Photo courtesy of Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is introducing a new option for turkey hunters to confirm their harvest this season. The new Express Check is being offered through the commission’s website.
According to Game and Fish Assistant Chief of Information Technology Kyle Curry, Express Check is a simple way to get a bird checked without the trouble of trying to remember a password to log into a license account. He says, “If you have the smartphone app, you can use it like always, and you can still check harvested turkeys through the website by logging in, but we know about 30 percent of our hunters still try to use the telephone checking system to bypass all the passwords and login requirements. On opening morning or other high-traffic hunting times, you may end up on hold for a few minutes before an operator is available. A couple of minutes seems like an eternity when you’re on the side of a mountain with a single bar or two of service, so we’re trying to give people an easier way.”
To verify a harvest through Express Check, go to agfc.com, click on Game Check in the top right corner of the webpage, and enter the turkey tag number, last name and date of birth. If the tag is valid, hunters will get a confirmation number, and the checking process will be complete.
Image courtesy of Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Curry says, “We’re planning to use the Customer Identification Number in the future, but for now, we’re using the eight-digit tag number issued to each turkey tag. This number is available only on the turkey tags issued through the license system, so people who purchase through a vendor need to make sure they get the turkey tags from the vendor in addition to their hunting license.”
According to Curry, checking a turkey through the smartphone app will be identical to last year’s process. One difference in phone checking will be the implementation of automated checking using computerized voice prompts and keypad entry with a phone.
Curry says, “You can still get to a human operator if you need assistance with your checking process, but your first option will be to use the computerized system over the phone. That will help reduce waiting on phone lines and remove some of the confusion with misspoken words or bad connections, making conversations difficult.”
Arkansas’ turkey season opens April 21 statewide. It closes April 29 in Turkey Zone 1 and May 11 in Turkey Zone 2.
All turkeys harvested in Arkansas must be checked via agfc.com, the AGFC mobile app or by phone within 12 hours of harvest. If a turkey is checked immediately upon harvest, it does not need a physical tag attached to it. If the hunter is unable to check the bird immediately, a possession tag must be affixed indicating the hunter’s name, CID number and the date and time of harvest that must remain with the bird until it is checked.
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