The ArkansasBowhunter

Inside This Issue:• Maynard Scholarship Shoot• Message from the Editor • Message from the President• Message from the Treasurer

• Ben Pearson 3D Shoot• ABA Spring 3D Shoot• ABA Spring Banquet• Tournament Schedule• And Much More!

Uniting Bowhunters Since 1959

February 2015 • Official Publication of The Arkansas Bowhunter Association • Volume 22, Number 1

The Real Reason You Aren’t Allowed toTake Feral Hogs on WMA’s this year.

continued,see REAL REASON

back page

By JimTaylor Feral Hogs populations have exploded in Arkan-sas. Unbelievably pro-lific, sows can have 2 or 3 litters each year with 8-14 piglets in each lit-ter. Experts estimate that you would have to kill 70%-85% of feral hogs each year just to keep the population in check. So, if you’re like me, you might be scratching your head over the AGFC’s new restrictions on killing hogs on most WMA’s this year. My first thought was like: Really?..you’ve got to be kidding me. Am I missing something? Active hog hunting has long been banned from WMA’s. It has always been “incidental” taking only. This was to discour-age hog hunting activists

from releasing hogs into the wild. Yes it has hap-pened. And by the way it’s now a felony in Arkan-

sas to do so. Also the new rules do not apply to private lands. You can still take hogs by

any method year round on your own property. Let me address some statements the AGFC has put forth as reasons for the new rule.1. “Hog trapping is more effective than hunting”. Sure it is. But what does that have to do with a bowhunter up in a tree shooting a hog that just happens to walk under him? How can it be ar-gued that eliminating this “incidental” taking of hogs as beneficial to the state’s efforts to control the hog population?2. “For trapping to be ef-fective the area must be undisturbed.”How has the AGFC’s rule against the “incidental” taking of hogs on WMA’s

My wife, Teresa, doing her part to control Feral Hog num-bers while deer hunting near Cascoe, AR. Nov 2014

2 • February 2015 The Arkansas Bowhunter

The Arkansas BowhunterEditor: Don GulledgeTournament/Event Editor: Roy JunyorSafety/Education Editor: J.D. CrawfordHunting Editor: Brian EmmonsLayout Editor: Brian Mortier

The Arkansas Bowhunter is the official publica-tion of the Arkansas Bowhunters Association, Inc. Subscriptions are for Members, Life Members, Honorary Life Members, and Junior Members.

The opinions and suggestions of members are welcome as are manuscripts. All submissions are subject to approval and editing by authority grant-ed by the ABA Executive Committee.

Submissions should be mailed to:Arkansas Bowhunters Association

P.O. Box 23264Little Rock, AR 72221

or submitted via email at:Don@arkansasbowhunters.org or

Contactus@arkansasbowhunters.org

Address Changes should be submitted to the ABA Secretary at the above ABA address.

Material in The Arkansas Bowhunter may not bereproduced without written permission of the edi-torial staff.

Advertising approval and rates are subject to edi-torial recommendation and approval of the ABA Executive Committee.

Don GulledgePhone: 501-730-8855

E-Mail: don@arkansasbowhunters.org

Publishing Dates:

February 15thMay 15th

August 15thNovember 15th

The Arkansas Bowhunter is published quarterly on the above dates.

DEADLINE for all material is 20 days prior to the publishing date.

Since 19591. To foster, expand and perpetuate the use of the bow in the hunting of all legal game, birds and animals; and to protect, improve, and increase the privileges of bow and arrow hunters.2. To cooperate with Federal and State Governments, sportsman and conservation organizations in the propagation and conservation of game and its natural habitat, the forest and fields.3. To conduct a continuous educational program designed to acquaint the public with the bow and its uses as a practical and humane weapon, suitable under proper regulations for the hunting of all game animals, fish and birds on the American continent.4. To foster and perpetuate a spirit of good fellowship among bow hunters.

The Mission of the Arkansas Bowhunters Association

February 2015 • 3The Arkansas Bowhunter

ABAPresident’s

Message

With the archery deer season over, it is time to go fishing, get ready for turkey season, shoot some 3-D tournaments and get ready for the 2015/ 2016 archery deer season. While we are doing all this we are looking for ways to grow our ABA membership. We have a lot to do. One way we hope to save money is to send our news-letter out electronically. To help the ABA with this, we need to get all of your e-mail addresses. For all members that still want to get a paper at home, you need to send us your mailing address. We may be changing some of the ways we try to get 3-D shooters and bowhunters to

join the ABA but by working as a team, real growth is pos-sible. We need to maintain around 1200 paying mem-bers each year. If we can do this, it will keep us strong enough to lobby for our hunt-ing rights and still keep us fi-nancially stable. I look forward to seeing all of y’all at the Spring Shoot and Banquet in March.

