Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Will Allow Concealed Guns

GGReporter · 12-26-2007, 03:33 PM

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission voted Thursday to allow hunters with concealed carry licenses to possess concealed handguns in situations when possessing firearms is otherwise prohibited. Specifically, the new regulation will allow concealed handguns on wildlife management areas and AGFC-owned lakes, said Doyle Shook, chief of the AGFC's wildlife management division. It also will allow concealed handguns to be carried by licensees during archery deer season, muzzleloader deer season and archery turkey season. Currently, hunters cannot possess centerfire weapons of any kind during those seasons. Exceptions include situations in which federal, state or local law prohibits possession of a concealed handgun, Shook said. Also, private landowners can prohibit possession of concealed handguns on their property. "These exceptions give some leeway and privilege to landowners who want to prohibit possession of concealed weapons on their property," Shook said. "Concealed carry license holders also have to make that [information] immediately known to a wildlife officer." If a concealed carry licensee accumulates 18 points for wildlife violations involving a firearm, the AGFC will notify the Arkansas State Police, resulting in the revocation of that person's concealed carry permit, Shook said. The state police also will deny a concealed carry license to an applicant who has accumulated 18 points for wildlife code violations involving firearms. In other wildlife management business, the commission approved the donation of two elk hunting permits for the 2008 elk season to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. One permit will be auctioned to the highest bidder at the state Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation banquet, and the other will be auctioned at the national banquet. The AGFC has donated two permits annually to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation since 1998, when the AGFC established elk hunting in Arkansas. Since then, the sale of these two permits annually has raised $437,338, of which 85 percent goes back to the AGFC for improving elk habitat. As it has for the past four years, the AGFC will grant a nonresident five-day hunting license for a successful nonresident bidder. The AGFC will purchase the license from its elk donation fund. In fisheries business, the commission approved a budget increase of $30,000 annually for the next four years to restore channel catfish in the Buffalo River. The National Park Service which has administrative authority over the Buffalo River, will provide matching funds and work cooperatively with the AGFC. Channel catfish populations in the Buffalo River have declined dramatically because of alterations to the White River. Hydropower generation has reduced the temperature in the White River to levels that are inhospitable for channel catfish. Also, dams at Batesville prohibit channel catfish from moving up the lower White River. Those factors limit the ability of wild channel catfish from the White River to replenish the Buffalo. The restoration project will involve stocking channel catfish, as well as monitoring and research. It will be an official National Park Service program that will continue regardless of National Park Service personnel changes at the Buffalo River. "The Buffalo River is one of our state's resource treasures," said Mike Armstrong, chief of fisheries for the AGFC. "If we can highlight that by restoring a native species, then we would like to be a part of that. We see this as a very good project." AGFC Chairman Sonny Varnell said it might be possible to obtain matching funds from other sources to offset the cost. "It's not a tremendous amount of money, but there's a tremendous amount of benefit," Varnell said. Also, the commission approved a budget increase of $105,000 for a truck to be used at Joe Hogan Fish Hatchery. Don Brader, assistant chief of fisheries, said the truck will allow hatchery staff to haul 1,800 pounds of fish, mostly channel catfish, at one time. "This will allow us to be more efficient and make one haul instead of two, the way we do right now," Brader said "It will be a complete unit for the truck, tank and liquid oxygen container." Noting a total of $257,000 in budget increases for the truck, catfish stocking program and repairs to the roof at the Governor Mike Huckabee/Delta Rivers Nature Center, commissioner Craig Campbell of Little Rock urged the commission to be vigilant about expenses. He said he was concerned that a steady stream of large expenditures could compromise the agency's financial stability. "This truck is extremely important to the angler recruitment programs we've been talking about," Brader said. "It will be used to transport fish to Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs events and also for the Family and Community Fishing program." Regarding the nature center, the AGFC approved a $32,000 budget increase to fix a leaky roof that has caused structural damage to the Pine Bluff facility. Campbell urged the commission to establish a separate budget category for the nature centers. "We're going to reach a point in time where it's going to cost a lot of money to maintain them," Campbell said. "We're going to have some big-time expenditures because there's going to be more traffic, more wear and tear. I think these numbers are going to go up in short order, and we need to keep them in first-class condition." The commission also approved a budget increase of $50,000 to expand the parking lot at Devils Fork Access on Greers Ferry Lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided a grant for the full cost of the project.

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ArkansasHunter · 12-26-2007, 04:27 PM

Before commenting I called my concealed carry Instructor who is a friend of mine about the part where you can now carry a concealed center fire handgun Muzzeloader or Bow hunting.
I was under the impression when the state passed the concealed carry law here you could carry a hand gun hunting and just about anywhere other than federal buildings and sports events here in Arkansas.
Though I don't Muzzeload or Bow hunt I do carry a hand gun Turkey, Deer and Squirrel hunting.
Pertaining to carrying a handgun concealed on a private landowners property I again thought it was legal to carry.
But it is not the private owner has to post signs in regards to no concealed carry allowed.

