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Photo by Tim Carr
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Photo by Tim Carr
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Photo by Tim Carr
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Photo by Tim Carr
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Photo by Tim Carr
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Photo by Tim Carr
Photo by Tim Carr
Photo by Tim Carr
Photo by Tim Carr
Photo by Tim Carr
AWF has worked with an outstanding wildlife photographer who has taken excellent wildlife photos used by the Arkansas Wildlife Federation in various publication. His name is : Tim Carr, 201 W, Parkway, Russellville, AR 72801, 479-968-5305.
Other AWF Members and Volunteers supply photography of nature, wildlife and events for our usage as well. If you have a great photo of Arkansas wildlife or nature, feel free to submit it for our usage. You might find it on our website, Facebook or in an issue of Arkansas Out-of-Doors.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has a system for permitting individuals or organizations to take in sick, injured, or orphaned animals and rehabilitate them for eventual release back into the wild. These wildlife rehabilitators must be experienced in the care of wild animals and have a veterinarian working with them to provide advice on the administration of proper care. Find out how to become a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. For detail information on finding out about Wildlife Rehabbers, go to AGFC.
To find out more about the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, visit their website.
There is an Arkansas Wildlife Rehabilitation Association. For more information, go to their
website.
Below is a current approved listing of wildlife rehabbers by AGFC that list county, city,
Last name first, first name, phone number, list of wildlife species rehabilitate Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Wildlife Rehabilitators (for all native wildlife except birds) June 20, 2007.
Please recognize that these people are not AGFC employees and perform this service at their own cost.
To locate other Rahbilitators that may not be on the above list please check out the links below.
MAMMAL Rehabilitators: To locate a permitted Arkansas Wildlife Rehabilitator that cares for MAMMALS:
http://www.agfc.com/species/Documents/rehabilitators_by_county.pdf
BIRD Rehabilitators: To locate an Arkansas Wildlife Rehabilitator authorized to care for birds:
http://www.agfc.com/species/Documents/migratorybird_rehablist.pdf
One of the main factors negatively affecting wildlife populations worldwide is the loss, change, and fragmentation of habitat (picture of cutting down tree) The loss of wildlife habitat as a result of human induced changes has been a large factor contributing to the loss and extinction of wildlife populations worldwide. As population growth continues to increase more and more wildlife habitat will be lost to human development. The National Wildlife Federation is solving this problem through the implementation of the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program. This program allows you to restore natural wildlife habitat in your own backyard through an official certification. Through the planting of native plants and minimal planning you can restore habitat for wildlife that were here many years before us. Recently the National Wildlife Federation recently surpassed 70,000 backyard habitat certifications!
The program uses a list of criteria including food, water, cover, and places to raise young, to gage habitat quality. To read more about the native plants in your area go here. Go here to learn more about the benefits of backyard habitat
Arkansas has over 9,000 miles of streams, and a good deal of this mileage is perfect for floating—be it by canoe, johnboat, or raft. The variety of enjoyable experiences provided by this assortment of rivers is remarkably wide-ranging from matchless trout fishing trips, to rugged whitewater runs, to peaceful passages ideal for first-timers. Below you will find links to 17 of the best waterways in the state.
Arkansas Rivers Map – Arkansas Lake Map
This map shows the major streams and rivers of Arkansas and some of the larger lakes. Arkansas is within the Mississippi River Watershed. Most drainage leaves the state through the Mississippi, Arkansas, Ouachita, White, Redand St. Francis Rivers. Most of these lakes and streams can be clearly seen on the Arkansas Satellite Image.
Background Information – Map sources, Tips, Degree of Difficulty (defined), and Additional Information.
Ten Important Reminders
1. Wear those life jackets.
2. Take along a spare paddle.
3. Pay attention to local weather forecasts.
4. Dress appropriately for the season.
5. Don’t travel alone.
6. Avoid camping in areas subject to sudden rises.
7. Know your ability and don’t exceed it.
8. Refrain from drinking creek or river water no matter how clean it appears.
9. Carry out whatever you carry in.
10. Should you capsize, try to stay with your boat and swim it to shore, making certain that you’re on the upstream side of the craft to avoid getting pinned between it and rocks or willows.
Degree of Difficulty
The narratives also occasionally refer to class ratings for the streams, based on an international scale of six levels of difficulty:
Additional Information
Many of the streams mentioned in this collection flow through or near Arkansas’s two national forests—the Ouachita National Forest and the Ozark St. Francis National Forest. Both offer superb hiking, camping, and hunting opportunities in addition to their river recreation possibilities. For more information contact:
Regardless of the reason, wildlife enthusiasts at the AWF share a mutual interest in conserving the wildlife of Arkansas, for the benefit of future generations.
