The Arkansas Waterfowl Rice Initiative Conservation Enhancement, or WRICE (we pronounce it here as W-Rice, for what it’s worth), offers about 40 fields weekly for hunters to hunt by permit on land that would normally be a private rice field.
Hunters apply each week for one of the 40-plus fields, and a winning permit entitles four hunters to the field; the total of fields may change each week because of hunting conditions.
For example, a new addition that is ready to hunt can be found Drew County, the southernmost county represented in the Delta with WRICE access. The Collins field (not shown in the photo; that WRICE field is at Crockett’s Bluff in Arkansas County) is now part of the draw list for a permit.
AGFC biologist Bubba Groves reported last week that the water there was about 4 inches deep, but the rice stubble there may make it look to observers that there is no water in the field. There has since been more rainfall that may have added to that total. Luke Naylor, the AGFC waterfowl program coordinator, noted that even if water levels are relatively low, the goose hunting potential there should be good.
And, speaking of WRICE and other permit applications (including Raft Creek Bottoms, Red Cut Slough at Cypress Creek, Dagmar), this week the special permit draw application period pened as of noon Wednesday, Dec. 23, because Christmas Eve and Christmas Day fall on Thursday-Friday.
Visit the Special Permit Page on the AGFC.com website for information on all the available permits for waterfowl hunting and a link to apply. Winners of this week’s permits will be notified Monday.
