Arkansas Out-of-Doors November/December 2011 by The Courier

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Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December - 1

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011

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

Photo by Tim Ernst

VOL 39

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

NO 6

2 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2011

We all need to do our part to help conserve what we have for future generations to see and enjoy, by volunteering, recycling, or just not wasting needlessly. It is time to give thanks. Both Thanksgiving and Christmas to me are a time to be thankful for what we have and what we have accomplished in the past year. I am very thankful for my family and friends who have supported me and the work AWF is doing. It takes a lot of my personal time and money to get the job done. I estimate I work about 20 to 30 hours a week on AWF business: going to events to represent AWF; working on my computer; answering emails and phone calls; writing reports; and, of course, working on projects AWF is sponsoring and working on. All of this I do as a volunteer. One of AWF's major works-in-progress is the Bearcat Hollow Project in the Ozarks National Forest. This is a project I am very proud of and the work AWF has accomplished. These accomplishments would not be possible without the partnerships we have formed with U S Forest Service, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, National Forest Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Audubon of Arkansas, Arkansas Tech University Fisheries and Wildlife Society, and several other organizations who have been a part of this tremendous Habitat

Improvement Project, to help support fish and wildlife for future generations. I am also thankful for the AWF board and membership who have been very helpful and supported this project. It does take an army of supporters to accomplish this goal AWF has set to benefit conservation. I feel we as a human race should be willing and able to support conservation and, in some cases, preservation to sustain what we have here on this earth. I feel each one of us needs to do our part to support conservation. You ask, “What can one person do to make a difference?” You can start by not wasting (e.g. energy, water, food, life, etc.), you can practice recycling everything you use and try hard not to put it into landfills, you can try to ride to

work (carpool) with someone to save fuel and, at the same time, this will help with pollution of our air. We all can make a difference on this great earth we share together. So I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas, or Happy Hannukah, but I also hope you will make a New Year’s Resolution and do your part to Make A Difference for Conservation. AWF appreciates your support. AWF is supported by donations only and 100% of your donation stays in Arkansas. So please join us today and we can make a difference for conservation. Membership starts at $25/year. 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.

This is the 75th Anniversary for the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. The pin you see above is a covenant collector's pin. Not many organization can or will be able to say that they have been in business for 75 years. This year to encourage you to become a member and help support AWF our mission of conservation and protecting fish, wildlife, and our natural resources in Arkansas. We will give one of these pins to each paid member, along with a membership card. You can also purchase an extra pin for $10 plus shipping. To get your pin, make sure you renew your membership today, or become a member now and continue to receive our newspaper. We would appreciate your membership support.

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 •November/December 2011 - 3

Help Build A Trail! By Ethan Nahté

If you are a regular reader of AOOD then you may recall a couple of articles from early 2011 about LOViT, the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail. The 45-mile hiking and biking trail extends from Mount Ida and will end at Blakely Dam once finished. It’s that time of year to continue trail building. Granted, it may seem a little chilly but once you get to cutting roots, scraping a level path or removing rocks, you warm up quickly. A couple of the reasons for working on the trail this time of year is that it prevents you from getting overheated in a bug-infested area; the odds for snakes and scorpions are very low. This will be the seventh section of the LOViT trail, a very challenging portion as we go over Big Bear Mountain. Restarting of construction with volunteers (this trail has been built over a period of 5 or 6 years) began in early January, 2012 and will normally continue through the end of February. “The weather of course plays a big part in how much we can complete,” says lead Traildog Jerry Shields. “With last year as an example we were still digging in March. This year’s section is approximately ten miles of new trail in a roadless, wild area located on the north face of the summit of Big Bear Mountain. We are currently doing a supplemental one-and-a-half mile dig just to get to the top of the mountain hopefully by Friday, December 16 of this year (2011). To make things more accessible and to spend more of the little time available on working on the trail, this year will require volunteers to take a shuttle boat to a location near the work site.

“We have been using a barge to get to the dig site which allows us more dig time and less hiking time as it is four miles into the site then four miles in the afternoon if we hiked. “You can choose your weekends,” said Shields. If you, your group/organization would like to volunteer and come down with AWF, contact our office to make arrangements and get information. If things happen as they did last year, a few AWF volunteers such as myself along with some of our affiliate members from ATU’s Fisheries & Wildlife Society camped out the night before at Crystal Springs Campground for free through special arrangements, which is why you should RSVP with our office or the Traildogs: traildog@windstream.net/. In the morning we met up with other volunteers that drove in for the day. We worked at a steady pace, but nothing too difficult; shared stories about wildlife, hiking and camping; took a lunch break provided by the Traildogs (Subway in last year’s case); and did a little more work all within a very scenic area overlooking Lake Ouachita. This year AWF plans on helping out on these Saturday dates in February – 4, 11, and 18. You do not have to commit to all three weekends. You may choose one weekend to come help out, just let us know you‘ll be coming so we make sure we have plenty of tools for each volunteer to use as well as enough food and drinks. Working the trail is work, so think water, not sodas that will leave you dehydrated much faster. “We consider this dig to be our most technical and most difficult of the project as well as the longest section we have built in the last six years and can use all the help we can muster,” said Shields. If you’ve never built a trail, don’t worry. Plenty of experienced members of the Traildogs are there to educate and assist, working side-by-side. The experience not only gets you outdoors, but gives you a real sense of accomplishment. The work that has been completed can be

Wildlife First Responder Course for 2012 Ozarks Outdoors at University of the Ozarks (Clarksville, AR) is sponsoring Wilderness First Responder certification by WMI-NOLS in the Ozarks over Spring Break, March 17th-25. Wilderness First Responders are individuals who are trained to respond to emergency situations in remote settings. Even if you aren’t a medical professional this is an opportunity, open to the general public, to learn what to do and become certified to assist in a medical emergency out in the wild. This program trains you to respond to emergencies in remote settings. Ozarks Outdoors, an environmental is providing an 80-hour Wilderness First Responder course for students and the public. This course provides you with the tools to make critical medical and evacuation decisions in remote locations. Classroom lectures and demonstrations are combined with realistic scenarios where mock patients will challenge you to integrate your learning. Learning takes place both in the classroom and in outdoor settings regardless of weather conditions. Come prepared for wet, muddy, cold or hot environments. In this nine-day course designed for outdoor professionals, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to make complex medical decisions in remote environments. The realm of practice for a Wilderness First Responder is an emergency when and where other medical response is over an hour away. Participants are required to pass both written and practical examinations to obtain WFR and CPR certification.

Successful course completion earns you a WMI Adult & Child CPR certification and a WMI Wilderness First Responder certification. EMTs will earn a Wilderness EMT certification. All certifications are current for two years. Prerequisites: No previous first aid training is required. You must be 16 years old to attend this course. DATES: Sat, March 17 – Sun, March 25, 2012 FOR MORE INFO/TO REGISTER: Call 479.979.1.FUN (386) or visit www.outdoors.ozarks.edu/events.aspx COSTS: • $595.00 Tuition • (Optional) Hostel Bed Available @ $200 (Entire Course; Equipped with Shower) • (Optional) Camping Spot Available @ $100 (Entire Course; Showers in Gym) • (Optional) Shuttle transport for Little Rock National Airport ($100) • (Optional) Shuttle transport for Fort Smith Regional Airport ($81) • (Optional) Shuttle transport for Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport ($100) The Wilderness First Responder 80-hour curriculum includes standards for urban and extended care situations. Special topics include:

enjoyed by hikers, birdwatchers and photographers. The work that you help complete can be part of your legacy to The Natural State and all those who walk the trail for years to come, possibly including your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

• • • •

Wound Management & Infection Realigning Fractures & Dislocations Improvised Splinting Techniques Patient Monitoring & Long Term Management Problems Up-to-Date Information on All Environmental Emergencies Advice on Drug Therapies

Emphasis is placed on prevention and decision-making, not the memorization of lists. Half of your time will be spent completing practical skills, case studies and scenarios designed to challenge your decision making abilities. WMI Adult & Child CPR is included in this course. College credit is available! The Wilderness First Responder course is pre-approved for 3 semester credits by the Department of Health Promotion and Education at the University of Utah, 70 hours of EMT Continuing Education Hours (CEH) by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS). A nationally recognized program! Founded in 1965 by legendary mountaineer Paul Petzoldt, the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) teaches technical outdoor skills, leadership, and environmental ethics to people of all ages in some of the world’s wildest and most awe-inspiring classrooms. Founded in 1990, the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS provides the highest quality education and information for the recognition, treatment, and prevention of wilderness emergencies. Register today and be confident that you'll know how to handle an emergency away from civilization. It’s valuable knowledge that you may have to use to help save someone close to you.

