can follow AWF on Twitter @ArWildlife.

These social media outlets can provide members with updates on current AWF activities, notification of upcoming events, as well as general information about AWF. The next time you find yourself on the computer or smart-phone, take a minute to friend or follow AWF. Something new that AWF is trying out is a cloud version of Arkansas Out-of-Doors. Visit www.Issuu. com and search for the newspaper. It’s free and only takes a minute to sign up to the site. Once you find us

Corps Closed Piney Bay Swim Beach Until Further Notice

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Army Corps of Engineers, Russellville Project Office closed the swimming area at Piney Bay Park located on Lake Dardanelle, until further notice. The closure was the result of higher than acceptable E-Coli levels that were found during routine testing conducted by the Arkansas Department of Health.

Testing continued on a daily basis, and the swimming beach was re-opened a couple of weeks later as soon as test results indicated it was safe to do so. Escherichia coli bacteria

you can click a box to follow us and make it easier to find future issues as well as back issues in the archive.

We are in the process of getting as many back issues uploaded as possible, but hope to have all of them available by the end of June.

If you aren’t familiar with a Cloud site, in a nutshell this will let you look at the newspaper online without it filling up your e-mail or computer memory. You can adjust the size of the print, digitally turn the pages, etc. as if you were holding the paper in your hand, and it makes it easy to share with your other friends, on Facebook and other social media outlets without having to wait for it to upload to your e-mail and sending it as an attachment.

Russellville’s Courier News, the newspaper and facility that currently prints AWF’s paper, is also planning on putting portions of AOOD in their outdoors section that appears online. Visit their site at couriernews.com/ sports_outdoors to check out what’s happening.

If you’d like to go green and switch your hard copy edition of AOOD for an electronic version, e-mail arkwf@sbcglobal.net and let us know.

levels, commonly referred to as E. coli, are within an acceptable range to allow swimming at the park. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports E. coli are a large and diverse group of bacteria. Although most strains are harmless, others can make people sick. Some can cause diarrhea, while others cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, and other illnesses.

Corps officials are working to determine the source of the higher levels, but believe the unseasonably high temperatures and lack of rainfall are contributing factors.

For more information, please contact the Russellville Project Office at 479-968-5008.

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

14 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012

For the Earth

by Greg Matloff, C Bangs, Les Johnson

Check the front page of this or any newspaper. There is not a whole lot to inspire confidence in the human future. Global population is rising. In some of the heavily populated developing countries, pollution is also on the rise. Arctic ice is retreating and sea levels are rising. As climate changes, the frequency of severe storms increases. Even if climate change were not happening, we will ultimately face the specter of depleting fossil-fuel reserves. To top it off, some of the rapidly developing countries have discovered the splendors of nuclear arsenals. Short of the Rapture, is there any hope for humanity?

As it turns out, there is. And it comes from what seems like an unlikely source—outer space! No, little green men from Mars or Pandora are not about to land and lend a hand.

But the resources of the solar system are enormous and we will soon be able to tap them.

In fact, if our political leaders are at all serious about the survival of our global civilization beyond the next few decades, we have no choice but to expand further into space—beyond Low Earth Orbit where the space station crews reside, beyond our desolate Moon to the realm of the Near Earth Objects or NEOs. There are thousands of these rocky asteroids or extinct comets orbiting the Sun near our planet. Many of them are larger than a football field in size.

And occasionally they whack us.

Fortunately, many of the larger NEOs, such as the 10-mile wide object that creamed the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago have been cleared out by encounters with Earth,

Moon, or other planets.

In 2029, Apophis—a NEO larger than 3 football fields—will perform a close encounter with our planet. It will fly within the orbits of the geosynchronous communication satellites, go back into deep space and then perform an encore engagement with us 6 years later. Although Apophis probably poses no immediate threat, its two visits may serve as a wake-up call. America and other spaceexploring nations are developing interplanetary capabilities. Around the time of Apophis’ first visit, we may be ready to send astronaut crews to explore it and other NEOs. Visiting a NEO would require a round trip of months, a lot longer than a 1-week jaunt to the Moon. But no landing vehicle would be required. Astronauts would dock their craft with the NEO and live aboard the spaceship rather than on the NEO’s surface.

