Beginning this week, sportsmen will have the option to donate $1 to Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry when they purchase their Arkansas Game and Fish Commission license.

AHFH is a nonprofit organization that helps Arkansans in need of food. AHFH also is designed to partner with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to provide a healthy, balanced deer herd and provide a much-needed free, low-fat, high-protein food source to the many feeding agencies and organizations across the state. The organization also allows participating hunters a venue to give back and share their bounty with others.

It is a community-minded program that provides venison and other wild game to those in need. Organizations, businesses and churches have joined farmers and hunters to transform an abundant white-tailed deer population into a renewable food source for the hungry.

Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry is a highly successful program that has provided more than 2 million meals to the state’s most needy citizens. The success of the program depends upon the generosity of hunters to donate venison and other wild game, cooperation from meat processors throughout the state, support from local food distribution organizations, and the financial contributions of businesses and other citizens.

The organization needs to raise about $100,000 annually to fund the program. For more information about the organization go to: www.arkansashunters.org.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Arkansas Sportsmen Get the Opportunity to Donate to AHFH Through License Sales

If it sounds like a duck, it just might land a scholarship.

Forget all those monetary awards for star athletes, gifted musicians and honor roll students. There is cash out there for young sportsmen and women with well-developed hunting and calling skills.

For more than 30 years, teens from all over the United States have flocked to Stuttgart, Ark., a tiny town of 9,000 just a stone’s throw from Little Rock, to compete for scholastic money. Their expertise: duck calling.

The top prize in the Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest is a $2,000 scholarship.

The Stuttgart contest has handed out more than $60,000 over three decades to young duck callers who went on to attend 32 different colleges and universities scattered across 13 states.

This year’s feather ruffling contest will take place on Nov. 23.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Just Ducky: A Scholarship for Duck Calls

Matt Pruitt and the group he works for, the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, have a unique business plan.

• Step one: Sell spots on “big foot hunts” for $300 to $500 dollars a spot.
• Step two: Find around thirty people who think this is somehow a good way to spend their money.
• Step three: Hunt along Arkansas’ Buffalo National River. (FYI: Bigfoot is generally reputed to live in the Pacific Northwest)
• Step four: Get fined $525  for “engaging in a business without a permit or written agreement.”

Maybe Pruitt didn’t exactly plan step four. If you believe that a man who leads Bigfoot hunts could possibly be lacking a keen legal mind.

But if you’re doing the math that means the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization makes as much $14,475 for taking people to hunt something that doesn’t exist in a place where they shouldn’t be.

Chief Ranger Karen Bradford of the National Park Service (NPS), one of the NPS rangers who fined Pruitt during one of his expeditions around Arkansas’ Steel Creek campground, explained her concerns, but stopped short of confirming the existence of Bigfoot. “We are in this to protect our resources,” she said to The Republic, “If he’s got people running around in the park, who knows what they’re doing looking for this elusive creature.”

Pruitt, despite the setback, would not have his unflappable dedication to finding Bigfoot questioned. “There were certainly things that happened that convinced me that there are Sasquatches in the Buffalo River area,” said Pruitt. “We definitely heard sounds that were indicative of Sasquatch. Characteristic vocalizations. Very compelling observations.” According to reports, Pruitt was using a thermal imaging device during the hunt and claimed that with its aid he saw what may or may not have been a Sasquatch.

Pruitt paid the fine on Friday and now, it seems, the Bigfoot searches will be back in full swing. Pruitt claims to have already led Bigfoot expeditions in 18 states and has 24 more searches planned for the rest of the year throughout the United States and Canada.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Man Fined for Hunting Bigfoot Without a Permit

Arkansas’s bear harvest continues to be strong. Hunters harvested more than 400 bears during the 2011-12. Last year, hunters harvested more 450 bears. During the 2009-10 season, hunters harvested a record 530 bears.

The harvest totals were presented to commissioners of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission during its monthly meeting last week.

