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Hunting holes still in demand in public areas

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Ducks may be hard to find, but hunters continue trying

Arkansas Wildlife Editor Finding ducks has proven harder this season than in recent years, according to many reports this office has gathered along the way.

But it hasn't slowed the demand, at least from the looks of the turnout this past weekend at Steve N.

Wilson Raft Creek Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, as well as the growing number of weekly applicants for the permit draw used for the Arkansas Waterfowl Rice Incentive Conservation Enhancement program.

Raft Creek Bottoms, located just a short drive from Searcy, has both an online draw for duck holes and an in-person draw on Saturdays and Sundays (on Tuesdays and Thursdays, users merely have to show up and grab a permit at one of the visitor kiosks and return the permit after the hunt, though the youth blind, moblitiy-impaired blind and Magellan Tract are drawn online for those days as well). This past Saturday's crowd at the inperson draw far exceeded the availability of hunting holes, and while the crowd was a little less on Sunday, there were still hunters who didn't win a spot in the draw and had to head elsewhere.

Of course, the AGFC manages plenty of other areas that don't require winning a draw to hunt, such as Henry Gray Hurricane Lake WMA and parts of Sheffield Nelson Dagmar WMA, both in close proxmitiy to Raft Creek Bottoms. Rex Hancock Black Swamp WMA in the Cache River area also has plenty of water now for good duck habitat and hunting. The only question is whether the ducks will cooperate.

The public hunting land in southwest Arkansas, particularly the • Units at Ozan WMA, has gotten a boost in habitat thanks to recent rainfaill. However, as AGFC biologist Eley Talley reports, 'We did gain some huntable water on Ozan WMA but still not many birds anywhere.'

Meanwhile, in the Arkansas River Valley area, AGFC biologist Alex Zachary says, 'All waterfowl impoundments on Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA should be at or near full pool at this time. Duck use on the WMA has been low to moderate, and hunter success has been generally poor.'

Southwest Arkansas Waterfowl Reports

• Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois d’Arc WMA — Good mast production in most areas.

Limited hunting availability throughout

• Bois d'Arc Lake WRA— Habitat: Closed to hunting. Water Level: Normal

• Red Slough WRA— Habitat: Closed to hunting. Water Level: 90%.

• GTR — Habitat: Good mast production. Water Level: 100%.

• Little Grassy — Habitat: Good. Water Level: 100%.

• Millwood Lake — Habitat: Habitat conditions are good. Water Level: 261.51 feet msl.

• Ozan WMA — Habitat good in most areas. Water levels vary throughout.

• Unit 1 — Habitat: Good, Water Level: 70%.

• Unit 2 — Habitat: Good, Water Level: 60%.

• Unit 3 — Habitat: Good, Water Level: 60%.

• Unit 4 — Habitat: Good, Water Level: 75%.

• Unit 5 — Habitat: Good, Water Level: 90%.

• Sulphur River WMA— Water levels up but many locations are closed to hunting.

• Mercer Bayou — Habitat: Fair, Water Level: 100%.

Henry Moore WRA— Habitat: Closed to hunting.

Water Level: 100%.

Southeast Arkansas Waterfowl Reports

• Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita WMA — Water Level: Water is only available in the oxbow lakes located on the WMA and some river backwater is available. Clear Lake Road is closed to all vehicular access, including ATVs.

• Cut-Off Creek WMA— Hunt Area Habitat: Habitat conditions are good. Water Level: Water levels are excessively high; portions of roads may be inaccessible due to flooding.

• Pigeon Creek WRA— Habitat: Habitat conditions are good. Water Level: Fully flooded.

• Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA Deer Research Area — Habitat conditions are good.

Flooding is river dependent. Click on the Water Gauge link above for current Mississippi River levels. Use extreme caution when boating in river.

• George H. Dunklin Jr.

Continued on Page 9 DUCKS (cont.)

Bayou Meto WMA — The UGSG is now reporting real-time water gauge readings at the headwater at each GTR within the George H. Dunklin Bayou Meto WMA. Click the Water Gauge link above for the WMA, and search for the particular GTR as noted.

A good rule of thumb for comparing water levels to access into Bayou Meto: 176 feet msl – water breaking into sloughs and lower ditches; 177-177.5 feet msl – water beginning to break out of sloughs and lower ditches; 178 feet msl – water in most sloughs and ditches and entering into lower elevations in woods; 178.5 feet msl – most ditches and sloughs deep enough to boat and most boat ramps become serviceable; 179 feet msl or above – good duck hunting waters.

• Upper Vallier GTR — Habitat: Good, Water Level: See Gauge Link (Upper Vallier Headwater) Use caution operating boats near water control structures.

• Lower Vallier GTR — Habitat: Good, Water Level: See Gauge Link (Lower Vallier Headwater). Use caution operating boats near water control structures.

• Government Cypress GTR — Habitat: Good, Water Level: See Gauge Link (Government Cypress Headwater)

• Buckingham Flats GTR — Habitat: Good, Water Level: Pumping complete, 100%. flooded. See Gauge Link (Buckingham Flats Headwater).

• Temple Island GTR — Habitat: Good, Water Level: Pumping complete, 100%. flooded. See Gauge Link (Temple Island Headwater).

• Canon Brake — Habitat: Good, Water Level: See Gauge Link (Canon Brake Headwater). Use caution operating boats near water control structures.

• Halowell WRA— Habitat: Excellent, Water Level: Flooding complete.

• Wrape Plantation WRA — Habitat: Excellent, Water Level: Staggered flooding of Units.

• Seven Devils WMA— Hunt Area Habitat: Habitat conditions are good. Water Level: Water levels are excessively high; portions of roads may be inaccessible due to flooding.

• Trusten Holder WMA— Habitat conditions are good. Flooding is river dependent. Click on the Water Gauge link above for current Arkansas River levels.

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