CAMDEN — By Jim Edwards
Wow, I thought, if Oklahoma can do this, why not Arkansas?
A politician in Oklahoma has introduced legislation that he thinks will boost the state’s tourism and the economy.
His idea is to establish a new hunting season in the Sooner State.
No, not elk or moose or anything like that.
Republican Oklahoma state Rep. Justin Humphrey’s has introduced a bill that would create a Bigfoot hunting season.
There’s already an Arkansas connection. Humphrey’s district includes the Ouachita Mountains in southeast Oklahoma, where a Bigfoot festival is held each year near the Arkansas border.
Bigfoot is, of course, a mythical creature. But that isn’t stopping Humphrey. Establishing a hunting season, complete with the issuing of licenses for people to hunt Bigfoot, will draw people, thus money, to his part of the state. Some people aren’t happy about the idea, with some calling him an idiot, according to an online article. Others just want Bigfoot to be left alone and, Humphrey intends to keep the keep the Bigfoot hunts humane. No shooting, just trapping.
If Oklahoma can turn a non-existent creature into real tourism money and license fees, Arkansas can too. We’ve got the natural hunting prey right over there in Fouke where the Boggy Creek Monster is apparently still running around the countryside. They sell Boggy Creek Monster T-shirts in Fouke. Really they do, I bought a couple of them. So why shouldn’t Arkansas get in the act too and sell licenses to hunt the big guy?
The idea probably is not restricted to here in redneck country.
The fancy schmancy folks in Palm Beach, Fla. could stage a snooty competition, charging a ton of money to play a couple of games, kind of like a snipe hunt, around the Ma-A-Lago Resort where former President Donald Trump is now ensconced. One competition to hunt things that don’t exist could be a Vote Fraud Hunt where contestants would search around the Trump property for any trace of voter fraud. For a slightly higher entry fee, contestants, armed with flashlights, metal detectors and magnifying glasses could scour the resort for any, even a teeny-tiny scrap, of truth.
But back closer to home, there’s another possibility to take advantage of mythological, or maybe they are real, beasts.
There have been rumors for years, right here in good ‘ol Ouachita County of a mysterious creature.
The story originated in Greater West Frenchport Heights and apparently involved different species of creatures that one warm evening over-indulged on fermented berries from a holly tree.
It was by all accounts quite a raucous time.
There they were, romping around with one another and a little while later, some Frenchportians reported spotting the fruit of the creatures’ frolics. This is a family newspaper, so I can’t get into the details.
But I can tell you this much. After that night, there began to be reports of sightings of a Greater South Frenchport Heights Monster. It’s part possum, part skunk and part armadillo. It’s ugly, stinks and will make a mess of your yard.
But we can take advantage of it. Call your state legislators and tell them they need to vote to establish the Arkansas Posskunkillo Hunt.
(Jim Edwards is retired after a lifetime in the newspaper business and for 30 years worked in various positions at the Camden News, El Dorado News-Times and Banner-News of Magnolia. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of this newspaper. Email to [email protected])