Neeley Celebrated in Final Commission Meeting

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission unanimously approved regulations to modify turkey season dates and zones for the 2026 turkey hunting season at Thursday’s official meeting, which was held at Golden Glo Studio in Camden.

The regulation creates five turkey zones, offering slightly different opening days in various regions of the state.

The 2026 Turkey Hunting Season will be as follows:

• Zone 1: April 20-May 10, 2026
• Zone 1A: April 20-28, 2026
• Zone 2: April 13-May 3, 2026
• Zone 2A: April 13-21, 2026
• Zone 3: April 6-26, 2026

The Special Youth Turkey Hunt will be available April 11-12 in zones 1, 1A, 2 and 2A. No Special Youth Turkey Hunt will be available in Zone 3.

Exiting Commission Chairman J.D. Neeley noted that the change is an effort to offer a slightly better experience for hunters in portions of the state where gobbling may peak earlier while remaining conservative and maintaining a season that allows turkeys to begin their nesting cycle before disturbance from hunting pressure. During Neeley’s 7-year term as a Commissioner, the Arkansas turkey harvest has shown steady growth, thanks to habitat management, conservative hunting seasons and a little help from Mother Nature. Earlier this year, the harvest hit a 10-year high, encouraging commissioners to look into a slightly earlier opening day for some areas of the state.

The Commission unanimously passed a regulation that enables bass tournament directors to receive a waiver from the AGFC’s Fisheries Division to allow anglers fishing in their tournaments on lakes Poinsett, Barnett and Brewer to temporarily keep more than one fish over 16 inches per day. The anglers must adhere to strict catch-and-release fishing requirements and report their tournament’s success after their fishing day is complete to receive the permit.

Commissioners also passed regulations concerning hunting and boating conduct on wildlife management areas. Obstruction or Harassment of Hunting, Fishing or Trapping Activities and Public Disorder are now a Class 4 violation with a possible fine up to $7,500 and a jail sentence up to 180 days if physical confrontations occur. If no physical confrontation occurs, the penalty is a Class 3 violation with up to $5,000 in fines and up to 90 days' jail sentence.

Additionally, anyone convicted of these violations who has their license and WMA access revoked would not be allowed to have that period reduced through later court decisions.

The Commission unanimously elected Commissioner Anne Marie Doramus of Little Rock as chairman for the next fiscal year and chose Commissioner Rob Finley of Mountain Home to serve as vice chairman.

“I can’t say enough about the support of all the commissioners as well as the staff during this last year,” Neeley said. “And it’s not just the current Commission, but we all build on the work of former commissioners and learn from each other. We all work together to make this a better place, a better state. I’m going off the Commission, but I’m not going anywhere. You’ll always have my support, and I plan to be busy working with [the Arkansas Game and Fish] Foundation.”

In other business, the Commission:

• Heard from Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation President Deke Whitbeck, who presented Neeley a specially commissioned knife and commissioner’s journal in memory of Marshall Hughes, a former AGFF board member;
• Heard a presentation from Benjamin Babst, Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, who updated them on his research into the timing and cues of tree root dormancy in red oak species and their implications for future management of greentree reservoirs in Arkansas;
• Approved the 2026-2031 Chronic Wasting Disease Management Plan, which was revised to adapt to evolving knowledge about the disease and its spread in The Natural State;
• Approved a grant of one 2025 public land youth elk hunting permit to the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation to be used for fundraising purposes at the upcoming annual Arkansas Outdoors Hall of Fame Banquet;
• Awarded Neeley his service sidearm after seven years of voluntary service to the AGFC and the natural resources of Arkansas;
• Approved the AGFC’s 2026 Fiscal Year Maintenance and Operation budget totaling $133,430,402;
• Approved the 2026 Fiscal Year Black River Restoration Fund budget totaling $1,780,894;
• Approved the 2026 Fiscal Year Gas Lease Funds budget totaling $360,200;
• Approved the agency’s 2026 Wetland Habitat Restoration Budget totaling $5,042,847;
• Approved the agency’s 2026 Marine Fuel Tax Budget totaling $5,478,467;
• Approved the agency’s 2026 Continuation Budget totaling $464,067 to pay for four capital improvement projects that will not be completed by the end of the 2025 Fiscal Year;
• Approved a minute order to remove $5,478 worth of assets from agency inventory stolen from the Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA workshop;
• Approved a minute order authorizing merit pay increases effective July 1, 2025, for staff who received favorable reviews during their annual performance evaluations, and
• Approved a change to authority delegations to authorize the agency director and chief of staff to act on behalf of the Commission with purchases and personnel matters.

A video of the meeting is available on the AGFC’s YouTube Channel.