4 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2011

Elk Youth Hunt A Success by Wayne Shewmake On August 27, 2011 Arkansas Wildlife Federation held its Annual Awards Banquet in Bryant, Arkansas. We had one of the largest and best banquets ever with about 500 people in attendance. We gave out our prestigious awards to those who had worked hard to help conservation in Arkansas. After the awards program we held our annual fundraising auction. These are items donated to AWF to help support our conservation goals. One of the items was a donation from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, a youth elk tag to be used by a person between the ages of 6 and 15. This was the first time AGFC has given this oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to AWF and we were very proud of the donation. Mossy Oak Investment Realty was the auctioneers for us as part of their donation. The Youth Elk Tag was the last thing we auctioned off. AGFC Wildlife Director David Goad explained about the tag and

who could use it. As the auction started and excitement got intense the elk tag sold for $1,500, which was a bargain and a wonderful opportunity for a young person to receive. The tag was purchased by Jeff and Sharon Wright from Russellville. It was a great honor for AWF to have such an auction item on our program, and we hope to do it again in 2012. A part of the money raised from the auction will go back to AGFC to be used for support of the elk program in Arkansas. AGFC re-introduced the elk to Arkansas in the 1980’s along the Buffalo River area. This has been one of the most successful reintroduction of large mammals within North America. As time has gone by the elk population has grown into a large enough herd to allow hunting a few animals each year. The city of Jasper, Arkansas has a large festival each year in June and the AGFC has a drawing to give away a number of elk tags to Arkansans who had applied by mail or online, for the free elk tag.

Trail Tales by Johnny Sain

Trapping is a controversial issue in today’s world. Most of the controversy comes from a lack of information and understanding. At the core of the issue is humane treatment of animals balanced with smart management of the natural world. Any true outdoorsman and nature lover cringes at the thought of an animal in pain, but informed people realize that good management is the key to a healthy ecosystem. To be fair, the imbalance that necessitates trapping today is our fault. The reason that so many coyotes, raccoons, opossums, and other smaller predators are everywhere is because we killed-off the alpha-predators. Big predators are the key to controlling small predator numbers. The big cats and wolves were wiped out in Arkansas before the turn of the twentieth century. I’m sure that a few mountain lions still hide in the most remote areas of Arkansas today but the population is nowhere what it was before. The question on many minds is, “So what? Why should we care that the wolves and lions are all gone?” I hate to quote a Disney movie but The Lion King sums up the reasononing best. It’s called the circle of life. When a part of that circle

is removed it causes problems, sometimes big problems that take a long time to show themselves. It also creates an opportunity for other creatures to move into different roles. The removal of the large predators left room to grow for the smaller predator populations and that is where we are today. The outdoor media has called some attention to this imbalance and they have done it by targeting coyotes and bobcats as large-scale deer and turkey killers. Recently, the feral hog situation has potentially exacerbated this problem. This puts them squarely in competition with hunters, which puts them squarely in the crosshairs of many riflescopes. Anyone that has spent time outside at sundown can tell you, the coyotes are everywhere. Coyotes do prey on deer and an occasional turkey but I believe their impact on these two species has been overestimated. Bobcats are well equipped to take deer or turkey and probably take a few of both each year. Bobcat numbers have remained about the same through the years. Even before the coyote explosion, we had a good numbers of cats. That’s what biologists think anyway.

Now, about the young man, Jared Yager, who was the recipient of AWF’s youth elk tag. Jared goes to school at the Subiaco Academy where he is in the 9th grade. Jared comes from a very nice family who cares a lot about his education and his future. They gave him this rare chance to get to go elk hunting in Arkansas and to see this magnificent animal in the wild. I had been talking to a film crew out of Hogeye called The Huntin' Show and they agreed to help AWF out and film the hunt. I had also been talking to the grandfather, Tom Shoup, who was going to accompany Jared on the hunt. Tom has hunted elk in Colorado and has been successful, so he was very much aware of Jared’s opportunity to go elk hunting in Arkansas and what all it would entail to hopefully have some success. Tom and I made some scouting trips to the AGFC Getting an accurate count of bobcats is dang near impossible, they are just too sneaky. The best guess is that their impact on native prey animals is not a problem. While coyote, bobcat, and even fox need population management, studies on the diet of these animals reveals a pattern. By and large all three survive on rodents and rabbits. This is their niche; they are made to prey on these small mammals. That being said, strict job descriptions don’t work in the wild critters do what they must to survive. A few deer and turkey will be on the menu for the coyote and bobcat along with a turkey or two to the fox. In my opinion however, the smaller meat-eaters are the bigger problem. Mike Fischer of the Arkansas Trappers Association agrees with this idea. He pegs these opportunistic feeders as the dry land trapper’s prime targets. “Raccoons, opossums, and skunks aren’t just meat-eaters, they will eat anything. Being omnivorous is an advantage in the survival of a species.” This flexibility along with the loss of the top predators has resulted in big numbers of what biologists call mesopredators. Fischer is clear on his view that trapping today as more than recreational, “Trapping is our responsibility as conservationist.” Eggs of ground-nesting birds are on top of the menu for small predators and ground nesting birds are facing problems right now. A quick glance at this year’s deer harvest records will tell you that coyote and cat numbers are having little

Gene Rush WMA. AGFC has worked very hard to make the habitat acceptable for elk and Gene Rush WMA supports several elk. Tom and I both were talking to The Huntin Show' producer Nathan Ogden and his crew, Brandon Karn and Ben Milburn, Continued page 5

to no effect on the deer population. Now check the turkey and quail numbers. Dig a little further and find out what’s going on with other ground-nesting birds like whippoor-wills or least terns on the sandbars of the Arkansas River. I’ll give you a hint, it ain’t good. Habitat loss is the number one reason for the decline but losing a large part of the next generation to predation makes it even tougher. This is where we step in, even though our “stepping in” has caused much of the problem. As stewards of the land it falls on us to restore balance, or at least push the scales toward it. In a perfect world the answer would be to bring back the big predators, but we don’t live in a perfect world. We do what we can and trapping responsibly is what we can do. [Editor’s Note: You can find out more information on the Arkansas Trappers Association at http://arkansastrappers.org/]

Arkansas Out-of-Doors •November/December 2011 - 5 who would be filming the actual hunt. Ben owns Buffalo River Outfitters in St. Joe, Arkansas and has a lot of knowledge about the elk in Arkansas. He is seasoned in filming this kind of hunt. Opening day, Dec. 5, Jared, Tom, Tom’s brother Dewey Shoup, and myself left Russellville about 3:30 am heading to meet Ben and Brandon at Snowball, Arkansas. We all met up and started toward the Gene Rush WMA to try and be the first ones in there. We got there plenty early enough, because we knew there would be others who had the same idea we had because this is a good location. It was a very cold morning, just below freezing, cloudy with a light north wind. Daylight came about 7 am because of the clouds and it started to sleet on us. Brandon and Ben were trying to protect the camera equipment while Jared and I tried to stay warm and alert. There were some other hunters who came into the same area and set up not too far from us, thank goodness for the hunter orange. I’m still not sure how our ancestors survived without the camouflage clothes we have today. After an hour or so it started to snow. The snowflakes got bigger and bigger, about the size of a baseball. We decided to get out of the valley before we got stranded. When we got back to the trucks Ben had a flat tire on his rig, so he rode with me. Jared, Tom, Ben, and Dewey followed in the other truck. By the time we got out of the valley and over the mountain I think there was about 3 inches of snow on top. Not sure how much snow they got but we didn’t want to stay and find out. Ben and Brandon live in the area and suggested we call it a day. The weatherman called for more snow on Tuesday for the area,

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER HISTORY 1936 History NOVEMBER

• 03: President Franklin D. Roosevelt wins landslide victory over Alfred M Landon. and maybe some on Wednesday. So Tom decided to wait until Thursday and try to meet again. I couldn’t make the Thursday date and Jared went back to school for Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday morning Tom and Jared met with Ben and Brandon at Snowball again and went back into AGFC Gene Rush WMA. This time they brought the flat bottom boat so they could cross the Richland Creek, which looked more like a river and was really rolling. They also had to cross the mighty Buffalo River and the water was very cold. Ben and Brandon took Jared and all of their gear across and hiked into the Gene Rush WMA to find a better more secluded area where they had seen more elk. About 8:30 the big bull elk appeared and about 8:45 Jared took the shot at about 130 yards, and the rest his history. It was a large 5x7 Bull which field dressed at 490 lbs. Brandon sent me a picture of Jared. He looked very proud of his success and I was proud for him. Now, how to get this big animal back to the truck? After a few phone calls AGFC opened the gate to allow them to retrieve the elk and AGFC biologist took samples. I just happen to own Wild Game Processing just outside of Dardanelle, so Tom called me and told me they would be bringing the elk to me to process. I was thrilled. Tom, and Jared got to my place and we got the elk taken care of for them. I know Jared and his family will really enjoy the elk for it is one of the best tasting wild game found in Arkansas. I would like to thank AGFC for their support in giving AWF the elk tag to auction off. I would also like to thank The Huntin' Show crew, Nathan, Ben, and Brandon for filming the hunt for AWF. In addition I would like to thank Jeff & Sharon Wright for purchasing the elk tag at AWF’s banquet and allowing us to film the hunt. I want to thank Tom for taking time to take Jared on the Hunt of A Lifetime. We hope you will be watching for The Huntin' Show premier of this on a channel near you. You can find out more about the program and airdates/times on Facebook by searching “Huntin Show” (no letter g in the name) or their website at http://www.huntinshow.com/

• 06: RCA displays TV for the press. • 9: Mary Travers, folk singer (Peter Paul & Mary), was born in Louisville, Kentucky. • 12: San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opens to traffic. It cost $78 million and was the longest bridge ever attempted. • 12: The first TV Gardening show airs • 18: The main span of the Golden Gate Bridge was joined together. • 23: The first issue of LIFE Magazine debuted. It was an immediate sellout. The cover showed an obstetrician slapping a baby and the caption read, “LIFE begins”. • 30: London’s Crystal Palace, constructed for the International Exhibition in 1851, is destroyed by fire. • 30: 1960’s activist Abbie Hoffman was born.

