DAVE DONALDSON/BLACK RIVER WMA
The Dave Donaldson/Black River WMA is another of northeastern Arkansas’ picture-perfect duck waters. The Black and Little rivers flow through the area, and their associated sloughs and backwaters pick up plenty of ducks during the first part of the season. Hubble and Ashbaugh lakes attract migrant birds looking for open water, while the Black River is open for those preferring a riverine feeding environment. Early on in the fall the WMA typically holds water, and is so well worth checking out for numbers of ducks, said Naylor. When things get rolling, tens of thousands of mallards and woodies make an appearance.

“As with other areas, mallards, woodies and green-winged teal are the primary ducks that hunters bag,” said Zachary. “In the early part of the duck season, hunters are finding more mallards and wood ducks than other species, but other ducks are there. This wildlife area has a high hunter success rate when duck season comes in.”

To create ideal conditions, the AGFC has installed several levees and floods the green timber. A number of hardwoods such as pin, water and overcup oak are present, along with tupelo, willow and bald cypress. “We can flood 7,000 acres on the area in four different impoundments,” noted Zachary. “If you count the 10-foot deep areas, we can have 20,000 acres under water out of the 25,000 acres comprising the area.”

The entire Donaldson area is subject to long-term overflow. As a result, most of the hunting is done from the dry floor of a boat. This area doesn’t have any public-use duck blinds.

It’s a good idea to keep on top of the conditions at Donaldson, as they can change in short order. The daily river-gauge readings can give you instant updates on any flooding going on in the area. A gauge reading of 9 or 10 feet indicates deep water; a reading of 16 feet or more means the area’s definitely flooding. Call the Jonesboro office at (870) 972-5438 for updated information on the readings.

Dave Donaldson/Black River WMA lies 10 miles south of Corning in Clay, Greene and Randolph counties and northwest of Delaplaine.

EAST BUSS BAYOU DEVIEW WMA
A whole lot smaller than its larger cousins, this WMA only covers 4,254 acres, but it packs a punch when ducks are present.

Mallards can be thick when conditions are right in the fall. The AGFC’s main purpose in developing the three tracts within the WMA is to provide waterfowl with an overwintering area, and so far it’s working well. If migrating ducks make a swing through the area, they can hardly pass it up.

The Thompson tract is bordered by Highway 214 on the north, the Oliver tract is bounded on the south by Highway 14, and the Martin tract is about a half-mile north of the Thompson tract. As a group, the areas can best be accessed by county roads west of Weiner on state highways 14, 49 and 214.

Typical of this part of the state’s most productive wildlife areas, East Buss Bayou consists of bottomland hardwoods. Mallards are looking for the mast crop, which they’ll find back in the flooded green timber. Calling over a few decoys here can be productive at this time of the year.

Flooding is accomplished by pumping water in, but it’s not always successful, and getting the flooded timber ready to go for the opener isn’t guaranteed. This area is classic in that pre-scouting is more than a good idea if you don’t want to be disappointed on the opener when you arrive. If there’s been rain, this spot can be hopping.

East Buss can get crowded when the birds are in, so consider hunting during the week to avoid the weekend crowd. If conditions are poor on the opener, a lot of hunters will pass East Buss up for larger areas. It can be a real sleeper at midseason.

The area lies along the Bayou DeView River and extends from Highway 17 to Highway 214 in Poinsett County.