GENE RUSH/ BUFFALO RIVER WMA
An irregular, very roughly horseshoe-shaped WMA with a few outlying parcels and totaling just over 17,000 acres, Gene Rush Wildlife Management Area lies between the Ozark National Forest on the south and the Buffalo National River on the north. This three-owner continuum of public hunting is as scenic as any public area in the country.

The WMA and the Buffalo River corridor are most famous of late because of the small but thriving elk herd that lives here, and the active management to maintain extensive openings for the elk herd is helping the region’s turkey population as well. Turkey hunters can find plenty to smile about here.

It’s getting to be an old refrain in this piece, but turkey hunters on Gene Rush WMA had better toughen up before hunting here. The WMA doesn’t have a terribly extensive road network, with the exception of the Carver Road, which comes into the area off Highway 123 at Carver and wiggles westward through the heart of the WMA. There are a few offshoot roads from this main one, but only a few. The hollows are deep and steep, and access is tough. Some ATV and 4WD trails exist, but off-road regulations are much stricter here and on the Buffalo National River lands than on the Forest Service lands farther south.

There are several designated campgrounds scattered through the area, and the National Park Service’s Carver campground is only a half-mile from the western boundary of the WMA, on Highway 123. Access to the area is off Highway 123 at Carver and also via gravel roads off Highway 74 east of the tiny valley community of Mt. Judea. The nearest commercial lodging is in Jasper, 15 crooked and winding miles west.

When water flow is low enough (an iffy proposition in April,) walk-in hunters can access the east end of the area by fording Richland Creek at a low-water bridge on a dead-end gravel road two miles south of Eula, which in turn is five miles west of Snowball, which in turn is 14 miles west of Marshall.

An excellent way to get into the heart of the Gene Rush/Buffalo River WMA is to follow the example set by the hordes of canoeists who each spring float down the Buffalo River.

As the preceding paragraphs indicate, getting to Gene Rush WMA isn’t the easiest thing in the world, nor is getting around on the ground once you arrive. But make the effort, and you stand a good chance of encountering some pretty unpressured turkeys.

Another excellent way to get into the heart of this prime chunk of remote country is to follow the example set by the hordes of canoeists who each spring float down the Buffalo River. Hunting is also allowed on the National River lands, but not within 100 yards of the Buffalo River itself. But even with this restriction, the river provides hunters with good access to some excellent hunting opportunities on both sides of the river. The Carver to Mt. Hershey and Mt. Hershey to Woolum floats are both one-day trips for canoeists, but for hunting you might consider making an overnight float out of it. Just remember that Arkansas law requires that turkeys be checked within 24 hours, and while you can do this by phone, you’re probably not going to get a signal when you’re at the bottom of the Buffalo River valley. Detailed Buffalo River maps are available from Buffalo National River, 402 N. Walnut, Suite 136, Harrison, AR 72601, (870) 439-2502, or visit the