# Arkansas/Mississippi Flooded Green Timber Hunt



## Blueline (Apr 12, 2011)

Fellow forum members,

A group of 3 other friends and I are planning a trip to Arkansas or Mississippi for a flooded green timber hunt. We will be able to sneak away from work in the early part of December, 2013. As a group of 4 guys, our ideal hunting situation would be to find a local guide who has a good reputation of running an honest camp for one day of fully guided hunting and 3 days of lodging. The other two days we are there, we would like to rent a blind from the guide and use our own equipment to run our own show. We have boats, skiffs, a few well trained retrievers, plenty of dekes, ect...

We don't need 4 or 5 star accommodations by any means. Staying at a local motel would be OK, but lodging in a house of some sort would be best. We can provide our own food, but would consider a food+lodging package.

The entire idea of hiring a guide for a day and renting a blind for a day stems from our budget($). We're a group of younger guys working blue collar jobs, so a budget is necessary.

I have already searched for information on this topic via this forum as well as others. We are having a difficult time finding a guide who offers both fully guided trips and blind rentals for green timber hunts. Any help, suggestions, or tips would be GREATLY appreciated. Feel free to PM if necessary. Remember, it's all for the dogs! My pup, Ice, would surely appreciate the info!

Thanks in advance.


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## Dos Patos (Oct 15, 2012)

Let me know if ya find it!


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## LESTER LANGLEY (Jun 12, 2008)

There are several outfits that guide timber. I would recommend stuttgarthuntingclub.com (Slicks). You will not find a GOOD private timber spot where they let you hunt alone. MOST timber spots are hunted by wading- no blinds. If you want to DIY, I would suggest guided for a day, then hunt public, although thats always a crapshoot with seasonal water. Good Luck.


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## Brian Daniels (May 21, 2011)

If you have boats and a gps, I would go at it yourselves. Lots of flooded timber to be found in NE Ark and south aways. Lodging can be tricky though depending on where you want to hunt. I would recommend choosing one area to hunt, and try finding cabins for rent nearby. And btw, the best timber is public land in AR, besides a select few tracts of land. Once you take part on a jam up timber hunt, you and your dog will not want to hunt anything else.


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

being from AR i'll throw in my .02 guides do not day lease timber. period. that is their money maker. there are very very few places that have timber so they arent gonna let Joe Blow rent it when they could hunt 10-15 joe blows and make 10k. expect to pay around 700+ a gun per day for timber. day leases are strictly on fields and usually run from 400-1000 per lease day (not per person). guided fields are usually 300-500 per gun. depending on weather it can be hit and miss on either fields or timber. the time frame you are suggesting is right on the cusp of being good. usually our best hunting is from mid december-mid january. sunny days=timber cloudy days=fields. 

do not go the public route unless you have 2-3 days to scout before hunting. if you cant scout dont go public. if you cant scout without hunting (ie bringing a gun) dont go. dont mess up everyone else's hunts scouting at shooting light wait till about 10am and scout till 1. you have to be off public at 1pm 

Out of State hunters (or OOSrs as we call them) have ruined many a hunts in AR by doing it the wrong way or think they know what they are doing. go back through old issues of delta and DU and read some of the horror stories. OOSrs getting lost in the woods getting stranded on a levie eating raw duck and swamp water to survive only to have a helicopter fly over and waive their undies on a stick to be spotted (true story). 

dont become part of the problem.

if this seems a little harsh thats just the way it is. dont believe me go over to the refuge and ask the same thing. I'm really trying to help even if it doesnt seem like it.


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## Jake McNeese (Sep 26, 2007)

blake_mhoona said:


> do not go the public route unless you have 2-3 days to scout before hunting. if you cant scout dont go public. if you cant scout without hunting (ie bringing a gun) dont go. dont mess up everyone else's hunts scouting at shooting light wait till about 10am and scout till 1. you have to be off public at 1pm
> 
> Out of State hunters (or OOSrs as we call them) have ruined many a hunts in AR by doing it the wrong way or think they know what they are doing. go back through old issues of delta and DU and read some of the horror stories. OOSrs getting lost in the woods getting stranded on a levie eating raw duck and swamp water to survive only to have a helicopter fly over and waive their undies on a stick to be spotted (true story).
> 
> ...



Probably the best advice you could get on being an OOSer and hunting public land in Mississippi or Arkansas.


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## jpws (Mar 26, 2012)

Take a boat and go to Bayou Meto near Stuttgart, AR 
http://www.agfc.com/hunting/Pages/wmaDetails.aspx?show=010

or go to Mcintyre Scatters in Money, MS
http://www.mybirdmaps.com/topo-maps...sippi-Swamps/Leflore/Money/McIntyre-Scatters/

Go during the week


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## fishduck (Jun 5, 2008)

Back in the day, when I had time and no money we counted on 3 days scouting before we were killing ducks. We hunted our older reliable holes until 10:00 then scouted until 1:00. In 3 days we were killing ducks. Some of the walks were 2 to 5 miles in waders. Don't even want to think about how far we ran boats. Nowadays I am in a club and hunt a pit in a field. I am much fatter and happier but miss the green timber.


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## GulfCoast (Sep 24, 2007)

If there is public "green timber" in Mississippi, other than one green tree unit chock full o' college kids at O'Keefe, I don't know about it. YMMV.