DECEMBER • 01: E.W. Brundin and F.F. Lyon obtain patent on soilless culture of plants. • 01: Lou Rawls (Louis Allen) was born this day. • 01: Bell Labs tested coaxial cable for TV use. • 11: King Edward VIII of England abdicates the throne for the woman he loves, Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American born divorcee. • 17: Edgar Bergen and his dummy, Charlie McCarthy, hit overnight success on the Rudy Vallee radio show. • 18: Su-Lin becomes the first Giant panda imported into United States, arriving in San Francisco. • 22: British best-selling author James Burke is born. • 24: The 1st radioactive isotope medicine was administered in Berkeley, California.

6 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2011

A Quick History of Lake Conway & AWF

by Ethan Nahté Lake Conway, now known as Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir, off of Interstate 40 along the municipalities of Conway and Mayflower, Arkansas, is the largest lake ever constructed by a state conservation agency. It was the first lake constructed by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC). Arkansas Wildlife Federation(AWF) helped to get the shovel digging when it came to having the lake created. Conway residents had wanted a fishing lake closer to town since the turn of the 20th century. In 1940 Dr. James H. Flanagin, Sr., a dentist and a member of the Faulkner County affiliate of the relatively newly formed AWF, was contacted by former Conway mayor William D. Cole, who was now

president of the Conway Chamber of Commerce. Cole asked Dr. Flanagin and his buddy Walter Dunaway to look into having a lake developed on some cheap land filled with swamps and poor timber known as the Palarm Creek bottoms. Dunaway would later become mayor of Conway. Many other influential people from the Conway area were also a factor in helping to push this dream forward. The land ranged from Saltillo to Mayflower along Palarm Creek, a tributary to the Arkansas River. The land was running for approximately fifty cents/acre, which is equivalent to about eight dollars/acre in today’s terms. Regardless, the AWF affiliate still needed additional funding to purchase and begin the project. Remember, this was not long before the United States entered WWII and right after the Great Depression, so times were tough and money was tight. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and U.S Army Corps of Engineers both rejected AWF’s request due to various reasons. The affiliate turned to the people of Faulkner County where they managed to get about $20,000 in voluntary contributions, which is close to $310,000 in today’s money. This was enough to purchase the land, but the publicity garnered by the fundraising brought the greed out in a lot of the landowners. The prices jumped to as much as $100/ acre in 1940, a 20,000 percent increase. The Faulkner County affiliate had to raise another $45,000 to purchase the land for a total of $65,000, give or take. This was spearheaded by Cole, Dr. Flanagin and AWF’s president at the time, William M. Apple. They managed to get 50,000 contributors from all across Arkansas to raise the remaining funds. Some landowners kept their prices low while some donated land, so not all were greedy. There were also issues from various landowners and businesses with interests in the area, including the Magnolia Pipeline Company, Missouri Pacific Railroad, and the Federal Land Bank of St. Louis. Not to mention that Conway’s sewage at that time was disposed of at Stone Dam Creek,

Grassy Lake Road now high and dry for area residents MAYFLOWER – Not long ago, Grassy Lake was a recurring headache for people who lived downstream from Lake Conway. A new bridge, then a new road was the prescription that stopped the pain. Creating this panacea was a team of a half dozen or more entities that worked out the plan, admittedly with some difficulties. The Grassy Lake success is one segment in an extensive and ambitious plan for the Lake Conway Watershed Advocacy Group, now more than two years old. The advocacy group, or LCWAG, has a persistent driving force in State Rep. Jane English of North Little Rock. A bit of background here: Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir, which celebrated its 60th birthday last summer, has problems. Some go back to the beginning, when not enough land around its shoreline

was put into permanent public ownership. The lake has excessive vegetation. The lake levels have fluctuated too much. And, a key to all the problems, the residential and commercial development in the surrounding watershed has accelerated runoff into the lake and contributed excessive amounts of silt, which has reduced the depth of a large portion of the lake. The AGFC also had to restrict the spillway gate operations to reduce the frequency and duration that the road was inundated. That made it less efficient to manage flood water. Years after the lake was built, a real estate development called Rogers Country Estates put dozens of homes near the lake’s lower end but just across the line into Pulaski County. Access was from near Mayflower by Grassy Lake Road and from North Little Rock through Camp Robinson. The latter route was shut off by heightened security

above Palarm Creek and the location for the proposed lake. This required a modern sewage disposal plant to be built sop that sewage wouldn’t run into the lake. For that matter it helped stop sewage from going into the creek and the Arkansas River, then the Mississippi River and the ocean. Pretty disgusting when one thinks about it. After a total of 35 lawsuits construction was allowed to begin but a few landowners were still hanging on to their land which caused problems. AWF asked AGFC for help but the commission could not legally take control of land. A petition campaign began to change the Arkansas state constitution which gave the Commission autonomy from the state legislature and enabled wildlife regulations to be enforceable on a statewide basis. The powers given by Amendment 35: The control, management, restoration, conservation and regulation of birds, fish, game and wildlife resources of the State, including hatcheries, sanctuaries, refuges, reservations and all property now owned, or used for said purposes and the acquisition and Continued page 7

after Sept. 11, 2001 at the military facility. Grassy Lake Road was the only access, and frequent flooding closed it, isolating the Rodgers Estate people and other area residents. A solution came in two stages over the past seven years. A new bridge, elevated by several feet more than old structure, was built across Palarm Creek downstream from the Lake Conway dam. The bridge was completed in 2004 but did little by itself to ease the road’s flooding issues. A raised road was the second step, and it took a massive meeting of minds along with creative financing and engineering to achieve. English called together such organizations as Metroplan, the Little Rock-area visionary group, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission which owns the lake but not the territory below it, Faulkner County, Pulaski County, the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department and Arkansas Natural Resources Commission and two citizens groups – Lake Conway Citizens Advisory Committee and Lake Conway Homeowners Association.

The solution was a new road linking Arkansas Highway 89 at Mayflower to the new Palarm Creek bridge. It had to be elevated, and it was – not enough at first then much better with an additional foot and a half added to the roadbed to match the elevation of earlier floods. This new route replaced the old Grassy Lake Road that ran under Interstate 40 and which was closed by floods every time there was significant rainfall in the area. Along with the creative pooling of funds for the work, a maze of paperwork was required because the area includes wetlands, meaning federal permission for any construction. Today the new hard-surface road parallels I-40 from Exit 135 south for 8/10ths of a mile to the bridge over Palarm Creek, and elevates the road to withstand high volumes coming down Palarm Creek and also backing up from the Arkansas River when it is at flood stage. Changes to the road will allow the AGFC to change the Water Level Management Plan to include less restrictive spillway gate operations and increase the efficiency of flood water control in the future.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors •November/December 2011 - 7

establishment of same, the administration of the laws now and/or hereafter pertaining thereto, shall be vested in a Commission to be known as the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission, to consist of eight members. Seven of whom shall be active and one an associate member who shall be the Head of the Department of Zoology at the University of Arkansas, without voting power. Amendment 35 was the true mark of the beginning of wildlife conservation in Arkansas. It passed in 1944 and allowed AGFC to take control of the land still being held onto buy the landowners still holding out. Skip forward ten years and in 1950 construction finally began on the 6,700 acre lake and was completed in 1951, costing somewhere between $150 to $196 thousand, approximately $1.3 to $1.75 million in today’s money. The AGFC funded a large portion of the construction once the land was purchased, allowing some timber harvesting by former land owners to recoup some of the costs for construction. Lake Conway was officially opened and dedicated on July 4, 1951. It quickly became a popular location to fish as well as a refuge for many migratory birds. The AGFC has built more areas around the lake and purchased land to help in the protection, maintenance and conservation of the lake over the years. They have officers

who maintain the law and regulations on the lake to ensure that the high quality of the lake is preserved so it may be enjoyed by residents and tourists alike. In June 2011, the AGFC officially renamed Lake Conway the Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir after outgoing commission chairman Craig D. Campbell, who completed his term on June 30th. The official ceremony was held November 17, 2011 with a host of past and present commissioners, elected officials, family and friends in attendance. A new sign on I-40 announces the recent name change as well. “This was not an easy lake to come by,” said Loren Hitchcock, current Deputy Director of AGFC. “It’s a fitting honor to name this lake on his behalf.” “Naming this lake after Craig is certainly fitting for all the work he’s done,” said AGFC Chairman George Dunklin before he introduced Campbell. Campbell said he appreciated the gesture, and told the history of the lake to make it clear that those who had the vision were the ones to thank. “As I told a newspaper reporter, this lake has been, is today and always will be Lake Conway,” Campbell said. He praised Flanagin and Dunaway for leading the charge in the 1940s. Campbell paid for a plaque set in rock near the dam to honor those who pushed for the lake. “I’m elated the Commission chose to name this lake after Craig,” Hitchcock said. “He has a generous heart and a strong will.” If one takes the Mayflower exit, Hwy. 89, off I-40, the only exit for Mayflower, and head east, the first road on the right is Dam Road. To the left the road is called Lake Forest Drive. On the corner is a bait shop. Turn right onto Dam Road and follow it for a little over a mile to the very end. There one can find the dam, the dedication plaques and plenty of fishing. 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.

