LITTLE ROCK - Early spring is a time for cleaning around houses, farms and weekend cabins.

  There is a good chance the sprucing up of the outdoor surroundings will result in a pile of debris – limbs, for instance – that will be burned when conditions are favorable.

  Consider not burning, but making one or more brush piles, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission staff members suggest.

  You will want to be selective about this, of course. Don’t make a brush pile in front of the house where it could be an eyesore and a source of neighbors’ complaints. Keep it some distance from a house or outbuildings. Out back somewhere and, especially if it is a rural setting, a brush pile can be useful for all sorts of wildlife, especially rabbits, quail and songbirds. The latter often use brush piles as havens from marauding house cats. Box turtles make use of brush piles.

  A good feature of brush piles is no maintenance is needed. Rake and pile the cuttings from a hedge, the broken limbs and leaves you didn’t dispose of last fall. If the garden has to be cleaned of dead tomato plants, these can go to the brush pile.

  Cedar trees spring up nearly anywhere, and 99 percent of the time they are nuisances to the property owner or manager. Whack down the cedars, even small ones, and they make ideal material for a brush pile.

  The simplest way to make a brush pile is to use that last word – pile. Just pile up the material and walk away. But more benefits for wildlife may come from a brush pile that is put together with a little design.

  Lay the limbs, cuttings, branches and other items as if you’re building a log cabin. Make it square, make it triangular. By crisscrossing the material, the result may be neater in appearance and may be more attractive to wildlife.

  Eventually, the brush pile will decay, but this can take several years. Then it’s time to build another one, even if it’s on top of the old, rotted pile.

  For the latest in Arkansas Game and Fish Commission information go to www.agfc.com or call the Wildlife Information Hotline, 800-440-1477.

  As wild turkey hunting season approaches in many states and hunters begin to hit the woods, the National Wild Turkey Federation has the safety of turkey hunters in mind.

  Safety is a key element when you're in the woods mimicking the sounds of wild turkeys. A safe turkey hunter is much like a safe driver -- you must be defensive minded. Also, keep in mind that a safe hunter is an effective hunter. Here are 10 tips to consider when you're in the woods:

  * Leave the area if you suspect there's another hunter already working the same bird.

  * Resist the urge to stalk turkey sounds. It is nearly impossible to sneak up on a turkey. It is also unethical and could lead to an accident.

  * Select a spot that is in open timber rather than thick brush: wearing camouflage clothing and eliminating movement is more critical to success than hiding in heavy cover.

  * Sit against a large stump, blow-down, tree trunk or rock that is wider than your shoulders and higher than your head when calling wild turkeys.

  * Never wear bright colors, especially not red, white, blue or black because these are the colors of a wild turkey gobbler. Watch out for red, white or blue on your socks, t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, hats, bandannas, etc. Wear dark undershirts and socks, and pants long enough to be tucked into boots.

  * Remain still and speak in a loud, clear voice to announce your presence to other hunters if necessary. Never move, wave or make turkey sounds to alert another hunter of your presence.

  * Keep your hands and head camouflaged when calling.

  * Maintain a clear field of view when using a camouflage blind or netting.

  * Ensure your decoy is not visible when you are transporting it. Stash the decoy in your vest and make sure the head is not sticking out. If you harvest a wild turkey during your hunting trip, you also should cover the bird's head and body when carrying it out from your hunting spot.

  * Put your gun's safety on and approach the downed bird with your firearm pointed in a safe direction after firing. Never run with a firearm.

  The National Wild Turkey Federation is committed to making hunter safety a top priority. In 1991, the NWTF initiated the National Turkey Hunting Safety Task Force to complement the hunter safety efforts of state agencies, the International Hunters Education Association, the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The task force – composed of hunting and shooting safety experts from around the country – has met three times since 1992 to develop a comprehensive hunter safety program, and has since produced and distributed more than 1 million pieces of hunting safety information.

  Thanks to the cooperative efforts of the members of the National Turkey Hunting Task Force, the number of turkey hunting incidents continues to decrease even as turkey hunters flock to the woods in increasing numbers. Spring turkey hunting incidents have decreased from a high of 8.1 per 100,000 in 1991 to a low of 2.95 per 100,000 in 2001, the most recent year this data was updated.

  Note: Before heading afield this spring, check with your state or provincial wildlife agency for hunting seasons and bag limits.

  Founded in 1973, the NWTF is headquartered in Edgefield, S.C., and has local chapters in every state and Canada. According to many state and federal agencies, the restoration of the wild turkey is arguably the greatest conservation success story in North America's wildlife history. Visit them on-line at www.nwtf.org.

     Lately our friends, Dave Dell, Mike Vansant and David Falconer at www.wildhoghunters.com have sent us links to some of their hog hunting adventures they have posted on YouTube and thought we’d pass them along for your enjoyment. Here’s what they sent:

  "This first one is a night we were hunting a big boar and he smelled our blind. He had bumped it earlier and ran off. He decided it made him mad and he came back behind us and on our left. This is him growling and he was right next to the blind when Mike finally took his AR-15 off safety. The feeder light is all we could see." - David F. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVjNPGWdwFI

  "This next one is a scouting trip we did in Soper, Oklahoma and it turned into a heck of a good hunt. This has my good friend Todd Wogan in it carrying my AR and he puts it to good use." - David F. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbEY7pU5hLI

  "We have been doing a lot of hog videos and we recently did a rattle snake hunt on April 3rd near Blocker, Oklahoma. This is the YouTube video from my little Kodak camera because I was about to take a picture of Mike Vansant holding a rattlesnake when Doug Vaughn released another one that decided to head right for me." – David F. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hM4VDwqcy4