Accordingly, this season's Ozark turkey hunting is going to be a little more challenging than is usual. But this is still the region with the highest harvest and the highest overall population of turkeys; indeed, 46.5 percent of the statewide 2005 harvest came from the Ozarks. There are still plenty of birds left to maintain a viable population sufficient to offer respectable action to persistent and skilled hunters, but bear in mind that conditions are well below the 2003 peak.

The top prospects for public hunting this season include: Piney Creeks WMA, north of Russellville; Harold E. Alexander WMA, near Hardy; White Rock WMA, north of Ozark; and Madison County WMA, north of Huntsville. If you're up to it, plenty of remote, off-road parts of these areas beckon to the hunter who's willing to put in the extra effort in exchange for solitude and relatively unpressured gobblers.

In addition to these upland areas, the U.S. Corps of Engineers land around Bull Shoals, Norfork and Beaver reservoirs will be worthy of some attention. Hunt from a boat to maximize your chances of finding a workable gobbler around these lakes.

Gulf Coastal Plain
Last year, this pineywoods region rang up the worst poult-per-hen ratio in the state -- only 1.17 poults per hen observed during the spring and summer brood survey period. This year it had the best in the state, but the 1.64 poults-per-hen ratio posted for the GCP in spring/summer 2005 is still less than half of the 3.4 that is the long-term average for all regions of the state. Likewise, the gobbler:hen ratio was far below the desired level, at only .38.

As was the case with the Ozarks, these two years of brood survey data translate to a shortage of young birds in the GCP turkey population this spring -- in particular, a shortage of gullible 2-year-olds. Hunters here will be dealing mostly with sharp-spurred, sneaky and thoroughly paranoid old gobblers, with a smattering of jakes mixed in here and there.

Also as with the Ozarks situation, though, decent hunting may yet be found in this south-Arkansas region. Not many years ago, veteran hunters will recall, coastal plain turkeys were scarce as bald eagles, but that's not so any more -- even after several substandard hatch years in a row, and a significant slide in reported harvest. The 3,181 turkeys reported last year from the GCP stand as proof of that.

Public hunting areas are relatively scarce in this area of heavily-leased corporate timberlands, but many of these leases are primarily for deer and feel very light, if any, turkey hunting pressure from their members. If you belong to one of these leases, or can wangle an invitation to hunt one, it'll probably be worth your while.

As far as public hunting goes, look to Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge between Crossett and El Dorado, Poison Springs WMA near Camden and on the numerous acres of the Casey Jones Leased Lands WMA, scattered in checkerboard fashion across the coastal plain counties. A $20 permit is required for hunting Casey Jones lands, but with the permit comes a locator map that is more than worth the cost.