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661014161820Stronger With AgeWhen elk returned to Arkansas 30 years ago, the emphasis was on hunting butno one considered the impact tourism would have. By Joe Mosby.Realistic ExpectationsIt’s exciting to expect the best when a deer hunting trip is on the horizon, butit’s much more fun when expectations align closely with reality.By Randy Zellers.Outdoors on the GoThe Arkansas Game and Fish Commission makes it easy to stay up to datewith more ways than ever to keep connected with information and changingregulations. By Randy Zellers and Jeff Williams.Teamwork Preserves Mound at ToltecRepresentatives from several Arkansas agencies join forces for withering workto keep lake water from washing away valuable artifacts at a state park.By Jeff Williams.Pig Trail PerennialAlthough it’s meant many things to many people traveling through the Ozarksover the years, the store at Turner Bend remains a community anchor.By Jill Rohrbach.Fighting Father TimeBiologists have been fighting the signs of time at Upper and Lower White Oaklakes for the last decade, and the results are impressive. By Randy Zellers.DEPARTMENTS4 Letters to the Editor23 Naturally Speaking31 Cooking32 Photography34 Scales of Justice35 Parting ThoughtsOn the Cover A bull elk inBuffalo River Country. Read about theimpact elk have had in Arkansas sincethey began to repopulate the OzarkMountains 30 years ago on Page 6.Photo by Mike Wintroath.Back Cover Deer hunting season isin full swing in Arkansas, and huntersexpect the best. Read more about arealistic view of success on Page 10.Photo by Mike Wintroath.Subscribe toArkansas WildlifeIt’s easy – call (800) 283-2664 or visitwww.agfc.com. Subscriptions are $8 peryear, $15 for two years and $21 for threeyears. That’s six issues per year – includingthe July-July calendar.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE3

StrongerWith Age30-Year-Old Arkansas Elk ProgramHitting Its StrideARTICLE by JOE MOSBYPHOTO BY MIKE WINTROATHKnife makers fromacross the countryshare their waresand secrets at theArkansas CustomKnife Show.6 ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

Richland ValleyPays QuickDividendsFrom a modest beginning 30 yearsago, elk have thrived on the ArkansasGame and Fish Commission’sGene Rush Wildlife ManagementArea, mostly in Newton County andextending into Searcy County.Intensive habitat management hashelped elk and other wildlife. In 2008,Gene Rush WMA was expandedwith the acquisition of 2,880 acresin Richland Valley. Within monthsafter the tract was bought, it had newresidents such as elk and the trend iscontinuing.This picturesque property in westernSearcy County near the BuffaloNational River is called Richland ValleySonny Varnell Elk ConservationArea. Varnell, who lives at St. Paulin Madison County, was a commissionerwith the AGFC from 2003-08and pushed for the acquisition of theland from the Lunce Cash family. Thetract was added to adjacent Gene RushWMA, which increased to 19,947acres. The land is southwest of St. Joeand south of Woolum Access on theBuffalo River.The December 2010 elk hunt producedevidence of Richland’s attractionfor elk. Most of the 11 elk takenduring that public permit hunt camefrom the area. With the success ofintensive habitat improvement on theformer Gene Rush WMA as a guide,the Richland fields that were openpasture are being converted to diverseyear-round wildlife habitat. Thisincludes warm-season and cool-seasongrasses, as well as trees and shrubs.Along with more than 100 elk thathave taken up residence in RichlandValley, deer, turkey and bears are usingit. Squirrels are numerous and rabbitsappear plentiful.motorists who stop to watch a handful ofelk in fields.Roaming the ValleyAlthough Jones forecast elk hunting inArkansas, elk weren’t planned for BoxleyValley.When 112 elk were brought to Arkansasfrom December 1981 to early 1985, theywere released downstream from Boxley inthe Pruitt area near Arkansas Highway 7.They were turned loose by Jones and hishelpers – the “elk haulers” – on privateland close to the Buffalo National River.Jones, who enthusiastically hunted elkin Western states, knew the big animalsroamed widely. It did not surprise himwhen reports of elk in Boxley Valley began.The valley includes a series of pasturesfrom near Arkansas Highway 74 and thePonca low-water bridge south for about 8miles. The pastures are used for livestock,mostly cattle and some horses, by residentswho have arrangements with the NationalPark Service.Complaints of nuisance elk anddamage to landowners in areas outsideBoxley Valley have declined since huntingstarted in 1998. Elk and cattle competefor the lush grasses of these pastures. Mostdamage complaints come from parts ofBoone, Newton and Carroll countieswhere private-land hunts are held.In the early years, quotas of five elkwere filled. Elk dwindled in this area andthe quota was trimmed to three. In theDecember 2009 hunt, no elk were takenby hunters in zone A, but five were takenin the then-new zone B. In 2010, three elkwere taken in the merged zones A and B.In the early hunts on public land,zone 1 was the most productive. This isthe territory from Ponca downstream toArkansas Highway 7, including the Erbiearea of Newton County. Lower numbersof elk were taken by hunters in zones 2and 3, then zone 4 was created in SearcyCounty.In recent hunts, zone 3 has taken thelead as far as hunting’s concerned. Thiszone is primarily Gene Rush WildlifeManagement Area. The AGFC hasworked on food plots on the WMA,and the forest offers cover. By the way,the AGFC changed the term “zone” to“compartment” a couple of years ago.8 ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

Steady and StableThere are 450-500 elk along the BuffaloRiver. The largest concentrations are inBoxley Valley, which is closed to hunting,and on Gene Rush WMA, about 40 rivermiles downstream. The elk population isstable, controlled by limited hunting andby natural or accidental deaths. A few elkhave been victims of poaching.Elk brought in by hunters arebiologically tested. The dreaded chronicwasting disease has not been found amongArkansas elk or deer.Hunters and observers believe theelk have changed over time. They saythe animals are more wary, that they’velearned about gunshots. They’ve changedwhere they hang out, too.Arkansas’s elk management, includingthe hunts, has been studied by otherstates. Kentucky reintroduced elk in 1997in a large area of abandoned coal mines,and the herd has grown to about 11,000,the largest population among states whereelk have returned.Michigan and Pennsylvania broughtback elk about 90 years ago. Morerecently, Tennessee, Wisconsin, MinnesotaAWand North Carolina have reintroducedelk. Missouri, Ohio, Alabama andVirginia are in the beginning stages of elkprograms. AWTOP: Visitors to Arkansas’s elk country enjoywatching the herds, especially in fall. Photo byMike Wintroath.RIGHT: An elk calling contest is part of theBuffalo River Elk Festival in Jasper near the endof June. Photo by Mike Wintroath.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011 ARKANSAS WILDLIFE9

Antler VisionTV Is Fine, but Hunters Should See Beyond the Screen10ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