Bear Program Coordinator Myron Means said the harvest numbers could be attributed to private land hunters using bait. “Mast failure caused bears to seek baits more than in the past,” Means said. Means added that the sex ratio was good and the statewide harvest goal is between 350 and 400 bears each year.

Polk and Scott counties were again the two top counties for bear hunters. In Polk County, 51 bears were harvested, followed by 45 bears in Scott County.

Means said that future considerations for bear season may include removing the two-day early modern gun hunt in Bear Zone 2. “The two-day gun season has been successful in increasing bear harvest for Bear Zone 2. However, it also has increased the female harvest ratio from roughly 35 percent to 50 percent,” Means said. “A 50 percent harvest rate of adult females is not sustainable over the long term,” he warned.

In other business, the Commission:

• Announced that Jeff Crow has been named the new Chief of Enforcement for the AGFC. Most recently Crow served as the Law Enforcement Management Specialist for the University of Arkansas’s Criminal Justice Institute. Crow replaces Mike Knoedl who was promoted to deputy director.
• Approved up to $500,000 to fund eight Wildlife Recreation Facilities Pilot Program projects around Arkansas. The money for the projects comes from natural gas lease revenues the AGFC has received.
• Approved up to $1 million to fund 13 grants through the Wildlife Observation Trails Pilot program. Money for the program also comes from natural gas lease revenues.
• Heard a proposal for a new code concerning non-liability for wildlife damages. *Approved a budget increase of $121,621 to repair the Gurdon Lake Dam spillway. The dam was damaged during flooding in 2010. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the AGFC $118,121 of the total cost.
• Approved the renaming of an access on Dry Run Creek in Baxter County. The access will be renamed Larry Rider Dry Run Creek Access after the former fisheries employee. Rider was instrumental in establishing Dry Run Creek as a catch-and-release are for youths and mobility-impaired anglers.
• Approved a budget increase of $115,880 for habitat restoration and stream bank stabilization in the White River basin. The money will come from the Environmental Protection Agency through the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission.
• Approved the purchase of 41 vehicles at a cost of $977,234. The vehicles will replace 41 vehicles that have are nearing or exceeded 150,000 miles. Each of the replaced vehicles will be sold and removed from inventory as soon as equipment is transferred to the new vehicles.
• Approved a budget transfer of $62,800 for improvements at Henry Gray Hurricane Lake and Steve N. Wilson Raft Creek WMAs.
• Approved a budget increase of $90,000 from an EPA grant to study the Arkansas West Gulf Coastal Plain wetland terraces.
•  Honored Sgt. Floyd Harper with the Shikar-Safari Wildlife Officer of the Year award. Harper is based in Monticello and patrols southeast Arkansas. Award winners are selected on the basis of their professional relationships with hunters, anglers and landowners in their districts, their job performance and dedication to the wildlife law enforcement profession and participation in activities outside of daily enforcement work.
• Read a proclamation from Gov. Mike Beebe honoring the 75th anniversary of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program.The WSFR program is the revenue foundation for most fish and wildlife conservation programs. First created on Sept. 2, 1937 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, the program raises funds through a dedicated excise tax on sporting guns and ammunition. In 1950, the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act was enacted and added to the WSFR program. Through this law, funds are provided for fish conservation and boating and fishing recreational programs in each state through an excise tax placed on certain fishing and boating equipment and fuels.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Arkansas’s Bear Harvest Continues to be Strong

Macy L. Brooks, co-founder of Buck Nekkid BBQ in Fayetteville, Ark., signed a Chapter Charter with the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) last week. A fundraising banquet will be held in April at the restaurant, which can seat upwards of 400 people.

At 21 years of age, Brooks is the youngest-ever Chapter Chair for the organization. This is also the first-ever MDF chapter in the Razorback state.

