Photo by Dan Bogue

By Kenn Young

As I write this, the total Arkansas deer kill for last season stands at 106,522 animals. That figure is down from the 118,806 taken in 2002-03, and way down from the 150,279 taken in 2001-02.

Do we have a problem? That depends on whom you talk to. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regional directors from the Gulf Coastal Plain and Delta say that their surveys and counts indicate that numbers in those two areas are as good as they've ever been in recent years. In the Ouachitas, numbers are still low, but the region may have turned the corner and now be on the upswing. In the Ozarks, particularly in the southern tier of counties, things aren't good.

Back in 2001-02, when the statewide total was 150,279, the doe harvest was 75,141 animals. That number fell to 53,801 in 2002-03, and to 31,846 last season - a decline of 43,295 in two years. So the far lower doe kill is the most visible reason for lower numbers last season.

Are there other factors that adversely effect harvest numbers? Yes, but maybe not to the extent that many hunters tend to believe.

For instance, the last two falls have seen above-average mast crops. When these nuts are available, deer will virtually ignore all other food sources, and that hurt the boys who sit over corn feeders.

Another factor is weather. Ricky Chastain, AGFC regional supervisor for the Ouachitas, touched on that during a recent conversation. "When the weather is bad during the opening weekend, it can affect our harvest numbers drastically. A lot of hunters hunt those first few days, then don't come back."

When you throw in the facts that we had fewer hunting days, lower bag limits and a decline of 9,613 resident sportsman licenses sold - well. Simply put, lots of reasons underlie the reduced overall harvest.

Let's look ahead to the upcoming season, and check out some of the better places to go for your venison.

Things seem to be worse in the southern counties than in those to the north. That fact was recently confirmed by Bob McAnally, longtime regional director for the AGFC.

"The farther you get away from the fertility of the Arkansas River Valley, the poorer the quality of your food sources become," he said. "This, in turn, hurts fawn production and retainment. At this time we're seeing lactation rates as low as 40 per cent in some areas. Over a large portion of this region, particularly within the Ozark National Forest, deer numbers are as low as I've seen in a long time."

You'll notice that no top Ozark counties are from the southern tier. Washington is in the extreme northwest corner, while Sharp and Cleburne are in the extreme eastern edge of the region, which gets pretty close to the more abundant food sources typified by the nearby delta. In fact, of the southern counties only Pope (1,128) topped 1,000 animals in kill last fall.

The list of top public areas for the Ozarks can be a little misleading. While the harvest numbers on the individual areas may seem high, you also have to consider the size of those areas mentioned.

For instance, the Ozark National Forest Wildlife Management Area is basically composed of all national forest lands not in the White Rock or Piney Creeks WMAs. When you add it all together it totals some 675,000 acres, and at least some of those lie in about every county in the entire region. If you use that figure of 364 deer taken, then only one deer was killed for every 1,854 acres.

Sylamore WMA is another large area (150,000 acres) located in the more northerly section of the Ozarks, with parts in Marion, Stone, Searcy and Baxter counties. It produced 313 deer in 2003-04, up from 244 in 2002-03. Of that number 273 were bucks and only 40 does. That breaks out to a kill for every 479 acres.

The terrain in Sylamore is pretty much typical of upland areas, meaning lots of up and down. According to locals, hunting pressure is heavy during the opening few days of both muzzleloader and modern gun seasons and far lighter thereafter. Does are taken there by those who draw Sylamore WMA doe quota permits. Dogs are not allowed. For more information and maps, call the U.S. Forest Service at 1-877-297-4331.

White Rock WMA continues that "big" designation. Its 280,000 acres cover parts of Madison, Franklin, Johnson Crawford and Washington counties; in fact, it stretches all the way from just north of Clarksville up to Fayetteville, a linear distance of probably 50 miles. Numbers rebounded there after a dismal 2002-03 season, but the deer-killed-per-acre ratio still runs about 1:912. The number for info is 1-877-967-7577.

All areas mentioned above have experienced increased hunting pressure in recent years as hunters from other parts of the state take advantage of the open hunting there. White Rock also gets heavy pressure from both Fort Smith and the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers triplex.

Ricky Chastain, stationed in Hot Springs, is the longtime AGFC regional supervisor for the area. "I believe that here in the Ouachitas our deer numbers probably bottomed out in 2002-03," Ricky said. "We've seen a decline in numbers in recent years, but I believe that this past season was in effect the first step back from that. The zone quota doe permits have helped turn things around here."

The Ouachita region consists almost entirely of the Ouachita Mountains, which includes the vast Ouachita National Forest. It's an important area for hunters, since it includes huge amounts of open public hunting. With lease prices steadily rising, that has to be a consideration for many today.

In the Ouachita region, Fort Chaffee WMA stands out. It's a beautiful 66,000-acre area of rolling hills that lies in Crawford, Sebastian and Franklin counties and is located just east of Fort Smith. Last season some 483 deer were taken there - 283 bucks and 200 does - making it the state's No. 2 management area in terms of total kill. Of that number, 213 were killed during the single two-day modern gun hunt. Permits are available by draw. A $15 biannual sportsman's permit is also required, as is attending a Sportsmen's Orientation class. For information, call 1-877-478-1043.

Camp Robinson WMA consists of 26,675 acres lying along the Pulaski-Faulkner county line. It's rolling country with fairly steep ridges above creek bottoms, some of which have quite a few hardwoods. When open fields are available, check them out for rut sign around the November breeding period.