A number of techniques have been proposed to divert the course of an Earth-threatening NEO. Astronaut crews or robots might experiment with kinetic impactors—in which a small high velocity probe hits the NEO at high speed, hopefully diverting it rather than fragmenting it. Or a small spacecraft might fly in formation with the NEO for a period of decades, altering the NEO’s orbit by mutual gravitational attraction. Although Hollywood special effects love the dramatic explosion of nuclear “devices” in cinema attempts to divert celestial visitors, nuclear explosives may fragment rather than divert certain classes of NEOs. One promising technique to alter the solar trajectory of certain varieties of NEOs is to concentrate sunlight upon them, vaporizing NEO material and producing a trajectory-altering jet.

But if we must rearrange the orbits of some of these objects, we can ultimately steer them into an easily accessible orbit. Here, astronaut crews can mine them for there material riches. Planetary Resource’s, Inc. just announced plans to do just that. And the people behind it are not crazy. Investors in the project include Larry Page (Google), James Cameron (Titanic / Avatar), and Ross Perot Jr. Stay tuned…

In-space applications for NEO-derived riches include rock to shield interplanetary crews from cosmic radiation, and mined water for rocket fuel and life support. But there are some applications that should directly help terrestrial civilization.

Solar energy is a very promising energy source for much of the planet’s needs. But terrestrial solar energy is very diffuse and weather dependent. It may therefore find greater application in the developed world rather than in heavily populated developing countries like China and India. These

countries may choose to commission the construction of space-based solar power stations from NEO material.

Picture a platform in geosynchronous orbit (22,400 miles over the equator) that has been constructed using NEO material.

It might have dimensions measured in miles but a thickness much less than an inch. On Earth, framework of this station would weigh millions of pounds.

At 22,400 miles above the equator, a satellite takes 24 hours to revolve once around the Earth.

It therefore stays in one place in the sky. If one side is coated with solar panels and the other has a microwave or laser transmitter, it can beam lots of energy down to the terrestrial grid. One beauty of this system is that all or most of the unavoidable waste energy is radiated to space and not the terrestrial environment. If the beam’s wavelength (or color) is carefully chosen, only a very small fraction will be absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere. Widespread use of spacebeamed solar power will solve both our energy concerns and worries about global warming.

Best of all, it produces no greenhouse gases.

There is another way that NEO material can directly help us on Earth. As well as using mined NEO material to construct solar power stations, some of this stuff can be positioned at the Earth-Sun L1 Lagrange point.

Any two-body celestial system has a series of 5 gravitationally stable Lagrange points.

If you place an object at one of these, forces are in balance and the object tends to stay put with a minimal use of rocket fuel.

The L1 point in the Earth-Sun system is about a million miles closer to the Sun than we are on Earth. Right now, several satellites are stationed at L1 to give early warning of solar flares. But NEO material could be used to construct a 1,000-mile sunshade at L1, thereby reducing the amount of sunlight striking the Earth by a few percent. This would potentially be enough to completely reverse the warming caused by humanity and our fossil fuel consumption.

Although an L1 sunshade would alleviate

global warming, it is a controversial technological fix. Some critics of the concept believe that people must change their ways— they fear a technological fix such as a sunshade might lull them into increasing their fossilfuel consumption. Unfortunately, with China and the developing world rapidly increasing their greenhouse gas emissions, current efforts to reduce carbon emissions may fall woefully short of what is required to stabilize the climate. If this is ever implemented, then it must be in concert with planet-wide greenhouse gas emission reductions.

Development of a human interplanetary capability might help terrestrial civilization in less obvious ways. Since the 1970’s, planners of space habitats have explored techniques of closed ecosystems, efficient recycling, solar power, etc. Visionary terrestrial architects such as Paolo Soleri in Arizona have applied these techniques in the design of efficient experimental communities that may serve as models for future urban planners.

Defecting and mining NEOs and using their material productively will certainly be of interest in the burgeoning commercial space community. If people can make a buck from deep space, then we will exploit these resources sooner.

Yes, the next few decades holds peril for all humans. But we need not give up—our developing in-space capabilities gives us reason to hope.

Greg Matloff teaches astronomy at New York City College of Technology, CUNY and artist C Bangs mergers science and art. The recent artist/scientist book by Bangs/Matloff, Biosphere Extension: Solar System Resources for the Earth, was recently collected by the Brooklyn Museum for their artist book collection. Physicist Les Johnson works for NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville Alabama. Their most recent book is Paradise Regained: The Regreening of Earth (Springer-Copernicus, NY (2010).