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

jpws said:


> Take a boat and go to Bayou Meto near Stuttgart, AR
> http://www.agfc.com/hunting/Pages/wmaDetails.aspx?show=010
> 
> or go to Mcintyre Scatters in Money, MS
> ...


this is exactly the information you dont want to follow. if you go to these places (can only really speak about AR) dont just go freelancing expecting anything except maybe an azz whooping from a good old boy. there is 10,000 acres (maybe 3,000 floodable, huntable) in bayou meto. on a weekday there are probaly 3,000 hunters. on a weekend probably more people than trees

couple rules to follow if you still dont heed my advice:

1. dont setup your spread in a boat lane. you will have all of your decoys spread throughout the 10,000 acres as i run through them
2. dont launch at 4am. you dont know the place you will be killed in the boat race. literally ran into a tree.
3. dont waste your time on wood ducks. you have 15 shells 4 duck limit (3 of which can be mallards).at day light you will see 1000's of wood ducks. dont bother 
4. dont shoot them above the trees. if you want everything to go smoothly let them land. otherwise your begging for a cursing/azz whooping
5. when someone 200 yards away in the hole next to you shoots dont look up you will lose an eye from shot raining down
6. practice lung exercise for a few weeks before you go. if your not blowing your not killing. never let up calling. unless you hear laughing from the next hole over then that means you cant call and need to pack it up.
7. spinning wing decoys? leave em at home.
8. 25hp limit on outboards 36 on mud motors. make sure you have at least a 15 or you will get sucked into the spillway or swamped by other boats
9. have everything legal wise ready to be checked. went 32 times this year checked by the warden 28

i'll think of more but like i said. best bet if you really want to hunt green timber is get a guide for a day or more then hunt leased day fields. unless you have the money to pay 3 days of guided timber then i'd do that


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## Brian Daniels (May 21, 2011)

blake_mhoona said:


> this is exactly the information you dont want to follow. if you go to these places (can only really speak about AR) dont just go freelancing expecting anything except maybe an azz whooping from a good old boy. there is 10,000 acres (maybe 3,000 floodable, huntable) in bayou meto. on a weekday there are probaly 3,000 hunters. on a weekend probably more people than trees
> 
> couple rules to follow if you still dont heed my advice:
> 
> ...


You wouldnt happen to be on arkansas duck talk would ya? Same paranoid mindset. Plus youre wrong on the flooded acreage in metro. Is it crazy there on a weekend? Yes. Is it possible to buy WMA maps from geospatial and do your homework before ever going and kill ducks. You betcha. 

Plus, you do not need to be in the boat race to kill ducks. I agree with you on calling(if you can blow a cutdown...LIKE A CUTDOWN), better be legal, and get ready to always have a group too close. But to say that they should NEVER give it a try is stupid. The scatters craziness is part of the fun.


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## Brettttka (Feb 9, 2013)

If you have never hunted green timber DONT START you will get hooked and hunting a pit just wont be as fun. I was lucky enough to hunt public land quite a bit this year with a guy who has hunted the same hole for over 30 years on public land. Try and get ahold of a local guy that may let you use his spot or hunt with him. Learned quicly that even though it is public land all of the holes are filled with the same groups day after day. Just an honor system to not get in someones hole. But it is the best hunting when you have a big group of mallards break timber and light 10 feet away.


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

Cut em Shelby said:


> You wouldnt happen to be on arkansas duck talk would ya? Same paranoid mindset. Plus youre wrong on the flooded acreage in metro. Is it crazy there on a weekend? Yes. Is it possible to buy WMA maps from geospatial and do your homework before ever going and kill ducks. You betcha.
> 
> Plus, you do not need to be in the boat race to kill ducks. I agree with you on calling(if you can blow a cutdown...LIKE A CUTDOWN), better be legal, and get ready to always have a group too close. But to say that they should NEVER give it a try is stupid. The scatters craziness is part of the fun.


you are correct on the acreage. its 33,000 total 10,000 flood*able *(notice i said floodable not flooded) but i'm assuming you've never hunted a year where water was scarce.

notice i said dont get in the boat race i didnt say there wasnt any other way to kill ducks. he should try bayou meto but only with someone who knows what its about.


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## Blueline (Apr 12, 2011)

Outstanding advise so far. It looks like we have a lot of decisions to make. I like the "honest" advice and am not upset about any of your comments. Please keep the comments and suggestions coming. We have started to contact outfitters today. I will throw up some of their business names later tonight. If you know of poor experiences with any of the guides I list, please DO NOT bash any guides publicly on this thread. I do not want this thread to be locked. Please utilize my messenger if you have personal knowledge of some of these guides that is not suitable to be posted publicly.

Thanks again all!


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## Brian Daniels (May 21, 2011)

I agree that it is best to try it with someone. I was lucky to have a great guy show me the ropes out there. However, I still feel that trial by fire is not always a bad thing.


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

Blueline said:


> View attachment 11709
> Outstanding advise so far. It looks like we have a lot of decisions to make. I like the "honest" advice and am not upset about any of your comments. Please keep the comments and suggestions coming. We have started to contact outfitters today. I will throw up some of their business names later tonight. If you know of poor experiences with any of the guides I list, please DO NOT bash any guides publicly on this thread. I do not want this thread to be locked. Please utilize my messenger if you have personal knowledge of some of these guides that is not suitable to be posted publicly.
> 
> Thanks again all!


i'll save you the time. there's only 3 options if our going to do green timber

5 oaks
Prarie Wings
Slick's

your not a multimillionare or own a fortune 500 company i assume so cross 5 oaks off

your options are prarie wings or slick's.

i dont care what anybody's website says these are the only reputable, classy, and consistent place. plus they are legal. alot of places advertise green timber and just take you to the wma. it is illegal to guide on the wma. this is what we call the "$400 t-shirt and free hunt" or "$500 lodging and free hunt" 

again you can take it for what it's worth but these are the only options

edit:im not affiliated with any of these or any other places so this is truly an unbiased review


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## Brettttka (Feb 9, 2013)

If you hit up the boat ramp through the week you may just start asking around






to different people and see if they can point you into a hole. Dont wanna be the guys that get to a hole throw out decoys and set up to have a group of locals say you are in their hole and piss them off.


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## Jake McNeese (Sep 26, 2007)

jpws said:


> or go to Mcintyre Scatters in Money, MS
> http://www.mybirdmaps.com/topo-maps...sippi-Swamps/Leflore/Money/McIntyre-Scatters/
> 
> Go during the week


I've hunted the scatters a good bit while in college. You need a boat, and need to be careful. Stumps everywhere. The boat race can be fun if you go with people that have hunted the place before but can also be really dangerous. Be careful where you set up because part of the scatters is private land and there really isn't any designation on what is private and what isn't besides a few signs. Best advice I can give you is that if you don't know where you are going and want success, find a good guide service in MS/AR. People can be brutal on public land and you will probably come out ahead in the $$$ and have a more enjoyable trip. 