Thanks for posting this because there are parts I wasn't aware of and now am...A.H

P.S. This is a good example to check your states regulations, because these were areas not covered in the class I went to...A.H

12-26-2007, 03:33 PM	#1
GGReporter Magazine Staff Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 717	Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Will Allow Concealed Guns The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission voted Thursday to allow hunters with concealed carry licenses to possess concealed handguns in situations when possessing firearms is otherwise prohibited. Specifically, the new regulation will allow concealed handguns on wildlife management areas and AGFC-owned lakes, said Doyle Shook, chief of the AGFC's wildlife management division. It also will allow concealed handguns to be carried by licensees during archery deer season, muzzleloader deer season and archery turkey season. Currently, hunters cannot possess centerfire weapons of any kind during those seasons. Exceptions include situations in which federal, state or local law prohibits possession of a concealed handgun, Shook said. Also, private landowners can prohibit possession of concealed handguns on their property. "These exceptions give some leeway and privilege to landowners who want to prohibit possession of concealed weapons on their property," Shook said. "Concealed carry license holders also have to make that [information] immediately known to a wildlife officer." If a concealed carry licensee accumulates 18 points for wildlife violations involving a firearm, the AGFC will notify the Arkansas State Police, resulting in the revocation of that person's concealed carry permit, Shook said. The state police also will deny a concealed carry license to an applicant who has accumulated 18 points for wildlife code violations involving firearms. In other wildlife management business, the commission approved the donation of two elk hunting permits for the 2008 elk season to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. One permit will be auctioned to the highest bidder at the state Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation banquet, and the other will be auctioned at the national banquet. The AGFC has donated two permits annually to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation since 1998, when the AGFC established elk hunting in Arkansas. Since then, the sale of these two permits annually has raised $437,338, of which 85 percent goes back to the AGFC for improving elk habitat. As it has for the past four years, the AGFC will grant a nonresident five-day hunting license for a successful nonresident bidder. The AGFC will purchase the license from its elk donation fund. In fisheries business, the commission approved a budget increase of $30,000 annually for the next four years to restore channel catfish in the Buffalo River. The National Park Service which has administrative authority over the Buffalo River, will provide matching funds and work cooperatively with the AGFC. Channel catfish populations in the Buffalo River have declined dramatically because of alterations to the White River. Hydropower generation has reduced the temperature in the White River to levels that are inhospitable for channel catfish. Also, dams at Batesville prohibit channel catfish from moving up the lower White River. Those factors limit the ability of wild channel catfish from the White River to replenish the Buffalo. The restoration project will involve stocking channel catfish, as well as monitoring and research. It will be an official National Park Service program that will continue regardless of National Park Service personnel changes at the Buffalo River. "The Buffalo River is one of our state's resource treasures," said Mike Armstrong, chief of fisheries for the AGFC. "If we can highlight that by restoring a native species, then we would like to be a part of that. We see this as a very good project." AGFC Chairman Sonny Varnell said it might be possible to obtain matching funds from other sources to offset the cost. "It's not a tremendous amount of money, but there's a tremendous amount of benefit," Varnell said. Also, the commission approved a budget increase of $105,000 for a truck to be used at Joe Hogan Fish Hatchery. Don Brader, assistant chief of fisheries, said the truck will allow hatchery staff to haul 1,800 pounds of fish, mostly channel catfish, at one time. "This will allow us to be more efficient and make one haul instead of two, the way we do right now," Brader said "It will be a complete unit for the truck, tank and liquid oxygen container." Noting a total of $257,000 in budget increases for the truck, catfish stocking program and repairs to the roof at the Governor Mike Huckabee/Delta Rivers Nature Center, commissioner Craig Campbell of Little Rock urged the commission to be vigilant about expenses. He said he was concerned that a steady stream of large expenditures could compromise the agency's financial stability. "This truck is extremely important to the angler recruitment programs we've been talking about," Brader said. "It will be used to transport fish to Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs events and also for the Family and Community Fishing program." Regarding the nature center, the AGFC approved a $32,000 budget increase to fix a leaky roof that has caused structural damage to the Pine Bluff facility. Campbell urged the commission to establish a separate budget category for the nature centers. "We're going to reach a point in time where it's going to cost a lot of money to maintain them," Campbell said. "We're going to have some big-time expenditures because there's going to be more traffic, more wear and tear. I think these numbers are going to go up in short order, and we need to keep them in first-class condition." The commission also approved a budget increase of $50,000 to expand the parking lot at Devils Fork Access on Greers Ferry Lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided a grant for the full cost of the project. More...

12-26-2007, 04:27 PM	#2
ArkansasHunter Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: South Arkansas Posts: 10,707	Before commenting I called my concealed carry Instructor who is a friend of mine about the part where you can now carry a concealed center fire handgun Muzzeloader or Bow hunting. I was under the impression when the state passed the concealed carry law here you could carry a hand gun hunting and just about anywhere other than federal buildings and sports events here in Arkansas. Though I don't Muzzeload or Bow hunt I do carry a hand gun Turkey, Deer and Squirrel hunting. Pertaining to carrying a handgun concealed on a private landowners property I again thought it was legal to carry. But it is not the private owner has to post signs in regards to no concealed carry allowed. Thanks for posting this because there are parts I wasn't aware of and now am...A.H P.S. This is a good example to check your states regulations, because these were areas not covered in the class I went to...A.H