If you love wildlife, nature and keeping Arkansas as natural as can be, then why not help by becoming a member of the oldest non-profit conservation organization in The Natural State. For as little as $25 a year you can become a member of Arkansas Wildlife Federation.

That's an average of $2.08 per month; only 7¢ a day.

Help us to conserve wildlife, forests, waterways and wetlands for our children and our children's children for years to come. Fill out the membership form in this issue or contact AWF: arkwf@sbcglobal.net or 501-224-9200 to become a member today.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012- 15

NWF Passes New Resolutions

Arkansas Wildlife Federation 9108 Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 101, Little Rock, AR 72205 Telephone: (501) 224-9200

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

by Ethan Nahté

National Wildlife Federation held their annual meeting mid-May just outside of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, the oldest town in the state.

The meeting was conducted over three days at the USFS’s National Conservation Training Center, a beautiful campus out in the woods and rolling grasslands, surrounded by many vineyards, rolling rivers, and lots of history. The campus is built up of many large buildings, some containing training rooms, meeting rooms, labs and even a gym; others were lodges, three levels high, of hotel-like rooms along with a lobby, small kitchen and laundry rooms; a nice selection of meals served buffet style were provided at the commons which housed a very large wooden dining hall/kitchen that could easily seat a couple of hundred, all above a bar and lobby overlooking a stone patio; a visitor center complete with a 250-seat auditorium and a museum showcasing some of USFS’s history. Some of the lodges are named after such great conservationists such as Aldo Leopold and J.N. “Ding” Darling, and all of the buildings are connected by multiple asphalt trails that cut through large hardwood trees, patches of wild strawberries and filled with a variety of birds, deer and fox that practically stand within a mere few yards and watch as joggers and hikers go by. (View images of the facility and surroundings at facebook.com/arkansaswildlifefederation) Meetings included ways to succeed at fundraising, projects around the country that needed support and help to protect waterways or forests, and much more. It also included splitting up into groups to decide upon wording of resolutions and then presenting the resolutions the next day to the representative or alternate representative from each state or territory. Delegates from 48 NWF state and territorial affiliate organizations, including Arkansas Wildlife Federation (AWF), approved six new conservation policy resolutions. These policy resolutions provide guidance and affiliate support for how National Wildlife Federation shapes its positions and works on related conservation matters. When NWF speaks out on these matters, it is amplified by the voices and support of our affiliate family. The six resolutions called for efforts that: • Eradicate feral swine, a highly destructive invasive species that is posing an increased threat to wildlife and natural habitat across a growing swath of America; • Increase protection of Hawaiian monk seal habitat and promote the recovery and reestablishment of the species throughout its native range; • Urge support of management efforts to reduce impacts of climate change to resources such as forests, wildlife and coasts; • Utilize all available environmental and regulatory protections related to agricultural tile drainage practices in order to protect wildlife, minimize water pollution runoff, and protect downstream communities from adverse impacts; • Call on the U.S. to live up to its financial commitment to the Cairo Programme of Action addressing world population; • Support fostering leadership development of young professionals in resources conservation, and that conservation agencies embrace and develop programs that actively engage an increasingly diverse society.

All of the resolutions have been downloaded to NWF’s Affiliate Partnership website if you would like to see the entire text of the resolution. http://nwfaffiliates.org/ht/d/sp/i/2932/pid/2932.

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, MayJune, July-Aug., Sept.-Oct., Nov.-Dec. The publication contains information about hunting, fishing and other outdoor-oriented 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. Cameraready art due Jan. 5. Mailing date near the end of January.

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Camera-ready due by March 5. Mailing date near the end of March. May-June issue, reserve space by May 1. Camera-ready 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.

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

16 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012

by Ethan Nahté Welcome to “Caring for Critters,” our new column on Animal Rehabilitators in the State of Arkansas. This column may only last for six issues or it may take off and become an on-going series. The focus will be on the facilities and the special people who legally help rehabilitate wildlife, or care for an animal that cannot be returned to the wild due to one reason or another.

AWF gets many calls, especially throughout the spring and early summer, about animals found alone – birds which have fallen out of their nest, a fawn wandering around, etc. Odds are that mom is nearby and keeping an eye on her young, teaching them the ropes. So don’t automatically

assume that the animal should be scooped up and taken home. It could be harmful or dangerous to you and the animal, as well as a mother has just watched her baby being kidnaped.