Gordon Bagby AGFC Education Specialist Central Arkansas Nature Center

Waterfowl Update

Where are the ducks? The Game and Fish Commission is asked this question constantly during duck season. It’s no wonder since Arkansas has around 80,000 duck hunters each year! Agency wildlife biologists conduct regular aerial surveys during the waterfowl season. The most recent survey showed that ducks and geese are widely spread across the state due to abundant habitat and water. Warmer than normal temperatures in December meant that massive migrations from the north have yet to occur. Still, the survey showed 2.4 million waterfowl were in Arkansas. The final duck season split ends on January 29.

Did You Know This About Bears?

• The Game and Fish Commission completed the most successful restoration of a large mammal in the US from 1959 to 1968. The once plentiful black bears had dwindled to about 50 in the 1940s, mostly in the White River Refuge. Through scientific management, agency biologists brought the population back to a level that the first modern-day bear season occurred in 1980. There are now around 4,000 bears in Arkansas, mostly in the Ozarks and Ouachitas with smaller numbers in eastern and southern Arkansas. • Bears den in the winter months, usually beginning in late November into December, due to lack of food. About 90% of a bear’s diet is vegetation, fruits, and hard and soft mast. As those items become unavailable, bears begin to den. They do not hibernate in Arkansas due to warmer winters than in northern states. While in dens, bears do not eat, drink or expel waste. Metabolism decreases about 50% and bears lose roughly 25% of their weight. Bears begin emerging from dens in early spring, usually March or April.

• Bears mate in Arkansas in June and July. It is the only time boars and sows will be around one another. Sows delay implantation of the fertilized eggs until late fall if they have enough weight to sustain them and cubs in the den. Cubs are born in the den and remain with the sow until emerging from the den the following year. • The Arkansas Black Bear Association is a conservation group devoted to the state’s bear population. Visit www.arbear.org for more information.

Upcoming Events at the Central Arkansas Nature Center

• Search for Sheds, Saturday, February 4, 2:30-3:00. This program will share information in finding shed antlers and some uses for them. Registration is not necessary. • Juvenile alligators are fed each Friday at 2pm. Aquarium fish are fed each Wednesday at 2pm. Drop in and watch if you’d like to see either of these! • Archery on the Lawn is the third Saturday of each month at 2pm. This is for inexperienced bow shooters and uses youth bows.

8 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2011

Capturing the Beauty of Arkansas with Photographer Tim Ernst by Ethan Nahté

If you enter a book store or nature-related gift shop at a state park, campground, or somewhere similar anywhere within the state of Arkansas, odds are you will see at least one, if not a dozen books and a current calendar by photographer Tim Ernst. The books may be trail guides with pictures and information specific to portions of the lengthy Ozark Highlands Trail, places to swim, interesting day-hikes; or they may be theme-oriented on mammals, autumn foliage, or waterfalls throughout the state. Whatever the subject matter, if you enjoy looking at spectacular photography that highlights the beauty of nature, Ernst’s publications are sure to satisfy. When I conducted this interview last February, Ernst was working on Arkansas Portfolio III, which is now out, but you will notice that some of his answers relate to work dating back prior to June of 2011 as the book was still in the process of being laid out. He is also a very entertaining presenter, making appearances at locations such as the Witt Stephens, Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center or for the Audubon group at the large hall at the community center in Hot Springs Village. The first time I met the man he was in Hot Springs Village before a crowd of three hundred to four hundred people as he conducted two presentations, one on autumn in Arkansas and one on his recent trip to Iceland, a land with no ice but filled with stark rocks and crags, wondrous waterfalls and glimmering rainbows. His commentary and anecdotes throughout the presentation were quite entertaining. I visited Ernst at his home and studio known as Cloudland, up in the Ozark Highlands. Not far from the picturesque Hawksbill Crag, Ernst’s backdoor looks over a shear 1300 foot drop down the cliff face to the Buffalo River. The studio is separate from the house, a decentsized building that showcases both fixed and portable walls adorned with large versions of his photography, ranging from landscapes, starry skies and waterfalls to wolves, black bears or elk. The portable walls come down on occasion when Ernst gives his photography workshops (more on that below). The adjacent room is filled with a large, high-quality professional printer, computers and camera equipment. – the tools of Ernst’s trade. Ernst was born and raised in Arkansas. He has lived his entire life in the state, attending college when he became interested in photography. “I had a manager who taught me digital black and white. I’m not sure how I got to that point. I started my business because I was a terribly shy student in college. I think subconsciously it was a way for me to come out of my shell. I mean, I couldn’t even talk to you. I tried to communicate with people through the camera. I was interested in the outdoors and spent a lot of time out there and I started taking the camera with me, started taking pictures. I saw other people are making money for this and maybe that was something that I could do. I was in a very rare state because most photographers, right now, everybody wants to be a photographer, quit their job and take pictures. And, it just doesn’t happen like that. And, it’s true, most businesses that start, ninety percent of them, fail. One reason is you don’t wake up one day and declare that you are a professional photographer and start making money. “I didn’t make much money for five years. In fact, what I encourage people to do now is take a look and see how many people are doing the exact same thing. When I stated there were one or two minnows in the pond, and now, the pond is full. Everybody is able to take good quality pictures. Even with a cameraphone. A lot of it is being there when the light is up. Sometimes it will only last for a minute or two. Being able to spend the time, the weeks, to go out and get one picture. And, people think I get paid to take pictures, and I don’t. I haven’t been paid to take pictures since I sold my business. They bought pictures I had already made and people bought books. “Wildlife is probably the most difficult [to shoot]. I spend two or three years working on a wildlife picture book. The best way to be a good wildlife photographer is to be a good biologist. What I tried to do, because I didn’t have a lifetime to do this, is develop all those skills and learn where they are. I went to areas where there is wildlife, like Holla Bend. There’s twenty or thirty kind of wildlife and you can watch the bald eagles fly. I didn’t walk out in the woods and sit down

and expect wildlife to show up, because it rarely would happen. I put a lot of time and effort going to places where I hoped to find wildlife. Sometimes I may sit there for two or three days and never get a shot. Other times I would be gone and out of here and I learned that a lot of wildlife can be found while you’re driving. One thing I wanted to do with my photography was include a lot of wildlife areas. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has developed a lot of wildlife areas around the state. “For my first five years I was taking pictures of wildlife, which got me into the business of photography. I sold a few pictures to National Geographic, did some commercial photography and then I was going in three different directions. (His work has appeared in many other national publications since then.) I took pictures of trails for the U.S. Forest Service, and helped build the Ozark Highlands trail. The trail itself was partially built by the Forest Service. Then they abandoned it. “The trail is one hundred-sixty-five miles. It goes through the Buffalo River, then up through Mountain Home, then up through the Missouri border and through there. The Ozark trail has been built catty corner across Missouri and most was built on private property, not government property.

“Wildlife is probably the most difficult [to shoot]. I spend two or three years working on a wildlife picture book." When producing the guidebooks and information on the trails Ernst says, “I do everything in them. Early on I had someone else do the maps. But, I taught my wife how to do that. Now my wife does all the maps for the guidebooks. Now I will take my GPS with me and do tracks and it will be on a topo(graphic) map. So, the measurements will be very accurate. I measure in feet. Of course in the guidebook it will be in miles. I still measure it. “When you’re out in the woods, GPS can be wrong. I will be out in the woods with my GPS showing I am miles away from something when I am standing there facing it. On the Highlands Trail and on the Ouachita Trail, those are laid out accurately. They are very accurate within ten feet, probably. But, you can go out there with a GPS and walk and it’s not very accurate at all. It’s a misnomer, people say I’m going to take my GPS with me and I’m going to go hike this trail. A lot of people think you can follow a trail using a GPS and you can’t. I tell people, put your GPS in your back and go out on the trail. Most of

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Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December - 9 the trails in this state are in state parks and are not wilderness trails and they aren’t that difficult, but you are out there on your own. You can follow in the guidebook and can get across that creek. “In a lot of places, people actually ask me, ‘Did you hike these trails?’ I can’t imagine not having hiked these trails. But apparently other guidebook writers don’t, necessarily. There’s a guidebook on Arkansas trails by an author, a lady in Conway and, she says, ‘I’m not a hiker. They just pay me to compile this stuff and put it in a book.’ I wouldn’t want anybody else to provide information in a guidebook of mine because I wouldn’t know if it was accurate or not. “The first guidebook came out in 1988. The first map that I did came out in 1992. I wrote an article for Backpacker magazine about one of our trails here that I had a map of. I got to thinking, ‘People want to know this stuff’.” Ernst began creating and producing the guidebooks and pamphlets, which became quite popular. Then he began doing the picture books. His current location christened Cloudland is now where he calls home and gives his classes. “I looked at property for fifteen years. I looked at the quality of life. The property is at 2000 feet elevation and to the bottom (at the river) is about 1300 feet down.” Ernst has a trail that leads to the Buffalo. “Coming back up is pretty easy,” he says. “My first webpage came out three days in a row to see what I had bought. When I built the cabin there was nothing here. A lot of times in the morning the fog would settle to the bottom and you could see the clouds. And when the sun comes up little pieces started breaking off and the clouds are born here. At the time I was reading a book and the author talked about the clouds rising higher and higher. There was a tributary page called Cloudland. I said, ‘That’s a good name for it’.” The webpage consists of a journal and daily image. Some of the shots taken simply from his back door are amazing. The Cloudland Cabin Journal is the oldest continuous running journal online. It started in 1998. “I don’t write every day. I take pictures and post them every day that I am here. I write two or three times a week. It’s not a blog. It’s a different format. And, you can go in there now and still read the first page-May 18, 1998. There are people that read it. But, the reason most people read it is it is like a book. They will send an email and say I read the whole thing.” There is The Cloudland Journal Book One: The First Year of Exploration and Personal Discovery in the Wilderness. It can be found for a mere ten bucks on Ernst’s website alongside the many other books, calendars, pamphlets and guides. Or if you make one of his workshops you could pick up your choice of material.

