That visiting hunters should treat a farmer's property with respect goes without saying, but don't overlook other courtesies that will help assure you'll be welcomed back when hunting season rolls around again. Time and time again, I've heard farmers complain that hunters never think of them until deer season. A Christmas gift, birthday card, some flowers for the wife, a present for the kids or an offer to help with farm work all do a great deal for cultivating good hunter-farmer relations.

Share your success with the farmer, too. Most landowners who welcome you on their property also take an interest in the hunt. Even if he doesn't want any of the venison (make sure to offer a share anyway), he's probably watched your deer while working his land. It's part of the farm, and sharing your success with the landowner makes him feel appreciated.

WHERE TO HUNT
Deer densities vary from region to region within Arkansas, and overall hunter success differs greatly, depending on the particular area hunted. The amount of farmland and type of farmland also differ considerably.

The Delta
The Delta Region, or Mississippi Alluvial Plain, in eastern Arkansas contains a higher percentage of farm acres than other regions of the state. Soybeans, corn, winter wheat and other deer foods are abundant here, and most of the larger Arkansas bucks reported by hunters during the last decade have come from this region. In their book Monster Whitetails of Arkansas, Kenn Young and Dan Doughty explain the link between Delta farmlands and big Natural State deer: "Much of this area is agricultural, so row crops provide ample food high in mineral content . . . the same minerals put into the soil to grow crops, and transferred to the plants, are the same ones that grow superior deer. Also, a majority of the land within the area consists of large farming operations. This means the land is private, and access is limited at best. While frustrating to hunters, it serves to give the resident bucks time to gain that part of the big buck equation most often missing: age. With that addition, all the factors in big buck production are present, and the Delta becomes the one section of Arkansas where all the big buck equation elements (genetics, food and age) are most common."

Young and Doughty also note that "a plat map, good manners and planning ahead will still go a long ways toward finding you a place to hunt" in the Delta.

Ozark Mountains
The rugged parts of the Ozark Mountains are ill-suited to row-crop farming. Fruits, particularly grapes and apples, are important in some areas, and pasture acreage usually exceeds cropland. In winter, deer depend heavily on acorns and other hard mast for food, but if nut crops are sub-par, they yard up on every small patch of farm food they can find. Successful hunters look for out-of-the-way food plots, cornfields, lespedeza patches and other winter food sources where deer are likely to be gathered.