ALWAYS be one with Christ Jesus, ALWAYS wear your safety gear while in a tree-stand and ALWAYS be ethi-cal.

‘Jello’ Jim MyersPresident

Arkansas Bowhunters Association

Current ABA Districts

President:Jim MyersP.O. Box 285Gould, AR 71643870-374-0134

Treasurer:Brian Emmons51 Schultz Rd.Vilonia, AR 72173(501) 796-8900

Immediate Past President:Jeff Smith894 Grant 10Sheridan, AR 72150501-540-6385

Arkansas Bowhunters Association, Inc.Executive Committee

2014-2015

Vice President:Roy JunyorP.O. Box 1021Greenbrier, AR 72058 501-733-7245

Secretary:Dee Weaver (16)

870-406-2111

Legislative Chairman:Jim MyersP.O. Box 285Gould, AR 71643870-374-0134

Field GovernorsDistrict 1: Northwest

Heath Brashear (16)

479-641-7785

District 2: NortheastLance Rochelle (16)

501-605-4382

District 3: CentralJ.D. Crawford (16)15 Navajo Trail Mayflower, AR 72106 501-733-2921

District 4: SouthwestBo Weaver (16)

870-796-0627

District 5: SoutheastJohn Robertson (16)

Info not available

District 6: North CentralEric Deckelman (16)

501-253-0850

Shawn Ritchie (15)P.O.Box 226Pottsville, AR 72858479-280-2462

Ken-Tay Heigle (15)1675 Floral Rd.Concord, AR 72523501-206-8604

Mike Rossie (15)553 Round Mtn. Rd. Conway, AR 72034 501-470-1194

Wade Tucker (15) 409 Hubbard Rd. Conway, AR 72034 (501) 428-0016

Keith Wood (15)1019 S. MainDeWitt, AR 72042870-946-3046

DeWayne Spangler (15) 973 S. AR 9 Hwy.Melbourne, AR 72556870-373-8098

4 • February 2015 The Arkansas Bowhunter

The Arkansas Bowhunters Association

2015 Spring 3-D Tournament and Annual Membership Banquet

Must be registered by 9:30am

15 Divisions Available Go to www.arkansasbowhunters,org for more details and division rules

The Banquet

(Located between Conway and Mayflower on Hwy 286/Clinton Rd.) Menu:

Catfish, Chicken, Shrimp with all the Fixin’sCatered by Adam’s Catfish

$12 + tax/ plateThe 2015 ABA /Roger Maynard Scholarship Winners will be Announced

2014/2015 season Bowhunter of the Year winners will be announced

Guest Speakers: Cory Gray, AGFC Deer Coordinator

& J.P. Fairchild, AGFC Hog Coordinator

Both Gentlemen will be conducting a Q&A Session, so come with your questions for the Experts

Hunter’s CHoiCe, inC.Archery Sales & Service.....Firearms

Larry GuinnOwner

501-327-26971120 Jims Lane

Conway, AR 72032

hunterschoiceconway.com

Email: lhunters@conwaycorp.net

by Don Gulledge

I know most of you thought you had heard the last of me…Jello asked me to do one last newsletter and to try and time it for the end of February or the first part of March. Well, here it is,

almost the 2nd week of March and the newsletter is going to final print for a while. This edition is really going to be bare bones and in most part is to get the 2015 tournament schedule out and to meet the adver-tising commitments made

to paid advertisers. This newsletter has been around for a long time and it really makes me sad to see it go out of publication for even a very short amount of time. Hopefully, someone will step up and put one out in the May/June time frame. As Brian Emmons said in his Treasurers Message, the ABA is going through a rough time right now, just like most of the members in this time frame. The ur-ban hunts are a big question mark for this year. Tourna-ment attendance at shoots is down for everyone. The tornado in April of 2014 did a lot of damage to every-one, even if you were not directly affected. The ABA lost a trailer and a building

in which to host our shoots. Fortunately, the weather co-operated for the Fall Shoot and it went on as usual. Also, fortunately, the ABA and some of the other orga-nizations using the building formed a coalition and were able to convince the AGFC that it would be in every-one’s interest to rebuild the clubhouse at least. We are very fortunate that we were able to work with the AGFC toward that end. The ABA, just like any other organization this size, or any family for that matter, sometimes has its disagree-ments internally. Just like a family, these differences can

