Glen Miller, refuge manager, provided some insight into Wapanocca as an area that hunters would want to consider. "The Southeast Deer Study Group sampled the deer on the refuge a few years back," he said, "and determined that we were at the high end of our carrying capacity. We are in the process of reforestation on about 500 acres, which provides deer additional cover, and our cooperative agreement with local farmers leaves crops in the field during the winter period."

The area below 600-acre Lake Wapanocca is a large cypress swamp, which provides the deer with an ideal security zone, while the created openings in the reforestation areas are used as bedding areas. Gun hunting (shotgun and muzzleloader) has only been allowed on Wapanocca for two years, and is limited to a two-day November season. Permits are required, with 150 issued. Miller reports that only about 80 hunters actually showed up for this hunt last season, adding that more deer need to be taken there.

Access is had by way of state Highway 77, which, running east from Turrell to Marion, is the western boundary of the refuge. More information is available by calling (870) 343-2595.

The delta region east of Little Rock is widely known for the quality of its deer, and we'll certainly discuss this fact more in depth next month in the trophy forecast. But there are also some public areas that offer visiting hunters ample opportunity.

WATTENSAW WMA
This area straddles Interstate 40 just north of DeValls Bluff. Gun hunting is limited to five days for blackpowder weapons in October and five days for modern guns in early November. Permits are required, with 400 available for each segment. A special one-day youth hunt is also held in late November, with 150 permits available. Wattensaw now has a 5-point rule in place: A buck must have 5 or more points on one side or 4 or fewer points on both sides combined. The contact number for Wattensaw is 1-877-734-4581.

TRUSTEN HOLDER WMA
This WMA lies at the southern end of the famed White River NWR. The only gun hunting on the area is a five-day muzzleloader hunt in October, by permit only, with a total of 400 issued. It's also one of those you-can't-get-there-from-here spots, the only access being by way of local roads from Arkansas Post. Call 1-877-367-3559 if a remote hunting spot is in your plans.

CHOCTAW ISLAND WMA
The first Arkansas management area inside the levee of the Mississippi River, this area was virtually unhunted for years. At 7,676-acre Choctaw Island WMA, southeast of McGehee down in Desha County, the 272 animals taken in 2004-05 is almost unheard of. That translates to 28 acres per deer kill!

I haven't personally hunted this heavily forested area ("hopelessly tangled" might be more accurate), but I've heard a lot about it from Cory Gray, Arkansas' deer project leader. Choctaw Island WMA is now designated as a deer research facility, and thus, some unique rules are in place. For instance, a doe must be harvested before a legal "Type A" buck may be harvested. What is a "Type A" buck? One defined as having 5 or more points on one side, or an inside spread of 15 inches.

Choctaw Island's managed for quality and so will appear in next month's trophy outlook piece -- but it also yields up a lot of deer. Gun hunting is limited to a three-day muzzleloader segment in October, and a pair of three-day modern gun hunts in November and early December. Only 50 permits are available for each hunt, and they can be hard to get.

Access to the facility is easiest by way of state Highway 159; take it southeast out of McGehee, and then turning due east onto state Highway 4 at Trippe Junction. That will take you to Arkansas City and the WMA itself just east of town. Call 1-877-367-3559 for more complete info.

Next Month:
FINDING TROPHY BUCKS