Deer Hunting's Sweet 16 - Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

species on the property and what is being used by the deer. We’ll
also be conducting summer disease monitoring to keep an eye on
the population’s health during the most stressful time of year.”
Building an Audience
Biologists can paint a detailed picture of the habitat and deer
herd through increased monitoring. But that picture may be
different than how the hunters who use the area view it. Increased
hunter participation is crucial to the success of the Sweet 16.
“We can manage an area a few different ways, and the biology
will tell us what the limits are,” Gray said. “But we need as much
information as possible from the hunters that use the areas to
increase their satisfaction.”
To gather that information, the AGFC is requiring all hunters
that use one of the Sweet 16 to supply their contact information
at agfc.com and receive a free permit to carry with them on the
WMA.
“We’ll use the contact information to survey each area’s users
about observation rates, success rates and hunter opinions,” Miller
said. “We can send surveys to the people who use these WMAs to
gather more data on deer observations, hunter success and opinions
on different aspects of the area.”
Deer hunters aren’t the only ones who have a say in the area, so
any hunter using the area needs to sign up and carry the permit.
“The WMAs are for much more than deer,” Gray said. “We
want to hear from everyone who uses the WMA before we make
management decisions that could affect them.”
Adding Options
Miller compares the Sweet 16 Program to some of Arkansas’s trophy
bass fishing destinations.
“We manage well over 100 WMAs across the state, and this
management change is only going to impact 16. We want to give
hunters a variety of experiences. If they just want to go out and take a
deer, we have places for that. But some hunters are willing to pass up
a small buck and wait for a wall-hanger. These WMAs will offer more
opportunity for that.”
Gray adds hunters still have plenty of opportunities to fill a freezer
on the Sweet 16.
“We need hunters to harvest does on these WMAs to balance the
population,” said Gray. “Shooting those does gives just as much meat
and will give most folks the same satisfaction as shooting a yearling
buck. Why not let that buck grow and become something special?
Patience will pay off. Just wait for the right shot.” AW
A couple of years can make a big difference in the quality of a deer’s rack. Photo by Mike Wintroath.
SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012
ARKANSAS WILDLIFE
9