Little Rock, AR -(Ammoland.com)- Modern gun deer season is just around the corner, and you don’t have a place to hunt.
It will cost $40, but this problem can be solved quickly with a permit to hunt leased lands from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The permits are available to anyone and can be bought online at agfc.com as well as at any Game and Fish Commission office or license dealer.
The nine leased land wildlife management areas total about 275,000 acres. They are Casey Jones Wildlife Management Area in south Arkansas, Cherokee WMA and Jim Kress WMA in north-central and west-central Arkansas and Big Timber WMA, Gum Flat WMA, Howard County WMA, Lake Greeson WMA, Provo WMA and Lafayette County WMA in southwest Arkansas.
All of these areas have deer as well as other game. The leased land permits are required for hunting, trapping and camping. A separate permit is needed for each leased land area. Youths under 16 are not required to have permits, and maps of the leased areas are available with the purchase of permits. Permits are valid for one year from date of purchase.
For many years, the AGFC has leased land from timber companies and other landowners to provide low-cost hunting opportunities particularly in portions of the state where fewer public hunting areas are available. Most of the use on these lands is from deer hunting, but other activities take place as well. Some areas have excellent squirrel hunting much of the year, as well as turkey hunting in the spring.
The leased land program is an effort by the Game and Fish Commission to help out hunters who don’t have access to land of their own or land of friends and relatives and who may not be able to afford hunting club costs.
Persons wanting more information about a leased land management area are advised to first check online for information and maps then to pay an actual visit or scouting trip to the area. Leased land management areas are separate deer zones. More information on hunting regulations for each area can be found in the 2014-15 Hunting Guidebook.
Some leased land areas also have appealing back-country camping opportunities outside of hunting seasons.
About The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC)
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission plays an important role in keeping The Natural State true to its name. During the last 100 years, the agency has overseen the protection, conservation and preservation of various species of fish and wildlife in Arkansas. This is done through habitat management, fish stocking, hunting and fishing regulations, and a host of other programs.