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.

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.

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.

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.

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.