Buffalo National River WMA, which lies along the famed river and runs through Newton, Searcy, Marion and Baxter counties, offers not only unbelievable scenery but also some unique hunting opportunities. If you’ve ever floated the river during the spring or summer, you’ve no doubt noted that there are few roads into many of the shoreline areas. This means that a hunter, via boat or canoe, has access to some fine hunting areas, most of which are likely to be underhunted.

Over on the other side of the Arkansas River, two prime Ouachita areas, Muddy Creek WMA (160,000 acres in Montgomery, Yell and Scott counties) and Winona WMA (160,000 acres in Perry County), both fit the same mold as the large areas within the Ozarks. They consist of rough, often remote terrain with limited access, which translates to above-average big-buck possibility.

Another large area is Mt. Magazine WMA, which consists of 120,000 acres lying south of state Highway 22 in Logan and Yell counties. This is one of those areas whose gun season is split into two segments: one allowing hunting with dogs, the other not. While that probably has no relation at all to late-season blackpowder season, which does not allow dogs, it’s still interesting to note.

I’ve already stated that down in the Arkansas delta, very little public land is available to hunt at this time of year. I used to say “none,” but someone apparently read my statement and called me on it — so now I say that all of the larger WMAs within the delta (Wattensaw, Dagmar, Bayou Meto, etc.) are closed to late-season gun hunting, primitive or otherwise.

But I’ve come to understand that one area is open in December. Bayou Des Arc WMA (953 acres along state Highway 11 due north of Des Arc in Prairie County) remains open from Dec. 30 to Jan 1.

The same is true down in the Gulf Coastal Plain, where there are a few places. Beryl Anthony WMA (7,020 acres southwest of Crossett) has a late season, as does Poison Springs WMA (17,604 acres south of Bluff City in Ouachita and Nevada counties) and Seven Devils WMA (5,032 acres west of Dermott). In addition, the entire 56,908 acres of Casey Jones WMA down in Drew County are open. All of these GCP areas exist in a region that annually produces the highest deer kill for the entire state, so opportunity does exist there.

Earlier I mentioned the attitude typical of bucks at the time of year. During December, the male whitetail has just gone through the two most traumatic periods of his entire year, that being the rut and the modern gun-hunting season. His body condition is at its poorest level, and in addition he is looking the deep winter period, the time of lowest food availability, right in the face. What he wants most is to rest, and to recoup what body fat he can in a short period.

Wilderness areas, where all vehicular travel is prohibited, offer just the seclusion that an old buck needs, and many of these are scattered throughout the mountain regions. Richland Creek (11,822 acres), Hurricane Creek (15,177), East Fork (10,777), Leatherwood (16,956), and the beautiful Upper Buffalo (11,094) are Ozarks areas worth checking out. Over on the Ouachita side, Poteau Mountain (10,884 acres), Dry Creek (6,300), Flatside (10,105), Black Fork (7,568), and Caney Creek (14,460) are all areas where an old buck may be found. Maps showing the various locations of each of these are available from the U.S. Forest Service, or via the Internet.