Hope Kiwanis Club Hears Program From Arkansas Game & Fish Officers

The Hope Kiwanis Club heard a program on the Arkansas Game & Fish on September 26th from Dennis Hovarter and Andrew Watson.  The pair offered an overview on what the AG&F does and answered questions.

The Game & Fish Commission was created in 1915.  The enforcement division was created in 1916 and initially hired 9 game wardens for the whole state.  Those first officers earned $80 per month and had to provide their own horse.  These officers had no arrest or citation powers.  If hunters were in violation, these officers could seize their game.  In 1944 the legislature made Game & Fish officers became full-fledged law officers.

Currently the Game & Fish has 190 officers when the agency is fully staffed.  There are 12 districts across the state.  The district Hovarter and Watson are in has seven counties including Hempstead, Miller, Lafayette, Howard, Little River, Sevier, and Pike.  There are two officers for county.  One of the officers is always on duty.

The Game & Fish officers go through an eighteen week course at the Game & Fish academy in Mayflower.  Watson noted they can do any law enforcement officer can do in the state.  He noted he’s even given tickets for speeding.  Hovarter noted a Miller County Game & Fish officer was called out recently when a woman was killed by dogs in that county.  He also noted some other calls he’s received.

Watson noted the Game & Fish work all boating accidents.  He also noted they’ve helped out with other agencies such as the Hope Police.

The Special Operations Division was discussed.  This includes the Game & Fish dive team that helps with drownings and when weapons are thrown into a body of water.  The Honor Guard Team is made up of 22 officers from across the state.  They do officer funerals, events for Boy Scouts, assist other agencies on funerals, and even have a bagpipe and drum corps.  Hovarter recently returned from a program in Washington honoring the late Jeff Neal, a Game & Fish officer who died several years ago.  Another “special operations” unit is a drone team.  Watson noted those drones can sometimes do more than helicopters.  The Game & Fish also has a Disaster Response Team that goes all over the country.  The Game & Fish also has a Special Operations team that often assists the state police.  There are even Game & Fish Chaplains.  Also there is a boating accident reconstruction team and a hunter incident investigation team.

Watson noted the Game & Fish fine money goes to schools in the county where the ticket is written.  The schools can apply for the money and use it for field trips to Game & Fish nature centers, hatcheries, and wildlife management areas.  It can be used for Game & Fish archery or trap shooting programs, any Game & Fish sponsored Educator Workshop, schoolyard wildlife or butterfly habitats, outdoor classroom supplies, wildlife biology supplies, or any conservation education materials.

The officers noted their salaries are paid by license sales and the 1/8th cent state sales tax.

The officers talked about alligator season which just ended and 141 alligators were taken statewide.  They also talked about deer archery season, teal season, and dove season.  They also detailed how deer need to be check in to the Game & Fish as well.

Watson and Hovarter noted Hempstead County has 7 Wildlife Management Areas, more than any other county in the state.  These include Dr. Lester Sitzes Bois d’Arc, Hope Upland, Ozan WMA, Blevins WMA, Grandview WMA, Little River WMA, and Nacatoch Ravines Natural Area WMA.

The Kiwanians asked a number of questions and greatly enjoyed the program.

Pictured with Hovarter and Watson is State Rep. and Kiwanian Danny Watson who is the proud father of Game & Fish Officer Watson.