From the Editor (One last time)

continued,see ONE LAST TIME

on next page

February 2015 • 5The Arkansas Bowhunter

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ONE LAST TIMEcontinued from page 4

all be worked out if we just remember what we were formed to do; protect the interest of the bowhunter and the sport of bowhunt-ing and archery in the state of Arkansas. We all have to keep that goal in mind. I don’t know of anyone that has been in the ABA for any length of time that doesn’t have the interest of those ends in mind. We may not al-ways agree on the methods of getting there but I know we are always willing to do what we have to do in order to keep our goals in mind. No one should put their own interest before those goals. The responsibility of all members, regardless of whether we are an Annual

Member or Life Member should be to support the currently elected President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary as well as the Field Governors of the Exec-utive Board as they do their best for the ABA. If we dis-agree, we should have the intestinal fortitude and mu-tual respect for each other to sit down and work it out. If it comes down to not hav-ing ethics, or doing the right thing even if no one is look-ing, just do it or take your-self out of this family. But, just like a family, we need to keep our differences in the family. I know it seems to be lec-turing but if carrying out that mission means we have to come to an agreement we don’t like, then we need

to come to an agreement in spite of that. If it means dif-ferences are so great they can’t be solved, then show the maturity to walk away for the good of the organi-zation. OK, I’ve finished my two cents! I hope all of you have had a good season and look for-ward to seeing all of you at a tournament somewhere this summer. I appreciate

all the support the newslet-ter team has received from all of you over the years and look forward to serving however I can. Please enjoy the summer, support your local bow club and remember to always keep the wind in your face and the bears out of your tree. May God bless and keep you safe.