Good luck


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## Nicolet_wings (Mar 5, 2013)

As one of the 4 going with Blueline, I have been follwing the advice given on this forum. 

Blake, thanks for the input. Much of your input was exactly what I was thinking. The whole reason we aren't looking into public land is we don't have the time to scout and not going to buy a smaller outboard. Not afraid to try something new, but we simply won't have the time. Hopefully sometime in the future we will be able to spend atleast a week in Arkansas and experience some public land hunts. We will most likely have 3 full days to hunt and wan't to make the most out of it without spending a fortune. Just looking for a way to extend our season. 

To all the others that brought up going public, thanks for the input, but it isn't going to happen this year. 

I will check out Slicks and Prarie Wings. 

Spoke with Buster from Bust A Duck today. Anyone have any experience here? Please no bashing if you had a bad experience as Blueline said. PM if you wish or Blueline.


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## TimberDog (Nov 19, 2012)

PM me and I will get back to you, I don't have enough post to send you a msg.


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

buster has a good place new lodge and will work hard to put you on the ducks. the timber is nice just not as consistent/hitorical as the 3 i mentioned. he will for sure make sure u kill something even if that means moving you to a field which can happen and a good guide would do that. hes top notch in service for price ratio

consistency in the timber like i said falls in those 3 above.


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## TimberDog (Nov 19, 2012)

Just made it to 10 post!! Yea 4 me! Will PM back!


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## Blueline (Apr 12, 2011)

Looking for info on Prairie Wings...we can't find a website or reviews. Can someone help us out with that?


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## mhowerton (Oct 24, 2007)

Prairie Wings doesn't have a website. Last I heard they were $750 a day. Let me know if that fits your price range and I can get you a contact. They are the premier flooded timber hunt in the world, but you have to pay to play.


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## Blueline (Apr 12, 2011)

We are also looking for information on Big Creek Guide Service and Duck Guides Inc.


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## Jake McNeese (Sep 26, 2007)

If you change your mind about timber try Cypress Crossing Duck Club www.cypresscrossingduckclub.com . Had a buddy that guided there for two years and it is a top notch operation, excellent lodging, and he said the meals are five star. I believe they are located just outside of Stuttgart.


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## Quackwacker (Aug 16, 2011)

Cut em Shelby said:


> You wouldnt happen to be on arkansas duck talk would ya? Same paranoid mindset. Plus youre wrong on the flooded acreage in metro. Is it crazy there on a weekend? Yes. Is it possible to buy WMA maps from geospatial and do your homework before ever going and kill ducks. You betcha.
> 
> Plus, you do not need to be in the boat race to kill ducks. I agree with you on calling(if you can blow a cutdown...LIKE A CUTDOWN), better be legal, and get ready to always have a group too close. But to say that they should NEVER give it a try is stupid. The scatters craziness is part of the fun.


I agree with this! we have gotten there at 8am on several mornings and killed limits. We stay out of the boat races!



Brettttka said:


> If you hit up the boat ramp through the week you may just start asking around
> View attachment 11714
> to different people and see if they can point you into a hole. Dont wanna be the guys that get to a hole throw out decoys and set up to have a group of locals say you are in their hole and piss them off.


Its public land and I buy a WMA stamp. Local Yokal, I aint movin out of "anyones" hole if Im there first. come on and join us but we aint movin.


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## 7pntail (Jan 20, 2010)

Quackwacker said:


> I agree with this! we have gotten there at 8am on several mornings and killed limits. We stay out of the boat races!
> 
> 
> 
> *Its public land and I buy a WMA stamp. Local Yokal, I aint movin out of "anyones" hole if Im there first. come on and join us but we aint movin.*






Absolutely, could give a rats rear end if they are local. If I am first, I 'm not budging!!! All of this good ol boy timber etiquette makes me wanna hitch up the mud boat and head south! I know you southern fellers would welcome a Californian. Truth be told, all good information and exactly what I would expect. Flooded timber is on my bucket list. I might add to the mix, that I would be all over Google Earth. Good luck on your hunt.


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

google earth dont help you worth a dang. all you need for a good hole is one tree down in the forest and kicking water. images from google earth arent that detailed. 

after december you dont even need a hole as the birds are hole shy. you call them through the branches and trees.

yall think what you will about being able to do it down here on public. but its less about where you are and more about calling. thats why we are the duck capitol as well as the best call blowers and makers.

and i'd love to see you try that with the locals. your down here on our state land and think you know how to hunt our holes? slide over we'll teach you or else we'll set up 100 yards away and ruin your hunt. did it twice this year. guys from south carolina thought they knew our hole and were hunting on the wrong side of it so we asked could we join (we'd been killing 12-15 limits out of it for 3 days in a row) they said no find your own hole. Set up in a natural break in the trees 200 yards away and they fired 3 shots all day. all of them were woodies. we killed 14 limits of mallards by 8:15 and walked directly through their hole on the way out.

but the main thing to remember is...you won't beat us to our holes. we know the woods. sure not all of us leave at 4am but at least 1 person does. we'll have someone we hunt with make sure he's sitting in the hole at 4:05 while we bring breakfast at 6

these things sound harsh but thats because we have to be. our genius game and fish is not protecting our public lands like they should. nor are they charging out of state hunters like they should. our taxes pay the bills. make the out of staters pay more than a silly wma permit. if i wanted to go to colorado to hunt elk, or south dakota for ducks its going to cost me a heck of a lot more in permits, fees, etc than if i was from XYZ state coming to Arkansas.you pay $50 bucks more than an in stater and you get the same privelages. as a result there is bit of resentment against them (although OOSers catch a lot more leniency than the game and fish)


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## huntinman (Jun 1, 2009)

blake_mhoona said:


> google earth dont help you worth a dang. all you need for a good hole is one tree down in the forest and kicking water. images from google earth arent that detailed.
> 
> after december you dont even need a hole as the birds are hole shy. you call them through the branches and trees.
> 
> ...


Nothing like a little hospitality to a fellow sportsman, eh? Jeesh...

Being a sportsman is about more than how many birds you can kill. Hopefully you will grow beyond this stage one day.