“When people come to my workshop, I can teach them to set their camera up and take good pictures in five minutes. It doesn’t turn a snapshot into a work of art, but it gives them the ability to capture something that they can produce. The equipment is really the lowest thing on the totem pole. There are seven or eight things I teach in my workshop and the equipment is next to last. “I do the classes in the spring and fall,” Ernst explains. “That’s when I can pretty much guarantee we’re going to have great stuff to take pictures of. On the one-day workshop we meet very early, at six o’clock in the morning. We go out somewhere and I teach them to set up their cameras first. A lot of people have automatic buttons on their cameras and they leave them there. You can get good technical pictures, but they don’t understand or know how to manipulate the controls of the camera to produce the pictures that they want to. Their hands are tied. So I have them go over their owner’s manual to make sure their camera is set up correctly. I have them do everything on manual so they can capture everything that the camera is capable of capturing. That is the most important thing. Then we go out and take a lot of pictures, and I help them with composition, staging, etc. “Then we come here to the gallery and sit at the tables together and everybody learns how to download their stuff. That is where most photographers fall flat, because the program is like $6000 and it’s so discouraging. It was for me when I first started it. And what I do is I say, ‘Okay, here we are step one. What are you going to do with these pictures now that you’ve got them?’ They work all the way through to the print. And I give them a digital workload. It’s very easy to follow, very few steps. And they don’t have to look at a thousand tools, they only have to use three or four. And you can accomplish most of what you wanted to with limited skills. By the end of the day, they’re doing stuff on the computer, very simple things, but it’s unbelievable to them. Probably half of the people who come to my workshop are novices. They’ve never gone beyond step A. It’s a very intensive and long day. “On the weekends they spend three days. And we do more shooting than anything else. And, they spend a lot of time in Photoshop. A lot of people think they can go to a workshop and relax. But, they can’t. When they get home, they sometimes take off work on Monday. “Most people who have cameras today have the capability of taking great shots. The equipment they have is capable of it, even if they got it from Walmart. The key is the technique and knowledge. A lot of people think, ‘Oh if they just buy the same

equipment that somebody is using and go to the same place, they will get the same pictures.’ If you buy a camera, you’re a photographer. The mechanics of it are very easy. I can teach people mechanically how to do it. The hard part of it requires something more. Just because I might have a paintbrush and canvas I couldn’t paint anything to save my life. “There’s almost a thousand different models of different cameras, every year that come out,” says Ernst in regards to what type of camera someone needs for a workshop, or their own personal or professional use. “There’s no way any one person could consider all the possibilities. [For instance] One thing, say, ‘Okay, everybody change their ISO setting, their speed.’ And they say, ‘How do I do that?’ You learn. You‘ve got to look it up in the owner’s manual. A lot of people don’t read the owner’s manual. I don’t either. That’s why I have Macintosh. Mac computers are so easy to do. “But, cameras aren’t always like that. I give them homework before they even show up to read their own owner’s manual so they know where those basic settings are. And if they show up without their owner’s manual, and I say, ‘Let’s look at your owner’s manual.’ Then they learn how to do that. That’s part of the process of

learning what they’ve got and how to use what they’ve got in their hands.” The workshops aren’t just for budding professionals. Ernst makes it available to practically anyone. “We actually don’t have any requirements except that they be breathing. A lot of times the best pictures in the group are made by the person with the point and shoot [camera]. Those with the higher dollar camera gear usually are not very good because they’re leaning on the camera gear so much. “Now I’ve got camera gear that cost a lot more than that. The only thing different that makes my stuff better than what everybody else does is mine has a fast-action setting. It gives a more dynamic range. You get more detail in the really, really dark areas. There’s actually detail. It’s extremely bright. Digital has really opened up [the possibilities]. Someone processed it for that. The negative didn’t have much in it.” Another tool of the trade that Ernst feels makes a big difference is something that gives stabilization, especially if you are shooting something that requires a lengthy setting. “I am a big tripod guy. I’ve got seven tripods right there. I use them all for different things. I can take a point and shoot and put it on a tripod and make a picture of a different (level) mechanically and image quality-wise. Everybody should shoot on a tripod.” Continued on page 16

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12 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2011

Chastain, Knoedl promoted to AGFC deputy directors LITTLE ROCK – Ricky Chastain and Mike Knoedl, with a total of 59 years with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission between them, have been promoted to deputy directors of the agency. Chastain has been assistant chief of wildlife management. Knoedl, with the rank of colonel, has been chief of enforcement. They are replacing Don Brazil, who resigned earlier this year to return to his native Mississippi, and Scott Henderson, former director of AGFC, who retired. Chastain and Knoedl will work directly under director Loren Hitchcock. Mike

Armstrong continues as deputy director. Knoedl is a native of Scott in Pulaski County and graduated from Sylvan Hills High School. He joined The Game and Fish Commission in 1985 as a wildlife officer after completing the agency’s cadet course. He was a wildlife officer in Perry, Saline, Pulaski and Dallas counties for 21 years and was selected as the state’s Wildlife Officer of the Year in 1993. In recent years, he was promoted to lieutenant and a district supervisor, then to major and in 2008 to colonel and head of the Enforcement Division. Chastain is a native of Lewisville in Lafayette County and graduated from Lewisville High School. He received a bachelor of science degree in zoology from the University of Arkansas and joined AGFC as a biologist in 1979. He worked in the agency’s turkey restoration program and on its quail management team before becoming an assistant district wildlife supervisor. He was named Acres for Wildlife Biologist of the Year in 1994. He moved up to district wildlife supervisor for the Ouachita Mountain region and was named assistant chief of wildlife management in 2004.

Ricky Chastain

Mike Knoedl

Hitchcock said of the new appointments, “I was fortunate to find two employees who have a cumulative total of 59 years of loyal and dedicated service to our agency at various ranks within their respective divisions. Replacing the positions they are leaving will be uniquely as important, as we must have knowledgeable, confident, loyal and dedicated leaders in place at all of our managerial levels. I have no doubt that Mike Knoedl and Ricky Chastain will meet the new challenges and responsibilities with all their commitment and eagerness as they have their whole careers.” Knoedl and Chastain will continue to work out of the AGFC’s Little Rock headquarters.

At Heartland Bank, our customers come first. Our friendly staff is here to assist you with all of your banking needs - from loans to new accounts, mortgages, cd’s, and everything in between. Stop by any one of our convenient locations today… we’re here to help.

Bryant: 4937 Hwy 5 N. / 501-847-7982 Sheridan: 108 South Main St. / 870-942-8844 Fordyce: 610 W. 4th St. / 870-352-3101 Little Rock: 5100 Kavanaugh Blvd. / 501-663-3350 www.heartlandbankonline.com

Arkansas Atlas & Gazeteer Available

LITTLE ROCK – Need a gift for the outdoorsman that has everything? The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has teamed up with DeLorme, the nation’s foremost atlas company, to deliver the ultimate outdoors enthusiast’s reference. The latest edition of the Arkansas Atlas and Gazetteer includes every inch of public land in Arkansas, as well as every public boat access and campsite the AGFC has to offer. The atlas even includes a section devoted to family-friendly outings, including hiking trails, rivers and streams for paddling, museums and state parks to get kids started on the right path to the outdoors. The atlas contains 132 pages and is printed in color on 11x15½ inches pages. Set against topographical lines, the colorful grids include highways, county roads, streams, wildlife management areas, state parks, national parks, national forests, lakes, boat ramps and much more. Several pages offer information about hunting, fishing, biking, hiking, paddling, natural features, family outings, recreation areas and campgrounds. Also included is a huge list of place names. It’s a crucial collection of information for anyone who seeks adventure in Arkansas. By now, you’re wondering how to get your hands on this new publication. It’s easy. Visit http://tinyurl.com/AGFCAtlas/ or call 501-223-6352 to order for $23 (shipping included). It’s available for walk-in purchase at AGFC headquarters, regional offices and nature centers for $20.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors •November/December 2011 - 13

NOV/DEC UPCOMING EVENTS Chik-Fil-A Family Night

Monday, January 30 Pleasant RidgeTown Center 11525 Cantrell Road, Little Rock 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm We will be giving a presentation to families on how to make pinecone feeders and discussing the importance of helping migrating birds and other animals throughout winter. We will also be discussing other things that AWF does such as our work on the Bearcat Hollow Cooperative Project and the LOViT (Lake Ouachita VistaTrail) work that we are doing in February.

LOViT (Lake Ouachita Vista Trail) Volunteer Days

Saturday, February 4, 11 and 18 Meet @ Crystal Springs Campground (near Mount Ida) Come work all 3 Saturdays or just choose one. Feel free to contact us to arrange to camp out for free the night before. See article in this issue for details. For more details on the trail-building and/or to camp out the night(s) before contact: Traildog@windstream.net

Arkansas Sportshow

Friday – Sunday, February 10-12 ASU Convocation Center 217 Olympic Drive, Jonesboro For more information: http://www.arsportshow.com/home. php/

Family Night: Wild Things-Wildlife Watching Night Tuesday, Feb. 21 6 pm -8:30 pm Fred Berry Conservation Education Center On Crooked Creek 851 Conservation Lane, Yellville Free Admission - Registration is required. To register, call 870-449-3484.

