Down in the southern part of the region, Choctaw Island WMA lies inside the levee of the Mississippi River -- the only Arkansas public area to do so. Intensely managed by the AGFC as a deer research area and patrolled by hordes of mosquitoes (at least during early fall), the 8,300-acre tract saw 60 deer killed last season, or 1 per 138 acres. Even further south, Trusten Holder WMA yielded 55 deer from its 8,173 acres, an average of 1 deer per 144 acres.

Special Note
Most of the land in the Arkansas delta is private, so though it's known for big deer, it's less than desirable for the hunter concerned chiefly with just finding a place to hunt or with merely taking a deer for the freezer.

Sleeper Spot
Last fall at Little Bayou Des Arc WMA, which lies in Prairie County, the area's 953 acres produced 32 deer, an average of 1 deer taken per 29.8 acres. I was surprised to find that gun hunting there follows state guidelines, which means that such a small area could easily be overhunted. But if you're looking for public land, it may well be worth a look.

THE FLATLANDS
Back when I was a kid, the deer hunting aristocracy of my hometown all ventured "south" when deer season opened. With deer just gaining a foothold in the mountains, the chances of success were far better in the pine groves south of Little Rock, and in any given year 75 to 80 percent of the state's harvest came from this region.

The more things change, the more they stay the same: A glance at the table showing the top counties in terms of total harvest will indicate that all five came from DMU 4, the Gulf Coastal Plain. Such has been the case for generations, and it'll probably continue in that way for many more. Large tracts of controlled-access hunting properties, heavy cover and moderate-to-good food sources dictate that a lot of deer will be present there -- sometimes too many.

The downside is that most of the better hunting lands are private, taking the form of large timber-company holdings leased to private individuals or clubs. If I were hunting public land in the GCP, I'd naturally check out such places as Felsenthal NWR. On its 65,000 acres of mixed hardwoods, pine and swamp down in Ashley, Union and Bradley counties, according to AGFC records, 520 deer were taken last fall, which equals a ratio of 1 deer per every 125 acres. Throw in the fact that parts of this facility never see human footprints -- particularly the swampy areas to the south -- and you have an opportunity to enjoy your hunt in seclusion. A two-day muzzleloader season and a pair of two-day gun seasons take care of the modern weapons hunting for the entire year. The blackpowder hunt is a quota hunt; the gun segment requires only an over-the-counter permit.

Big Timber WMA, up in the northwest corner of Clark County, consists of several parcels leased annually by the AGFC from private owners. In all, the fragmented area consists of more than 35,000 acres, most of which offer the promise of worthwhile deer action. Last year, 239 deer were checked in, yielding a ratio of 1 taken per 158 acres. The required $20 leased-lands permit is available by calling 1-877-836-4612. Gun seasons follow state guidelines.

Casey Jones WMA, another leased-land area, lies along the Drew-Ashley county line, and consists of some 57,000 acres leased by the AGFC from the Plum Creek Corporation. 143 deer were taken there last season, but these figures are skewed owing to deer having been checked outside the WMA itself. However, Casey Jones is right in the area of highest deer concentration in the entire state, so for the southern hunter looking for a place, it's definitely worthwhile. Hunting seasons follow statewide guidelines; the $20 leased-land permit is required. Call 1-877-367-3559 for information.

Sleeper Spot
Warren Prairie Natural Area WMA lies down along the Bradley-Drew county line. In 2006-07, this small 889-acre area produced 47 deer, a ratio of 1 deer per 18.9 acres --the highest ratio in the entire state. Only archery tackle is permitted here.

SUMMARY
So that's this year's look at potential deer hunting spots in Arkansas. I'll be the first to say that many areas not listed here are just as good as those that are. There are no really bad places -- and that's the beauty of hunting in our state today.