View Article - Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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
Page 3: 661014161820Stronger With AgeWhen e
Page 10 and 11: Antler VisionTV Is Fine, but Hunter
Page 12 and 13: Arkansas.“The minerals aren’t l
Page 14: Plug IntotheOutdoorsARTICLE by RAND
Page 17 and 18: “These mounds were built a bucket
Page 19 and 20: The second Turner Bend Store. Photo
Page 21: NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011ARKANSAS
Page 24 and 25: naturally speakingClinton Helps Ded
Page 26 and 27: naturally speakingDead Lake Fish Ar
Page 28 and 29: naturally speakingWin Big With‘Ta
Page 30 and 31: naturally speakingForestry GroupsFo
Page 32 and 33: photographyBelly BoatPerspectiveTur
Page 34 and 35: scales of justicePill PickupAGFC Wi
Page 36: To subscribe, call (800) 283-2664.c

View Article - Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?