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## Brian Daniels (May 21, 2011)

blake_mhoona said:


> google earth dont help you worth a dang. all you need for a good hole is one tree down in the forest and kicking water. images from google earth arent that detailed.
> 
> after december you dont even need a hole as the birds are hole shy. you call them through the branches and trees.
> 
> ...


If youre limiting out by 9am what does it matter? Maybe Ill see you on the blue line next year. We'll be in the hole suckin in birds like a dyson vacuum.


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## roseberry (Jun 22, 2010)

blueline,

book a day in the timber at slick's. then go hunt public if you want to, it aint that big a deal. bayou meto is BIG and often good but.....

if the white is out stay in clarendon and go up river to the confluence with the cache, go up the cache and find some duck

if the cache is out stay in dewitt or augusta and put in at gregory. go down river from the launch's boat lane(turn right) and set up in the river channel(15 ft decoy lines) this wma goes down the river past cotton plant and if you spend time looking you can usually find some birds

if it's frozen in the north and there is water and you want to go south, cuttoff creek wma can be superb

you can hunt the earl buss bayou deview near wiener. small tract and not usually intimidating(no 400 boat races) but often very good. the afternoon field hunting in poinsett county is typically good early season and you can pull up at noon and kill out somewhere if you don't get a limit(you will need two off ducks anyway)

the black swamp around paragould is public but does have permanent blinds that you can hunt only if unoccupied at shooting time.....it would be a little hard to do for a first timer without knowledgeable assistance.

big lake near blytheville can be good but had grandfathered perm blinds too, last time i was there.

early december (1st thru 10th) in my experience, on average is the least productive part of the arkansas season. opening weekend through thanksgiving you shoot all the early migrants that been sittin pretty where ever water was pumped up. when these birds been killed it can take a couple of weeks, a little water and a little weather to "build a new supply" of birds.

btw.....imho, timber hunting is waaaaaaaay over rated. if it is good, there is nothing like a day in the woods. if it is bad, i hate it! i got buddies who say, "i would rather kill 4 greenheads in the timber than 40 ducks in a field!" my reponse is, "well good for you.....?"

p.s. blake, i didn't list any wma for blueline that i have not lit at least 200 birds on at least one occasion........and i am from alabama!


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## Quackwacker (Aug 16, 2011)

blake_mhoona said:


> google earth dont help you worth a dang. all you need for a good hole is one tree down in the forest and kicking water. images from google earth arent that detailed.
> 
> after december you dont even need a hole as the birds are hole shy. you call them through the branches and trees.
> 
> ...


Ok you scared me I wont come back................Good Luck with that.



huntinman said:


> Nothing like a little hospitality to a fellow sportsman, eh? Jeesh...
> 
> Being a sportsman is about more than how many birds you can kill. Hopefully you will grow beyond this stage one day.



Exactly.................


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## 7pntail (Jan 20, 2010)

blake_mhoona said:


> *google earth dont help you worth a dang*. all you need for a good hole is one tree down in the forest and kicking water. images from google earth arent that detailed.
> 
> after december you dont even need a hole as the birds are hole shy. you call them through the branches and trees.
> 
> ...


My first thought was to write what a d*** a**. But, I have come to the conclusion that Blake knows it all and has nothing to learn, so I will refrain and take the high road. Again, to the op--hope you have a great trip. 

I am personally thinking about going to Idaho this year to get away from Yahoo's and crowds. Here is a pic of some good friends that hunted there in November. Lot's of ooportunity from wat I understand.


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## jd6400 (Feb 23, 2009)

Cut em Shelby said:


> If youre limiting out by 9am what does it matter? Maybe Ill see you on the blue line next year. We'll be in the hole suckin in birds like a dyson vacuum.


Blue line sucked last week of season spent very little time there but toilet seat was good............Should be interesting nxt year after they do their timber harvest. Jim


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## Andrew Fairchild (May 19, 2011)

I can help you a little if your open to public hunting(Free blinds camoflauged on open holes you won't be disappointed). There is one downside and its actually very political. Big Lake WMA and St. Francis WMA both have 10x10, 10x12, 12x12 (they all very) blinds already built above the flooded timber, brushed in and hidden very well. They were originally built before the game and fish owned the property. After the game and fish took over the property they allowed the blinds to be maintained every summer. Its a first come first serve basis. People in the middle of the state got mad cause the game and fish won't build blinds on the WMA's down there and threw a hissy fit. This past year they tried getting rid of the blinds but there are some documents that technically say they can't get rid of them unless they find them unsafe to use. So this past hunting season they red flagged all the holes the blinds were on so nobody could even hunt the holes. I have a feeling there will be a huge fight over this coming year, and I'm certainately hoping people are smart enough to use common sense and leave the blinds. They are a huge hunting comodity that will bring people from all over if they can experience this themselves. I live in Northwest Arkansas and drive 5 hours to hunt Big Lake. They can drive 2 hours if they want to hunt public blinds that badly. If you can't find anyone offering or you find it too expensive check out the DU website next year when you go. If it says ducks are on Big Lake my biggest suggestion would be hunt Big Lake if the blinds are open. You won't regret it!!! I'll try and find some pictures when I get home and post them!


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

your right its not about kill numbers. its about knowing that i can do better at my craft than the next guy. i only brought a gun 12 times this season but brought an HD video camera every time. its about us blowing our calls and yall blowing yalls and seeing who gets em in the hole first. not killing as we could all more than likely use shooting lessons but breaking them from a mile up and getting them sitting on the water.

in the scenario you highlighted those guys walked in early (4am entry rule) and got the hole. we left at 4 and they were standing there unpacked in the hole when we got there. (there's only one walking path in at this walk-in only tract) they deserved to have their feelings hurt as ducks poured in 


roseberry: black river, big lake, and sunken lands are no longer "semi private" the blinds were in the process of being torn down before they were flooded and will be torn down this offseason pending the outcome of the court case. decoys are no longer able to be left overnight at those places either.

cut em: we try not to hunt the blueline. lots better places to be had with fewer people and shallower water.


