In an emergency proclamation Friday, January 21, 2005, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission closed deer hunting on all Arkansas lands east of Highway 65 and south of Highway 82 in Chicot County. All other hunting seasons will remain unchanged.

Since the Mississippi River is flooded, the deer residing in that habitat have been forced into large concentrations on neighboring lands. The concentrated deer population is exceptionally susceptible to harvest, making over-harvest possible.

In addition to the concern of over-harvest, the flooding in the area has made recovery of harvested game increasingly difficult. The proclamation was issued to prevent wanton waste of our wildlife and protect the deer herd from over-harvest.

Deer hunting in this region will reopen once the Mississippi River level recedes to 46.0 feet at the river gauge in Greenville, Miss.

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New State Record Alligator for Georgia
I tell ya'll it was the fight of the century. We had been hunting since right after dark. Saw less than a dozen Gators. Most of them were this year's model or last year's. Nothing legal at all. Spotted 2 at about 500 yards that appeared to be legal so we start easing up on them and they just dropped on us. Very skittish. I forgot my rod with 100 lb test line and a 12/0 treble hook, so we let them stay where they were and went on looking.