"Much of the same information that applies to Stuttgart, applies here," Bowman said of DeWitt and Gillett. They are both on the Grand Prairie and both in the heart of this region's rice-growing agriculture.

These communities are sandwiched between two WMAs and a NWR that offer up some good timber hunting -- Bayou Meto WMA to the west, White River NWR to the east and Trust Holder WMA to the southeast.

ST. CHARLES, CLARENDON
"With these two, the situation is much like that of Stuttgart and Brinkley," Bowman said, further explaining that St. Charles mirrors Stuttgart, while Clarendon is a more southerly version of Brinkley. Farming draws ducks to both areas, but Clarendon sees more cotton planted to its east and more rice and beans to its west. St. Charles, meanwhile, gets the honor of being known as the home of the visitor center for the White River NWR.

The refuge extends along about 90 miles of the White River encompassing roughly 160,000 acres. Among its offerings are more than 300 lakes, sloughs and bayous. The cypress-lined waters prove attractive to the ducks as resting areas when they've fed out in fields or flooded green timber, while the refuge's bottomland hardwoods see more action in year's that have both high water and a good mast crop.

TEXARKANA
You may think that this spot is just as unlikely as Arkadelphia to land on a list of Arkansas' other duck towns. But, at least in Bowman's estimation, a variety of geographic features can explain this site's being in general a better duck-hunting destination.

"Along the Red River, these ducks are all Central Flyway ones," he explained. "Texarkana can provide some great hunting. Some of the earliest duck clubs started here along Yellow Creek and Cypress Bayou. Then, when the Corps impounded Lake Millwood, it added to the drawing power. . . . The best thing about this kind of hunting is that it's the best-kept secret."

Both Sulphur River WMA and Pond Creek NWR provide public waterfowling opportunities near Texarkana.

BATESVILLE
"Batesville is located on the upper White River and near Shirey Bay," Bowman said in stressing why this is one of Arkansas' other great duck towns. The benefits to duck hunters are obvious, with Shirey Bay/Rainey Brake WMA's 10,000-plus acres luring the ducks.

CROSSETT, CAMDEN
Found on the southern end of the state, these two communities get most of their duck hunting faithful because of the waters of the Saline and Ouachita Rivers.

At the union of those two rivers is the 65,000-acre Felsenthal NWR. The refuge covers parts of Ashley, Bradley and Union counties and provides gallons and gallons of duck hunting opportunities because of the flooded bottomland hardwoods.

Other public-lands possibilities in this area include Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita WMA, Cut-Off Creek WMA and Overflow NWR.

Since we are already on the subject, we could throw in a hundred more names -- Bono, Cash, Egypt, Tichnor, Delaplaine, Lynn, Holly Grove, Snow Lake, Jonesboro, Pine Bluff, Humnoke, Wabbaseka, Carlisle, Reydell, Seaton Dump, Dell, Manila, DeValls Bluff . . . on and on. That's the thing about Arkansas duck hunting: You're never too far from a good duck hole when you live in the Natural State.

While the list of Arkansas' other duck towns is lengthy, the best place to find information on leases and guided hunts leads us right back to Stuttgart. The Stuttgart Chamber Web site (www.stuttgartarkansas.org) has several listings for lodges and hunts all around Arkansas.