Arkansas Freelancing

[Rhino32]

Wondering if anybody has ever headed to Arkansas to hunt green timber on WMA's (Without a guide). I was fortunate enough to get invited on a guided hunt in Arkansas a few years ago, and the guide's property was adjacent to a large WMA. The hunting was great, and made me start thinking of going down with a few buddies and hunting on our own. There are many things to consider on a hunt like that. I am thinking it may take a few years to figure out the lay of the land, boat access, holes, etc. Just wondering if anybody has "rolled the dice" and tried it.

[Gordie]

its still in the dream stage for me and one of these days I will wake up and be there. I have always wanted to head down there to mop up on the birds that I have missed up here so we will have3 to see how it goes. I'm trying to put the boat together now and soon I will be figuring out where to go. so Itas just a matter of time.

[RumRiverRat]

The one trip I took down to Arkansas I was fortunate enough to hunt on private land in green timber.

The public land is crazy busy and according to my hosts full of lost Yankees.

[DREZLER]

My buddies and I have tried that venture 3 years in a row.. the last trip about 4 years ago. My take is that it is a tough trip. The first year we didn't kill a single duck, just some snow geese that we jumped in the field. In fact, hunting by ourselves we never in all 3 years killed a duck in the timber, just in the fields.

By the second and third years we figured out a great way to do it: book a hunt with an outfitter for a day or two, and hunt by yourselves for 2 days. This way at least you know you'll get some shooting in.

I would consider myself a good waterfowler (heck- we find ducks to kill in Minnesota!!), but down there is a tough deal to catch onto, especially when most of the locals have been living at and hunting at the same locations for most of their lives.

On the bright side, Arkansas Game and Fish has a lot of really wonderful information about all of there public lands, I was very impressed by this. Their weekly hunting reports are also very helpful.

All in all, I would say it's a lot tougher for a couple 'yankees' to just "head ondown in that there timmmber and tryan kill emselves a cuple duucks" than one would think.

[GooBack]

we go evry year. just grab a few bags of decoys and go. the more the better. if you can bring 200 that would be best. woodducks and mallards dont take years to plan just go its only 12 hours drive

all the wmas that get flooded out are awesome ducks everywhere. the hunting is like you see on tv bring lots of shells woodducks are everywhere and hard to hit