ARTICLE by RANDY ZELLERSHunting and fishing are so engrainedin people’s lives that three major cablenetworks are devoted to these pursuits.Outdoors enthusiasts are barraged withimages of trophy bucks and hunterstalking in-depth about the massiveantlers of the trophy they just bagged onvideo.These programs are great to pass thetime and get a few pointers, but theycan make the average hunter dismiss ahunting area because a constant parade oftrophy whitetails isn’t beating a trail onopening day.Number CrunchNot everyone in the woods is goingto see a trophy buck before the firstcommercial break. Simply getting a deereach season is much harder than manyshows portray. In fact, it’s almost a coinflip.Roughly 300,000 hunters buy licenseswith deer tags in Arkansas each year.Last year’s harvest, one of the highest onrecord, was 186,168 deer. If each deerwas killed by a different person, morethan 113,000 hunters left the woodswith nothing more than good memoriesof deer camp. Some dedicated or luckyhunters kill a few deer each season, so thechance of a single person taking a deereach season is closer to 50 percent.Although most hunters are interestedin cracking the plus side of the deerharvest, the monster bucks of the mediahave created a sense of antler envy athunting clubs and public hunting areas inArkansas. Good-quality deer sometimesare being ignored, and in some casesridiculed, because they don’t have theantlers of their famous family members.“I’m sure there are some scragglyracks and immature bucks on the privateland you see on television, you just don’tsee that video,” said Dick Baxter, deerprogram coordinator for the ArkansasGame and Fish Commission. “Most ofthose hunts also take place on land that isstrictly managed to keep the ratio of doesto bucks balanced and only harvest olderbucks.”Greener PasturesMany hunters often come home withstories of giant whitetails in states suchas Illinois and Iowa. AGFC biologistsoften are asked to manage Arkansas’sdeer herd identically to those northernstates, but no management plan can beadopted letter-for-letter to achieve thesame results.Baxter says there’s more to Iowa’s bigdeer than a season schedule. Habitat andclimate play a key role in the size of deerand other animals throughout the U.S.,and those are largely out of man’s control.“As you move farther north, animalsof the same species will be larger thantheir southern cousins,” Baxter said.“Iowa’s deer simply grow larger thanthose in Arkansas because of theirsurroundings.”Baxter explained that the differencein size, called Bergmann’s Rule bybiologists, is the result of adapting to coldwinters. The extra size allows for more fatreserves and helps contain body heat.“On average, a deer from Minnesotawill look like a cow when you place itside-by-side with one from Florida, andan Arkansas deer will be somewherein between,” Baxter said. “It’s basicallyevolution at work.”What about Texas? Texas deer tendto be the same size or smaller than onesin Arkansas, so why do they support themassive racks we see on television andhear about from hunters traveling out ofstate?Aside from the television deer andthose taken on strictly controlled areas,which are allowed to grow older beforeharvest, Texas deer are very similar toArkansas deer, but they do have a littleadvantage when it comes to diet.“It’s a matter of minerals in the soilsand the types of vegetation availableto those deer,” Baxter said. “Antlersare about 80 percent protein whilethey are growing. As they harden, thecomposition changes to somethingsimilar to that of bone. Calcium andphosphorus are the two most commonminerals in hardened antlers.”Texas soils tend to hold much morecalcium and phosphorus at the surfacethan soils in Arkansas. This is mostlybecause Texas gets less rain than doesBELOW: This buck has a good start on a high-quality rack at 3½ years old. Relatively few bucks inArkansas make it to this age, much less 5½, when antler growth peaks. Photo by Mike Wintroath.LEFT: Arkansas is capable of producing buckslike this 194 2/8-inch 6½-year-old shot byBrooks Carson of Eads, Tenn., in 2010. Huntersshould realize trophies like this are rarer thanonce in a lifetime. Photo courtesy of BrooksCarson.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE11

Arkansas.“The minerals aren’t leached out ofthe surface soils as much as in Texas, somore calcium is taken up by the deerand the plants the deer feed on,” Baxtersaid. “The types of plants they have downthere are also extremely high in proteinalmost year-round, which lets them putheavy growth on their antlers throughoutthe spring and summer.”Arkansas AveragesIt’s not all gloom and doom. Plenty ofgood deer are taken each year on privateand public land in Arkansas. In fact,the biggest deer scored at Arkansas’s BigBuck Classic (the largest deer huntingexpo in the state) have been larger than200 inches on the Boone and Crocketscale during the last three years.“Those are some impressive deer,”Baxter said. “And we hear of plentyothers that people don’t take to thoseexpos or get officially scored. There’salready been one this year that greenscoredover 190 (inches) that was takenby a bowhunter.”Baxter said much of a buck’s antlersize depends on available forage and thenutrients in the soil that are transferredto the buck from the plants they eat.“Agricultural land is rich in nutrientsthe bucks need to grow good antlers,”Baxter said. “Typically, Arkansas’s bestdeer come from areas with richer soils,such as the Delta, Crowley’s Ridge andthe Arkansas River Valley. Every now and“Much of a buck’s antlersize depends on availableforage and the nutrientsin the soil that aretransferred to the buckfrom the plants they eat.”then a monster pops up in the Ouachitas,Ozarks and the pines of south Arkansas,but the average is always going to bebetter where the soil’s richer.”Thanks to years of data collected fromharvested bucks, Baxter can even give agood average of where deer in each partof the state will fall.“For 4½-year-old bucks in the Delta,the average Boone and Crockett scoreis somewhere close to 130 points, butfor 4½-year-olds in the Ozarks, you’relooking at an average score of 110 to 115points,” Baxter said. “You’ll still see someof those big deer that are much largerthan the average, like those on television.You’ll also have a few that are muchsmaller.”Balancing ActBaxter says there’s plenty of potentialfor an even better deer herd in Arkansas,but hunters have to help – the samehunters who complain about small buckshave no problem with does runningamok on their land. When wildlifeagencies were trying to bring deer herdsback from the brink, does were protectedto increase populations. Now that deerpopulations are at all-time highs, theherd must be brought back into balance.Baxter says some areas may have 12to 20 does for every buck in the area. Allthose does compete for food with maturebucks, which decreases the health of theherd and hurts antler development.“The carrying capacity of land isthe most deer an area will hold andkeep healthy,” Baxter said. “But if you’relooking to increase antler size, you needto keep the herd at levels that promotemaximum productivity, which is muchlower than biological carrying capacity.”Too many does can affect the rut.“If the herd is balanced, you’ll have anoticeable rut with deer being very activein a short window,” Baxter said. “Butif the bucks are running around tryingto breed too many does, the rut will belong, drawn-out and much less visible.”All that extra work also impacts thebucks that are left at the end of the year.When the rut is over in late winter, thosedeer will be in bad shape during thetoughest time of the year. Some of thosebucks that were protected may not makeit to the next season.Aged VenisonAccording to Baxter, three thingscontribute to a deer’s antler growth: age,nutrition and genetics.“Landowners can do some things to12ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

improve nutrition, such as adequate foodplots and timber management. But it’s upto individual landowners to do it.“Genetics is too complex to effectivelycontrol on a free-roaming herd of deer.Overall, we have good genetics inArkansas; the deer just need the nutritionand age to express it.”Age is the one thing biologists canmanipulate on a large scale to improve adeer herd.“During a deer’s first few years, they’restill using a lot of nutrients and energyto grow their bodies,” Baxter said. “Oncethey’re older, they can devote moreenergy to growing better antlers. Thepeak age for antler growth in Arkansaswhitetails is 5½ years old. Unfortunately,about half of our annual buck harvest,when we include button bucks, iscomposed of deer 2½ years and younger.”Baxter says age has improved in thelast decade. Before the three-point rule,about 75 percent of the antlered deerharvest (not including button bucks) was1½ years old and younger. Accordingto last year’s results, about 10 percentof antlered bucks (not counting buttonbucks) were that young.“The three-point rule has helped thedeer get another year of growth beforebeing harvested,” Baxter said. “Pointsaren’t the most accurate way to judgeage, but it’s the easiest for the averagehunter to measure and does shift theharvest to a slightly older age class. Weare implementing regulations for othermeasurements on some areas of the stateand some of our wildlife managementareas, such as the inside spread of theantlers and the length of the main beam.Using these antler criteria does a betterjob at protecting specific age classes ofdeer, and we’ve seen many private clubsembrace these approaches as well.”Hunters who see an obviously maturedeer with an inferior rack complain aboutthe three-point rule. They’re concernedsuch a deer will pass along poor genetics.“Those deer are an excellent targetfor youth hunters (ages 6-15),” Baxtersaid. “Youths don’t have to worry aboutantler restrictions. Main beam and insidespread regulations also let hunters takethose deer, regardless of points.” AWLEFT: If the number of bucks on an area is closeto the number of does, the rut will be shorter,but it will be predictable and easily seen. Photoby Mike Wintroath.BELOW: If an area is overrun with does, lessfood and fewer nutrients are available forbucks when they’re developing antlers. Photoby Mike Wintroath.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE13

Plug IntotheOutdoorsARTICLE by RANDY ZELLERSRemember when fishing regulations fit on a business card?Today we have books, brochures, magazines, Facebook, theInternet, Twitter, email, apps and who knows what else to accessmountains of information. Confused? No need to be – take alook at the following ways to find out about the Arkansas Gameand Fish Commission no matter where you are or where you’regoing.PodcastingIt’s 4 a.m. You’re on the way to your favorite lake or huntingspot. It’s time to get excited, but the only choices you have on theradio are infomercials and “Tinfoil Hat Theatre,” featuring thelatest alien abduction and secret government program theories.There’s another option.With an iPod or other MP3 player, your passengers can watchthe latest episode of the AGFC’s weekly television show or listento its weekly radio show. You can even watch or listen whilesitting in a duck blind or deer stand during slow times to keephunting spirits high.Open iTunes and search for “Talkin Outdoors at the CornerCafé.” Subscribe to the podcast, and download it to an iPhone orother smart phone. For the “Call of the Wild” radio show, visitagfc.com, click “Resources,” then “Podcasts.” Right-click theepisode you want and save it to a smart phone.Tune into the WebEvery week, Steve “Wild Man” Wilson, AGFC public affairscoordinator, and Trey Reid, AGFC field editor, are in the woodsand on the water, getting the latest information about hunting,fishing, camping and watching wildlife in Arkansas. Everyone iswelcome to share the excitement by tuning in to KARN, 102.9FM, at 6 a.m. Saturday or watching KNWA at 9 a.m. Saturday,KARK at 11:30 p.m. Sunday or KARZ at 9 a.m. Sunday.If you can’t get to a TV set or radio, don’t worry.There’s plenty of time to watch the show online. Just visittalkinoutdoors.org or agfc.com and click “Resources” to catchthe latest about The Natural State. But don’t sit too long – theoutdoors is waiting.14ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

