Refuge Wildlife Week Discovery Day!!
Time for something new!
White River NWR began hosting an annual wildlife festival on the official opening of the visitor center in Saint Charles in October of 2003. The festival has taken place every October for the past six years and hundreds of people have come to the refuge to learn about wildlife and the refuge system. This year, the refuge has decided to change the format of the festival and instead of having on-site activities and programs, the refuge staff will be leading tours on the refuge itself.
Visitors will have the opportunity to pre-register for one of three programs occurring on October 10 th of this year. Programs have a limited number of participants, so do not wait until the last day to decide what you would like to take. Call and reserve your spot today!
The refuge exploration trips are:
• Nature photography clinic. The class will start at 9:00a.m. and begins with an indoor presentation on photography techniques. Participants will then venture out with their cameras to capture their own images to showcase at the end of the clinic. The clinic will conclude with a presentation on enhancing and saving images in photoshop.
• Biology on the Bayou. Refuge biologist Jay Hitchcock will be leading an interpretive canoe tour on the refuge. You will learn about refuge biology and wildlife management. All participants will meet at the visitor center at 9:00a.m. and then follow Jay to the canoe location. A limited number of canoes and paddles will be provided, but participants need to bring their own life jackets.
• Designers of Disturbance. Spend the morning with refuge forester Jeff Denman as he leads a hike down the Champion Cypress Tree trail. Jeff will explain forest management techniques used for wildlife and how these differ from timber production management. The hike will end at the largest tree in the state, so be sure to bring your camera for this incredible photo opportunity.
• Critter Crafts. All of the above programs are suitable for youth and adults, but if you feel your little one is not old enough to venture into the refuge, then bring them by to make critter crafts at the visitor center classroom. The craft center will be open from 9:30a.m. – 12:00p.m.
After the tours, all participants will return to the refuge at 12:00p.m. for door prizes and lunch provided by the Friends of White River NWR.
Call 870-282-8249 to reserve your spot ASAP!!!
Special Hunts at Cook's Lake
White River National Wildlife Refuge, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, and the Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation are proud to announce a special youth hunt that will be taking place at Cooks Lake during the 2009 hunting season. The following is a list of logistics and the deadline to apply to the event. Please read them carefully and if you have any questions contact Matt Conner at 870-282-8249.
Youth Deer Hunt
Dates of this event: December 5 – 6
Due to an unprecedented early flood season, we have postponed the drawing for the Youth Hunt at Cook's Lake . Currently the river level gauge at Saint Charles is 26.7 feet and Zone 661 closed to deer hunting when the level reached 23 feet and will not re-open to deer hunting until the level falls below 21 feet. Cook's Lake unit adheres to the same flood closure as Zone 661 (referred to as the “North Unit”), therefore the Youth Hunt is currently cancelled. However, we will make every effort to have the hunt should the level fall below 21 feet as recorded by this website: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/html/whitervr.htm .
Until the level falls below the re-opening stage, and the projection shows the river staying below flood closure stage, we will not draw names for the hunt. We encourage you to check the gauge levels and if the level does not fall below 21 feet by November 24 th , the hunt will not occur. November 24 th is the last possible day we could draw the names and still have time to conduct an orientation prior to the hunt. All of us at the refuge hope this hunt can occur, but the reality is the river will control the final outcome of this hunt.
Cooks Lake Deer Hunt for the Mobility Impaired
December 11 th – 13 th , 2009
A Recreational Opportunity for Permanent Mobility Impaired Individuals
Cook's Lake refers to more than a body of water. The name refers to a unit of the Refuge that is managed by a three way partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. Located in Arkansas County along White River in east central Arkansas , Cooks Lake is about 3 miles east of the U.S. Post Office for Casscoe , AR at the intersection of AR Highways 33 and 33S, 14 miles east of Stuttgart via AR Highway 146 & 33.
We will randomly draw five names that meet the Refuge's criteria of mobility impaired and notify the lucky winners. Those selected will be invited to stay at the lodge at Cook's Lake with all meals and lodging furnished for free. After breakfast each morning, hunters will be taken to their stands one at a time. Each hunter is carefully loaded into either a hydraulic lift stand or a ground blind of their choosing. Hunters have the choice to stay on the stand all day or to be picked up for lunch. This hunt has been described by past participants as the “Hunt of a Lifetime” because of the quality of hunting and hospitality from the staff.
This event is scheduled for December 11 th , 12 th , and 13 th . To qualify applicants must be mobility-impaired. Mobility-impaired is defined as a permanent physical condition that severely impairs your mobility, which requires the assistance from a wheelchair, braces, crutches, or other similar aids of mobility. Applicants must also provide a letter from a physician to verify the applicant's physical condition that severely impairs their mobility without proper assistance. The level of impairment must be stated in a letter to verify the extent of the applicant's condition. The physician's letter must be on an official letterhead with the physician's original signature. To apply for this hunt contact Matt Conner (870-282-8249) at White River National Wildlife Refuge for an application. Applications must be postmarked by August 15, 2009.