Wildlife viewing is one of the fastest growing outdoor activities in the nation. Anyone can enjoy it during any season and in any corner of the state. Family Night will include presentations, games and activities that will grab your attention, improve your wildlife viewing skills, and teach you some of the best places to go. Weather permitting, we’ll finish the night trying to catch a glimpse of nocturnal wildlife in a special nighttime hike.

AWF Quarterly Meeting

Saturday, March 3 10 am – 2pm Witt Stephens, Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center 602 President Clinton Ave. Little Rock Open to the Public Working lunch provided- first come first served. For more information or to RSVP (so we know how much food to provide) contact: arkwf@ sbcglobal.net or 501-224-9200

“Wildlife of Arkansas” 2012 Student Art Contest

Deadline: March 23, 2012 Open to all Arkansas students, K – 12th grade Presented by Arkansas Wildlife Federation & Creative Ideas. Prizes awarded. See article for more information and Contest Form. Contact: Sharon Hacker @ 501-837-0462 or Rebecca Najar @ 501-658-8838 for more information.

NOLS-WMI Wilderness First Responder Course

Saturday, March 17- Sunday, March 25 University of the Ozarks – Clarksville Public Welcome. Must register. See details in article in this issue or visit their site: www.ozarks. edu/register/aspx/ or 1-800-264-8636 (M-F, 8am – 5pm)

Faith & Environmental Justice Retreat

Our Arbor Day for Garland county:

Arbor Day 2012: Arbor Day will be on April 20th this year at Entergy Park, and every fifth grade student in Garland County, including our home schooled students at the appropriate grade are invited. This huge project will once again be a joint venture with many City/County/State departments. The great forest-related workbook and lunch will be provided at no cost to all attendees again this year, and plans are well underway for another full array of interesting educational modules for the students. Last year’s event had over 590 students, teachers and parents in attendance. To volunteer, participate or general information contact: Adam Roberts @ 501-655-2161 or adamrobertshsgcbc@ msn.com

Friday – Saturday, March 23-24 Ferncliff Camp, Central Arkansas Presented by Arkansas Interfaith Power & Light To register of for more details: arkansasipl@gmail.com

Earth Day 2012 @ ADEQ for Fourth (4th) Graders!

Dates: Select Monday or Tuesday, April 16, 17, 23 or 24 Begins @ 9 am 5301 Northshore Drive, North Little Rock TEACHERS - Bring your fourth graders to celebrate Earth Day at the North Little Rock headquarters of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)! Our knowledgeable staff will share information about environmental quality, pollution concerns and energy innovations. We can accommodate up to 100 students for this event. Our building is handicap accessible. Contact: Becky Allison – Allison@adeq.state.ar.us or 501682-0978 to reserve your group. Don’t wait; this event will fill quickly.

5th Annual E-Day Festival

Sunday, May 20 11 am- 3 pm, Rain or Shine Historic Downtown Farmers Market, Hot Springs Admission: Free e-Day Festival is an environmental event hosting almost one hundred environmentally conscious businesses, non profits, schools, places of worship, and various eco-savvy groups. The event is full of family fun, food, entertainment, and kids’ activities all focused on earth friendly practices. This is a great green day out for the entire family. The best part about the event…admission is completely free! Whether you’re “green” and want to see the latest in environmentally sound practices and new ideas (and meet other people like you) or whether you just want to learn some new “green” tips and practices, this is the event for you. You will discover all kinds of intriguing exhibitors with eco friendly products to purchase and green practices to start implementing in your daily routine. To volunteer, participate or general information contact: Adam Roberts @ 501-655-2161 or adamrobertshsgcbc@ msn.com

Tilapia record part of the family NORTH LITTLE ROCK – The tilapia tradition continues. Sheila Easterly of Little Rock caught a 3-pound, 8-ounce tilapia Oct. 26 on Camp Robinson in Pulaski County. Her fish topped the previous mark of 3 pounds, 7 ounces caught by Dennis Show of North Little Rock Oct. 9, 2008. Catching record tilapia is in Easterly’s blood. She set the state record at 1 pound, 12 ounces Sept. 5, 2004, while fishing at Lake Hogue. Herman Hangii, Sheila’s father, caught a 1-pound, 14-ounce tilapia Sept. 18, 2004, that broke his daughter’s record. Phillip Easterly, Sheila’s late husband, topped his father-in-law’s catch with a 2-pound, 4-ounce fish from Mallard Lake Sept. 24, 2005. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission stocked lakes Hogue and Mallard with tilapia, which die when water temperature drops, usually during late November. Easterly said she weighed the latest record at Joey B’s Grocery in Little Rock. It was identified by several AGFC fisheries biologists. Several anglers held the record between 2005 and Easterly’s most-recent mark.

14 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2011

AWF ANNUAL GOVERNOR'S ACHIEVEMENTS AWARDS PROGRAM for 2012 The following awards are open for nomination:

HAROLD ALEXANDER CONSERVATION of the YEAR AWARD

The highest conservation achievement award presented by the Arkansas Wildlife Federation is given in memory of Harold Alexander - one of the foremost authorities and experts in Arkansas on conservation activities. ________________________________________________________________________

CONSERVATION COMMUNICATOR of the YEAR AWARD

Any environmental conservation organization understands the importance of publicity and media support to educate the general public about important issues regarding the environment. The Arkansas Wildlife Federation selects annually an individual or organization that has provided outstanding media news articles or programs that keep the general public informed of environmental issues and needs that impact The Natural State. ________________________________________________________________________

Dr. JOHN L. GRAY FORESTRY CONSERVATION of the YEAR AWARD

REX HANCOCK WILDLIFE CONSERVATION of the YEAR AWARD

Rex Hancock was one of Arkansas’s premier wildlife conservationists who worked tirelessly on behalf of wildlife and wildlife habitats in the White River and Grand Prairie region of Eastern Arkansas. The Arkansas Wildlife Federation has named this special award in memory of Dr. Rex Hancock for his outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation in Arkansas. ________________________________________________________________________

AWF PRESIDENT'S AWARD

The President’s Award is presented to an AWF volunteer or Board Member in recognition of their contribution, achievements or service to the Federation. It is intended to recognize those persons who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and contributed value to the Federation and its conservation mission. ________________________________________________________________________

Corporate Conservationist of the Year Award

In June 2007, Arkansas lost a giant in the forestry field with the death of Dr. John L. Gray. Dr. Gray served on the Arkansas Wildlife Federation Board of Directors for many years and chaired the Forestry Committee. At the July 2007 AWF Board meeting, the Forestry of the Year Award was renamed in memory of Dr. Gray. ________________________________________________________________________

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Water Conservationist of the Year Award

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Corporate Conservationist of the Year Award

Student Conservation Award

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Conservationist Organization of the Year AwarD AGFC Wildlife / Conservation of the Year AwarD

The following awards will also be presented at this years program, but nominations must be submitted through the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

Hunter Education Instructor of the Year Award

Boating Education Instructor of the Year Award

The following information is required to nominate an individual for the awards listed above. Please fill out the form in it’s entirity, and submit to the address below, along with a detailed description of why your nominee should receive their award, and any other necessary articles supporting your nominee. NAME OF NOMINEE: �� AWARD: �� NOMINEE'S ADDRESS: ��

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PHONE:__________________________________________________________ EMAIL: ��

NOMINATED BY: ��

ADDRESS: ��

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PHONE:__________________________________________________________ EMAIL: �� All nominations must be mailed to AWF by June 15, 2012 to be considered. AWF, 9108 Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 101, Little Rock, Ar. 72205, 501-224-9200

Please nominate someone you know, or pass this on to anyone you feel may nominate someone.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors •November/December 2011 - 15

“Wildlife of Arkansas” 2012 Student Art Contest presented by

AR Wildlife Federation and Creative Ideas Monkeys Can’t Draw by Ethan Nahté

If you attended the 75th anniversary banquet you may have been aware that not only was a shotgun given away as a door prize, but a second shotgun donated by AWF member David Carruth was being drawn for beginning that night and ending at the 76th annual Wings Over the Prairie festival. The Stuttgart, Ark. event is the world's largest duck calling contest and was held throughout the entire week of Thanksgiving during a few days of nice weather which turned rainy by the middle of Saturday afternoon. AWF attended the event on Friday and Saturday, selling memberships, duck prints and more chances to win the shotgun. Next to the AWF table was a group that had a capuchin monkey. If someone walked by and stuck out a coin or dollar bills, the cute little critter would run up and pocket the money in the vest he was wearing. Then the person could have their picture taken with the monkey. AWF decided, "What could be more fair than to have the monkey draw for the shotgun?" The owners agreed and, when it came time to draw, AWF president Wayne Shewmake offered the drawing box with all of the names from the banquet, the festival and other tickets sold by AWF members during the interim. The poor little monkey had no idea what to do. It was excited about the box but there were only small registration cards - no coins or cash. The monkey screamed at the box, screamed at the president, retreated, came back, looked in the box again and began to slap it while raising a ruckus with Mr. Shewmake. It was obvious that our grand plan wasn't going to work out. Quickly resorting to improvised plan B, we stopped Emily Golleher, a young girl attending the event with a relative and just happened to be walking by, and asked if she would mind drawing the name. She agreed and pulled out the name of Leslie Harp from Benton, Ark., an employee of Heartland Bank in Little Rock, who was very excited to win the .12 gauge shotgun. Our congratulations to Mrs. Harp and thanks to everyone who donated their time & efforts, helped out, and made the drawing possible.