Why Arkansas? Why MDF? Why now? A number of factors figured into Brooks’ decision to come on board with MDF. First of all, she shares an acquaintance and mutual respect with MDF Regional Director Charlie Stockstill, who joined MDF last year and is charged with expanding the organization in the south. Brooks’ family also owns some mule deer habitat in New Mexico, and she knows numerous Arkansas hunters who travel to both Texas and New Mexico in pursuit of muleys.

Brooks said, “I have been hunting since I was able to walk. My dad took me out, and we would hunt with my uncle and his family in New Mexico. There are no mule deer in Arkansas.” She continued, “In recent years, I’ve made special trips to New Mexico to work on improving the habitat there.”

By joining forces with the Mule Deer Foundation, Brooks intends to raise funds for additional projects in New Mexico. She also wants to help facilitate local wildlife education programs, as well as contribute to the University of Arkansas Shooting Team, of which she is a member.

Stockstill said, “With young people like Macy, I think the future of conservation is in good hands!” MDF is expecting a real shot in the arm with the addition of this Ozark Mountain chapter.

Last year, Fayetteville was honored as a Volunteer Community of the Year at the Annual Municipal League Conference. According to the League, there were some 30,000 active volunteers in Fayetteville who contributed more than 600,000 hours of volunteer work in the community.

Add to that volunteerism spirit the fact that Fayetteville is considered by many business publications to be one of the best places for starting a new business and for doing business, and the Mule Deer Foundation cannot help but emit a “Wooo, Pig, Sooie” hog call of hopeful anticipation that deer and habitat will benefit greatly from this Razorback association!

For more information about the new chapter in northwest Arkansas, visit www.muledeer.org or contact Regional Director Charlie Stockstill.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Mule Deer Foundation Gets Buck Nekkid in Arkansas

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is offering a new way to anonymously report outdoor-related violations to the agency’s Enforcement Division agents. It’s called tip411 and is as simple as sending a text message.

CitizenObserver, the tip411 provider, uses technology that removes all identifying information before the AGFC receives the text so that the AGFC cannot identify the sender.

To send the anonymous tip via text message to the AGFC, text AGFC with the tip to tip411 (847411). You will then receive a thank you text acknowledging that the text has been received.
According to AGFC Assistant Chief of Enforcement Todd Smith, the system is a completely anonymous way for people to report violations via text messaging.“Our dispatch center will be monitoring all incoming texts 24 hours, 7 days a week,” Smith said. “We will respond to the reporting person, gather required information, then pass it on to the appropriate officer,” he explained.

With the increase in technology along with the way our society communicates these days, this venture should open the door for those who would not have called in a violation, Smith said. “There are many other agencies across the country that have initiated this way of communicating with law enforcement,” he added.

An iPhone app is also under development and will be available soon. Citizens all may anonymously report tips by calling 800-482-9262.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Arkansas Game & Fish Commission Offers New System to Turn in Poachers

July 25, 2011: National hunting guru and renowned television host Chad Belding is set to launch the inaugural 2011 Banded Calls North American Tour – presented by the Sportsman Channel, Otis Technology, HEVI-Shot, and HiViz. The tour will be hosted by Scheels All Sports, Cabela’s and Mack’s Prairie Wings sporting goods stores, with the first three stops coming at Scheels in Fargo, N.D. (7/29), Mankato, Minn. (7/30-31), and Sioux City, La. (8/5-7).

Belding will be giving hunting seminars to share his knowledge and insight with fellow hunters and enthusiasts while promoting his Banded Nation brand endeavors – including his custom designed duck and goose calls (Banded Calls), hunting gear (Banded Gear), and hunts (Banded Hunts). Belding will also be showcasing his newest series on the Sportsman Channel Dead Dog Walkin’ and third season of The Fowl Life with Chad Belding.

“Banded Calls is honored and humbled to have partners like Cabela’s, Mack’s, and Scheels carry our product lines,” Belding said.

During his appearances, Belding will be signing autographs and taking photos with fans at each stop. There will also be giveaways that include t-shirts and posters from The Fowl Life with Chad Beldingand Dead Dog Walkin.’

