I have been thinking about going to Arkansas this month to hunt. Thinking about a WMA that does not require a special permit. Gonna stay for a week and either camp or stay at a buddies cabin. I was just thinking that during the weak it should not be that crowded. I plan on taking a boat so I can get away from most of the crowds if there are any. I guess I'm asking how crowded does areas like Dave Donaldson get during the week ?
Lots of folks to deal with on the wma's in Arkansas but hunting during the week will thin them out after the first week . Not sure of the bird population in the black River area . I'd look at the Ozarks around the Buffalo river area and the ouachitas from Mena east to Jesseville. The overall population seems to be up somewhat better than the last few years . It's a good place overall but it will be some work . Good luck !
Tuesday through Thursday you will likely be by yourself, but as already said, lots of turkey hunters around these parts.
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Do you have Any idea what part of Arkansas you will be hunting, or prefer to hunt?
If you go to AGFC.com and look at the harvest by county map I think that it'll give you some good direction & help you make your decision easier. But if you decide to hunt the south central part of the state pm me & I'll do the best that I can to help.
Haven't ever hunted there at that particular
Wma, but kill a lot if birds in the ozark national
Forest. Turkey populations are real spotty all
Over arkansas, some places there will be great
Populations, other places there won't be a bird for
A mile. You just need to put some boot rubber down
And you'll find some. If you decide to go to the NF
During the week or even weekend, there are a lot of
Places to get away from the crowds. Get off the beaten
Path( 4 wheeler trails) and go places where you or no one
Else really wants to go. Then start there. Good luck, I have
Hunted a lot of different states and these public land birds here
Can be tougher than any.
Thanks for the responses. I was looking at the places that I know pretty well from duck hunting,and I have friends in the area that could lead me in hte right direction,however now Im thinking about going a little farther west,or maybe even scrapping the Arkansas idea and heading to Tennessee. I have several private places there that have little hunting pressure that I have been invited to several times. The 4 birds there look pretty good !
Just my opinion but there are other states with easier opportunities. Population is down here and they get hammered pretty hard. Going during the week wouldn't be too bad as far as trying to avoid hunters but you might be surprised how many people you still run in to. Most the better WMA are a permit draw for the opening weekend.
I'm pretty sure all WMA are permitted, at least the ones I hunt, and 4wheelers on the trails is a no no. Bird pops are spotty, the biggest number of birds usually are on private land that no one can hunt, at least that's been my luck. And common curtesy is lost in time, if you find a bird, chances are two other guys will walk up and try to get between you and bird! Many times its tough hunting public land, and it tries ones paitence.
Not to mention you only have 16 days to make it happen, weather permitting...
Pretty much...Arkansas game and fish has 0 ambition at taking the turkey population seriously. They shortened season, fail to plant/burn/cut for diversity, and have not attempted to contact states like Missouri, Mississippi, or Alabama to get some help....AND when I called them and ask "Why Not?" I get talked down to and diverted.
I plan on calling each commissioner this year to speak my mind in more detail and get some solid answers.
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I feel you're pain! It's the same thing for deer, and now we have had several cases of cwd, so Im wondering what there plans are to combat that issue.
the northern part of the state has the sylamore wma thats openthe second week its big and spread out .after the first week you will have it to your self
Quote from: Spurs on April 04, 2016, 07:26:02 PM
Pretty much...Arkansas game and fish has 0 ambition at taking the turkey population seriously. They shortened season, fail to plant/burn/cut for diversity, and have not attempted to contact states like Missouri, Mississippi, or Alabama to get some help....AND when I called them and ask "Why Not?" I get talked down to and diverted.
I plan on calling each commissioner this year to speak my mind in more detail and get some solid answers.
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Interesting take on that. So your are saying the AGFC does not care about wildlife? Interesting statement, considering we do care.
I know a lot of folks in Southern Missouri are watching the CWD in Arkansas closely. MDC has spent millions on Elk restoration project here in Southern Missouri sounds like that may be in jeopardy shortly and of course Whitetail deer are a big revenue as well.
I was camping in the area a couple weeks ago and if the numbers are not hurting yet. One biologist thought based on the area impacted CWD must have been around for at least 10 years. I question that because of the negligible impact in observed numbers and also harvest. I'd guess it has just recently arrived and is spreading quickly. If it has been around for 10 years then look out, it will be everywhere. Deer are harvested from the public land in that area and transported all over for cleaning and disposal. Big big problem brewing.
Quote from: cuttinAR on April 05, 2016, 03:00:11 PM
I was camping in the area a couple weeks ago and if the numbers are not hurting yet. One biologist thought based on the area impacted CWD must have been around for at least 10 years. I question that because of the negligible impact in observed numbers and also harvest. I'd guess it has just recently arrived and is spreading quickly. If it has been around for 10 years then look out, it will be everywhere. Deer are harvested from the public land in that area and transported all over for cleaning and disposal. Big big problem brewing.
It's not that it's believed it has been around for 10 years, the prevalence rate is what would be expected 10 years post first discovery or introduction.
HogBiologist, Do you know if Arkansas Game and Fish received all of the test results yet from the Deer and Elk that were tested last month?
Quote from: HogBiologist on April 05, 2016, 01:17:40 PM
Quote from: Spurs on April 04, 2016, 07:26:02 PM
Pretty much...Arkansas game and fish has 0 ambition at taking the turkey population seriously. They shortened season, fail to plant/burn/cut for diversity, and have not attempted to contact states like Missouri, Mississippi, or Alabama to get some help....AND when I called them and ask "Why Not?" I get talked down to and diverted.
