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Commissioners with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission today approved a conservative spring 2008 turkey hunting season. For the second consecutive year, the commissioners agreed with a recommendation by the agency's wildlife management division for a shorter, later turkey season.
The recommendations were made after a review of recent harvests, brood surveys and gobbling chronology data along with input from turkey hunters. AGFC turkey program coordinator Mike Widner has recommended implementing a long-term conservative season structure to include a shorter spring turkey season and a later opening date. "The conservative season structure has increased gobbler carryover which has been declining since 2001," Widner said. "It has also helped stabilize the recent declines in turkey populations and harvest," he added.
The spring 2008 turkey season youth hunt will be April 5-6 for most of the state and Mar. 29-30 for zone 17. The statewide turkey season will be April 12-May 2 in zones 1, 2, 3, 4B, 5, 5B, 6, 7, 7A, 8, 9 and 10; April 12-25 in zones 1A, 4, 4A, 5A and 9A and April 5 to 27 in zone 17.
The bag limit for the spring season will be the same as last year with no more than one legal turkey per day and no more than one jake. Hunters will also be restricted to no more than two total legal turkeys per season.
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