Flooding Closes More Hunting Locations

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has expanded the deer-season closures enacted late last week due to the increasing flood conditions. The closed areas now include: All lands south of U.S. Highway 49 and east of Arkansas Highway 44 until it joins with Arkansas Highway 85. From here the western boundary will extend south on Arkansas Highway 85 to Snow Lake, along the Missouri-Pacific Railroad to the White River and along the established southern boundary for Flood Prone Zone F until it connects with U.S. Highway 165. It will then continue south to Arkansas Highway 1 and follow this roadway until it intersects with U.S. Highway 65 in McGehee. The western boundary will then continue south along U.S. Highway 65 until it reaches U.S. Highway 82 at Lake Village. These lands will be closed when the Mississippi River level reaches 41 feet on the Helena, Ark. gauge and will remain closed until the same gauge recedes to 39 feet. All Arkansas lands south of U.S. Highway 82 and east of U.S. Highway 65. This area will be closed to deer hunting when the Mississippi River gauge reaches 48 feet at the Greenville, Miss. gauge, and will remain closed until the same gauge reads 46 feet. Originally, it was thought that the area south of U.S. Highway 82 and east of U.S. Highway 65 would be sufficient to protect the deer from over-harvest while enabling as many hunters as possible to have a full hunting season. However, the flooding is much worse than anticipated, calling for more land to be closed to protect the wildlife resource.