Give the gift of conservation this Christmas

Nov. 28, 2018

Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK – Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday are all behind us, but that doesn’t mean the opportunity to grab some gifts for your holiday shopping. A gift certificate for an Arkansas hunting or fishing license is the best gifts for that hard-to-buy outdoors enthusiast on your list, and you’ll be contributing to the state’s wildlife resources at the same time.

Hunting and fishing are a right in Arkansas, but people still need the proper license to participate. At only $10.50, a basic resident Arkansas hunting license is one of the least expensive in the country. With that license, a person may hunt any small game and take a single deer by whichever legal method they choose. For only $25, however, the hunter on your Christmas list will be entitled to all game species, including bear and turkey, and will be allowed the full statewide season bag limit of six deer. Federal and state duck stamps must still be purchased for waterfowl hunting.

Gift certificates for fishing licenses are just as reasonable, and also are a great way to show you know what your holiday angler really needs. For $10.50, you can give a gift certificate that will cover all of a resident angler’s needs for the year. If they’re a trout angler, just add on $5 to cover the resident trout permit and check them off your holiday shopping list. 

The best part about getting a license is knowing you’re helping put money back into conservation. Not only do the funds from license sales go directly to conservation work throughout the state, but with every license purchase, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is able to gather a greater share of federal taxes from guns, ammunition and fishing equipment that is earmarked for conservation. 

To purchase a gift certificate, just go to www.agfc.com, and click the green bar at the top of the page that says “Buy Licenses | Check Game.” You’ll be transported to the AGFC’s secure licensing page, which has options for Licenses, Game Checking, Donations and Buying a Gift Certificate. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your purchase. Gift certificates are available for both residents and nonresidents. Visit www.agfc.com/en/resources/licensing for a full list of license prices to determine the amount of your gift certificate purchase.