Across the Arkansas River rest the towering Ozarks, within which the Ozark National Forest WMA sprawls over some 678,878 acres located in 10 different counties, all lying north of Interstate 40. When you throw in two other mega-size WMAs -- White Rock (280,000 acres) and Piney Creeks (180,000 acres) -- you’re talking about more than 1.1 million acres of public hunting opportunity!

While there are deep hollows and timber cuts on these public areas that might harbor an old buck and overall deer numbers are on the rise, as always, your best opportunity is on Arkansas’ semi-private areas.

Camp Robinson WMA
Camp Robinson is a 26,675-acre military facility lying roughly north of North Little Rock. With good public hunting land at a premium in the central part of the state, Robinson serves as an oasis for bowhunters from both North Little Rock and Little Rock. Having hunted the area several times, I would classify overall herd numbers as average. In trophy terms, a buck in the 130-140 class is possible but not all that likely.

The topography of Robinson is somewhat typified by grown-over fields and narrow hardwood bottoms, cut by sharp ridges and interspersed with planted pine. There are no row crops within the interior, so in the years when acorns are present the resident deer live pretty well; in other years, the quality of available food sources is lower.

Last season, there were only six days of gun hunting allowed on the facility -- a two-day muzzleloader season and a pair of two-day modern gun hunts. Meanwhile, the bow season follows statewide guidelines.

The only requirement for archers here is that they purchase a $10 Sportsman’s Pass and carry a signed “To Hold Harmless” brochure. These are available at the Camp Robinson Police/Fire Station Building 7200. Information is available by calling (501) 212-5280 or (501) 212-5282.

I’m going to jump on the bandwagon for this 16,000-acre area lying up in Benton and Washington counties. After all, Mike Franks took his 170-class buck (featured in this issue of Arkansas Sportsman) there last season, and numerous other hunters I met at the Mountain Man Big Buck Challenge in Fayetteville in January spoke of it in almost reverent terms.

Gun hunting here is limited to a two-day rifle season held the first week in December. Pictures appearing in a local paper suggest that very nice bucks have been taken. Archery season runs Oct. 1 through the end of November, and there is a one-buck limit. The topography is typical of mountain areas, mostly up and down with some bottomland hardwoods along the Illinois River. There are also numerous openings, both natural and man-made; look for rut signs around those during November.

The primary draw of the Ozarks, much like the Ouachitas, is the amount of public land available for hunting. In a day when rising lease prices are causing more and more hunters to look for other options, the pressure on public areas continues to grow. One of the goals put forth in the 2007 Arkansas Deer Management Plan was to more effectively manage these public lands through interaction between the AGFC and the agencies and individuals who control them. Only the future will tell if that is a workable approach.

THE FLATLANDS
Felsenthal NWR
It’s been 10 years since I’ve had the opportunity to hunt this 64,000-acre facility, which is east of Crossett and sprawls over parts of Ashley, Union and Bradley counties, but it’s about time to go back. Everything that a bowhunter could want is there.