The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will temporarily close several wildlife management areas to conduct aerial operations to control feral pigs. The WMAs will be closed for short periods on various days from January 19 to March 31 as professional pilots and crews from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services do the aerial work.
AGFC Director Doug Schoenrock said these flights depend on the weather. None were scheduled for any of Arkansas's duck-hunting WMAs until after the Youth and Veteran's Duck Hunt on February 7-8.
“Individual WMAs will only be closed to public access for one to two days each,” he said. “This will allow for the aerial flights and are scheduled to occur at a time where very few hunters will be affected. But the conditions are still optimal for feral hog control. These efforts are at no cost to the AGFC.”
Visitors will not be allowed at these wildlife management areas during these closings. The dates allow for some flexibility to take advantage of resources over large contiguous tracts of habitat. During the closures of WMAs, AGFC and partnering agencies will be on-site to ensure road and access closures.
The temporary closures will include:
- Big Lake WMA
- U of A Pine Tree Experimental Station Wildlife Demonstration Area
- Steve N. Wilson Raft Creek Bottoms WMA
- George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto WMA
- Trusten Holder WMA
- Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA Deer Research Area West and East Unit, Seven Devils WMA
- Cut-Off Creek WMA
- Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois d'Arc WMA
- Rick Evans Grandview Prairie WMA
- McIlroy Madison County WMA
- Gene Rush WMA