TeamworkPreserves Mound at ToltecAgencies Provide Materials, Tools and People PowerBy Jeff WilliamsToltec Archeological StatePark SuperintendentStewart Carlton hefts a rollof coconut matting to helpcover the base of Mound P.Photo by Jeff Williams.Not much is obvious at Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park – even the name is a misnomer. Severalancient mounds dominate the surface, but much of what makes this ground intriguing is buried.Park Superintendent Stewart Carlton says 19 mounds have been identified, and excavations as recent as2010 have helped piece together the lives of people who lived here from about 650 through 1050.The park lies along Mound Pond, an Arkansas River oxbow, in western Lonoke County. Several stateagencies recently created a partnership because water in the lake was eroding part of Mound P, one of thepark’s smaller mounds. Erosion was exposing artifacts such as arrowheads and pipes, and eventually thewater would create irreparable damage to the site.The problem arose from Mound Pond’s fluctuating water level. Since homes have been built across thelake from the pond, the water level tends to be higher on average than it was for years, which means wavesslap the base of the mound.16ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

“These mounds were built a bucket of dirt at a time,” Carltonsaid. “They’re not really solid and they erode very easily.”That’s why a crew of 12 got together in summer heat fora work day. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, theArkansas Archeological Survey, the Arkansas ArcheologicalAssociation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service andArkansas State Parks pitched in with tools, materials and peoplepower. The individuals brought expertise in biology, archeology,conservation, interpretation and probably a few other areas.A section of lakeshore about 50 feet long needed protection.Coconut matting – it looks like burlap on a carpet roll – wassecured along the steep bank to keep wave action from digginginto the fragile dirt. At the bottom of the matting, nearest thewater, logs were anchored with steel cables so they wouldn’t floataway with changing tides.“The idea (of using logs) came from a tree falling naturallyand the earth behind it not eroding as easily,” said Steve Filipek,assistant chief of the AGFC Fisheries Division. “The mat takesaway the power of water washing against the ground. We’llplant some things like white clover and river cane to help hold ittogether. It will have a very natural look from the lake.”The coconut mat also becomes good mulch as it deterioratesand plants begin to grow. These techniques and others are usedby the AGFC’s Stream Teams across the state to stabilize andrestore river banks.It’s a simple but time-consuming and withering task. Woodenstakes are pounded through the mat to hold it in place. Theheavy logs are toted by hand and the cables that secure them areanchored through roots and rocks. It’s a hot, sweaty, bug-infestedproduction.But maintaining the site is worth the effort.Toltec Mounds, a National Historic Landmark, was named bythe owner of the property in the 1800s who thought Toltecs fromMexico built the mounds. Research later revealed these moundswere part of the Plum Bayou Culture, people who lived alongthe rivers of eastern and central Arkansas. Toltec Mounds is thelargest Plum Bayou site.Some of the mounds at Toltec are low and hard to recognize.“These mounds were probably not much bigger than they arenow,” said Elizabeth Horton, a paleoethnobotonist with theUniversity of Arkansas Archeology Survey, based at the ToltecMounds Research Station, as she stood at Mound P.Farmers over the years pulled apart mounds across the region.Although not all mounds were as majestic as the Toltec examples,they were plentiful.“We have some interesting surveys in the 1800s and sketchesthat show the mounds,” Horton said.Toltec holds the largest American Indian mounds inArkansas. They were surrounded by a dirt embankment 8-10 feethigh, part of which remains. The mounds and wall were part of acomplex where ceremonies were held and business conducted.For more information about the park, visit www.arkansasstateparks.com/toltecmounds or call 501-961-9442. AWA sample of artifacts that were picked off the site before matting was applied.Photo by Mike Wintroath.Stephen O’Neal (left) and Steve Filipek of the AGFC drive a cable into theground to secure a log. Photo by Mike Wintroath.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE17

Turner Bend Store as it appears today. Photo by Jeff Williams.Pig Trail PerennialAn Ozarks Icon Binds Valley CommunityBy Jill M. RohrbachTurner Bend Store on the Mulberry River is 100 years old.That’s a lot of bologna sandwiches. Thousands of checked deer.And a bunch of wrecked canoes.You’ve driven by it and probably stopped if you’ve traveled thePig Trail in Franklin County. It’s where the Mulberry River slidesunder Arkansas Highway 23.Brad Wimberly has been the caretaker for 30 years, and hethrew a party in August to celebrate the store’s good times andstruggles. Wimberly offers a little of everything, from gas to canoepaddles. He’s a river outfitter – canoes, kayaks and rafts with allthe accessories are available, along with cabins and campsites.Three buildings have been called Turner Bend Store since 1911.The first store was built by William Eli Turner and his sonChamp. Other family members were involved in the beginning,but Champ and his wife Flora ended up running the place.“Turner Bend for 100 years has kept that valley going,” saidBeth Turner, granddaughter of Flora and Champ. “Grandmaand grandpa, they made that area a family.” Whether someoneneeded a bandage on a knee or help getting a car out of a ditch,Champ was the guy they turned to, she says. Turner produced adocumentary about Turner Bend, “Ties That Bind,” which is forsale at the store.“The first building was closer to the river next to the originalbridge across the Mulberry,” Wimberly said. “Most of the trafficin the early days was by horse or foot.”When a bridge was built in 1935, the Turners used the planksfrom the old bridge to build a store between a wooded hillside andthe curve where the highway crosses the river. It was a store andresidence for 50 years.“The Turners raised three sons in half of this building whileconducting business out of the other half,” Wimberly said. “Inthose days, the store was known as the home of Bubbles themynah bird. Apparently Bubbles had a large vocabulary, some ofit X-rated. Champ was something of a trader and had lots of oldguns hanging from the wall inside the store. The public restroomwas an outhouse sitting over a creek.”Politicians, including a young Bill Clinton, stopped by to shakehands and explain their positions to Champ, who passed informationto people in the valley.Canoeists discovered the river in the late 1960s, and more came18ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