Granted, if you know the mother is dead, or if an animal is injured or in immediate danger from a predator, then intervention may be necessary, but try to find someone who is specialized and has a permit to care for the animal properly. You can generally find a rehab specialist in or near your area by visiting the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission site @ http://www.agfc.com/ species/Pages/SpeciesWildlifeRehabilitation. aspx. There you will find rehabbers listed by county, and generally you will see special notes on what types of animals they do and do not

handle. The links are broken up into “birds” and “non-bird” rehabbers. There are also links on how you can get a permit and answers to many questions on animal rehabilitation.

Our first spotlight is on the Arkansas Native Plant and Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (ANPWRC) at the base of Rich Mountain, about 10 miles from Mena in western Arkansas.

Located on highways 270 and 272, not too far from Acorn, the center is housed in its seventh facility over the past 29 years. It has been at this location for the past six years after its last site atop the mountain at Queen Wilhelmina State Park. The number of animals rehabilitated and released includes 36 bears, 10,000 hawks, nearly 9,000 owls, 22,000 mammals, 44 American bald eagles and 18 golden eagles.

Located on a little over three acres on what used to be a salvage yard, the property was nothing but an old shack and tons of car and car parts. Founder and operator Tommy Young cleaned it up with a little help from some friends, put a nice wooden building on it that houses many smaller mammals, especially young babies, and a variety of birds. Young is also a licensed falconer, which gives him even more insight into birds of prey.

The building houses the offices and the freezers, which two of the freezers went down due to mechanical failure right after our visit on a Saturday morning in May. ANPWRC does not charge for admission to come see the facility.

As is common, a lot of animal rehabilitators rely on donations and grants, so please keep that in mind as you read this article and if you have money, working freezers, food/formula, or even gas cards (Young and volunteers travel up to 300 miles sometimes to pick up an injured animal) that you would like to donate. Just call the facility or visit and ask what you can do to help. ANPWRC is a 501 c (3) non-profit, so your donations are tax-deductible. You can even be immortalized by having a brick with your name inscribed for $100 and placed in the walk that traverses the grounds and leads from one animal to the next.

On this particular Saturday morning, Young had already taken in over a dozen animals, mainly babies that had been found, ranging from raccoons to skunks and even a little beaver. There were over 150 mammals, in addition to birds, amphibians and reptilessuch as his gator that will swim to Young when he splashes his hand along the top of the water and allows Young to kiss it on the snout.

Young and his volunteers, such as Monroe and Carrie Loy, spend a large part of the day feeding, cleaning cages, and doing maintenance and repairs. “Feeding is especially time-consuming,” said Young.

“With the young ones, by the time you’ve fed the last one it’s time to start all over again and feed the ones you fed first.” If you’ve ever fostered kittens or puppies that hadn’t ben weaned, you’ll know what he means.

Not counting the formula, such as puppy/

kitten/goat milk replacer that is needed for the little ones; or the horse feed, fresh produce or grains for the herbivores, ANPWRC goes through approximately 175 pounds of meat each week, feeding the alligators, cougars, foxes, coyotes, bobcats and such.

The cougars and the gators appear to be healthy, so why doesn’t he just let them go?

“It’s illegal,” said Monroe Loy. “The cougars in Arkansas are not considered native and it is illegal to release a non-native species back into the wild. And, for instance, you aren’t allowed to re-release alligators.” So when one of these animals is confiscated, captured as a nuisance animal, etc. and ends up at a rehab facility, it is normally there for the duration of its natural life. To maintain a habitat that is clean, meets a large amount of state and federal regulations set by AGFC and/or the USDA, and hopefully provides as good a home as possible for the captive animal takes a lot of time, money, and thought into building the habitat. The areas that hold these animals are more than just a cage with a concrete pad like one sees at older zoos. They are pens filled with shade, protection from the elements, some items to keep the animal occupied, and even areas for the animals to hide from sightseers as though the animal were in its natural habitat, be it in tall grass and bushes or in a swampy area filled with water and fallen trees.

Young has other dedicated volunteers, but he does receive some assistance from the Walmart in Mena. “Walmart has been letting employees come out and volunteer for the past two years. They allow about 250 manhours, generally in the spring.”

He also gets a little help from local teens who have to do community service for minor offenses. “Most of the time we let them do things like mowing, cleaning up around the area, things of that nature,” says Monroe. “We don’t let untrained people work with the animals.”