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## Brian Daniels (May 21, 2011)

Im wondering if I heard yall makin racket on BF this season...early December


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

yep ;-)

got out of there around 11th maybe? we usually only hunt tuesdays and sundays everyonce in awhile a saturday


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## TimberDog (Nov 19, 2012)

Why not try to get the RTF folks to come hunt with you instead of telling them you will or have before walked through the middle of their spread on the way out...?? I would not mind taking a trip out of state one of these days to hunt. (Might be a way to make that happen if you were interested in swapping out a hunt... They do start earlier than us..) Wonder what your opinion would be if someone walked across THE LINE while you were running in a AKC/UKC hunt test. Show the people HOW TO do it instead of pushing them out and creating more problems for others? But I am just a rookie here so I will go back to the shadows...


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## huntinman (Jun 1, 2009)

Blake, there are plenty of people around who have done a lot of duck hunting before you were out of diapers. And when you are gone, there will be some young guy thinking he is the cats meow too. It's a never ending cycle... It's just your turn.


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## Andrew Fairchild (May 19, 2011)

Wow I just started reading some of these posts. I'm from Arkansas and I'm not a prick. You can P.M. me and I'll give you some better advice if you wanna plan a trip to Arkansas to do some traditional timber hunting. I don't know much about outfitters down here. I live in Northwest Arkansas and I'm a big deer hunter as well, I don't really get into feathers until December other than tuning up the pup!


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## Brettttka (Feb 9, 2013)

I was not saying that you shouldnt hunt the flooded timber but like Blake said if you are in a locals hole they are either going to mess up your hunt or stand in the hole with you and kill the birds. I have found that it may take a morning or 2 but if you get there early and just ask some guys at the ramp they would be more than happy to point you in a good hole rather than have you in theirs. Green timber hunting is great and there is always going to be someone pissed on public land just how it goes IMO.


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## jd6400 (Feb 23, 2009)

We have a group of guys from Ark. that spend a week goose hunting here and we spend a week down there.Got to tell you the people from Ark. that I have met are top notch.As long as you go into BM and stay out of peoples way you be fine. Jim


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## huntinman (Jun 1, 2009)

Brettttka said:


> I was not saying that you shouldnt hunt the flooded timber but like Blake said if you are in a locals hole they are either going to mess up your hunt or stand in the hole with you and kill the birds. I have found that it may take a morning or 2 but if you get there early and just ask some guys at the ramp they would be more than happy to point you in a good hole rather than have you in theirs. Green timber hunting is great and there is always going to be someone pissed on public land just how it goes IMO.



If its public property, unless there is a grandfathered blind, how is it a locals hole? Hunted public land most of my life, if someone beats me to a spot I wave and keep going.


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## Brian Daniels (May 21, 2011)

yeah i should have known that doo doo cutdown crew was yours! haha what yall blowin bryce deckers or somethin? lol


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## Brettttka (Feb 9, 2013)

Was just going off what I have seen. Didnt mean to cause up a stir. To each is own and we are all in it for the same reason being outdoors, watching dogs work, and watching ducks work. Whether I kill birds or not seeing a group lock up and work in a field or in timber makes the hunt worth it to me.


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## roseberry (Jun 22, 2010)

glad no local GOOB(good ol' obnoxious boy) sucked these off us!;-) they would have taken a couple of bands if they had

bill is right, *me and him invented duck hunting *in our day too.....now where did i hang that tree seat?


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

huntinman said:


> If its public property, unless there is a* grandfathered blind*, how is it a locals hole? Hunted public land most of my life, if someone beats me to a spot I wave and keep going.


bingo. black river, big lake, and sunken lands were just that. now they've outlawed them. dont hunt there myself but thats what went down up there.

timberdog: if they are in the place i wanted to hunt fine they can have it. if they cheated (entered before 4) i'll embarass them. if they are set up on the boat lane i'll have no choice but to motor through it on the way to my destination. the boat lane is 10 feet deep if you cant realize not to hunt there then i think your beyond repair. your comparison to hunt test makes no sense. i'm not gonna do something an "a-hole" would do until you become the a-hole i.e. walk in early

huntinman: i guess you never played any competitive sports? isnt that what they are all about...pride?
golf-shoot the lowest possible score. 
dog training-best possible dog for your purposes and he's better than anyone elses in your eyes. 
football-my team's better than yours
basketball-my team's better than yours
kids-"my kid is on the honor roll at XYZ" bumper sticker

andrew: deer hunters usually arent the pricks. duck hunters and dog trainers are. your case is mute (see pride statement above). plus your from NWA which means you dont understand the pains one goes through every day during duck season in the most popular town of duck hunting with the most hunters per capita only to have it ruined by a select few that dont know the "code of conduct" eye for an eye tooth for a tooth.

i have hunted big lake in the past and those blinds were not built before the game and fish owned the land. yes the holes might have been there but the blinds are all between 20-40 years old. and IMHO its not worth hunting. its good about one weekend year. the refuge right next door is off limits, double the size, and millet is flown over it in the growing season. no reason for the ducks to leave.


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## Raymond Little (Aug 2, 2006)

blake_mhoona said:


> google earth dont help you worth a dang. all you need for a good hole is one tree down in the forest and kicking water. images from google earth arent that detailed.
> 
> after december you dont even need a hole as the birds are hole shy. you call them through the branches and trees.
> 
> ...



Expert duck caller and Financial Genius too, what's the economic impact of duck hunting in Ark?
Google is your friend Scooter, might also search for the state that kills more ducks and i will bet it' not Ark.
This post would have been an excellent opportunity for you to take some guys with like intrest hunting in Ark and make life long friends but you chose to make an ass out of yourself on a public forum. Most states do not charge confiscatory rates for out of state duck hunters because they are "Smart" enough to realize the economic impact those OOSER's have on the rural economies expecially during hard times. My group left several thousand dollars in Lakota ND back in October. We were treated very well by everyone up there and can't wait to return.