The second Turner Bend Store. Photo courtesy of Brad Wimberly.when “The Mighty Mulberry” was published in1974. The 56-mile National Wild and Scenic Riveris known for its Class II/III water.Wimberly remembers conversations with Champduring the 1976 and ’77 spring floating seasons.“When we returned for a float trip in 1978 the storewas closed,” he said. “Champ was soon to pass on.”The Turner family leased the store for a couple ofyears and sold it.“Champ died of lung cancer,” Turner said. “Brad heard aboutit and came down here and met with my dad. Brad said, ‘I neverwant to change the name. It’s Turner Bend to me, too.’ ”“As the saying goes, ‘Fools rush in,’ ” Wimberly said. “Ipurchased the store in May 1981. Good thing I was only 26 sincethere were hardships and problems at every turn. I lived in theback of the old store like the Turners before me. The wiring wasfaulty, the water well was suspect, the roof was leaky and therewas no insulation.”Wimberly’s first major improvement was a rock landingthat became a landmark, built by Lloyd Schlicker in 1981.Wimberly moved into a 250-square-foot shack in the Turner Bendcampground in 1982 so he could expand the store. He lived there10 years, and married Vien on the landing.“University of Arkansas students flew down the trail on Fridaysand back up on Sundays,” Wimberly said. “Businessmen travelingto and from Little Rock would stop. Hog fans with their flagsflying stopped on their way to games. Canoeing on the Mulberrygrew in popularity.”Wimberly started building a store next to the old one in 1986.“Actually, we had to build part of the new building, tear partof the old one down, build some more, tear the rest of the oldbuilding down, then complete the construction. The wholeprocess took about a year and we never closed a day.”He improved the campground and built a home and rentalcabin on the property by the late ’90s. But the Pig Trail,Wimberly says, lost about two-thirds of its traffic when Interstate540 opened in 1999.“I had naively thought that a lot of the regularswould continue to travel the Pig Trail since it isso much shorter than the interstate route, butI was wrong,” Wimberly said. “Students nowattend the University of Arkansas and don’t evenknow what the Pig Trail is.”A couple of good canoeing years bolstered thebusiness and a growing motorcycle crowd foundthe Pig Trail. Wakarusa, an annual music eventat Mulberry Mountain a few miles north, drawsthousands of people.“Turner Bend has this whole new life of peoplethat know it for a new reason,” Turner said.Tight curves and a tree canopy make the PigTrail a favorite with motorcyclists. The Bikes,Blues and BBQ event in Fayetteville each falldraws motorcyclists to the store, where theybuy patches, pins, goggles and T-shirts. Boaters find NorthwestRiver Supplies gear – river shoes, gloves, life jackets and more.Turnerbend.com is a primary source for daily river levels.Along with groceries and camping supplies, the store offers OzarkHighlands Trail maps and a custom-designed Mulberry River map.Wimberly also stocks a documentary of the river from Wolf Pen toMill Creek. The store’s known for homemade sandwiches, whichboaters take for lunch on the river.Turner Bend runs shuttles for Ozark Highlands Trail hikers,and Wimberly hosts an annual river cleanup, which he’s done for 20years. Four years ago he purchased some riverfront property witha rental cabin just downstream from Turner Bend, and he’s addinga few primitive campsites. The new property is called ’Round theBend.Turner says Wimberly serves the community and preserves theriver much like Champ did. “We just feel like the Wimberlys areTurners,” she said. AWJill Rohrbach is a travel writer for the Arkansas Department of Parksand Tourism.Champ and Flora Turner inside the store, circa 1974. Note the licenses sign.The shelves offered soap, lighter fluid, fishing lures, SPAM and, yes, theTurners had Prince Albert in a can. Photo courtesy of Dena Turner.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE19

FightingFather TimeBiologists Turn Back Clock at White Oak LakeARTICLE AND PHOTOS By RANDY ZELLERSEvery lake goes through cycles. When alake forms, newly flooded habitat producesexcellent conditions to grow fish. But as alake ages, cover rots away and silt covers thesharp edges that attract fish and fishermen.Managing fisheries is an uphill battleagainst Father Time, but through moneyand effort, many effects of age can beminimized.Biologists have been fighting the signsof time at Upper and Lower White Oaklakes for the last decade, and the results areimpressive.Cane CondosAt first glance, the lakes seem full ofcover. Boats barely maneuver aroundstumps in some areas, but those stickupsdon’t do much for fish.“Baitfish and predators such as bassand crappie need much more complexcover,” said Eric Brinkman, AGFC districtfisheries supervisor in Camden. “Theyneed something they can get in and hide. Asimple stump doesn’t offer that.”To increase habitat and offer anglersfishing hot spots, biologists have placedcrappie condos in both lakes. Twelve siteson Upper White Oak and 10 sites onLower White Oak have been enhancedwith a dozen condos each. The condos,made of switch cane and concrete, offerabundant cover for fish, but are less likelyto grab jigs and hooks than brush pilesmade from trees.“The segments of the cane stalks are fullof air, so the condo sits upright and spreadsout like an umbrella,” Brinkman said.Biologists marked these spots differently,so anglers can find them more easily.“In the past, we would put up a blue signon a nearby tree or on shore,” Brinkmansaid. “It gave you a general idea of wherethe structures were, but they could be upto 50 yards away from the sign. Now we’replacing buoys right in the center of thehabitat enhancements so anglers know rightwhere to fish.”Making Fish FoodAnother issue facing the lakes isdecreased plankton production, the baseof the food chain. The upper lake has beenfertilized since 1978, and the lower lakesince 1988 to increase plankton. But thelake’s pH is slightly acidic, which decreasesthe effectiveness of the fertilizer. To bringeverything back into balance, biologistshave added more than 2,300 tons of limeto the shoreline and water since 2004.“We apply the lime in Upper WhiteOak, which balances the pH of both lakes,”Brinkman said. “Balancing the pH of a lakeis like balancing the pH of a garden. We’rejust focused on fish, not corn or potatoes.”Lane ChangeHabitat wasn’t the only thing fadingat White Oak. The markers showingboaters safe trails through the stumps werein bad need of replacement. Accordingto Brinkman, re-marking boat lanes onLower White Oak began in 2009, and wascompleted earlier this year. Upper WhiteOak’s main boat lanes also should becompletely marked by next spring.“Many of the stumps that had markerson them have rotted, but in some cases thePVC marker had cracked or the rebar usedto fasten it to the stump had rusted away,”Brinkman said. “We’ve replaced the PVCpoles and color-coded them so anglers canfollow them easier. Markers on the leftside of the main boat lane (when facingupstream) are orange; ones on the right arewhite.”Fisheries biologists also placed buoyswith the same orange or white markingswhere they could not find a stump to placea PVC pole.“We placed 27 buoys on the lower lake,and I want to begin replacing a few of thepoles each year with buoys as funding isapproved,” Brinkman said.RIGHT: District Fisheries Supervisor EricBrinkman (left) and citizen’s advisory groupmember Bill Cates set crappie condos in UpperWhite Oak Lake.BOTTOM: Boat lanes should be completelyre-marked by next spring.20ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE21

naturally speakingCommission Approves 60-Day Duck SeasonYouth Hunt Set for Feb. 4-5The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission approved the 15thconsecutive 60-day waterfowl hunting season during its Augustmeeting.Duck season dates are Nov. 19-27, Dec. 8-23 and Dec. 26-Jan.29. The youth hunt is set for Feb. 4-5.The duck bag limit of six will consist of no more than fourmallards (two hens), three wood ducks, two redheads, one blackduck, two pintails, one canvasback, one mottled duck and twoscaup.The remaining statewide Canada goose season will be Nov. 19-Jan. 29 with a bag limit of two.White-fronted goose season will be Nov. 19-Jan. 29 with a baglimit of two. Snow, blue and Ross’ goose season was set for Nov.5-Jan. 29 with a bag limit of 20. The Goose Conservation Orderwill be Jan. 30-Feb. 3 and Feb. 6-April 25 with no bag limit.The Commission also voted to make no changes to leasedhunting land opportunities. “Land will be leased as it was last year,”said Commission Chairman George Dunklin.Leased land permits were increased from $20 to $40 at the Julymeeting and ratified during the August meeting, although theincrease will not be implemented for immediate hunting seasons.The commission decided to study these matters.“The Property Management Committee will take these issues upfor next year,” Commissioner Emon Mahony said. The committeewill investigate the use of leased land and recommend alternativesthrough conservation easements for future hunting seasons.Arkansas Darter Among Endangered FishFour Other Fish Across South Added to ListThe yellowcheek darter, Cumberlanddarter, rush darter, chucky madtom andlaurel dace were added to the endangeredspecies list Sept. 8.The yellowcheek darter is found inthe Little Red River basin in Searcy,Stone, Van Buren and Cleburne counties.Although the fish inhabits most streamswithin its historic range, its populationhas shrunk in the Middle, South, Archeyand Beech forks of the Little Red River.The Cumberland darter is found onlyin the upper Cumberland River systemabove Cumberland Falls in Kentucky andTennessee. The rush darter lives only inthe Tombigbee-Black Warrior drainagein Alabama. The chucky madtom, a smallcatfish, exists in the upper TennesseeRiver system in Tennessee. The laureldace population is found in six streamsof the Walden Ridge area of Tennessee’sCumberland Plateau.The ranges and abundance of theseThe yellowcheek darter is found in four Arkansas counties. Photo courtesy of J.R. Shute, ConservationFisheries International.five fishes seriously declined becauseof changes in their stream habitatscaused by mining, agriculture, reservoirconstruction, channelization, urbansprawl, pollution, sedimentation andforestry practices.All five were candidates for listingas endangered or threatened speciesunder the Endangered Species Act.The yellowcheek darter was included inthe 2001 Candidate Notice of Review.Federal agencies that undertake, fundor permit activities that may affectendangered species are required to consultwith the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicebefore implementing plans.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE23