“Everything is happening so fast,” Belding said.  “We just started the company in January of this year and five months later, we are delivering hundreds of calls to the top retailers in the country.  We understand what this means to our brand and the added credibility it gives our company.”

Upcoming Tour Stops:

• Fargo, ND – July 29 | Scheels
• Mankato, MN – July 30 & 31 | Scheels
• Sioux City, IA – August 5-7 | Scheels
• Kansas City, MO – August 12-14 | Cabela’s
• Dundee, MI – August 19-21 | Cabela’s
• Sioux Falls, SD – August 26-28 | Scheels
• La Vista, NE – September 16-18 | Cabela’s
• Stuttgart, AR – September 23-25 | Mack’s Prairie Wings
• Stuttgart, AR – September 30 & October 1 | Mack’s Prairie Wings
• Gonzales, LA – October 1 & 2 | Cabela’s
• Stuttgart, AR – November 25-27 | Mack’s Prairie Wings

About Chad Belding: Chad Belding’s success started with his reality hunting show called ‘The Fowl Life with Chad Belding’ which launched on Sportsman Channel and WILD TV in 2008, and airs in more than 40 million homes in North America.  Fans across the nation have watched as Belding and his crew hunt in more than 15 states across the U.S., incorporating a local guest in each location who offers advice on their local hunting ground and participates in the hunt. Now approaching season three, ‘The Fowl Life with Chad Belding’ is becoming the must-see reality series for hunters across the nation.  Belding also launched a new show focused on predator hunts and wildlife conservation called ‘Dead Dog Walkin,’ which began airing on Sportsman Channel and WILD TV March 2011.

About Banded Nation: Launched in January 2011, Banded Nation is comprised of hunters, editors, graphic designers, producers, videographers and on-camera personalities dedicated to bringing a new approach to outdoor television and outdoor style.  Banded Nation was founded by renowned outdoor hunting show host Chad Belding and acts as the parent company to a wide variety of properties including Sportsman Channel and WILD TV’s award winning national television series ‘The Fowl Life with Chad Belding,’ the new predator hunting television series ‘Dead Dog Walkin’ and Banded Gear. Visit www.bandednation.com for more information.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - National Hunting Guru and Renowned TV Host Chad Belding Goes on Tour

Conway, AR- The Arkansas Outdoors Expo announces Sunrise Marine in Searcy Arkansas as the title sponsor and Murphy USA as Gold sponsor.

The Arkansas Outdoors Expo will be held Aug. 20 and 21 at Conway’s brand new, 45,000 sq. ft. Conway Expo Center. The expo will include hundreds of outdoor vendors, as well as a jam-packed weekend of events that include a duck calling competition, steak cooking contest, 3D archery tournament, the Ultimate Air Dogs, and multiple seminars and demonstrations from industry pros. Additionally, a portion of the expo’s proceeds will benefit Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Vendor booth space and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Visit www.ArkansasOutdoorsExpo.com for more information, or email Matt at Matt@ArkansasOutdoorsExpo.com

RNT Duck Calls founder Butch Richenback will offer a free duck calling clinic on Saturday, August 20. Perfect for youth hunters just taking up the sport of duck hunting, or for experienced duck hunters looking to fine-tune their skills.

Arkansas State Duck Calling Contest – Team Real Duck will be on-hand giving callers the chance to win prizes and walk away with bragging rights as the Natural State’s finest caller.

Outdoor Channel Outfitters – Stop by and see Outdoor Channel Outfitter’s Wild Game Exhibit, visit with Outdoor Channel Outfitter TV show hosts and listen to expert seminars.

Arkansas 3D Archery Tournament – Only five weeks before Arkansas’s archery season opens, contestants will have the opportunity to take aim on a number of outdoor 3D targets for cash and prizes.

Ultimate Air Dogs- One of the premier dock dog jumping organizations in the country, Ultimate Air Dogs offers high-flying dog jumping including retrieving, tricks and more. You can even enter your own dog!