Arkansas contains a diverse array of wildlife and plants. A list of many of the species of plants and animals in the different areas of Arkansas, along with vast information about them can be found at E-nature. You may not have known but Arkansas contains many threatened and endangered species. For a summary of the endangered species act and its history go here.
For resources relating to sportsman in Arkansas including places to hunt and license info look under the previous section for hunting and fishing in Arkansas. Montana hunting and fishing journal contains vast information including pictures on nearly all game species in America.
Arkansas contains an array of wilderness areas ideal for outdoor hiking activities. Whether you desire to go for a nature walk, or spend multiple days in the backcountry, there is something for everyone in Arkansas parks. These wilderness areas provide great opportunities to catch glimpses of the states abundant wildlife. Browse the sites of Arkansas Wildlife refuges, National parks, State parks, and Forests, to get feel for the many hiking opportunities that await you in Arkansas.
Birds are a very diverse group of creatures with over 10,000 species known to exist in the world. Many birds are known to have strange and captivating mating behaviors and are found in all sizes, shapes, and colors, imaginable. The largest bird alive today is the ostrich which can reach up to 8 feet tall. The bird with the largest wingspan is Great Albatross with wingspan of 12 feet. However the largest flying birds that ever lived are known as teratorns. They were large birds of prey related to storks and Condors with some having wing spans of over 26 feet!
There are many opportunities to go bird watching in the State of Arkansas. For good birding sites in Pulaski County go here.
The wildlife refuges in Arkansas provide a good chance to see some of the states birds as well. This link will tell you the abundance of each bird seen by season at each wildlife refuge in the state of Arkansas. To learn about rare species recently spotted in the state, phone the Audubon Society of Central Arkansas hotline at (501) 753-5853.
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| Colorized digital image of ivory-billed woodpecker at nest. © George M. Sutton/Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker was rediscovered in Arkansas in Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in 2005 after it had been ruled extinct for over 60 years! Now the woodpecker is back on the endangered species list and will receive all the protections that go along with being an endangered species. The U.S Fish and Wildlife service wrote a short piece on the rediscovery of the bird in April of 2005. The Cornell lab of ornithology maintains an Ivory-bill resource site with a lot of media including video, pictures, and recordings of the Ivory-bill Woodpecker, past and present. There has been over 600 credible sightings of the Ivory-bill Woodpeck as recently acknowledged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and the United States Justice Department.
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in the U.S. and the second largest in the world. Currently the Ivory-bill Woodpecker is in danger once again because of a massive irrigation project called the Grand Prairie Areas demonstration Project, which is aimed at removing large amounts of water from the White river. The White river flows into the Cache River refuge, and feeds the Ivory-billed Woodpeckers nesting trees along with the rest of its delicate habitat.
Recent developments have temporarily halted the Grand Prairie project due to efforts in the courts on the part of NWF and AWF. A judge ruled in July of 2006 that the Army corps had not conducted adequate habitat impact assessments to the Ivory-bill Woodpeckers habitat, and ordered them to determine whether water withdrawals will affect the Ivory-bills habitat. Additionally, there has been other sighting noted of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in east Louisiana and east Texas. The wetlands of eastern Arkansas, eastern Louisiana and Texas were originally the primary habitat for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and efforts are underway by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service in coordination with several major universities to rediscover the Ivory billed woodpecker and protect its habitat.
Go to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission web site for information on hunting and fishing activities.
The state of Arkansas has vast natural resources and innumerable things to do outside. Here are few of the many opportunities:
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are a very popular game species in Arkansas. Duck hunting has become one of Arkansas most treasured hobbies with over 100,000 duck hunters living in the state alone. Also, the State of Arkansas boasts the largest concentration of wintering mallards in North America.
One of the recent AWF accomplishments includes the acclaimed report titled “Improving the Quality of Duck Hunting in Arkansas”. This report is a response and an analysis to the poor duck hunting season in 2002-2003, and resulted out of a desire to better manage duck hunting in the state. A summary of the recommendations in this report can be found here.
Hunters and anglers can obtain their Arkansas state hunting and fishing permits and licenses here; also a wealth of other hunting and fishing related information from the state exists there as well. In addition there are many parks and wildlife areas to go hunting and fishing at in the state.
To view hunting and fishing opportunities at U.S Fish and Wildlife refuges in Arkansas go here. The Arkansas game and fish commission maintains many Wildlife Management Areas, (WMA) with many hunting and fishing opportunities . The Ozark St. Francis National Forests have other outdoor opportunities as well. Other hunting and fishing opportunities exist in the Buffalo National River, Lake Ouachita , and DeGrey Lake Resort State Park . Finally this link can help you locate other hunting and fishing areas in the state or Arkansas.
Additional Note for Hunters and Fishers
Global warming is an issue that all sportsmen should be concerned with because of the potential catastrophic consequences it poses to wildlife habitat and their beloved game species. To learn more about what global warming means for hunters and fisherman go to the global warming section of this site.