Gun hunting consists of two days of blackpowder guns (late November), and a pair of two-day gun hunts that take place the following week. There are 500 permits available for each day of the muzzleloader hunt, 400 permits for each of the two-day modern-gun segments. Forty-seven deer (28 bucks/19 does) were taken during the muzzleloader hunt; 88 (49 bucks, 39 does) during the gun hunts. A sportsman's pass is required to hunt at Robinson; information is available by calling (501) 212-5232.

Winona WMA gets back to that "big" concept mentioned in connection with the WMAs from the Ozarks. It's a steep and rugged mountainous area of some 160,000 acres located in Saline, Garland and Perry counties. The best hunting exists farther from the roads and trails.

Deer seasons follow statewide guidelines; gun hunting is bucks-only (does may be taken by those who obtain Winona WMA quota doe permits). Thirty-one deer (30 bucks/1 doe) were taken during the black powder season; 112 (109 bucks/3 does) during the modern gun seasons. No dogs are allowed, and 4-wheelers are off limits around Lake Winona. Information on camping may be obtained by contacting the U.S. Forest Service at 1-877-525-8606.

Next month, in the trophy forecast, you'll hear the agricultural areas lying east of Little Rock mentioned in far more glowing terms. Most of the best hunting property is private, being part of the vast farms here.

White River NWR is the cream of the state's trophy areas, and I'm not sure it isn't in terms of total opportunity as well. In 2003-04 the 160,000 acre area located along the White River in Arkansas, Phillips, Monroe and Desha counties once again led the state's public areas in overall kill, with 563 deer taken - 293 bucks and 270 does. This is one spot every Arkansas hunter should visit at least once in his lifetime.

Refuge personnel tell me that overall numbers are currently good. The food source throughout the region is substantial, and gun hunting is limited to a short nine days on the north unit and a shorter three on the south unit. A $15 access fee will be required for this fall, and firearms permits are available via drawing. Special hunts are available for both youth and handicapped hunters. Contact the refuge headquarters at (870) 946-1468 for complete information.

Choctaw Island WMA, located down in Desha County, is an area that fascinates me, and here are some of the reasons: (1.) It is the only public land inside the levees of the Mississippi River. (2.) It has a 5-point rule. (3.) It had a youth hunt last year that allowed the taking of bucks with less than three points on one side. (4.) Before taking a buck, a hunter must kill at least one doe.

By the nature of these requirements, if not by definition, 8,300-acres Choctaw is a state-owned quality management area, but slanted toward trophy animals. It was also recently classified as a deer study area by the AGFC.

Also consider that 50 permits are available for the 3-day muzzleloader season, 100 for gun hunting (a pair of 3-day seasons in 2003-04) and 50 for a special youth hunt. With a total of only 200 permits available, hunters took 181 deer last season, 24 bucks and 157 does, a pretty good success ratio. You can call 1-877-367-3559 for more in-depth information.

Wattensaw WMA is a 19,184-acre area that sits astride Interstate 40 between Carlisle and Brinkley, down in Prairie County. With some hardwood bottoms surrounded by row crops, it has long been a staple of the Little Rock archery crowd, and of the 133 deer taken on its 17,602 acres in 2002-03, archers accounted for 53.

Gun hunting is by permit only, and last season consisted of a five-day muzzleloader season and a five-day modern gun season, along with a special one-day youth hunt. For information call 1-877-734-4581.

(When I was a youngster back in the 1970s, the "rich people" from Clarksville went to the GCP to hunt the higher deer numbers found there. The more things change, the more they remain the same.)

If you look at a map of Arkansas, you'll note the six counties that lie in the extreme southeast part of the GCP along the southern tip of the delta. Union, Calhoun, Bradley, Cleveland, Drew and Ashley together accounted for 23,662 animals in 2003-04, or more than 20 per cent of the state's total kill. In this first decade of this century, these counties comprise the true "deer factory" area of Arkansas.

The 64,000-acre Felsenthal NWR (located in Union, Ashley and Bradley counties) lies within the state's best deer-production area and is always a staple for those who travel from outside the region. Even though the area had a relatively high kill total of (283) last fall, that number is down from previous years. Great diversity of terrain, ranging from ridges on the north to swamps on the south, makes the area interesting to hunt.

Gun hunting is limited to a pair of two-day permit-only seasons. Muzzleloader hunting is restricted to a two-day segment. Forty deer (20 bucks/20 does) were taken during the black powder hunt; 283 (140 bucks/143 does) during the modern gun segment. For more information, call (870) 364-3167.

The Casey Jones WMA lands total 83,832 acres, but are segmented, broken up over a wide area. The sections along the Drew-Ashley county lines, just west of Fountain Hill, offer the best opportunity, and the smaller area down along the Arkansas-Louisiana border, east of Beryl Anthony WMA, should also be checked out. Gun seasons typically follow state guidelines. For more information and maps showing the various units, call 1-877-367-3559.

Over to the west, Howard County WMA is some 26,000 acres bordering the Cossatot River in Howard County. It's one of those hard-to-get-to areas, the best route being state Highway 4 north from Dierks. Last season, 119 deer were taken on the area, with 93 (51 bucks/42 does) falling during the modern gun season. Seasons follow statewide guidelines, and more information is available by calling 1-877-777-5580.

Lake Greeson WMA, another western GCP area, consists of some 38,000 acres around Lake Greeson in Pike and Howard counties. Currently under the control of Weyerhaeuser and International Paper, it may be passed to the state soon. Numerous campgrounds around the lake itself make this one of those areas you might want to travel to. Last season, 119 deer were taken there, with 93 (55 bucks/38 does) of those killed during the November modern gun season. Regulations follow state guidelines. More info is available by calling 1-877-777-5580.