6 • February 2015 The Arkansas Bowhunter

3/21 ArkansasBowhuntersAssociation Mayflower,AR ABASpringShootandBanquet(Day1)3/22 ArkansasBowhuntersAssociation Mayflower,AR ABASpringShoot(Day2)3/28 IngramArchery Quitman,AR OpenInvitational3/29 BayouMetoBowhunters BayouMeto,AR SpringInvitational4/4 HollaBendBowhunters Russellville,AR ClubShoot HurricaneLakeBowhunters BaldKnob,AR ClubShoot HotSpringCoBowhunters Friendship,AR ClubShoot4/11 IngramArchery Quitman,AR OpenInvitational WattensawBayouBowhunters WattensawWMA OpenClubShoot IzardCoStickshooters Melbourne,AR TeamCoonShoot-Night MtGeorgeArchery Danville,AR ClubShoot4/12 12RingArchery Conway,AR ClubShoot IzardCoStickshooters Melbourne,AR ClubShoot-Day4/18 CentralArkansasBowHunters Mayflower,AR ClubShoot4/18 DykeSpringsArchery Hope,AR ClubShoot(Day1)4/19 DykeSpringsArchery Hope,AR ClubShoot(Day2)4/25 IngramArchery Quitman,AR OpenInvitational5/2 12RingArchery Conway,AR CancerShoot-ForOvarianCancer HollaBendBowhunters Russellville,AR ClubShoot HurricaneLakeBowhunters BaldKnob,AR ClubShoot HotSpringCoBowhunters Friendship,AR ClubShoot5/9 RiverValleyBowhunters Charleston,AR OpenInvitational WattensawBayouBowhunters WattensawWMA ClubShoot IngramArchery Quitman,AR OpenInvitational MtGeorgeArchery Danville,AR ClubShoot5/10 IzardStickshooters Melbourne,AR SpecialMother’sDayShoot5/16–5/17 CentralArkansasBowhunters Mayflower,AR Invitational(2DayShoot) OakridgeBowhunters ElDorado,AR OpenInvitational(2DayShoot) DykeSpringsArchery Hope,AR ClubShoot(2DayShoot)5/23 IngramArchery Quitman,AR OpenInvitational5/24 12RingArchery Conway,AR ClubShoot5/25 IngramArchery Quitman,AR ABA/RogerMaynardScholarshipShoot6/6 HollaBendBowhunters Russellville,AR ClubShoot HurricaneLakeBowhunters BaldKnob,AR ClubShoot HotSpringCoBowhunters Friendship,AR ClubShoot6/13 IzardCoStickshooters Melbourne,AR TeamCoonShoot[NightShoot] RiverValleyBowhunters Charleston,AR OpenInvitational WattensawBayouBowhunters WattensawWMA WBBAMosquitoClassic IngramArchery Quitman,AR OpenInvitational MtGeorgeArchery Danville,AR ClubShoot6/14 OakridgeBowhunters ElDorado,AR OpenClubShoot IzardStickshooters Melbourne,AR DayShoot 12RingArchery Conway,AR ClubShoot6/20 CentralArkansasBowhunters Mayflower,AR ClubShoot6/20-6/21 DykeSpringsArchery Hope,AR ClubShoot(2DayShoot)6/27 IngramArchery Quitman,AR OpenInvitational7/4 HollaBendBowhunters Russellville,AR ClubShoot HurricaneLakeBowhunters BaldKnob,AR ClubShoot MtGeorgeArchery Danville,AR ClubShoot HotSpringCoBowhunters Friendship,AR OpenInvitational7/5 RiverValleyBowhunters Charleston,AR OpenInvitational WattensawBayouBowhunters WattensawWMA ClubShoot7/11 IngramArchery Quitman,AR OpenInvitational PineBluffBowhunters PineBluff,AR BenPearsonMemorial(Day1)7/12 PineBluffBowhunters PineBluff,AR BenPearsonMemorial(Day2) IzardStickshooters Melbourne,AR DayShoot7/18 CentralArkansasBowhunters Mayflower,AR Catch-A-Dream7/19 OakridgeBowhunters ElDorado,AR OpenClubShoot 12RingArchery Conway,AR ClubShoot7/18-19 DykeSpringsArchery Hope,AR ClubShoot7/25 IngramArchery Quitman,AR OpenInvitational8/1 HurricaneLakeBowhunters BaldKnob,AR ClubShoot MtGeorgeArchery Danville,AR ClubShoot HotSpringsCoBowhunters Friendship,AR ClubShoot8/8 HollaBendBowhunters Russellville,AR Clubshoot8/8-8/9 DykeSpringsArchery Hope,AR Invitational(2DayShoot)8/8-8/9 IngramArchery Quitman,AR HoytArkansas3DStateChamp.(2Day)8/9 OakridgeBowhunters ElDorado,AR OpenClubShoot IzardStickshooters Melbourne,AR TeamCoonShoot[NightShoot] 8/15 CentralArkansasBowhunters Mayflower,AR Invitational(SOYAward)8/29-8/30 BayouMetoBowhunters BayouMeto,AR BayouClassicInvitational(2DayShoot)8/30 12RingArchery Conway,AR ClubShoot9/5 HollaBendBowhunters Russellville,AR ClubShoot HotSpringsCountyBowhunters Friendship,AR ClubShoot9/12 IzardCoStickshooters Melbourne,AR BowhuntersBlowout9/13 IzardCoStickshooters Melbourne,AR BowhuntersBlowout RiverValleyBowhunters Charleston,AR GellcoBowhunterChallenge9/19/2015 ArkansasBowhuntersAssociation Mayflower,AR ARStateChampionshipShootwithBowhunterBonanza(Day1)9/20/2015 ArkansasBowhuntersAssociation Mayflower,AR ARStateChampionshipShootBowhunterBonanzaFinal(Day2)