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## 7pntail (Jan 20, 2010)

jd6400 said:


> We have a group of guys from Ark. that spend a week goose hunting here and we spend a week down there.Got to tell you the people from Ark. that *I have met are top notch.As long as you go into BM and stay out of peoples way you be fine. Jim*





I have learned that EVERY duck hunter is top notch as long as they stay out of peoples way, regardless of their state of origin  Everbody is friends at the check station/boat ramp:razz:


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

Raymond Little said:


> Expert duck caller and Financial Genius too, what's the economic impact of duck hunting in Ark?
> Google is your friend Scooter, might also search for the state that kills more ducks and i will bet it' not Ark.
> This post would have been an excellent opportunity for you to take some guys with like intrest hunting in Ark and make life long friends but you chose to make an ass out of yourself on a public forum. Most states do not charge confiscatory rates for out of state duck hunters because they are "Smart" enough to realize the economic impact those OOSER's have on the rural economies expecially during hard times. My group left several thousand dollars in Lakota ND back in October. We were treated very well by everyone up there and can't wait to return.


i am referring to stuttgart as the capitol because on average more ducks pass through here than any other place in the country. arkansas as a whole is the number 1 state for mallard harvest and number 2 or 3 depending on Cali's year in total ducks. but is there any other duck than a mallard really?

also i did say to get a guide. i'm all for any and everyone getting a guide. its the best experience and you will stimulate our economy even more than freelancing.

none the less values are in 1000's:



_State
_
_Trip & Equipment Expenditures
_
_Total Output
_
_Job Income
_
_Jobs
_
_State Tax Revenue
_
_Federal Tax Revenue
_
*United States
*
*$900,285
*
*$2,349,965
*
*$884,497
*
*27,618
*
*$153,805
*
*$192,576
*
Arkansas

$91,000

$124,005

$47,895

2,505

$9,154

$9,404




thank yall so much i was afraid our poor state wouldnt survive without yall.


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## Brian Daniels (May 21, 2011)

No way those numbers are accurate. I may spend close to 1K and I may go with 4-6 guys. Now are you telling me that less 200 OOSers are hunting in AR? Dont add up brah.


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

Cut em Shelby said:


> No way those numbers are accurate. I may spend close to 1K and I may go with 4-6 guys. Now are you telling me that less 200 OOSers are hunting in AR? Dont add up brah.


Notice the note about 1000's. Add 3 0's to table numbers

i run with black ops btw. Camera man. the first company to come out with a reproduced olt style cut down

Raymond: if anyone ever asked I'd prolly be willing to show them the ropes but its not for everyone obviously and we don't like loudmouths about where we hunt which thins the herd quite s bit


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## Brian Daniels (May 21, 2011)

noted on the chart. well thats better than deckers call no doubt. its a timber thief or bakelite for me. maybe we will see yall out there next year.


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## roseberry (Jun 22, 2010)

sources of income in arkansas:

1) agricultural sales, foreign and domestic. grain, beef and poultry.

2) agricultural subsidies. various federal tax payer funded farm programs.

3) unreported tax free hunting lease revenue. always paid in cash.

non-residents are paying #2 and #3 for y'all along with all the money we spend when we come.........and you want to raise our out of state hunting licenses? that indian dude at the "gyro palace" that makes the best cheeseburger in stuttgart would not agree!


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

roseberry said:


> sources of income in arkansas:
> 
> 1) agricultural sales, foreign and domestic. grain, beef and poultry.
> 
> ...


 I forgot to put a source on mine its from Fish and Wildlife Services. And your bogus source is?


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## huntinman (Jun 1, 2009)

Blake, they call Arkansas the "Natural State". I have to say... You seem like a natural.


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## TimberDog (Nov 19, 2012)

blake
"if they are in a place I wanted to hunt they can have it"
"Your down here on our state land and think you know how to hunt our holes? 
Slide over we'll teach you or we'll set up 100 yards away and ruin your hunt, did it twice this year" ??? WTH!

I will give you the Hunt Test refrence..Ok.. All I am saying is if you are not on YOUR STATE GROUND and not doing so well mabe some one will slide in there and show you how to do it, or just set up and ruin your hunt.
By the way which is it going to be? You gonna let them have it or ruin it for them???


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## jd6400 (Feb 23, 2009)

roseberry said:


> sources of income in arkansas:
> 
> 1) agricultural sales, foreign and domestic. grain, beef and poultry.
> 
> ...


Or would Miss Kibbs!!!! Haaa, Jim


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## roseberry (Jun 22, 2010)

blake_mhoona said:


> I forgot to put a source on mine its from Fish and Wildlife Services. And your bogus source is?


i got enough arkansas mud in my yard and on my driveway that the rain washes off the truck, i once got a real estate tax bill from poinsett county. my sources are my personal observations and sense of humor. btw, don't forget who on here told you that the brown pup you were lookin' at was gonna be a good one......was i right? huh?


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

TimberDog said:


> blake
> "if they are in a place I wanted to hunt they can have it"
> "Your down here on our state land and think you know how to hunt our holes?
> Slide over we'll teach you or we'll set up 100 yards away and ruin your hunt, did it twice this year" ??? WTH!
> ...


if you recall the quote slide over was in a reference to someone who broke the law. now if they wanted to let by gones be by gones they could of let us hunt with them in the hole since they couldnt beat us to it legally. 

99.9% of the times there are holes within 150 yards away so if you beat us to our hole legally then its on to the next hole without any confrontation. if you are someone we dont know or someone who looks like they are unsure of what you are doing and has a good chance of messing us both up then we will calmly tell you "we were going to set up 150 yards through those trees.* if we dont someone will*. now we can hold both holes then at shooting light come over here because we've been killing em for X days in this hole and thatd give us room from other hunters and show you the best way to get them to work" if you say no then no harm no foul we'll just be competing all morning and more than likely embarass you, or curse you for treetoppin and bad calling. if you end up knowing what your doing and shut us down, good we can go back and have a beer at camp. or maybe if your a nice OOSer you'll let us have a bit of your moonshine you brought

simple as that

everyone that wants to hunt timber but never has thinks its just like any other duck hunting. its not. its completely different. what works in north dakota, wisconsin, iowa wont work here. the birds have been shot up and down the flyway. they arent looking for anything but rest and confidence they wont get shot. our style of hunting caters to this. 

calling is more important in the timber than any where else in the US. there isnt food (invertebraes yes. but they arent too fond of that as our glorious raped and mocked refuge is proof of). they cant really see decoys unless your in a big hole. you have got to know what your doing or you will mess yourselves or worse others up


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## Raymond Little (Aug 2, 2006)

Blake, bring that call down here to Louisiana and lets here it talk these shot up ducks down.