With the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge on top of the mountain closing down the beginning of 2012 for $4.5 million in renovations over approximately the next 18 months, tourism and donations have definitely slowed down.

Camping is still available at the park, as well as walking part of the Ouachita Trail or driving the scenic Talimena drive between Mena, Ark. And Talihina, Okla., but with no one staying at the lodge it does have an effect on Young’s center and the animals.

That being said, if you would like to help out and volunteer your time or donate in any of the other ways aforementioned, you can contact the center at 479-437-3750. To learn more about the center, hours/dates open to the public and special events visit their website: www.tommyyoungwildliferehabcenter.com and you can watch a photo montage at www. youtube.com/watch?v=Wm9ChlBjc2o There are also plenty of images on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/ ArkansasWildlifeFederation.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012- 17

Commission sets 2012-13 deer hunting seasons in Arkansas LITTLE ROCK – The upcoming deer hunting seasons for the state have been set by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The seasons were approved during the April meeting of the Commission.

Season dates for the 2012-13 deer hunting season: Archery – All zones: Sept. 15-Feb. 28, 2013.

Modern Gun – Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10 and 11: Nov. 10-Dec. 2.

Zone 4: Nov. 10-11.

Zone 5: Nov. 10-11 and Nov. 17-18.

Zones 4A, 5A, 14 and 15: Nov. 10-Dec. 9.

Zones 4B and 5B: Nov. 10-18.

Zones 9, 12 and 13: Nov. 10-Dec. 16.

Zones 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 10-Dec. 25.

Muzzleloader – Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10, 11, 14 and 15: Oct. 20-28 and Dec. 15-17. Zones 9, 12, 13, 16, 16A and 17: Oct. 20-28 and Dec. 29-31.

Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B: Closed.

The statewide Christmas holiday modern gun deer hunt is Dec. 26-28. Two special youth modern gun deer hunts will be held. The first is Nov. 3-4 and the second Jan. 5-6, 2013. An antlerless only modern gun deer hunt would be held in zones 1, 1A, 2, 6, 6A, 8, 8A, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15,

16, 16A and 17 Oct. 13-17.

A modification to Flood Prone Zone F was approved as well. The opening and closing of the zone has been based on the level of the White River at St. Charles and the Arkansas River at Lock and Dam 1. The change eliminated the use of the St. Charles gauge and incorporates the Graham Burke Outlet gauge. The closing reading would be 150 msl and the opening reading would be 148 msl.

The Lock and Dam 1 closing remains at 145 msl and opening at 143 msl.

Deer season opening dates for the 2013 seasons were set as well. Archery will open on Sept. 28, 2013; muzzleloader season will open Oct. 19, 2013 and modern gun season will open Nov. 9, 2013.

To see a summary of the 2012-13 hunting regulations, go to: http://www.agfc.com/enforcement/Pages/ EnforcementRegulations.aspx.

In other news: *Reviewed the deer harvest from the 2011-12 season.

Hunters harvested total 192,748 deer during the season.

The total was a four percent increase from the previous season’s harvest of 186,165. Buck harvest increased from 82,973 to 85,284 deer while the doe harvest increased from 88,341 to 93,838 deer.

AGFC lists opening dates for 2013 deer hunting LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas deer hunters who plan in advance for upcoming seasons focus on scheduling vacations, making reservations and arranging other details of the annual major event.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has set deer season openings for 2013, and there is a change for archery hunters.

Bow season will open Saturday, Sept. 28, in 2013. For decades bow hunting had started on Oct. 1, then it was moved to Sept. 15 for 2012. The desire for a Saturday opening, similar to most other Arkansas hunting seasons, led to the new policy of opening bow hunting on the fourth Saturday of September each year.

Muzzleloader season in 2013 will open Saturday, Oct. 19.

This is following the pattern of starting muzzleloader hunting on the third Saturday each October.

Modern gun season will open Saturday, Nov. 9, in 2013, and this is following the long-standing patter of starting modern gun hunting on the second Saturday in November.

Other details of the 2013 deer seasons will be worked out early next year.

MEMORIAL GIFTS & HONORARIUM Remember Loved Ones "Forever"

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

Federation and keep a loved one’s spirit alive through wildlife conservation.

