kevin August 16th, 2010

The Dave Donaldson/Black River WMA in Clay, Randolph and Greene counties in Northeast Arkansas tops our list as the best public deer hunting spot in Northeast Arkansas.

Providing some of the best — if not THE best — duck habitat in Arkansas, Dave Donaldson/Black River is coveted by hunters much more for its mallards than its whitetails. But with public deer hunting land a premium in this area of the state, its size is favorable for deer hunters, and its population/quality of bucks isn’t too shabby either, all things considered.

All ranking factors are based on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the most favorable.

Food and Water Sources (rank: 9) Maybe the very best aspect of Dave Donaldson is the abundance of food and water sources. Obviously, water is readily available, even in the driest seasons, so deer congregate into the driest areas of bottomland they can find. Of course, Northeast Arkansas offers a plethora of crops, from rice to corn to soybeans, so that tells you all you need to know about not only food source availability, but about hearty nutrition conducive to large deer  and healthy antler growth too. Oak hardwoods also provide  valuable nutrition, and soil management practices conducted by the AGFC to promote healthy duck habitat benefit deer too.

Come inside the Arkansas Hunting Forum to for the complete rankings for Dave Donaldson/Black River WMA.

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kevin July 30th, 2010

Encompassing Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Madison and Washington counties, White Rock WMA (part of theOzarkNational Forest) comes in as our top pick for the best public hunting spot in Northwest Arkansas.

Because of the abundance of great deer hunting spots in this region of the state, choosing White Rock was no easy task. But when it came down to it, we felt it gives hunters the best chance to take a good buck, but more importantly, have an enjoyable hunt on public land. Listed below is the rating scale (1-10 with 10 being the best) of how White Rock ranks in our six major categories:

Deer Population (rank: 7) – One look at White Rock WMA from the road and you can tell it is full of deer. However, if you look at the harvest reports, White Rock’s deer per square mile numbers are not impressive. You must take into account the fact that nearly all of White Rock is tough, rugged Boston Mountain terrain, and many hunters don’t venture off the beaten path to scout for deer. Also, keep in mind the harvest/deer per square miles are based on tagged deer, almost all of which are bucks.  (White Rock did produce 150 bucks in the last report, and here is one hunter that’s willing to bet this place is loaded with some very large bucks across it’s more than 280,000 acres.)

Come inside the Arkansas Deer Hunting Forum for the rest of the rankings on White Rock WMA.

• Arkansas Deer Hunting
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kevin July 12th, 2010

The state of Arkansas features a total of 82 WMAs (Wildlife Management Areas) and NWRs (National WildlifeRefuges), as well as two vast national forests — the Ozark and the Ouachita. While all of these areas are a blessing to those of us who love the outdoors, some are near godsends for deer hunters.

With deer season just around the corner, we thought we’d take a look at some of the best public deer hunting spots in Arkansas in each region of the state: Northwest; Northeast; West Central; Central; South Central; Southwest; and Southeast.

While it would have been easy to order our list according only to harvest statistics, our ranking factors consisted of several variables beyond the total number of deer taken on each WMA/NWR. Of course, success rate and harvest numbers are taken into account, but this list also combines various other ranking factors including location, acreage/size, and “huntability” — meaning ease of access and quality of terrain.

As those of us who hunt a long of public land know, this type of hunting is about much more than just bagging a buck. Factors such as overcrowding, lack of access and almost unconquerable terrain (especially for the elderly and young hunters) can make you wish you would have just hit the snooze button on the morning’s hunt.

In the coming weeks, we’ll cover some of best public deer hunting spots in Arkansas, and give reasons why we consider each spot to be a prime location.

Stay tuned for a run-down of why our pick for Northwest Arkansas’s #1 public hunting area is White Rock WMA.

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kevin May 31st, 2010

It wasn’t so long ago that the only hunts you’d ever see filmed were on your favorite Sunday morning hunting show.

My how things have changed.

Thanks to the introduction of more compact and affordable home video equipment for the everyday Joe, and the ever-growing use of websites like YouTube which allow sportsmen to share their video hunting experiences online, the practice of filming wildlife hunts has exploded in popularity.

Today, tons of video camera accessories for compound bows have flooded the hunting market. Some tiny digital cameras made specifically for bows have started to creep onto shelves too. However, unless you like poor sound quality and grainy video, the most practical innovation is still in the form of bow camera mounts.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. Most mounts I’ve used for my compound bow are so heavy and bulky, it is distracting when aiming at a target, not to mention hard to hold a tight shot — even with a small, light weight camera attached.