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## Nicolet_wings (Mar 5, 2013)

Well if public land is the way to go we aren't opposed being shown "the ropes" by some guys that our knowledgeable. We have good beer and cheese curds!! Or swapping hunts for Canvasbacks on Pool 9 can be talked about. We are a hard working group of guys. 

Blake we get that you kill alot of ducks and we understand that it is a different style of duck hunting in timber. WI is by no means an "epic" duck hunting state and realize your tactics are completley different than that of ours. Not scared to test the public waters ourselves, but we don't have the vacation time to scout. Personally I would rather go at this way, as I enjoy the planning and hard work that goes into a good duck smackin. 

As for outfitters we are looking at Slick's and Bust A Duck and contacting a few others shortly.


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## TimberDog (Nov 19, 2012)

I have been in both ends of the spectrum in probably the same timber you are refering to and understand how some of the "so called locals" get over holes.. I have beat a few of them to "THEIR HOLE" and done so by walking in. I think we both understand each other a little better on the subject now. Mabe some day I will get a invite from you to show me how you do it. I keep my head pinned to a tree, kick water and never look up until it is "Cuttem Boys Time"... I am a TimberDog..Let's go!


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## Todd Caswell (Jun 24, 2008)

Sounds like along way to go to fight for a spot and have to hunt 100 yards from each other, think I'll stick to Canada where I might not hear another shot all week let alone see another group.. Or wear waders...


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## 7pntail (Jan 20, 2010)

FYI: Intimidation i.e. ruining a hunt will not stop the savy public hunter. Been hunting the Cailifornia Delta for almost 30 years, and I have never done that to any fellow waterfowlers. Unwritten rule, if you are first, other guys move on. Common sense and the RIGHT thing to do. You can yell, shoot, or piss on a spark plug (movie line) but I will hold my ground. Sad that duck hunting has come to this. 

I have put many hours into building blinds in the off season---and yes a few have been torched. I do understand FAIR GAME and fair play--most Americans do. If someone is in my blind, I am not happy, but they were first. Time to move on. 

And, here in Cali, that usually means launching the boat at 2:00 a.m. If I get the spot, I want to hunt, not deal with arss holes that fire shots to flair working birds attempting to send a message. . 

It doesn't happen often, but it did once this year. Some younster's that were part of a crew or Passe, or something like that, did everything in their power to ruin my hunt. I was not pleased. No birds shot by either party. But, I do have a decent memory for boats and faces--- 

BOTTOM LINE: Confrontations have an adverse affect on all of us. Too many incidents, and the area will become off limits with new regs, restrictions etc..... All bad for the freelancer.

Food For Thought


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## huntinman (Jun 1, 2009)

7pntail said:


> FYI: Intimidation i.e. ruining a hunt will not stop the savy public hunter. Been hunting the Cailifornia Delta for almost 30 years, and I have never done that to any fellow waterfowlers. Unwritten rule, if you are first, other guys move on. Common sense and the RIGHT thing to do. You can yell, shoot, or piss on a spark plug (movie line) but I will hold my ground. Sad that duck hunting has come to this.
> 
> I have put many hours into building blinds in the off season---and yes a few have been torched. I do understand FAIR GAME and fair play--most Americans do. If someone is in my blind, I am not happy, but they were first. Time to move on.
> 
> ...


Right... Says a lot about the IQ level of the "posse". Had a group like that wanting to start trouble with me once... Kept hanging around running their mouths... Trying to goad me into something. I was hunting by myself. They actually followed me out. Funny thing was though, at the landing they got checked by the warden and one or two of them didn't have stamps or licenses! They were still being written up as I drove off.


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

7pntail i wish we had the luxuries here that yall do in california. that 120 day season must be nice. unfortunately when you have so little well groomed land and more hunters than trees you have to make due with a couple hundred yards separation (understandably cali may have less hunting land but our hunter to land ratio here is higher) and our brillaint game and fish has established a 4am entry rule meaning the guys who want it more cant just go out there earlier they have to wait till 4am. there also are no blinds allowed on public land nor manipulation (trimming) of holes so you got what you got and nothing more

i think you may have misunderstood what i meant by ruining a duck hunt i didnt mean intentionally i meant that they had no idea hunting could be done another way. i honestly cant tell you how many times we've had to tell people "you do know that the ducks will land below the tree tops if you let them" so them shooting at treetop high was because thats what they are used to and dont know any better

and i hear ya on the shooting to flair birds. we've had more than our fair share of that this past year. thats what ultimately drove us out of the place me and blueline were referring to. when we "shut down the woods" (every duck wanted to be where we were) people would let the ducks circle us 3 times then fire a shot up to scare them. i probably wasted 2 hours of film time all season filming circling ducks only for a douche to fire and send the ducks packing. 

nicolette im more of a velveeta and bud light man! just messing with ya i do like some good cheese. i hear our football coach that we nabbed from wisconsin likes to duck hunt maybe we can get him in on this? i think he made a joke when he first got here about brauts and how he was gonna miss them but our BBQ could prolly fill the gap. i honestly would take you up on a hunt swap but being that i sold my boat and just had a baby im prolly gonna cool it on duck hunting. i got a new bow and the money-to-size-to-flavor of deer is a heck of a lot better than duck. plus i got a CLM that will age out of derbies next march so i'll be hitting trials and training hard this winter. i didnt mean to scare ya on the public land i just dont think u'd get the best experience if you did it on your own without some tips from others. 

raymond shot up ducks? nobody in arkansas shoots at that trash yall call ducks (blackjacks, smileys, widgeon)! im just messing with ya. the benefit yall have is the abundance of natural swamp land. i know yall got great callers we just consider yall cousins. heck we both have our own cutdowns named after our states. but salt marsh calling and timber calling are different too


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## Andrew Fairchild (May 19, 2011)

The reason I got into duck hunting started when I went to school in Russellville at Tech. I've been to Bayo Meta, Lake Nimrod, Cashe River, White River, Hurrican Lake, Black River, ST. Francis, Big Lake, Black Swamp, ect. and put up with pissed off folks there. I hunted Big Lake for an entire week in 2011. Hunted out of the blinds the whole week. Three times people pulled up to the blind in them mornin while we were inside cookin breakfast. We had 3 people they had between 2-4and there were only six shooting windows. We invited them inside cooked them breakfast and learned quite a bit about duck hunting I never thought was important or could effect your hunting. Its all about courtesy and following the rules. If its a first come first serve basis and your there first treat them with respect. If they don't like that kill them with kindness. If all else fails go back to the boat ramp call the warden and get their butts a ticket. Been there done that. Most of the time you can kill someone with kindness, but a smartass smurk on your face when the wardens writing them a ticket never fails. Public hunting in Arkansas in my opinion is a tradition everyone should experience. Don't let the locals scare you, they aren't as bad as you think just remember kindness and respect go a long way.

