Photo by R.E. Ilg

Scene 1: First light, flooded timber, southwest Arkansas. In shirtsleeves, the three hunters are damp with sweat from their long walk through knee-deep water. As they wait for dawn to ramp up enough to bring on legal shooting time, they open the top buttons of their shirts to allow for better cooling, and swat at the mosquitoes buzzing around their ears. By noon, the air temperature is 74 degrees.

Scene 2: First light, a shallow backwater off the Arkansas River. The thermometer stands at 11 degrees Fahrenheit, and for the last 100 yards of the two-mile boat ride, the hunters wonder if they'll get to their hunting spot before their ears fall off. The temperature never rises above 25 that day.

Scene 3: First light, east Arkansas rice field. The hunters stand chest-deep in the pit blind, watching dawn in the east and an ominous black wall of thunderclouds approaching from the west. Sunrise and the front arrive simultaneously, and the calm, pleasant 50-degree morning degenerates to a windy, rainy, sleety nightmare as the temperature plummets 20 degrees in an hour.

Three hunts, three different years, three different areas of the state, three vastly different weather patterns. I was present for all three, and the common denominator is that the hunts all took place on Dec. 11, proving the old saying: "If you don't like the weather in Arkansas, stick around a few minutes."

That's exaggeration, of course. A joke. But humor's based in truth, and the truth is that Arkansas weather is as fickle, changeable and unpredictable as a knuckleball in a stiff breeze. And in late fall and early winter, that's true in spades.

THE DELTA'S THE BEST
The best and most consistent hunting, as well as the largest quantity of it, is to be found in the east Arkansas delta, of course. Jim Ronquest, a veteran duck hunter and guide from Holly Grove -- Rich-n-Tone Guide Service, (870) 734-4497 -- successfully chases webfeet all over the area.

"Depending on the time of month, weather and water conditions, ducks could be anywhere on the east side of the state in December," Ronquest said. "If it's warm and dry, try and find flooded fields in the northeast corner of the state. You can sometimes get permission to hunt a field or lease something by the day if you don't want to go through a guide.

"Also, look for creeks and flooded sloughs that you may be able to get permission on. These areas can be great producers of ducks late in the morning, ducks seem to congregate in these areas."

Securing permission to hunt private land is usually unnecessary if there's plenty of water, Ronquest noted. "If water conditions are good in the state and the tributaries of the White River are swollen up, check the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's weekly waterfowl report to get an idea where to hunt," he said. "If it's warm and the water is stable, look northeast. As the water falls, ducks tend to follow it downstream.

"If things are frozen in the north and central parts, go below the Arkansas River and check out south Arkansas. Again, check those duck reports and call the refuge offices. They will tell you what is happening on federal ground. Hunting overflow water can be terrific, in the woods or backed out in a field. All it takes is some effective scouting."

Ronquest doesn't shy away from big water, either. "Don't forget the Mighty Mississippi," he advised. "There's some excellent hunting in the oxbows, backwater sloughs and flooded willow bars the entire length of the river. Look for areas where ducks may be dry feeding and coming back to the river for rest. This is where large decoy spreads and big boats are the order of the day, along with maps, a compass and GPS."