2015 3-D Tournament ScheduleDate Club Location Description

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

February 2015 • 7The Arkansas Bowhunter

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I’mstaringatmycomputer screen trying towriteaTreasurersmessagethatwillletyouknowwhat’sgoingon.Irealizethattheblankscreenmaywelldescribewhatweknow forcertain isgo-ingtohappenin2015.TheGameandFisharemakingchangesin2015thatmakeusalittlenervous.HopefullyJDCrawfordandJelloMyerswillbeabletoworkthingsoutwiththeG&FandthecityofficialsontheUrbanHunts.EveryoneknowsthattheUrbanHuntistheplacewherewegetallthefundingfordoingourspecialprojects.Wespendmost of themoney received from theurbanhuntsonhelpingkidsbecomebetterarchersandprovidingtrainingtobowhunters.Sincethefundsareonshakygroundfor2015,Ihaverequestedtheboard topullbackonallspending.Unfortunately thismeanswe’llhavetocutbackonseveralthings.Thingsthatwillbeeffectedin2015willbethenewsletter,ShooteroftheYearprogram,addi-tionalmonetaryawardsforNASPstatewinners,HuntersFeedingtheHungry, IBEPeducation trainingsessions,andanyhelpwithABAofficersintravelexpenses.Thesemeasuresmayseemalittledrasticbutifwedon’tcutbackwe’llutilizeallthecashinthebankwithin2years.Eachyearwehavebeenspendingalmostevery-thingthatwasbroughtinandwecannotcontinuetodosowithoutsomeguaranteeofreplenishingthefunds. Someofyoumay think thatwehavebetween1000and1500membersayear.Thatshouldkeepuswithnearly$22,000comingineachyearfrommembershipsandtournaments.Truthis,approx-imately$20,000comesinwiththeUrbanHunts,thetournamentsbarelypaytheirownbillsandannualmembershipsfromnon-UrbanHuntersare less than$5000.Without thecertaintyof theUrbanHuntfunds,wehavetocutbackonthingsthisyear.NowthatIhaveturnedthatblankscreenintoadarkandgloomypicture,Iwanttobrightenitupalittle.Wearecommittedtodoev-erythingtokeeptheABAontrackforsupportingbowhunters.WeplanonworkingwiththeG&FandthecitiesontheUrbanHunts.Thiswilltakemoney.Wearesettingasidelimitedfundsforthis.WearestayingontopofhuntingconcernsthebowhuntershaveandcontinuetobetheirvoicewiththeG&F.Wecontinuetofundourspecialaccountusedforlitigationsincaseourfightforbowhunter’srightsrequirelegalassistance.We’llcontinuetoprovideasmanyservicesaspossibletorecruitnewmembers.Allofthiswillrequiremoney.IkeepstatingthisbecauseIwanteveryonetounderstandthatthisyearwemayspendmoremoneythanwebringin.Whatcanyoutohelp?Ihave3suggestions.1)ThanktheABAofficersfordedicatingtheirtimetosupportbowhunting.Theydon’tgetpaidanything for their services.2)Renewyourmembershipandhelpgetnewmembers.3)Comeand support us at our3shoots.Myfinalwordsforthismessageisthatwehopeall thecutbacksare temporaryandwe’llbeableto help with special programsagain in 2016. Also, you needto be aware that none of thecut backs will affect the RogerMaynard Scholarship program.TheABA isstrongandwillcon-tinuetobestrongbecauseofthebrotherhoodofbowhunters.

TreasurerBy Brian EmmonsWords from the

The ArkansasBowhunter

P.O. Box 23264Little Rock, AR 72221

February 2015 Pre-SortedStandard

US PostagePAID

Conway, ARPermit #16

REAL REASONcontinued from page 1

changed anything re-garding disturbance? The bowhunter will still be in the same tree. The dog hunters will still be running their nine or ten barking and baying dogs. In the grand scheme of things I hardly think bow-hunters are the source of any disturbance or hin-drance in the trapping of wild hogs. Active Hog Hunting is the Real Problem The real problem stems from a few bad apples that have been actively hunting hogs with dogs while masquerading as squirrel or coon hunters. Examples provided; AGFC officers have encountered some hunters outfitting their dogs with cut vests and cut collars (items made of heavy canvas to protect the dog from a hogs slicing tusks). Yet

when questioned by of-ficers these hunters claim that they are just squir-rel hunting and any hogs they kill are “incidental”. One might argue that the most objective and

effective solution would be for the AGFC to simply ban dog hunting on the WMA’s. I’m certainly not advocating that. It would be unfair to punish le-gitimate law abiding dog hunters. But for discus-sion sake you would have

to agree that it would eliminate the real “distur-bance” issue. On one hand the AGFC is pushing for rules that will reduce illegal “active hog hunting” yet on the other

they don’t want to alien-ate any particular group of hunters. Their solution, as we now know it today, is to eliminate incidental taking of hogs on WMA’s for not just dog hunt-ers but, bowhunters and small game hunters as

well. In this way no one group is singled out or picked on, but the terri-ble bureaucratic trade off is that we have this seem-ingly nonsensical rule. One other thing. You may ask; What about federal refuges like our White River NWR follow-ing the rule? The AGFC requested that ALL refug-es go along with the new rules. Being federal, our refuges are not obligated to follow state wildlife management actions but felt a need to be a “team player”, and not conflict with state rules. After expressing their reserva-tions, refuge managers reluctantly agreed. Reprinted with permis-sion of Jim Taylor. Jim is a Life Member of the ABA. He was very active in the White River Refuge Ex-pansion Project. He is the creator and moderator of a blog titled The Arkansas Bowhunter.

Outfitted for hog hunting