The shot size changes from No. 2s to BBs when we move to river hunting. Also, when hunting on the river, we use bigger boats, long strings on our decoys and a lot of natural cover. We never go with fewer than two boats.”

That lattermost point lends itself to the enhanced need for Arkansas River duck hunters to keep safety at the forefront.

“All of the hunts on the river are memorable because of the harsh conditions that have brought us here. Extreme freeze-ups or extreme droughts are what bring us to the river,” stressed Brittain.

“One year, when the river froze over, it was so cold that all the hard-plastic parts on the motors, fuel tanks and fuel lines turned brittle and were falling apart in our hands. The fuel lines snapped like pieces of dry spaghetti. We had four boats on the river and ended up with one towing three others back to the launch. We arrived with boatloads of ducks, but had risked our lives to do it. I came home and designed an 'unsinkable' pontoon blind for future use on such occasions.”

Brittain also emphasized the need to be aware of obstacles in the water, the river's unforgiving nature, the importance of packing extras of everything, the use of logic in how many people to place in a boat -- and the probability that duck hunters will find a way to validate Murphy's Law.

“Safety is the only thing that matters when hunting on the river,” he said. “If you don't respect the river and are not afraid of it, then stay away.”

THERE'S DUCKS IN THOSE MOUNTAINS
Living in the Arkansas River Valley does not lend itself as well to the duck hunter's lifestyle as does living near Stuttgart -- the “Rice and Duck Capital of the World.” But James Staten has been hunting ducks for more than a decade and has found over the last eight seasons that the stretch of river here, in west-central Arkansas, can be a productive honey hole.

About the Arkansas River he said, “It is the ultimate in hit-or-miss. One day, the ducks are really using it, and the next, they just aren't. It can be a tricky place to learn and get into the groove. Being careful and knowing the water and terrain that you are hunting is very important. Some of the holes on the river can go from knee deep to over your head in just a matter of no time. Be sure and hunt with a friend.”

Staten noted that scouting and watching the birds, perseverance and choosing your hunting times wisely all are keys to hitting a home run with Arkansas River ducks. This highlander also includes the use of a minimum of three- or four-dozen decoys as a prerequisite for river hunting.