Casting and Fly Tying Lessons – John Gulley, Orvis’s 1998 Fly Fishing Guide of the Year will be on-site providing free fly tying demonstrations & casting lessons.

The Great Steak Cook-Off – Cooking teams are invited to enter the Great Steak Cook-Off for cash and prizes. Porterhouse steaks will be provided to teams. Additional steaks will also be provided to the crowd!

Hunting and Fishing Swap Meet – The Arkansas Outdoors Expo Sportsman’s Swap Meet is your chance to trade with other sportsman around the state. And best of all, it’s free to bring your stuff in with paid admission at the door.

Contact:

Matt Livingston

870-304-6934

matt@ArkansasOutdoorsExpo.com

www.ArkansasOutdoorsExpo.com

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Arkansas Outdoors Expo Announces Title and Gold Sponsors

This is a warning to outdoor users about a potentially deadly biological event that could result from one’s curiosity to poke at and kick through scat from wolves, coyotes and foxes. Of course not everyone knowingly does this but many hunters, trappers and simply the curious, want to know what these animals have been eating.

Back in the end of November I gave you a link to a story, “Of Wolves and Worms”. That story introduced many of us to the subject of worms being found in wolves in the Greater Yellowstone area.

According to a new study out in the October issue of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, three-millimeter-long tapeworms known as Echinococcus granulosus, are documented for the first time in gray wolves in Idaho and Montana. And the authors didn’t just find a few tapeworms here and there… turns out that of 123 wolf intestines sampled, 62 percent of the Idaho gray wolves and 63 percent of the Montana gray wolves were positive. (Ew!) The researchers wrote: “The detection of thousands of tapeworms per wolf was a common finding.” (Again… Ew!!) This leads to the interpretation that the E. granulosus parasite rate is fairly widespread and established in the Northern Rocky Mountain wolves.

There is discussion about how some think the worms ended up in the wolves in this region but the article tends to downplay any serious concerns people should have from coming in contact with these tapeworms and the eggs they leave behind.

In the comments section of the article, Will Graves, author of the book “Wolves in Russia: Anxiety Through the Ages“, left his thoughts on his own research discoveries about the dangers to humans of these parasites.

In the first paragraph in my letter to Mr. Bangs dated 3 October 1993 on the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) which was titled “The Reintroduction of Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho,” I warned about the damages and problems wolves would cause to Yellowstone and other areas by carrying and spreading parasites and diseases over larger areas. Some of these parasites are damaging not only to wild and domestic animals, but can also be dangerous to humans. One of these parasites is Echinococcous Granulosus and Echinococcus M. Since 1993 I have been working to tell people what I have learned from about 50 years of research on the characteristics, habits and behavior of Russian wolves. From that research I came to the conclusion that one of the most serious consequences of bring wolves into the US would be the wolves carrying and spreading around damaging/dangerous parasites and diseases. I did my best to explain this in my book titled, “Wolves in Russia – Anxiety Through the Ages” edited by Dr. Valerius Geist. Details about my book are in my web site: wolvesinrussia.com.

After several years effort, I finally recently obtained help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Parasitic Research Center in Beltsville, MD. This research center will try to conduct research on the blood taken from wolves in our western states. Oneparasite they will be researching is to determine if wolves carry and spread the parasite Neospora Caninum around. It is established that coyotes and dogs carry this damaging parasite.

I remember that about two years ago there was a report about one wolf carrying Echinococcus Granulosus in Montana.

Much more research is needed about the danger wolves bring to our environment. Some of the parasites carried by wolves are dangerous to humans.(emphasis added)

Around this same time that Will Graves posted his comments, he contacted me by email and asked if I could somehow be of assistance to him in obtaining blood samples from wolves taken during the Idaho and Montana wolf hunts. The word went out quickly and hopefullyGraves gets what he needs to help him in his research. This can become extremely valuable information for all of us.

