Arkansas Land Conservation Assistance Network

There is a near universal reaction among people, especially children, when they view animals in the wild - that of awe, excitement, amazement, and sometimes fear. No wonder the pastime of wildlife watching, and in particular bird watching, is growing across America. With 25 of Arkansas’s 52 state parks chosen for the national Watchable Wildlife program, the state provides many opportunities to experience its diverse avifauna.

Individually we can all gain from being in and observing nature by learning about birds, other wildlife and the local countryside. Wildlife watching is a fascinating, ever-changing activity that increases our awareness and appreciation of the natural world and our place in it. Best of all, it’s an inexpensive hobby that is easy to learn, and there are many places in Arkansas to get started!

Hunting

The big three for hunters in Arkansas are deer, waterfowl, and turkey. But the opportunities do not stop there. The Natural State also allows hunting for bear, elk, squirrel, rabbit, quail, duck, dove, furbearers, and other game species, including those razorbacks! The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), which regulates and licenses hunting in the state, has regional centers across the state. The AFGC encourages the hunting or trapping of the state’s feral hogs “year-round, day or night, by a landowner or anyone with the landowner’s permission,” and without a hunting license with the landowner’s permission on private lands only - due to the rapidly increasing populations of this destructive introduced species.

The AGFC regularly offers hunter education classes, which are listed with date, location, and signup contact and searchable by county. To pinpoint local hunting opportunities in the 127 Wildlife Management Areas scattered throughout Arkansas counties, visit the AGFC’s Where to Hunt page.

Fishing

From cool, clear rivers that host trout, bass and bream to deep lakes and warm ponds where large mouth bass, brim, and catfish are abundant, Arkansas has wonderful freshwater fishing opportunities. The AGFC regularly offers boater education classes, which are listed with date, location, and signup contact and searchable by county. The AGFC is charged with oversight of fishing and posts general regulations and license requirements for all fishers. A total of 233 distinct fishing locations can be found on the AGFC Where to Fish page.

Arkansas’ many state and national parks, national forests, wildlife natural areas, management areas, campgrounds, and outdoor education activities sites provide ample options for natural heritage tourism. Natural heritage tourism incorporates the concept of sustainable tourism - that destinations should remain unspoiled for future generations - while allowing for ways to protect a place's character. It also takes a principle from ecotourism - that tourism revenue should promote conservation - and extends it to culture and history as well, that is, all distinctive assets of a place.

Some forms of agritourism may be considered a subset of natural heritage tourism, particularly if the agricultural operation emphasizes maintenance of biodiversity, organic practices, wildlife compatibility, or hands-on experiences relating to farming, local culture or cuisine.

The great outdoors! That’s the one element common to the scores of activities falling under this category.

Outdoor recreation activities take place in whole or in part outside. Accommodations run the gamut from wilderness tent camping to farmstays to luxury golfing, and physical pursuits can occur in the water, on land, and even in the air (hang gliding, kite boarding).

Outdoor activities may be consumptive, such as hunting, fishing, or mushrooming, or nonconsumptive, such as bird watching, biking, or photography. They may even give back, as in volunteer programs to maintain trails and the growing passion for native gardening. Pursuits that take place outside can be relatively high impact, such as the use of off-road vehicles (ORVs), or low-impact, such as leave-no-trace hiking, or something that requires great care in protecting native species, such as spelunking.

Arkansas offers a greate range of outdoor activities from exploring one of the 2,000 documented caves, underground lakes and streams, boating on one of the hundreds of lakes, rafting down the Buffalo National River, hiking in one of the 52 state parks, or birdwatching on the Missisiippi Flyway there is no shortage of outdoor recreation opportunities. Click on the Find Local Resources to find a place to pursue your favorite activity.