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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Predator Hunting on the Manitoba Prairie
As a young lad growing up in any rural area can tell you, predators are a part of life, whether you like it or not. I was introduced to a form of predator control at an early age, my father always used to run a small trap line, nothing special, just a bunch of snares and a few foot traps set out on only the most popularly used predator trails. My old man was always on the lookout for a new spot to set up traps and was usually right on the money when he returned to see if his hunch was correct. His personal best was 8 coyotes and one red fox, which he managed to collect during a 2 - day period about 20 years ago, it seems the tradition is bred into our heritage. This is the story of how my brothers and I tied my dad's personal best.