naturally speakingClinton Helps Dedicate Bridge, WetlandsFormer President Bill Clinton, his wifeand Secretary of State Hillary RodhamClinton and their daughter Chelsea Clintonled a list of local dignitaries on hand Sept.30 for the dedication of two projectsadjoining the Clinton Presidential Center.The Clinton Presidential Park Bridge, forpedestrians and cyclists, and the WilliamE. “Bill” Clark Presidential Park Wetlandswere dedicated with a ceremony at thefoot of the bridge on the west side of theClinton Presidential Library.The Arkansas Game and FishCommission has been a partner in bothprojects, through funds and manpower.“You have literally and figurativelychanged the landscape of our state,” LittleRock Mayor Mark Stodola said to thecrowd and the former president. He saidthe “two great amenities” will help citiesand the county continue to grow. “Thebridge represents a connection betweentwo cities. The wetlands is a case study incommunity collaboration.”The adjacent wetlands project is namedfor the late Clark, who was a cofounder ofCDI Contractors, the company that builtthe Clinton Presidential Library. DeanKumpuris, Little Rock city director, cameup with the wetlands idea in the name ofClark.“It is a great site to show the people ofthis city why it’s important to conserveand take care of things,” Kumpurissaid. “Why spend $2 million? It’ll be aneducational opportunity for people to seewetlands. We will be able to take youngpeople out to learn about what wetlandsare, what they do, what they should doand why they should be preserved. It goesalong with the (Witt Stephens Jr. CentralArkansas Nature Center) and Heifer(International).”According to Little Rock PublicThe William E. “Bill” Clark Presidential Park Wetlands is a nice pairing with nearby Witt Stephens Jr.Central Arkansas Nature Center. Photo by Mike Wintroath.Works Operating Manager Eric Petty,$400,000 came from the AGFC forhabitat, $353,000 from a grant through theArkansas Natural Resources Commissionfor a trap to catch trash that washes intothe area and a water lift system, $500,000from the Clinton Foundation, $100,000from One Bank and Trust, and $675,000in the name of Bill Clark. That totals$2.03 million.Although the wetlands isn’t a wetlandsarea in the sense that it filters water, it willhelp visitors understand how wetlandswork. Elevated boardwalks crisscross thewetlands, which includes a large bat house.A statue of Clark and his dog Chloe byartist Clay Enoch has been installed at thewetlands. Clark was an avid outdoorsmanwho loved hunting and fishing. Thesculpture, called “Steady,” depicts Clark inwaders with a duck call.The bridge is the eastern edge of theloop that runs along the Arkansas Riveron both sides, west to the Big Dam Bridge.The loop, known as the Arkansas RiverTrail, is the center and beginning of aseries of trails that local leaders hope willcontinue to spread in all directions.The project got a lift in April 2010 when$2.6 million in Economic DevelopmentAdministration grants became available.“The conversion of the historic railroadbridge into a pedestrian pathway will givecentral Arkansas a distinctive landmarkand will complete one of the best urbantrail systems in the country,” Clinton saidat the time. “By connecting importantdestinations, including my PresidentialCenter, the bridge will also supportrevitalization efforts in downtown LittleRock.”North Little Rock Mayor Pat Haysbrought a cheer from cyclists, walkers andrunners in the dedication crowd when hecalled the bridge “the linchpin of the RiverTrail system.”24ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

Youth Outdoor ExpoMakes Move to FallWith some prodding from MotherNature, the Arkansas Game and FishCommission’s Youth Outdoor Expo,usually a spring event, moved to fall thisyear.Last spring’s rough weather forcedthe postponement of the expo, whichwas rescheduled for Oct. 11-12 at LakeSylvia Recreation Area, about 30 mileswest of Little Rock. The expo is for fifthgradersfrom central Arkansas. They areintroduced to archery, biology, fishing,BB guns and many other topics during45-minute stops at stations near the lake.“We want them to know that ifthey’re interested in studying wildlife,conservation or other areas, they may beable to contribute and turn that into ajob,” said Eric DeVries, assistant chief ofthe AGFC Education and InformationDivision. “The stress is on scientificmanagement. They’re all fifth-graders;they are at a good age – impressionableand curious.”The expo also includes a “fair” withdemonstrations about safe boating andhunting, a herpetology station, the AGFCDive Team, AGFC wildlife officers withdecoys used to catch poachers, and theAGFC mobile aquarium. This year’s expowill include a cannon net for catchingwild turkey.“What I love most about the expo isthat we are introducing kids to life-longactive hobbies – step away from the videogames and get outside,” DeVries said.“There is a whole world waiting to beexplored.”The expo reaches capacity with 2,000students – 1,000 each day. The first AGFCexpo in 2007 drew 500 students to PetitJean Mountain.“When we had 500 students, werealized we could make this a whole lotbigger,” DeVries said.The USDA Forest Service is a majorpartner in the event, along with ArkansasTech University, University of Arkansas atLittle Rock, University of Arkansas at PineBluff, University of Central Arkansas,Pulaski County Master Gardeners, GemsAmbulance of Perryville and the ArkansasGame and Fish Foundation.Teachers who would like moreinformation about how to get their classesinvolved next fall may contact MendyBoyles at the AGFC, 501-223-6476 ormaboyles@agfc.state.ar.us.Dates toRememberNOVEMBER1 Common snipe season opens.All Saints’ Day. NationalAmerican Indian HeritageMonth begins2 All Souls’ Day.4 Doe-only modern gun deer huntcloses, zones 6A, 8A, 9, 10, 12,13, 14, 15, 16, 16A, 17.5 Woodcock season opens.5-6 Special modern gun youth deerhunt, statewide (except WMAsclosed during modern gun deerseason). Special modern gunyouth bear hunt, zones 1, 2.7-30 Modern gun bear season,zones 1, 2.9 Purple gallinule and commonmoorhen seasons close.10 Full moon.12 Modern gun deer season opensstatewide. River otter huntingseason opens, sunrise. Furbearer(except coyote) trapping seasonopens, sunrise.13 Modern gun deer season closes,zones 4, 5.17 Leonids meteor shower peaks.18 Virginia and sora rail seasoncloses.19-20 Modern gun deer season closes,zones 4B, 5B.24 Thanksgiving Day.26 Modern gun bear season opens,zone 5A.30 Archery bear season closes,zones 1, 2.Fishing is among the popular events at the annual Youth Outdoor Expo at Lake Sylvia.Photo byMike Wintroath.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE25

naturally speakingDead Lake Fish AreCommon PhenomenaBruce Cunningham with his first striped bass, whichhappens to be the Missouri state record. Photo courtesyof Missouri Department of Conservation.Missouri Record HasArkansas RootsIf fishing were basketball, the Arkansas Gameand Fish Commission would earn an assist forthe latest Missouri state-record striped bass.Bruce Cunningham of Fordland, Mo., caughta 60-pound, 9-ounce striper at about 1 a.m.,June 18, on Bull Shoals Lake, which straddlesthe Missouri-Arkansas state line.Stripers exist in the lake because of a stockingmistake in 1998. According to Ken Shirley,an AGFC district fisheries supervisor, 19,000striped bass bound for Norfork Lake wound upin Bull Shoals.“We were expecting a shipment of walleyefor Bull Shoals,” Shirley said. “A summer helpercalled to tell us that a shipment of fish hadarrived at the hatchery and asked where theywere supposed to go. We thought it was thewalleyes, so we told him to take them to BullShoals. It turned out they were striped bass.”Shirley says survivors of that stocking weighbetween 30 and 60 pounds and are near theend of their lives. Cunningham’s record was 47inches long with a 36-inch girth. He caught iton a plastic minnow in about 40 feet of water.It topped the 58-pound record caught by JohnWest of Republic, Mo., in July, 2010.Dead fish appearing in Bull Shoals, Norfork and Beaver lakes in northernArkansas is a natural and seasonal phenomenon, according to Ken Shirley,a veteran district fisheries supervisor with the Arkansas Game and FishCommission.“High springtime inflows into the large reservoirs are a great benefit to ourfisheries,” Shirley said. “The resulting huge spawns of crappie, walleye andlargemouth bass often dominate those lake fisheries for years. Similar spawns ofthreadfin or gizzard shad, sunfish, and invertebrates result in fast growth of allour game fish. However, this is not without its cost. Access to our waters is oftenlimited or even damaged.“Organic matter like leaves flushed into the lakes decays, taking up oxygenin the cold water below the thermocline (the point where shallow, warm watermeets cold, deep water). While many cool-water fish like walleye and striped bassconcentrate at the thermocline where they can acclimate to the temperature andwater-quality conditions, there is also often a deep plume of cold, oxygenatedwater flowing along the bottom, which also has fish.”Shirley says fish that use that deep plume of oxygenated water have to travelup through a deep or anoxic area to reach more abundant oxygen.“Many do not make it,” Shirley said. “If they do, they may find the surfacewater too hot for them to acclimate quickly or their gas bladder expands so muchthat they pop to the surface, unable to swim back down, eventually dying fromthe bends or temperature shock.”Striped bass, walleye and yellow perch were the most common fish founddead in September on two of the lakes. Beaver Lake doesn’t have a population ofyellow perch, although a few walleye and striped bass died there.Bull Shoals Lake is not stocked with striped bass, although it holds some olderfish from stocking. Beaver Lake has a revitalized population of walleye. Yellowperch, smaller relatives of walleye, are not a significant sport fish in Arkansas butare a food source for stripers, walleye and other predator fish.“Fish kills like this occur in normal high-water years on Norfork, preventingits stripers from reaching the huge size for which they are capable,” Shirley said.“Larger fish are affected sooner than smaller ones. Bull Shoals and Beaver, withless fertile water, usually suffer these kills only after extreme high-water eventssuch as this year. High water temperatures speed up the oxygen depletion,making this year even worse than would have been expected from high inflowsalone.“While these fish kills were anticipated this year – and on Bull Shoals andNorfork may be severe enough that anglers notice the temporary decline inwalleye and striper populations – the increase in food and great spawns will beeven more apparent in the future. These fish kills usually occur over a period ofweeks and will end when the surface water temperatures decline enough that thelayers begin to mix.”26ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

