You can legally hunt bears in Arkansas as long as you follow the rules and regulations set forth by that state. This guide was created in 2010 to help educate hunters on the rules regarding bear hunting in Arkansas. We hope this will make sense of some of the regulation wording that too many can seem impossible to understand. You must have a commission issued bear tag and a bear permit. There is a penalty of $100 to $1000 for failing to obtain the proper permit and bear tag required by Arkansas law. You can obtain these online at the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission website.

There are restrictions on the type of devices to be used to kill bears while hunting them. This includes compliance with Commission Code 06.02, 08.04, 08.06 & 07.02. You can look these codes up on their website; these are rifle and crossbow laws that aren’t in the main scope of this article, further more you cannot use shotguns that are 20 gauge or larger using only rifled slugs. The penalty for failing to comply is $100 to $1000 and doesn’t include the penalties for violating any state gun laws.

You are required to wear a specific amount of safety orange on your body. This must be worn above the waist line and consist of the color range 595nm to 605nm (Hunter Orange) or florescent chartreuse within the color range of 55nm to 565nm (Hunter Safety Green). You must have a total of at least 400 square inches of the mentioned colors and a florescent blaze orange or florescent chartreuse head garment must be visibly worn on the head. They penalty ranges from $50 to $1000 for failing to comply and this also can result in serious injury or death.

It’s illegal to use bear baiting methods at any time for the sole purchase of luring or attracting bears. However, on private lands in bear zones 1, 2, 5 and 5A it is allowed 30 days before opening day. The penalty is $100 to $1000 for failure to comply. You are not allowed to shoot a bear inside of its den, along with disturbing a bear to make it leave its den to be shot. Not only is there a fine of $500 to $1000 you can also spend up to 10 days in jail and pay restitution.

In 2010, the United States Mint introduced a new coin, designed to commemorate the springs in Arkansas. This hot springs quarter was the first in a set of 56 coins specially designed to celebrate and educate about the vast number of natural marvels throughout the United States and territories. There’s some debate as to what actually even constitutes such a spring. One can find definitions as diverse as “any natural discharge of groundwater with higher than normal temperatures” to “a spring with water temperatures above 50 degrees Celcius.” Whatever the exact definition you subscribe to, however, two facts stand out: the springs are created when water is heated by geothermal energy, and a hot springs quarter could put a little bit of knowledge about them in your pocket.

The particular body of water this hot springs quarter is celebrating is in Arkansas, where about a million gallons of 137 degree water flows every day. This flow is unimpeded by changes in precipitation, as studies by the National Park Service indicate that water doesn’t reach the surface for some 6,000 years. The rainwater whence the spring flows filters very slowly through the earth’s surface and to superheated areas deep in its crust; it isn’t until it reaches this area that it gushes forth to the surface. While the surrounding city bills itself as “the countries first resort”, relatively few people are familiar with the majesty of the city’s 47 natural hot springs. This quarter should serve to expose many more people to the grandeur that is lurking in our own backyard.