The Arkansas turkey season could open 1 week earlier for the vast majority of hunters in 2027 under a proposal heard Thursday by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Commissioners heard the 1st reading of the proposed date change during their meeting at the 2nd annual Generation Conservation Summit at Hot Springs Convention Center and Bank OZK Arena.
The change reflects the wishes of the commission’s Regulations and Resource Management Committee after robust discussions following a presentation Wednesday by former commissioners Jim Hinkle and Ken Reeves.
“The thrill of turkey hunting is getting to call at a gobbling turkey; there’s nothing like it,” Reeves said. “When you hit that call and 1 gobbles right on top of it, that’s what we live for.”
Hinkle echoed that statement, speaking to the number of changes turkey hunters have endured in the last decade.
“I think this is a minimal change that we are asking for,” Hinkle said. “And certainly, if you came to us a year from now and said, ‘This didn’t work; it hurt our population,’ Ken and I are going to be for going back. We’re for the birds.”
Proposed 2027 Arkansas Turkey Season Dates
- Zone 1: April 12-May 2, 2027
- Zone 1A: April 12-20, 2027
- Zones 2 and 3: April 5-25, 2027
- Zone 2A: April 5-13, 2027
- Youth Turkey Hunt, Zones 1, 1A, 2, 2A and 3: April 3-4, 2027
No other regulation changes concerning turkey hunting are being considered in the current proposal.
The commission is gathering public comment on the revised season through this online survey. Commissioners are expected to consider action on the regulation following a 30-day comment period.
2027 Conservation License Plate Features American Alligator
AGFC Education Chief Mary Beth Hatch revealed the artwork for the 2027 AGFC Conservation License Plate. The new artwork, created by AGFC art director Greta James, depicts an American alligator in a cypress swamp and is the 11th license plate she has designed for the AGFC.
Watch a video about the American alligator and its recovery in The Natural State.
Arkansas Conservation License Plates cost an additional $35 over the regular cost of vehicle registration, with $10 used for processing fees and the remaining $25 directly supporting conservation education programs, scholarships, internships and land purchases for conservation in Arkansas. The program, which began in 2000, supplies more than $1.1 million per year for conservation in Arkansas.
Commissioners Hear Update on Northern Bobwhite Quail
Commissioners also heard a presentation from Clint Johnson, AGFC Quail Program coordinator, who shared an overview of his program and the status of northern bobwhite in Arkansas. According to Johnson, the program revolves around managing and restoring grassland habitat that benefits quail and many other bird species with declining populations across the Southeast.
“Northern bobwhite are what we call a brush obligate grassland bird,” Johnson said. “If you remember anything we say here it’s these 3 words: grass, weeds and brush. … Quail need bunch grasses that grow in clumps to offer a mix of cover and bare ground … weeds are all those native wildflowers and broad-leaved forbs that produce the seeds the birds need … brush gives escape cover from predators and severe weather.”
Johnson compared various habitats prominent in Arkansas. Much of the state’s landmass may have 1 or 2 of the ideal grass, weeds and brush mix, but rarely will a property have all 3 in the abundance needed to benefit quail.
“We’ve lost 99 percent of our native grasslands in Arkansas,” Johnson said. “But we’re implementing programs for private landowners to help bring these conditions back and we’re working on public land to restore these areas where we can.”
Johnson also showed comparisons of public areas where quail have declined over the last 20 years, illustrating how patchy, old field and prairie habitats were slowly overtaken by forests, hindering quail production, and some of the work done in the last 5 years to restore grasslands. Herbicides, prescribed fire and forest thinning were critical components of the restoration work and of maintaining those habitats. Watch the presentation here.
In Other Business
The commission also:
- Approved a budget increase of $3.5 million to complete work for the renovation of the Charlie “C.B.” Craig State Fish Hatchery in Centerton. The project is well ahead of schedule thanks to dry conditions and a highly capable contractor, and the appropriation will enable crews to continue working toward completion during the remainder of the fiscal year while construction conditions remain excellent.
- Approved a 0.5-acre utility easement with the Yell County Water Association for the installation of underground water transmission pipes through a corner of Petit Jean River Wildlife Management Area.
- Approved a minute order to provide legal defense and pay for outside counsel, if needed, for AGFC staff acting within the scope of their official duties in a federal lawsuit recently filed by 2 former employees of the agency.
A video of the meeting is available on the AGFC’s YouTube Channel.
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