A few years back I coined the phrase "Arkansas Trophy Triangle," and the reason is simple: Nearly 70 percent of the state's B&C record-book bucks have been taken from within the boundaries just outlined.

ARKANSAS' TOP B&C COUNTIES
Arkansas' top five counties for B&C buck production -- Arkansas, Desha, White, Cross and Prairie -- lie inside the Trophy Triangle. Big bucks have been there for decades, are there now, and will be there in the future.

Why? Food sources. Look at various national record books, and you'll find that the vast majority of bucks being entered today will come from agricultural regions. In states such as Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, and all the way up to the windswept prairies of Saskatchewan and Alberta, deer are what they eat. The same minerals and nutrients that go into the crops go into the deer feeding on those crops, and the more the better.

For that very reason, our state's prime big-buck region is the delta, that flat, agricultural area lying east of Little Rock. The first recorded B&C buck from the delta region was taken by George Matthews of Lake Village way back in 1923; the most recent, the 172 5/8 typical killed by Charles Crafford of Brinkley last season. It's likely there will be at least one taken there this fall.

TOP PUBLIC LANDS
To me, the only true public hunting in Arkansas exists in the Ozark and Ouachita national forests, where there is unlimited public access during the statewide hunting seasons.

The various wildlife management areas and national wildlife refuges are also considered by many to be public land. Well -- they are and they aren't. They are open to the public, but typically only on a limited basis, and during specific timeframes. Most are also "managed" facilities, with established harvest goals and specified methods of achieving that harvest. For those reasons, some of the state's very best "trophy" hunting occurs on these properties.

Many of these lands have rules and guidelines that differ from the statewide regulations. I'll touch on some of the high spots, but no hunters should venture afield without getting a copy of the hunting regulations booklet and reading in depth the guidelines for the specific areas they will be hunting.

As it was the case in last month's deer forecast piece, Felsenthal NWR is listed here in the trophy piece, but for different reasons. The primary one is that the back side of this refuge consists of deep swamp, which is just the type of cover old bucks will move to when guns start going off in other areas. In wet years there are hillocks within these areas that are virtually surrounded by water, which makes access both difficult and noisy. Wearing hip waders and slowly easing up to these dry spots can pay big dividends.

I also mention Felsenthal because it is a large block of public land in the area of Ashley, Union and Bradley counties, all of which annually rank among the state's leaders in overall kill.

Gun hunting on Felsenthal is limited to a two-day muzzleloader season in mid-October and a pair of two-day modern gun seasons in November. A signed permit is required, but the permits are given out free of charge. Since this is a federal facility, antler restrictions do not follow state guidelines. State Highway 82, between Strong and Crossett, provides access. For more information on hunting contact the refuge office at (870) 364-3167.

Pond Creek NWR in Sevier County consists of 27,000 acres of rolling ridges and draws, some of which are steep. A few years back, I listed this area as a sleeper for big bucks, and even though it is located in an isolated corner of the state, it's not a sleeper anymore!