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

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: AWF, 9108 Rodney Parham Rd., Suite 101, Little Rock, AR 72205; or call 501-224-9200

18 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012

May/June 2012 ISSN0884-9145 POSTMASTER: Send form 3579 to: 9108 Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 101, Little Rock, AR 72205

Arkansas Wildlife Federation Officers and Board of Directors October, 2011 to September, 2012

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, 9108 Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 101, Little Rock, AR 72205. Third Class postage paid at Russellville, AR and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to Arkansas Out-ofDoors, 9108 Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 101, Little Rock, AR 72205, or call 501-224-9200.

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: Jerry Crowe, Dardanelle Treasurer: Gary W. Bush, Marion Secretary: Lucien Gillham, Sherwood Executive Director: Ethan Nahté Board of Directors At Large Dr. John T. Ahrens, Mountain Home Charles W. Logan, M.D., Little Rock Lola Perritt, Little Rock Odies Wilson III, Little Rock Jimmie Wood, Dardanelle Gayne Schmidt, Augusta Bobby Hacker, Little Rock Mike Armstrong, Little Rock Chrystola Tullos, Rison Regional Directors District 1: --vacant- District 2: Patti Dell-Duchene, Augusta District 2 Alternate: Angela Rhodes, Augusta District 3: Jeff Belk, Fayetteville District 4: --vacant- District 5: 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: Wayne Shewmake, Dardanelle Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT Ralph Oldegard, Mt. Home Larry Hedrick, Hot Springs Charles McLemore Jr., Bryant Affiliate Clubs: ATU Fisheries & Wildlife Society Tyler Sanders, President - Russellville, AR Arkansas Chapter of American Fisheries

Arkansas Trappers Association Gary Helms, President - Texarkana, AR Cane Creek Hometowner’s Association Jessica Thompson, Sec./Treasurer – Scranton, AR Creative Ideas President: Sharon Hacker - Little Rock, AR Greene County Wildlife Club Rick Woolridge, President - Paragould Little River Bottoms Chapter, Arkansas Wildlife Federation Vickers Fuqua, President Mike Young, Secretary & Treasurer University of the Ozarks - Clarksville Jamie L. Hedges, Director of Outdoor & Evironmental Experiences Westark Wildlife G. David Matlock, Fort Smith 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, Johnny Sain, Jr., Gordon Bagby, AGFC, Dr. Robert Morgan, Ethan Nahté, Al Wolff, Idun Guenther, Greg Matloff, C Bangs, Les Johnson Contributing Photographers – Wayne Shewmake, Ethan Nahte', Mike Wintroath, Dr. Robert Morgan.

Other photos used by permission of Idun Guenther Arkansas Wildlife Federation Address: 9108 Rodney Parham Road, Suite 101 Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 Office: 501-224-9200 // Cell: 501-414-2845

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012 - 19

Prize fish landed in Hot Springs fishing challenge

AWF Teaches 5th Graders About Trees & Wildlife

By Al Wolff

Adam Roberts, executive director with the Hot Springs/Garland County Beautification Commission (HSGCBC) invited AWF to participate at the annual Hot Springs/Garland County Arbor Day event, held at Entergy Park on Carpenter Dam Road on April 20th, overlooking beautiful Lake Hamilton. The event was a celebration of trees and provided a series of education stations for Garland County 5th graders, somewhere between 400-500 overall. In addition to the AWF station there were stations from Lake Catherine State Park Interpreters, the City of Hot Springs Urban Forester, Ouachita Job Corps, Smokey Bear and more.

AWF executive director, Ethan Nahté, did a presentation utilizing a variety of photos on posterboards (since the event was outdoors and no electricity was available), a bluebird house, and samples of pine cones and a variety of nuts, making for a fun hands-on station for the kids. Though the day was a bit drizzly, the students stood as closely packed as possible underneath the canopy to listen to the presentation and ask questions regarding how native species depended upon trees. Beyond birds and squirrels, students learned that many insects, bats, bear, fox, bobcats and a variety of other mammals, reptiles and amphibians use trees for habitat as well as for a food source. Probably the biggest surprise to the students when asked what Arkansas animals depend upon trees was the discovery that wolves no longer exist in the state.

Other stations offered presentations on tree climbing and knots, stormwater management, caring for your sapling, tree and leaf ID, and what trees mean to me.

After all of the stations were visited, the students gathered around a garden as rain lightly fell from the sky. Roberts, Hot Springs’s mayor, Ruth Carney and others did a final presentation which involved a handful of students helping to plant a tree in the area of garden by a gazebo. Then they were treated to Papa John’s Pizza thanks to the Friends of the Beautification Committee. Any student who wished to take a free pine seedling home to plant, a donation from AWF, was allowed to take a tree as they got back on the bus and headed back to school. Arbor Day 2012 is funded by Deltic Timber, Inc. and Entergy. HSGCBC sponsors the event.