NRCS Funds FourConservation ProjectsThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service inArkansas will spend $1 million to fund four Mississippi River Basin Initiative projects.“USDA is working aggressively to improve the health of the Mississippi River Basin,”Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “The funding will help producers implement a system ofconservation practices that will control soil erosion, improve soil quality and providewildlife habitat.”Each of these projects will help farmers and improve wildlife habitat aroundagricultural fields.Here’s a look at each project:L’Anguille River Watershed Coalition, $200,000 − Siltation and turbidity fromagriculture have created an impaired watershed listing by the Environmental ProtectionAgency. Conservation cover and nutrient management to filter strips and riparian forestbuffers will control nutrients that reach the water through erosion.Point Remove Wetlands Reclamation and Irrigation District, $500,064 −This project in Conway, Pope and Yell counties will help farmers in 15 watersheds of theLake Conway-Point Remove basin. It will slow the application of nutrients and water onfields and help trap nutrients before they wash off fields.St. Francis and Lee counties conservation districts, Outlet Larkin Creek,$200,000 −The project in the L’Anguille River basin in St. Francis and Lee counties willreduce sediment and nutrients entering water from agricultural lands.Northeast Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts,Lower St. Francis,$100,000 − The goal of the project is to reduce nutrient loss from agricultural land(primarily rice and soybeans) through improved use of nutrients and reduced runoff fromagricultural fields.Additional information about MRBI projects, area maps and conservation practices isavailable at www.ar.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/mrbi.html.Torry Cook of Warren with the unrestricted-tackle state-record longnose gar. Photo courtesy of Torry Cook.Cook Breaks Own Longnose Gar RecordEleven years ago, Torry Cook set the unrestricted-tackle state record for largestlongnose gar with a 36-pound, 5-ounce fish taken from the Ouachita River.He smashed that mark Aug. 4 on the Arkansas River. Cook was bowfishing belowLock and Dam No. 2 when he shot a 54-pound longnose gar that stretched 66½ inches.Cook, who lives in Warren, weighed the fish at the Monticello Post Office. The specieswas verified by Brad Fontaine, an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fisheries biologistbased at the Monticello office.Dates toRememberDECEMBER3-11 Modern gun bear season,zone 5.4 Modern gun deer season closes,zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 7, 8,8A, 10, 11.5-9 Elk hunting season open, privateland zone and public landcompartments 1-4.7 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.10 Full moon.11 Modern gun deer season closes,zones 4A,13 Geminids meteor show peaks.14 Audubon Christmas Bird Countbegins..17-19 Muzzleloader deer season,zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6,6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10, 11, 14, 15..18 Modern gun deer season closes,zones 9, 12, 13.19 Woodcock season closes.20-28 Hanukkah.22 Winter Solstice, 12:30 a.m.23 Christmas Eve (observed).24 Christmas Eve.25 Christmas Day. Modern gundeer season closes, zones 16,16A, 17.25 Modern gun deer season closes,zones 4B, 5B.26 Christmas Day (observed).Kwanzaa begins.26 Mourning and Eurasian collareddoveseason opens.26-28 Christmas holiday modern gundeer hunt, statewide.29-31 Muzzleloader deer season,zones 9, 12, 13, 16, 16A, 17.31 New Year’s Eve. Bullfrog seasoncloses.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE27

naturally speakingWin Big With‘Talkin’ Outdoors’Time Change on KARK Begins in JanuaryTime is running out to enter the“Watch and Win” drawing, brought toyou by “Talkin’ Outdoors at the CornerCafé.”Host Steve “Wild Man” Wilson,public affairs coordinator for theArkansas Game and Fish Commission,will draw a winner during the Dec.3-4 episode. The show airs at 9 a.m.Saturdays on KNWA in northwesternArkansas and 9 a.m. Sundays on KARZin central Arkansas. It also airs at 11:30p.m. Sundays on Little Rock’s KARK,although that time slot will change to 11p.m. in January.Prizes for this year’s drawing include aSony 55-inch, 3-D, high-definition TV;two pairs of 3-D glasses; a 3-D emitter; aPlayStation 3, and a Sony Alpha33 digitalcamera, complete with camera bag,tripod and a 4-gigabyte memory card.All those prizes are furnished byBedford Camera & Video, with stores inRogers, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, LittleRock and North Little Rock. See www.bedfords.com for details.The winner also receives a LifetimeResident Hunting and FishingSportsman’s Permit worth $1,000,thanks to the Arkansas Game and FishFoundation.To enter, send a postcard with name,address, phone number and email address(optional) to : Talkin’ Outdoors Watchand Win, KARK, Suite 104, 1401 W.Capitol Ave., Little Rock, AR 72201-2940. Enter as many times as you like;entries must be received by Nov. 28.The contest is open only to Arkansasresidents.Study Predicts HighWetlands at Greater RiskAccording to a studyreleased earlier this year,the risk of wetland habitatloss is greater in areassuch as the Boston andOuachita mountains thanit is in lowlands such asthe Coastal Plain and theMississippi Basin.Baylor University andthe USDA Forest Service’sRocky Mountain ResearchStation developed a modelbased on the study thatpredicts the risk of wetlandhabitat loss. The modelcovers 13 states, includingArkansas. The studyappeared in EcologicalApplications.“Because conservationresources are scarce,it is essential to focusconservation efforts onthose geographic areasAll wetlands face risky futures, although those at higher elevations facea lower survival rate. Photo by Jeff Williams.where the risks for further wetland habitat loss are the greatest,” said Dr. Kevin Gutzwiller,a Baylor biology professor and coauthor of the study. “Our predictive model can be used toplan protection efforts by helping to prioritize wetland areas for conservation. The modelalso can be used to assess the effectiveness of current wetland conservation programs.”According to government figures, between 1992 and 1997, more than 500,000 acres ofwetlands were lost in the U.S. The greatest loss was in the South.Some of the variables that best predicted wetland habitat loss in the study were landcover and land use of the surrounding landscape, size of developments within 1,900 feetof wetlands, road density within 1,900 feet of wetlands and land ownership. Throughoutthe study area, higher predicted risks of wetlands habitat loss occurred in and near largeurban areas.“Wetland fate is thought to be influenced by both local and landscape-level processes,”said Curtis Flather, coauthor and research wildlife biologist at the Rocky MountainResearch Station. “Because of their topographic and edaphic characteristics, highlands arelikely to be better drained than are lowlands. Wetlands situated in highlands may thereforebe less extensive and more isolated than wetlands situated in lowlands.”28ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