This exciting visual art contest offers K-12 students in the State of Arkansas the chance to display their creativity. As stated in the title we are continuing with the theme “Wildlife of Arkansas.” The beauty of the wildlife in our state will provide inspiration as the children of Arkansas explore their artistic abilities. The term Wildlife in not limited to animals, but can also include wildflowers, landscapes, lakes, etc. Guidelines for Art (painting, drawing or collage) • This category is offered to K – 12th grade students. • One entry per student accepted. • Artwork must be student’s original work completed in the 2011-2012 school year. • Entry must be on canvas, wood, paper or poster board. • Medium can be oil, acrylic, charcoal, pastel, watercolor, graphite, ink, mixed media. • Dimensions no larger than 30”x 40”. • Artwork done on paper or poster must be affixed to a foam board backing. • Students must fill out the attached form and tape it to the back of their entry. • There are no exceptions to the rules. Judging Submitted artwork is judged on creativity, skill and interpretation of the theme. A panel of professional artists will choose the winners. There will be a 1st, 2nd, 3rd place and Honorable Mention for each

grade. The winning pieces will be exhibited at the Witt Stephens, Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center, 602 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72201-1732. Exhibit dates TBA. Awards are as follows: 1st Place Winner - $100.00, award and certificate 2nd Place Winner - $ 50.00 and certificate 3rd Place Winner - $ 25.00 and certificate Honorable Mention - $ 15.00 and certificate Event Disclaimer • Judges decisions are final. • Creative Ideas and AR Wildlife Federation reserve the right to reproduce the artwork • for promotional purposes (Example: AR Wildlife Calendar). Students receive full • credit for any artwork reproduced. • Not responsible for lost or damaged art. Deadline and Criteria for Submission of Art Teachers are to collect the art, provide a list that includes their school name, students’ names and the titles of their entries. The submission deadline is March 23, 2012. Shipped art must be post marked by March 23, 2012. Ship art to Creative Ideas, P.O. Box 242455, Little Rock, AR 72223. Contact Sharon Hacker at 501837-0462 or Rebecca Najar at 501-658-8838 with questions. The art teachers will be responsible for notifying the winners.

AR Wildlife Federation and Creative Ideas Student Artwork Contest Form

“Wildlife of Arkansas”

* Please Print

Name_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ School___________________________________________________________________________ Grade____________________ Teacher ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Teacher’s Email ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Title of Artwork__________________________________________________________ Medium__________________________________ Note* Please tape this form to the back of the artwork. Do not forget to sign your artwork. Entries are due by March 23, 2012.

16 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2011 Time Ernst...cont. from page 9 In addition to knowing how to use one’s equipment, having an eye for composition is always a big plus when shooting any type of photography. The pros and cons of shooting nature include the fact that one doesn’t have to deal with unwilling human subjects (i.e. crying babies, antsy children, etc.), but trying to get that shot of a deer or a hawk that is not going to be willing to pose or come closer for you can be discouraging. Of course when shooting landscapes, sunsets and things of that sort lighting and the elements can make a big difference but at least the trees and mountains aren’t going to run away. So what sort of images appeal or don’t appeal to the general public? “I love to be out. I don’t shoot to sell. But through the years we know what sells and what doesn’t. For the view, winter doesn’t sell. It’s cold. We don’t get much winter here and winter pictures don’t sell. My wife told me I figured out a way to make wintertime real.” This is evident by looking at some surrounding shots revealing a winter scene highlighted with cascades of light, whether on the foreground or shining through the background accentuating the subject. What sort of pictures sell here in the South? “Mountains - everybody wants mountains. Even if they live in the swamp, they want mountains. A lot of people consider a swamp a negative thing. I considered a swamp a negative thing until I went to one the first time and I couldn’t believe how incredible and beautiful it was. People want stuff that they feel good about on the wall. They

don’t want winter because it’s cold. They don’t want swamps because they feel static. Mountains and waterfalls, happy things such as wildflowers and stuff like that. “Unless I’m doing a theme book with wildlife and waterfalls, it could be anything that I want to do. What I hope that book becomes is a cross-section. I’m not trying to document all of Arkansas. I’m just trying to show them a slice of what Arkansas looks like at different times of the year. So there will be macro (extreme close-ups generally of small subjects that require getting up very close and personal), there will be wildlife and landscapes. Mostly it will be landscapes, waterfalls, and not as much fall in this book, Arkansas Portfolio III, because we had that before. And, I’ve only had one season since Arkansas Autumn went to press. I’ve got some stuff that didn’t go into that one from the last year. There are more than a couple of dozen high-quality, hardcover picture books and softcover guidebooks currently still in print and for sale that are available through brickand-mortar stores or Ernst website. “The stores buy what they think they can sell. Some are guide books and picture books. The bookstores are going to have about sixty books and generally sell the picture books and the guidebooks. The outdoor stores generally sell the guidebooks.” A natural part of northern Arkansas that Ernst hasn’t photographed due to various issues is the numerous caves that dot the Ozarks. “Lighting is one thing. Private land ownership is another issue. Another is that

most people don’t like caves. I love them, but the audience is way small. It is really difficult to correctly assess the light in them. And it is probably easier to do with film than digital. I worked at Blanchard Springs back in 1970 when they first opened. [Two things] people don’t like are snakes or caves. It is just too difficult. “There are a couple of places you can get - commercial caves. There is a picture in the Arkansas Waterfalls Guidebook, one of several waterfalls, inside a cave. It’s kind of funny when the printer got the file from me, they called and said, ‘There’s a picture missing.’ I said, ‘How do you know?’ They said, ‘There’s nothing there. It’s just black.’ I said, ‘This is a picture of a waterfall inside the cave with natural lighting. That’s what it looks like.’ They said, ‘Oh, it would be black wouldn’t it?’ Ernst showed me the image he was referring to. “This is an accurate, unmanipulated picture of the cave inside the waterfall with natural lighting. I don’t use artificial lighting, except on special occasions. I used some artificial lighting when I was shooting insects. Something that may be learned in his workshops and is probably asked quite often by other photographers when he makes appearances is what type of cameras or variety of lenses does Ernst use, followed by people wondering if he manipulates his images by using a program such as CS5 and Photoshop. “I think I went through one hundred-twelve different systems and 35mm cameras as well as 4x5 systems. The last film camera was a 4x5. The camera I am using now is actually a 4x5 which is a medium format camera. “Now I’ve got it down to three [cameras] that I use. One of them is a point and shoot that I have with me everywhere. I took pictures in Iceland with it. Then I have a kind of a mid-range camera that I use for stuff around here that I put in the Cloudland Journal. That is also higher resolution. Not so much for wildlife, but for landscapes where I can use a lot of lenses. And, my big camera that I use is all wide angle and telephoto lenses. It’s really high resolution. That completes my three camera set. It pretty much gives me all I need. “I had no problem at all switching from SLR to DSLR (film to digital). The last film picture I made is four or five megapixels. When it (digital) finally got up to six or eight megapixels, I bought into the system and I thought, ‘Okay, now we’re good enough.’ Although back then, every year, things would get dramatically better. Now it’s not like that. In fact the digital back that I’m using, the eight megapixels, I’ve been using for four years. Still is one of their main digital backs.. It cost like $30,000. I didn’t have a problem with it at all. I was just sitting back, waiting for it to get there.

“Even now when I go to the Arkansas Autumn picture book that was shot on film, I would go through my old film files, probably a hundred or a thousand of them, just to see if any image is in there that I haven’t published yet. Or if somebody goes online and sees a picture of something and orders it and it’s on film, I have to make a print of it. “The only filter I ever use is a polarized. In fact, my wife has bought me a very expensive lens filter. But, I’m not going to use it unless they polarize it. That’s another thing I think camera people are like golfers - they have to have a lot of stuff but most of the time it doesn’t help them. It’s a hobby for most people and that’s fine. I know a guy who has a hundred filters. They spend most of their time worrying about what filter to use. With the exception of polarized, they aren’t useful. I try to minimize the equipment so when I ‘m taking the picture I don’t have to worry about that kind of stuff. Virtually everything you can do now digitally on the computer. “People give feedback and ask, ‘How come it doesn’t look like that one looks?’ Film is more limited than digital. In the film days, you couldn’t really compare it. Now we can. We can see it in person. That’s what we teach, to know your camera lenses limitations. The camera can’t see into the shadows and detail into that highlight over there. So you’ve got to pick which lens you want and when. [On the computer] I do two things. I try to get the image into the camera as best as it can be. But, digital is only ones and zeroes (computer programming). If you do any color photograph, you have to edit it in Photoshop, or some other image editing program, or in the camera. If you operate the camera properly, it will depend on how you have your settings. A lot of people don’t realize that the camera is actually doing