HOT SPRINGS – Two of the 53 prizewinning fish were caught Tuesday, May 1, on the first day of the $50,000 Hot Springs Fishing Challenge on Lakes Hamilton and Catherine.

The first prize-winning fish, worth a $250 prize, was caught at around 4 p.m. Tuesday off of the dock at the Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery on Lake Hamilton.

The second, a walleye worth $500, was caught late Tuesday night below the Highway 7 Bridge on Hamilton, according to Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, which is sponsoring the Challenge, which began Tuesday and runs through sunset July 31.

Clifford E. Ashley Sr. of Hot Springs caught the first prize fish, a bluegill, using a Georgia red wiggler, Arrison said. The fish carried tag No. 124.

“There was a slight delay in verifying the fish,” Arrison said, “due to the fact that Mr. Ashley had locked his keys — and the $250 fish — in his car when he drove over to the fish hatchery office to report his catch.

“However, all ended well when Arkansas Game and Fish Commission employees at the hatchery helped Mr. Ashley retrieve his keys and the prize winning fish.”

Arrison said he received a call at 11:30 p.m.

Tuesday notifying him that the $500 walleye, carrying tag No. 27, had been caught.

“That one was caught by Josh Brown of Benton,” Arrison said. “He was using a June Bug worm when he reeled in the cash.”

Stan Cullipher of Malvern and Ed Jones of Hot Springs both landed prize fish Saturday, May 19, in the $50,000 Hot Springs Fishing Challenge. Both caught largemouth bass to take home cash in the Challenge.

Forty-seven tagged fish, including Big Al, which is worth the $10,000 top prize, remain to be caught by the deadline.

Cullipher’s fish was caught in the morning, winning him $500. Jones’ $1,000 bass was caught Saturday night during a club tournament.

Cullipher caught the $500 bass across from Majestic Lodge Road using a Texas-rigged creature bait, which is somewhat like a plastic worm but has multiple arms, tails or tentacles.

Jones landed his largemouth bass in the area of the first bridge on Highway 7 South near the Kahuna Bay marina.

Saturday’s two catches brings the number of fish caught to six out of the original 53 released on April 30. These were the first bass caught in the Challenge.

So far two bass, two bluegill, one walleye, and one crappie have been redeemed for $3,750 in prize money, according to Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, which is sponsoring the Fishing Challenge. There are still 47 tagged fish

on the loose worth $46,250, including Big Al worth $10,000. No money fish have been caught on Lake Catherine.

Cullipher, a regular on the Bass Fishing League (BFL) circuit, did not realize that he was in the money until he was back home in Malvern Saturday at about 1 p.m. He usually releases the fish he catches, but he had a friend who wanted any fish he caught on Saturday. Thus, the money fish was discovered back in Malvern when his friend emptied his live well.

Cullipher said he usually fishes on DeGray Lake but since his brother and father were fishing with him, and they are not big fisherman, they decided Saturday morning to try Lake Hamilton to see if they could catch one of the Fishing Challenge tagged fish. They joked on the way to Hot Springs on how they would split the money.

“Fish No. 22, which we call Big Al, is still out there,” Arrison said. “Whoever lands Big Al will get $10,000. Plus, the $5,000, one $2,500 fish and 20 $1,000 fish are still out there waiting to be caught. Not to mention 19 more fish worth $500 apiece and nine more worth $250 each.”

The Hot Springs Fishing Challenge is open to anyone with a fishing pole and a valid Arkansas fishing license, Arrison said. “The fish that we released into the two lakes April 30 were nine largemouth bass; nine bluegill, nine catfish, nine striped bass, nine crappie, and eight walleye.”

The fish have tags with a phone number and a prize number on them. When one of the prizewinning fish is caught the angler must call the phone number and present the fish with the tag attached.

“Anybody with a fishing pole can win, no matter what their age, skill level. It doesn’t matter if the fish is caught while fishing from a boat, from the bank or from a dock. Kids under 16 don’t have to have a valid Arkansas fishing license, but those age 16 and older need the valid license,” Arrison said.

For more information on the fishing challenge, call Steve Arrison at 501-321-2027 or visit www.hotsprings.org.

20 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2012