Federal Grant WillExpand ANHC SystemRed-cockaded woodpeckers, pink mucket mussels and wingedmapleleafs are a few species that will benefit from a federal grantof more than $1.5 million. The grant will be administered by theArkansas Game and Fish Commission.The money will pay for about 1,700 acres to be added toLongview Saline Natural Area in Ashley County, an ArkansasNatural Heritage Commission site. Wintering Henslow’ssparrows, a species of conservation concern, use saline soil barrenson the property. The barrens also support salt slicks, a tiny habitatthat may support geocarpon, a federally endangered plant speciesknown from four sites in Arkansas (three of which are protectedby ANHC).Opportunities for outdoor recreation and hunting also willbe available.The grant came through the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService’s Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund,which provides money for species and habitat conservation onnon-federal lands. For more information about the ANHC andthe system of natural areas, visit www.naturalheritage.com.About 1,700 acres will be added to Longview Saline Natural Area. Photo courtesy ofArkansas Natural Heritage Commission.New Loop TrailExplores Cove CreekA new 1.5-mile primitive loop trail will help visitors explore CoveCreek Natural Area, which covers 228 acres in Faulkner County.Cove Creek Loop Trail is rated easy to moderate. Highlightsinclude two scenic overlooks of free-flowing Cove Creek and twofoot bridges that were constructed from cedars and lumber salvagedfrom old natural area entrance signs.From the trailhead, hikers meander through a cedar gladebefore the landscape transitions into an upland hardwood forestdominated by oak and hickory trees. After roughly half a mile,hikers reach Cove Creek overlook. This outcrop gives hikers theirfirst look at Cove Creek, a tributary of Cadron Creek. During wetweather, a cascading waterfall flows immediately south ofthe overlook.From the overlook, hikers follow an old game trail and reachanother vista in about a quarter of a mile. From the secondoverlook, the trail continues down a natural bench to Cove Creek.The trail meanders through the bottomlands before returning toupland hardwood forest and the trailhead.This primitive trail is a good day-hike destination and providesopportunities for low-impact use such as bird watching orphotography, as well as scientific research and education. Fordirections and more information about the area, visit www.naturalheritage.com/natural-area/cove-creek.Cove Creek Loop Trail offers a day hike into a scenic natural area, which includes thecreek. Photos courtesy of Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE29

naturally speakingForestry GroupsForm Historic BondThe Arkansas Forestry Commission,Arkansas Forestry Associationand the USDA Natural ResourcesConservation Service in Arkansassigned a historic memorandum ofunderstanding in Little Rock Sept. 9.The first MOU among the groupswas signed by Mike Sullivan, NRCSstate conservationist for Arkansas; JohnShannon, AFC state forester, and MaxBraswell, AFA executive vice president.“The MOU culminates andformalizes a long-term commitmentto the conservation and stewardshipof Arkansas’s natural resources,”Sullivan said. “This memorandumwill strengthen cooperation betweenAFC, AFA and NRCS by coordinatinginteragency delivery of forestry-relatedconservation assistance to privatelandowners in order to sustain thehealth, diversity and productivity ofArkansas’s private forest lands.”Partnerships like this one helpprivate landowners and increase thebenefits of working forest land. Familyowned farms make up 8.7 million acresof Arkansas forests and are increasinglybeing divided into smaller parcels.Through the MOU, each agencywill continue to deliver technicaland financial assistance throughvarious conservation programs.Jointly, the agencies will coordinateand standardize forest managementplans, share information, provide stafftraining, encourage the development oftechnical service-provider agreementsand work to ensure that programresources are used effectively.How About a Plate ofBlack Crappie This Year?The people voted and the people wantcrappie on their plates.Not fried or baked (although thosearen’t bad ideas) – they want crappie ontheir license plates. We asked peopleto choose an animal for the 2012Arkansas Game and Fish CommissionConservation License Plate Program.They voted through an online survey and the black crappie won with 47percent of the vote. Second was American alligator with 23 percent, followed by northernmockingbird and mourning dove in a virtual tie at 11 percent, and prothonotary warblerat 8 percent.The program, which began in 2000 with a white-tailed deer, raises money forconservation-related scholarships for college students and other conservation uses. Theplates are $35 per year; $25 go to the scholarship fund and $10 go to the ArkansasDepartment of Finance and Administration.Although any plate in the series may be purchased, a new plate becomes available atthe beginning of each year. To buy a plate, download a form from the Arkansas Officeof Motor Vehicles, www.arkansas.gov/dfa/motor_vehicle/mv_plates.php. Fill out the formand mail it to or visit one of several DFA offices across the state (further instructions areon the form). For more information, call (501) 682-4692 or visit www.agfc.com/aboutagfc/Pages/AboutConservationLicensePlates.aspx.It’s also a perfect Christmas gift certificate. Simply drop by the AGFC Little Rockoffice at 2 Natural Resources Drive, pay $35 and you’ll be given a check made out tothe Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration with a holiday envelope and aminiature magnetic version of the license plate.Other plates in the series are white-tailed deer (2000), ruby-throated hummingbird(2001), largemouth bass (2002), eastern wild turkey (2003), mallard (2004), rainbow trout(2005), ivory-billed woodpecker (2006), elk (2007), American black bear (2008), Dianafritillary butterfly (2009), black Lab (2010) and an updated white-tailed deer (2011).Statement of OwnershipAccording to the U.S. PostalService regulations, periodicalssuch as Arkansas Wildlife arerequired to annually submit astatement of ownership. Theform shown here also mustappear in one issue of themagazine each year.30ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

outdoor cookingRacks of ribs awaittheir turn in thesmoker whileswimming in Butt andRib Bath. Photo byKeith Stephens.Winter of Discontent?Keep Your Grill or Smoker Happy This Winter During HibernationBy Jeff WilliamsIf your grill or smoker could talk, you’dprobably need to cover your kids’ ears.For all it does for you and your family, itlikely gets very little respect. It endures rainand snow while you wait for the weather toclear. It’s always there for you – how aboutshowing it a little love?Taking care of a grill or smoker is prettyeasy and it can prolong its life, which savesyou money. Although grills in Arkansas canbe used just about all year, we’re nearingcold weather, when most grills hibernate.Now’s the time to make sure it sleeps welland wakes up rested and ready next spring.Here are some tips for care and a fewideas to make grilling and smoking gosmoother.SeasoningNot salt and pepper – oil. Season yoursmoker before you use it, just as you woulda fine Dutch oven. Clean it well, removerust, coat with olive, vegetable or other oil,and add coals; reseason as needed. Followmanufacturer’s directions. Of course, thisisn’t necessary if yours is enamel, stainlesssteel or ceramic.Fire It UpDo you use a chimney to start coals?Try this: Use a sheet of newspaper in thebottom and drop in a few pencil-size sticksbefore adding briquettes. The sticks helpair circulate and they burn hot and fast sothe briquettes catch quickly.Falling DebrisHave you ever noticed that black stuffthat chips off the inside of your smoker/Does this look familiar?grill lid? Guess where that falls? Use aputty knife to scrape it off; reseason ifnecessary.Brush It OffGet a grill brush and use it. The blackcrud on the grills comes off easier rightafter or just before cooking while thecoals are warm.Curling IronGrates (the racks that hold coals)don’t last forever, and they tend to warp.Extend the life and keep them straighterby turning them over every so often.Cover It UpIf you’ve invested several hundreddollars (and it could be much more) inyour grill or smoker, spend a few moredollars to protect it with a cover. Don’tbuy a flimsy model because it will teareasily and you’ll have to replace it afterone season.Alternative FuelStuck in a charcoal rut? Try cookingwith wood. If you have hickory, oak,pecan or other suitable trees in your yard,simply use limbs that fall. Keep a stackhigh and dry, and make sure the woodhas time to dry. You’ll be surprised howeasy it is to grill a few chicken breasts orsmoke a turkey using only wood in youryard – as long as it’s the right wood. Andit’s free!Keep It CleanPerhaps the biggest mistake backyardcooks make is leaving ash in the bottomof the grill or smoker. Air is crucial forgood coals and a pile of ash stops air flow.Try using a small brush/dustpan combination,often found at auto parts stores.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE31