Arkansas Out-of-Doors •November/December 2011 - 17 the things that Photoshop is doing on a much smaller process. Every single image that I shoot has to go through Photoshop, though the camera cannot process like I can on the computer. What I try to do is produce the image that is representative of what I saw and felt at the shoot. “You can clean up [a shot] not unlike you could do with film. Back then, you could do it with the bigger stuff. You had to pay somebody $500 bucks an hour to do it. [Removing] things like power lines and whatnot. Now I can take pictures and remove them myself. Some people like to leave the power lines and trash in there. Photoshop is an incredible program, but a lot of people misunderstand that most of the time you can’t fix it, if you don’t take a good picture. Some people claim, ‘Oh, I don’t do anything to it. They have to or they could never produce the image because the camera only does black and white - ones and zeroes. Somebody somewhere along the line has to manipulate that data in order to produce that image.” As with any work of art, and that’s what putting together a cohesive picture book of one hundred-plus images is, it takes some planning and design to determine which shots go into the book; which shots, no matter how good they may be, won’t make the cut; the order and layout of the images; and, despite that there may be no prose, the visual pacing. The number of images to choose from and the length of time, especially if it’s a seasonal theme, can easily take more than a year to gather. “With film I used to do that,” Ernst explains. “I would start out with maybe one hundred-fifty and then narrow it down. With the computer I can pull up maybe four hundred-fifty at a time. With this new one coming out, I will sit down, like June first. …I put in twenty hours a day on it. I literally go back from everything I shot from the year before that, from what I sent to the printer until now. I go through every folder and every picture I have shot. Everything from then on is a possibility for my new book. I’ll go all the way through May 31st, and I’ll pull every single picture. It might be several hundred or thousands of pictures. It takes days and days to do that. Then I may end up with three or four hundred. And, then I’ll go through the process again and I’ll narrow it down to two hundred. “Then I sit down and design the book. I design my two-page spreads first. There are only eight or nine of those in a book of this size. I put them where I want them to be in the book layout. When I started doing them, I said, ‘I need to know where the crossover to the next page is.’ There’s only eight or 9 of those that are not cut. Everything else does not meet. They are not continuous. All of mine line up. But, that is why there are only eight or nine. Directionally they have to meet. They are usually pattern shots. Sometimes they are not. I spend the time to move around and use different angles. “Then I will start the flow of leading up to this one and going away from that one. I also pair pictures together. I think to myself, ‘I don’t want this one on this page because… or I want contrasting colors. I don’t want macro shots facing one another. I want a macro and something else here. I want fall pictures, and then spring pictures, complementary colors, stuff like that.’ Then I’ll probably end up with forty or fifty left that I have not selected, but then I will have four or five spots I still haven’t filled. Then I go back through those. It probably takes me two weeks to do the actual picture selection. When that is done and I’m pretty happy, then I have to go through the process of every one of them, of the wall file. Even if I took a picture two years ago, it may be the best film image. I still have to do my wall file. I have to sit it down and reprocess the file. So the picture that ends up in the book may be different.” Ernst jokes that he is one of the most famous non-award winning wildlife/nature photographers around. The results of his work are, without a doubt, in demand. So does he get offers from other states or locations around the world to produce a book for them? “Yeah,” he says. “I feel more comfortable in Arkansas. I did a book on other states in the ‘90s, but there are ten thousand others that are also doing those books. Arkansas is a much smaller market. We can market to Arkansas. We know Arkansas the best.” To find out more about Tim’s workshops, his public schedule, gallery showings or products you can find him online at http:// timernst.com/ where you can also log in daily for your dose of the Cloudland Cabin Journal.

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

Fax: (501) 224-9214

“Your voice for hunting, fishing and conservation since 1936” Arkansas Out-Of-Doors Advertising Agreement Arkansas Out-Of-Doors is the official publication of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation established in 1936, a non-profit, hunting, fishing, and conservation organization dedicated to promoting the wise stewardship of our natural resources. It is a newsprint tabloid publication that is published 6 times per year for the following issues: Jan.-Feb., March-April, 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. March – April issue, reserve space by March 1,

Size

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

Dimensions

1-2 ads

3-5 ads (5% off)

6 ads (10%off)

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

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

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

Color Include One spot color, additional Four color, additional

$$50 $100

$47.50 $95

$45 $90

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

$75 $50 $100

$71.25 $47.50 $95

$67.50 $45 $90

(all sizes listed as Width x Height)

21.5"x11" 10.5"x11" 10.5"x5.5" 5.1875"x11" 10.5"x3.625" 3.5"x11" 5.1875"x5.5" 5.1875"x2.75"

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 ��

18 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2011

November/December 2011 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 August 31, 2010 to September 1, 2011

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. Editor �� 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 Acting 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: Trey Clark, Nashville 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 Sarah Chronister, President - Russellville, AR Arkansas Chapter of American Fisheries Arkansas Trappers Association Gary Helms, President - Texarkana, 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 Arkansas Wildlife Federation Staff Editor - Ethan Nahté Editor in Chief - Wayne Shewmake Contributing Writers – Wayne Shewmake, Johnny Sain, Jr., Gordon Bagby, Ethan Nahté, Carol Smythe-Kaufman Contributing Photographers – Tim Ernst, Wayne Shewmake, Ethan Nahté, Mike Wintroath Arkansas Wildlife Federation Address: 9108 Rodney Parham Road, Suite 101 Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 Office: 501-224-9200 Cell: 501-414-2845

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

AGFC shortens turkey season by two days LITTLE ROCK – Commissioners with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission shortened the turkey season from last year’s total of 18 days to 16 days. The season framework was approved after a review of recent harvests and brood surveys along with input from turkey hunters. The statewide turkey season will be April 14-29 in zones 1, 2, 3, 4B, 5, 5B, 6, 7, 7A, 8, 9, 10 and 17 with a bag limit of two bearded turkeys and no jakes, except for a single jake that youth hunters may harvest. In zones 4, 4A, 5A and 9A the season will be April 14-24 with a bag limit of one bearded turkey and no jakes, except for a single jake that youth hunters may harvest. Zone 1A will be closed. The 2012 youth turkey season hunt will be

CONGRATULATIONS!

April 7-8 in all open zones. The bag limit for the season will be no more than one legal turkey taken per day and no more than two legal turkeys taken in any combination of open turkey zones. Youth may only take one jake during the season, either during the youth hunt or statewide hunt, but adult hunters will be limited to mature gobblers only.

Harris Brake WMA tornado damage to be reforested

PERRYVILLE – Following the damage left by a devastating tornado this spring, work to reforest a portion of the Harris Brake Wildlife Management Area has begun. Shortly after the tornado, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission hired a contractor to remove the downed timber. That project has been completed. Following the timber salvage project, an assessment of the damaged forest area was completed. It is now necessary for the AGFC to begin a reforestation program of red oak seedlings. Due to the heavy loses of oak trees in the damaged area, the AGFC will begin planting the area with red oak seedlings in February or March depending on the weather. The seedlings will jump-start the process to replace the nearly complete loss of the large oaks in the damaged

Idun Guenther with her mother, JoAnne

AWF would like to congratulate

area. Without the plantings, the area will become a dense sweet gum thicket without an oak component. This will greatly diminish the forest’s value to wildlife. The seedling will require time to establish before the area can be flooded. To help the seedlings establish, the AGFC will leave a portion of the WMA dry throughout the winter. The area that will remain dry is located west of Cookie Rankin Road. Currently, construction work is taking place on the lake’s gate structure. There are additional plans to establish permanent wildlife openings within the damaged area as well as complete drainage and access maintenance during the next dry season.

501.847.7275

IDUN GUENTHER

For receiving her Masters of Fisheries and Wildlife Science from Arkansas Tech University on December 17, 2011 Idun has been a big help to AWF with her volunteer work on the Bearcat Hollow Cooperative Project as well as the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT) project. We appreciate all of her hard work and dedication to wildlife and conservation.

6401 Boone Road • Bryant, AR 72022 parkinfo@cityofbryant.com • www.cityofbryant.org/ParksAndRecreation

20 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • November/December 2011

MEMORIAL GIFTS & HONORARIUM Remember Loved Ones "Forever"

You can remember a loved one with a memorial gift or honorarium to the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. Memorial gifts: If you would like to remember someone who loved wildlife, and the great outdoors of Arkansas, you can make a gift in that person’s name. What a beautiful tribute to their memory. Your memorial gift will continue the work of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and keep a loved one’s spirit alive through wildlife conservation. Honorarium Gift: Are you puzzled what to give friends or family members who “have everything?” Will an ordinary gift just not be enough? Then, consider making a donation to the Arkansas Wildlife Federation in their honor and acknowledge their special day, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or whatever they are celebrating. Your gift is a special recognition to this individual or family in support of wildlife conservation programs. Gifts of $ 100 or more will receive wildlife print. All donations will receive a tax deductible receipt. Make a Difference “Forever Memorials or Honorariums” Right Now by Completing this Information Below:

Name of honoree_____________________________________________________________ Name of donor______________________________________________________________

Address____________________________________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________________________

City_________________________________State_____________ Zip Code______________ City________________________________ State_____________ Zip Code______________

Visa_________ Master Card____________ Credit Card #_____________________________________________________________ Expiration Date______________________________

Memorial______ Honorarium_____________ Amount of Gift $______________________ *The Arkansas Wildlife Federation can accept checks, and Master Charge or VISA Credit Cards *

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

Thank you for supporting wildlife conservation! Send to: AWF, 9108 Rodney Parham Rd., Suite 101, Little Rock, AR 72205; or call 501-224-9200