I plan on calling each commissioner this year to speak my mind in more detail and get some solid answers.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Interesting take on that. So your are saying the AGFC does not care about wildlife? Interesting statement, considering we do care.
If they don't get the hogs under control you won't have any turkeys in the White River Lower Basin. Now if turkeys was Ducks AGFC would be all over the problem.
Quote from: Ozarks Hillbilly on April 05, 2016, 04:01:13 PM
HogBiologist, Do you know if Arkansas Game and Fish received all of the test results yet from the Deer and Elk that were tested last month?
Not yet. They should come back in the next week or two. I posted a thread with the latest update as of last week. The total now is 56 positive cases.
Quote from: strutnrut on April 05, 2016, 04:03:26 PM
Quote from: HogBiologist on April 05, 2016, 01:17:40 PM
Quote from: Spurs on April 04, 2016, 07:26:02 PM
Pretty much...Arkansas game and fish has 0 ambition at taking the turkey population seriously. They shortened season, fail to plant/burn/cut for diversity, and have not attempted to contact states like Missouri, Mississippi, or Alabama to get some help....AND when I called them and ask "Why Not?" I get talked down to and diverted.
I plan on calling each commissioner this year to speak my mind in more detail and get some solid answers.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Interesting take on that. So your are saying the AGFC does not care about wildlife? Interesting statement, considering we do care.
If they don't get the hogs under control you won't have any turkeys in the White River Lower Basin. Now if turkeys was Ducks AGFC would be all over the problem.
I don't understand why you're getting that ducks are such a big deal. I hardly see any work done with ducks. There may be some in the Mississippi alluvial Valley, but that doesn't make up the majority of the state of Arkansas.
Quote from: HogBiologist on April 05, 2016, 03:25:17 PM
It's not that it's believed it has been around for 10 years, the prevalence rate is what would be expected 10 years post first discovery or introduction.
Not sure I understand. Can you explain the difference of how that doesn't mean it hasn't been around 10 years if we have that prevalence rate? Just for the record, I'm not one to blame AGFC for this problem but I also recognize how big of a deal it has become in the last few weeks. It seemed controllable at first. I don't envy your position or AGFC's concerning this, it will be tough dealing with the public.
Quote from: cuttinAR on April 05, 2016, 04:24:48 PM
Quote from: HogBiologist on April 05, 2016, 03:25:17 PM
It's not that it's believed it has been around for 10 years, the prevalence rate is what would be expected 10 years post first discovery or introduction.
Not sure I understand. Can you explain the difference of how that doesn't mean it hasn't been around 10 years if we have that prevalence rate? Just for the record, I'm not one to blame AGFC for this problem but I also recognize how big of a deal it has become in the last few weeks. It seemed controllable at first. I don't envy your position or AGFC's concerning this, it will be tough dealing with the public.
What this means is that in a statistical situation the prevalence rate,or the rate at which the disease is in the population, is what would be expected 10 years after the initial outbreak. No one knows how long CWD has been in Arkansas.
Quote from: HogBiologist on April 05, 2016, 01:17:40 PM
Quote from: Spurs on April 04, 2016, 07:26:02 PM
Pretty much...Arkansas game and fish has 0 ambition at taking the turkey population seriously. They shortened season, fail to plant/burn/cut for diversity, and have not attempted to contact states like Missouri, Mississippi, or Alabama to get some help....AND when I called them and ask "Why Not?" I get talked down to and diverted.
I plan on calling each commissioner this year to speak my mind in more detail and get some solid answers.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Interesting take on that. So your are saying the AGFC does not care about wildlife? Interesting statement, considering we do care.
I would like to see the AGFC manage the habitat better. And no, I don't think the controller are concerned about the TURKEY in Arkansas. When I go to other state public property and see vast amounts of row crops and prescribed burning over tens of thousands of acres, I get envious.
I used to hunt an area here (cut off creek wma) where they planted millet, oats, and other seed grasses back in the 90s and early 2000s. This area was completely covered with turkey...now, they bush hog the natural grass and weeds....now you are lucky to hear a bird. Also, the hog population is booming there...but the only thing to combat this is a hand full of traps...
Now to the commissioner issue. The same area allowed boats under power in the creek and a small slough leading through center of the duck area. The boats could be paddled or pushed outside of that small area. About 2 years ago, they outlawed it. When myself and a large amount of close friends contacted the AGFC commissioner, we found out that a group of hunter were using outboards to come in from different area...outside of the legal slough and creek I described earlier. Now, instead of having a warden sit up there, write tickets, and stop the issue, they punished everyone else. The only outcome of that rule change was that my 10 year old son cannot hunt with us and several older men that used to paddle small boats in the area won't be able to access the duck area anymore....all but one small spot is over 3/4 mile walk.
This is one example on one small area in a vast number of problems with the AGFC. In my neck of the woods, there is one man controlling the rules and regulations on WMAs...I will refrain from name dropping. I was told, personally, by each commissioner, that they took the advice of this man. I know of 10 people that contacted each commissioner via email and phone about this boating thing (I know more did, but I didn't speak directly to them), guess what, the rule is still in place....guess the people's voice doesn't count with the AGFC.
Sorry for my rant, but the AGFC is really dropping the ball in recent years. The turkey population and lack of habitat management for turkey is simply amazing.