photographyBelly BoatPerspectiveTurn a Blind Eye to On-the-water ActionArticle by Sue HansenPhotos by Eric HansenDrifting lazily along a stand of cattails,the camouflage-covered contraptionattracted very little attention from a groupof ducks swimming nearby. The web-footedbirds didn’t even notice they’d been targetedby a telephoto lens hidden in the floatingphotography platform.Originally produced by Tucker Duck andRubber Co. of Fort Smith, the float tubehas evolved to become a mainstay withanglers interested in summer pond-hopping.Many photographers also are discoveringtheir amphibious nature, and are usingthese inflatable boats to slide silentlythrough the water for access to images notpossible from shore.The thought of getting a camera withineyesight of water is enough to make somephotographers cringe. But with a fewprecautions, belly boat blinds can keepeverything high and dry. Before plungingin for pictures, chest waders are advisable.Neoprene waders are excellent for their tightfit and comfort. Wading boots are fine forshallow ponds, but fins (made specificallyfor float tubes) offer better maneuverabilityin deeper depths. When wearing fins,remember that the best way to move is tokick in front and push yourself backwardthrough the water.As with any type of boat, wearing a lifevest is imperative for safety. Those usedby water skiers and anglers offer plenty offloatation without bulk, and some providechest pockets that can be used to store extramemory cards and batteries.Look for areas in lakes and ponds withabundant cover – cattails, reeds, shags andbushes – along shorelines or islands wherebirds congregate. Ease the float tube nearthe foliage to blend with natural surroundings.If possible, attach a few weeds fromyour immediate surroundings to the blind.Then slide quietly into the water and hang32ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

near the edge. It’s best to wait in one placeor drift slowly along; chasing waterfowl andother birds may cause them to take flight.The best advantage of a belly boat blindis the birds’ acceptance of a floating innertube, as opposed to a hidden structure onland. Waterfowl always look toward shorefor signs of danger. By being in the water, aphotographer puts less pressure on flightysubjects and catches more images of natureacting naturally.Tips for a safe and successfulphotographic outing on water• Carry a change of dry clothes andextra gear in a dry bag in cold weather.• Don’t use float tubes in fast water.• Practice launching and landingwithout camera equipment.• Don’t launch in muddy or slipperyareas; a fall could cost you an expensivecamera and lens.• Walk backward when launching withfins on.• Don’t use a belly boat in thunderstormsor high winds.2. For the uprights, cut three pieces of halfinchpipe or conduit 20 inches long.(This length works for a person 6 feettall but can be lengthened or shorteneddepending on an individual’s height.)Insert the pipe ends into the tees on thehoops. Drill a hole into each tee throughthe pipe and fasten with a nut and bolt.This allows framework to be taken apartfor transportation and storage.3. Drape camouflage material over thestructure. Fashion openings for thecamera lens in front and on the sides.4. For better camera stability, add a woodenshooting platform covering half the tube’stop. Shape a piece of thick plywood intoa 12-inch-wide, U-shaped pattern andstrap tightly with rope to the tube’s sides.Drill a hole the diameter of a monopodat a 60-degree angle through a 2-by-6-inchblock of wood. Cut the block in halflengthwise. Mount to the plywood usingall-thread and wing-nuts. By tighteningand loosening the wing-nuts, themonopod can be raised and lowered toposition the camera.TOP: The addition of a plywood top creates stability for photographers using large lenses.BOTTOM LEFT: Itdoesn’t matter how big the camera lens is – the best images are taken when the photographer is close to thesubject. BOTTOM RIGHT: A redhead drake takes time to stretch right in front of the photographer’s lens.Building the Belly BlindConstructing a floating photographyblind requires few materials: a float tube,two hoops, six ABS plumbing tees, halfinchpipe or conduit, duct tape, several2-inch-long by quarter-inch bolts andmaterial with your favorite camouflagepattern.1. Cut one hoop the size of the float tubeand the other slightly smaller. Slide threeABS tees onto each hoop, spaced evenlyapart, and duct tape in place. Securehoop ends back together with tape.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE33

scales of justicePill PickupAGFC Wildlife Officers ‘Take Back’ Prescription DrugsBy RANDY ZELLERSWhen people think aboutdrug abuse, cocaine, heroinand methamphetamine arethe first things that come tomind. But some of the worstcases involve medicationsprescribed by doctors thatend up in the wrong hands.“Prescription drugsare becoming a problem,particularly with teenagers,”said Col. Mike Knoedl, chiefof the AGFC EnforcementDivision. “They find leftoversin their parents’ medicinecabinets and take them or sellthem to friends.”The AGFC teamed upwith the Take Back campaignOct. 29 to help keep these drugs out of kids’ hands. This is thethird year AGFC officers have manned locations on Take Back Dayto gather old prescription drugs and dispose of them properly.“We asked to be a part of the program because protectingour youth from bad influences is a key to promoting the nextgeneration of outdoors enthusiasts,” Knoedl said. “Bad influenceslike drugs aren’t just dangerous, they’re another deterrent to healthyoutdoors activities.”Don’t Flush FisheriesNot only does Take Back keep prescription drugs out ofchildren’s hands, it keeps them out of the water supply.“Flushing drugs down the toilet doesn’t make them disappear,”said Mark Oliver, chief of the AGFC Fisheries Division. “Thosemedications often can’t be removed at water treatment facilitiesbefore the water is released back to the environment.”Oliver says the impacts of hormone-based medications arewell documented. Fish and amphibians in water near somemetropolitan areas have been found with both male and femalesex organs as result of hormones in medications flushed down theAGFC wildlife officers Crystal Blakely (left) and Tracey Blake collect prescriptiondrugs at War Memorial Stadium.drain. He also explained thatwhen insects, crustaceansand forage fish consumechemicals from medications,those chemicals stay in theirsystems and are transferredto the species that eat them.As the process continues upthe food chain, the chemicalsbecome concentrated.“The large predator fishthat we enjoy – such ascrappie, catfish and bass –could transfer those chemicalloads right back to peopleif we continue to polluteour water supply with thesemedications.”The program isn’t just aonce-a-year event. Permanent Take Back stations are popping upacross the state to accept old prescription drugs. For more on theprogram and for a list of locations, visit www.artakeback.org.Part of the JobKnoedl often is asked why AGFC wildlife officers are busy withanti-drug work instead of being in the woods nonstop. He explainsthat, although most of wildlife officers’ time is spent enforcingwildlife regulations, they have to look at the big picture of theoutdoors.“A lot of people don’t realize that many meth labs, marijuanapatches and other drug operations are found in the woods,”Knoedl said. “Many of these operations leave toxic chemicalsor dangerous conditions behind for the wildlife and hunters.We’ve run across many booby traps around the operations we’vediscovered on public land. If that had been a hunter, angler orhiker that found those traps instead of a trained officer, the resultscould have been deadly.”34ARKANSAS WILDLIFE NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011

partingTHOUGHTSGreat Expectations?Television Can Play Tricks on OutdoorsmenBy Jeff Williamsremember attending a NationalI Basketball Association exhibition gamewhen I was in college, shortly after SidneyMoncrief graduated from the Universityof Arkansas and landed a spot with theMilwaukee Bucks.The game was in Barnhill Arena at theUA. I don’t remember who the Bucks wereplaying but I do remember walking by thecourt and being amazed by their size andheight. They were the first NBA playersI’d seen outside a TV screen.The same thing happened when Iwatched the Oakland Raiders playTennessee during the Oilers’ only seasonin Memphis. I knew they were big fromwatching TV games, but in person theywere massive.When we see these events only ontelevision, our perception is thrown outof whack. Something similar happenswhen we watch outdoor shows. A day’saction – and sometimes events spreadover days or weeks – often is compressedinto a 30-minute show that becomes evenshorter and quicker when advertisementstake their cut.It’s easy to get carried away by all theaction but when we think about whatwe’re watching on these programs, werealize it’s a strange world. Everyone on aduck hunt gets a limit in a few minutes.Fish are caught as fast as they can belanded. We know that’s not how it worksbut it’s easy to forget after watching acouple of these videos back to back. Irealize advertising can drive content and,after all, who wants to watch video of ahunter failing to get a deer or an anglergetting skunked?This issue of Arkansas Wildlife includesan article about realistic expectations fordeer season, depending on where peoplehunt, how they hunt, habitat and otherfactors. In other words, if you’re lookingfor a bulky 12-point, it’s best to huntwhere that kind of deer lives. If you wanta doe, there are places and methods thatincrease your odds of success. As folks saytoday, keep it real.With impressions of instant gratificationin the back of our head, we may feelourselves getting a little antsy if wedon’t see a buck within a few minutes ofclimbing a stand or if we don’t get a strikeafter the first few casts.Today’s outdoor programs are meantto be entertaining, and it’s fun to watchhunters bag pheasant after pheasant oranglers reel in bluegill hand over fist.Someone probably will write or call to tellme about a fantastic hunting or fishingtrip when game was falling like dominoes.Yes, it happens, but it’s not the rule and it’snot what we should expect from every trip.Anticipation and great expectationsare good things to pack when we headoutdoors; in fact, they’re necessities. Butwe also need a pocketful of reality.Photo by Mike Wintroath.NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS WILDLIFE35

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