In the meantime, Dr. Valerius Geist, professor emeritus University of Calgary and Dr. Charles Kay, of Utah State University, who holds degrees in wildlife ecology, environmental studies and wildlife biology, exchanged thoughts on the discovery of worms in Yellowstone wolves in emails I received.

Well, Charles? What else is new? What did we warn about, how we were censored as alarmists………………………
And yes, a colleague assured us that all that is not a problem for us, but for some native types. Nothing to worry about, really. Remember how, early on, we put out a warning – do not kick dry wolf feces or poke about in such looking for evidence of food habits. Do not handle wolf feces as it will disturb the tiny Echinococcus eggs that float up like little dust cloud to envelop you, and you are very likely to ingest some of that “dust”. This know-how, which we older Canadian types carried away from our parasitogy lessons was poo-hood by some American colleagues. Wolves are after all, harmless! Remember the question we posed: is it really such a great idea completing ecosystems when the progression is herbivores, carnivores, finally diseases and parasites?

It is not my intention nor that of Drs. Geist and Kay to attempt to instill unnecessary fear in people but to educate, as it was back in the day before wolf reintroduction. There are very important lessons and warnings that all should heed and take into consideration when in the woods or maybe even in your own back yard.

Dr. Geist emailed me the other day and asked me if I would be kind enough to post this information so that anyone and everyone will be aware of the potential for some very serious health issues.

Urgent: could you make a point of it that now, that we know that the majority of wolves are infected with Echinococcus, that all hunters control their curiosity and not poke about in wolf or coyote feces to find out what these predators ate. these feces are saturated with tiny, lightweight Echinococcus eggs that rise like dust plume from the disturbed feces and envelop the poking hunter. If the air-born eggs are ingested, the an infection is possible, and having Echinococcus cysts grow inside oneself is not a desirable condition. Trust me!

He followed that up with more information about the dangers.

As to the pathogenicity of Echinococcus granulosus: Yes, I noticed that Foayt, leaning on Raup’s research in Alaska, toned down the dangers from this northern form. My understanding based on what we learned from an old, experienced parasitologist at the University of British Columbia is that it’s nothing to fool around with. It’s serious! In my career as a biologist in touch with the north, I have heard nothing else. I have not, however, done a recent literature search. Foayte’s assessment may be on even though it conflicts with mine. Either way, getting an Echinococcus cyst of any kind is no laughing matter as it can grow not only on the liver or the lungs, but also in the brain. And then it’s fatal.

There is however, another much more alarming angle. Echinococcus multilocularis is a nightmare, and much more virulent than Echinococcus granulosus of any strain. We cannot encapsulate this cyst, and it grows and buds off like a cancer infecting different parts of the body incessantly. Were some of the wolves infected with multilocularis? Coyotes and foxes carry it and it has been spreading. Do canids in Idaho, Montana, etc. have it? It’s found in Alberta. Regardless, now is the time to send out an SOS to ALL outdoor users. Hold your curiosity in check, do not poke into the feces of wolves, coyotes and foxes. If you do you will release clouds of Echinococcus eggs which will envelop you, and you may ingest the eggs, bring the eggs home and endanger your family. This is nothing new to me and I have lived with this constraint on my curiosity for over 40 years. This is just a know how that maintains your personal and your family’s safety. Also, never feed uncooked offal to your dog as it may become infected with Echinococcus and infect you and your family. Echinococcus cysts love to be in lung and liver, and if consumed by dogs you have a health hazard on your hands. And such cysts now grow in deer and elk where you live. Somebody should take a second look searching out Echinococcus multilocularis.

You and I probably have no idea in the world whether these worms exist in the woods we hunt, trap, hike, etc. but good advice given by Dr. Geist should tell us it’s not something we should mess around with. Squelch the curiosity to dig in the poop and just assume there could be hidden danger.

I want to take a moment to thank Will Graves, Dr. Val Geist and Dr. Charles Kay for caring enough about the rest of us to be willing to share their findings and experiences.

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U.S. Hunting Today
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