Oh and if you don't think deer hunters are pricks you should try blocking off the rightaway they are using to TRESPASS the property behind yours. They'll set your hay bales on fire.


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## Brettttka (Feb 9, 2013)

I think all of this has to do with most of us having withdraws from duck season already. Had a great season this year in South East MO but you should see all of the ducks sitting in our holes now. Hunt where you can and when you can!!!


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## Andrew Fairchild (May 19, 2011)

Very true. I've heard they are talking about extending the Arkansas season into February!


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## jecartag (Feb 25, 2011)

7pntail said:


> FYI: Intimidation i.e. ruining a hunt will not stop the savy public hunter. Been hunting the Cailifornia Delta for almost 30 years, and I have never done that to any fellow waterfowlers. Unwritten rule, if you are first, other guys move on. Common sense and the RIGHT thing to do. You can yell, shoot, or piss on a spark plug (movie line) but I will hold my ground. Sad that duck hunting has come to this.
> 
> I have put many hours into building blinds in the off season---and yes a few have been torched. I do understand FAIR GAME and fair play--most Americans do. If someone is in my blind, I am not happy, but they were first. Time to move on.
> 
> ...




I like it. I do a lot of hunting on the river. As a "local" in my area, anytime I get out on the river, I have back-up plans. Yes, I do get out very early; however, I have still had other people beat me to "the spot". My scouting may be limited at times, and I am not a professional at calling ducks or geese by any means. When I hunt the river, I realize I DO NOT OWN any of the "honey holes" that I may find. Therefore, I do not have a "spot" to call my own. The great thing about being a "local", is that I have the opportunity to know the area, and I can continue on my way as I wish the groups of guys good luck who beat me to the place I was going to hunt.

There are so many people who really love to hunt, but may have limited time to do so. It is a true bummer whne you have put in the large amount of work in the limited free time you may have, only to have a hunt ruined by somebody who is upset that you beat them to a PUBLIC spot they do not even own. I am thankful that I am allowed to get up early in the morning, hang out with my buddies, load up the boat, throw out some decoys, shoot some ducks, and watch the dogs work in places that I DO NOT OWN. I think we all have the same interests here; lets make the best of a good thing before it gets ruined for everybody.


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## thebigcat (Feb 17, 2010)

Blake is trying to prevent people from coming to Arkansas to hunt by intimidating them online. That's awful chicken **** of him. Notice how his tune changed when people started calling him out on his posts. This is supposed to be a resource for people to gather information related to dogs and sometimes hunting, not a place to spread BS about why NOT to do something.


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## blake_mhoona (Mar 19, 2012)

Andrew Fairchild said:


> Very true. I've heard they are talking about extending the Arkansas season into February!


they can't season time frames are issued by the US Fish and wildlife services. They give a time period for each flyway from October 1-Jan 31 for you to squeeze 60 (in our flyway at least) day season into. state just chooses which days in that timeframe

jecarted: again like i said there are more people than land so we are stacked like sardines. especially on saturday and sundays. on a week day sure the common thing is to motor out and find a different hole away from them. on a weekend there will be groups as far as the ear can hear every 150-200 yards away. IF YOU DONT YOU WONT HUNT. so like i said we will practice the "we'll stay in both holes to keep more people from coming but for both our benefit lets hunt the same hole at shooting light so we have more room" practice. again if you say no then thats just going to hurt both of us as we'll be competing for the same birds all day. there's no where else to go because when everyone leaves at 4am, at 4:05 all the holes are pretty much claimed

thebigcat: no intimidation here. just general warnings. like i said i wont be hunting that much this year if at all. no boat. derby aging out dog. bow hunting etc. so feel free come on down. have a miserable hunt. sure you could have a good hunt as proof from the pictures that have been posted. but if you want the best experience you pay a guide. more consistent. no hassle. warm beds and food. i can link you to other forums with countless stories where OOSers left in the middle of the week because it wasnt working out for them and guides were all booked up.


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## Blueline (Apr 12, 2011)

Thank you to all who helped us research Arkansas Outfitters and general Arkansas hunting information. We had a great hunt back in Mid-Late December. You can watch the video that Nicolet Wings put together from our hunt. Not bad for his first GoPro editing job. We hope to get back down to Arkansas or elsewhere in the south for another duck hunt in a couple years.

For the record, we never got to hunt Flooded Green Timber during this trip. The ducks just were not in the timber while we were there. We did have two days of OUTSTANDING field hunts though. Four guys, two dogs, good camaraderie in camp, and plenty of birds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OICYxsez4sA


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## duk4me (Feb 20, 2008)

Strange last post March 2013 this post May 2014 when did your hunt take place.


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## badbullgator (Dec 20, 2004)

duk4me said:


> Strange last post March 2013 this post May 2014 when did your hunt take place.


Tim.......keep up he said last December.


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## Blueline (Apr 12, 2011)

We started planning for this hunt far in advance of when we actually wanted to go on the trip. Glad we did, as we got our top choice outfitter.

After all of the anticipation and planning, we headed to Arkansas just before Christmas this past December. "Nicolet Wings"(AKA Zach) worked hard on editing all of the footage that was taken between a few GoPro camera's. This video is the end product of that editing. The video editing was just completed a few weeks ago, so that is why I am reviving this thread again. I thought that the duck hunters on this forum would enjoy the video in anticipation for the 2014-2015 waterfowl season.


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