However, there is a new bow camera mount on the market and it’s one of the best designs I’ve seen so far. It’s called the BowCamTreeCam, and it offers several advantages over other bow camera mounts.

Come inside the Arkansas Hunting Forum for the full BowCamTreeCam review.

• Arkansas Deer Hunting , Hunting Gear Reviews
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kevin May 6th, 2010

May isn’t normally a month that the dust that knocks much dust off the old bow. In fact, it may be buried deeper under waders, fishing poles, duck decoys and the like now more than ever. But that doesn’t mean it should be.

Here are four things bow hunters can be doing to prepare for the 2010 Arkansas bow season 2010 right now. It’ll be here before you know it.

Pulling back your bow while you watch TV – I like to be in front of the TV watching Erin Andrews on Dancing with the Stars just like the next guy, but that doesn’t mean I have to totally surrender my manhood. Why not grab your bow while you’re hunched over on the couch?

While my wife texts in her votes, I get out my Hoyt, strap on my release, and practice pulling my draw. It’s a great way to start strengthening your back muscles, and the perfect way to maintain that “in-season feel.” Not to mention it allows me to keep my man card.

Shooting your bow from your stand – If you’re out scouting from your stand, you might as well take along a decoy or target and practice your aim. When I first got into bow hunting, this was one of the biggest mistakes I made. That is, shooting from flat ground across a flat plane is a lot easier than shooting at an angle 30 feet up in a tree. I never take that fact for granted. Unless you feel it’s practical to climb and shoot from the roof of your home (disclaimer: that would be pretty stupid! Don’t do it!), dig out your climber from the garage, get elevated, and start shooting!

Check out the full article in the Arkansas Hunting Forum.

• Arkansas Deer Hunting
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kevin January 27th, 2010

It’s tough for me to get out into the woods and deer hunt this time of year. It’s been a long, hard 5 months or so of hunting: scouting since the summer, bow hunting since October, muzzleloading and rifle hunting in November and December.

Not to mention weeks of duck season, which now even it is on its last leg. Unfortunately, the next hunting season I get excited about isn’t until April. But maybe most deterring is the fact that by the time the last weeks of bow season roll around, there are probably more antlers on top of the leaves than on the top of deer heads.

Of course, that isn’t to say all deer have already lost their antlers (shedding occurs at various times over several weeks), but knowing the monster buck in your area could potentially look more like “Bambi” than “Ol’ Mossy Horns” does take some of the excitement (and motivation) out of getting up early and climbing into your stand..

However, I still like to be in the woods when possible, and there is still one kind of hunting that tides me over until turkey season: deer antler shed hunting.

While your story of finding that giant antler shed may not be quite as exciting as your tale about tagging a monster B&C, deer antler shed hunting can be an exciting experience in its own right, and it offers a lot of insight leading into next year’s Arkansas deer hunting season.

Come inside the Arkansas Hunting Forum to discover facts and antler shed hunting tips, as well as find out how antler shed hunting can increase your overall hunting success next season.

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kevin November 17th, 2009

Today’s column has to do with the latest poll question: “If you could only deer hunt during one time period, which would you choose: during the rut or during the first week of the season?

The most obvious choice, judging by the results so far, is the rut. After all, during this time period, the deer are — for lack of a better term — crazy. As hormones of whitetail bucks rage, usually around mid to mid-late November, the urge to breed and protect their territory increases, causing them to make a number of mental mistakes. Leaving  home territories, showing themselves in open, unprotected spaces, and growing increasingly more visible during daylight hours are just a few of the opportunities the normally illusive whitetail bucks will present to hunters.

Another aspect of the rut that excites hunters are the many  strategies that can be utilized with great effectiveness such as rattling, grunting, mock scrapes, urine scents, etc — techniques that usually are not a big part of early or late season. Adding to the excitement, it’s not uncommon to see multiple bucks you’ve never seen before — even if you’ve scouted the area for months — as bucks travel miles in pursuit of does in estrous.

With all of that being said, my favorite time to hunt is still the first week of the season … well, in most cases anyway. Considering all of the benefits above, you think I’m crazy, right?

Allow me to rationalize.

Come inside the Arkansas Hunting Forum for the rest of the column and a detailed look at phases of the rut, as well as tips and tricks for rattling, grunting, etc during the pre, peak and post rut stages.

• Arkansas Deer Hunting
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