Its been awhile...Hoping for some trip assistance

Brandon Bolling

Brandon Bolling

Active member
Well I have been lurking and quite for some time now and its time to start getting my stuff together. I just finished rebuilding a 1972 Honda 750 from the frame up, so now the boat is going back into the garage. I have been working on a new deck for the house, if anyone else is looking for a nice way to finish up a deck railing, check out Menard's. They have a rot iron insert of mallards landing in timber, the best part is my wife found it and insisted on having it! She wont get an argument from me. With the deck I am putting up a new privacy and picket fence, and when thats done I will be putting on a new roof. I am busy!

Our first daughter is coming up on 2yrs in Dec and my wife and I are ready to do it again......I think. So I slide in the idea that if another baby will be on the way soon then I should be able to take my trip this year. (silent anticipation) to my surprise she says "okay, just tell me when and how much"....wait...whaaaatttt??????? Whoooo Hoooo!!! the duck gods are smiling on me this year!

I have was born in MI and worked one summer in CO for Outward Bound and Aspen Cycle. I dont leave the mitten a whole lot, and, as far as the pursuit of waterfowl goes, MI is it. I want to see a different aspect of hunting and hehe spread my wings, if you will.

I was looking at going to Arkansas for a week. I have read that there is vast public hunting areas that offer great hunting. Flooded timber hunting is not really available in MI and I think that it would be fun to experience it. I would like to walk down main street in Stuttgart, visit RNT calls, see the shelves at Mack's instead of online. See all the duck capital has to offer.

This is either a trip that I will be flying solo on, or I may have one friend willing to go with me. I was hoping to find out when the best time of year to go is, and possibly some areas to look into staying at. I have a small sneak box that I run a small mud motor on, a 17ft canoe with a 3hp, and a 12ft flat bottom. I was thinking the sneakbox with the mm and building a locking cover for it.

Granted I am confident in my abilities, but this is a huge commitment to attempt to be sucessfull in an area that I have never been. Are there any Arkansas residents that are willing to meet up for a hunt, or possibly point me in the right direction? Anyone going out there this year and willing to offer some assistance? Any help is very much appreciated.

This is my first trip, this is the first step. I know that there is not a lot of time, but I will work it out one way or another. I have dreamed about loading my truck full of decoys, hooking up the boat, and hitting the road with a map and a smile. I hope that you can help me out. Besides, if Arkansas dos'nt work this year, there is always South Dakota!
 
I'm just kicking this back up to the top for you. Seems like somebody should have some contacts.
Wish I did.
 
Jay,

I am pretty open to options. The best way that I can describe this whole situation is that I want to get a taste of different hunting than MI. Granted that I love running around in my own state and will continue to do so, I just want to experience a different aspect. I have been given the green light to run free for awhile, and I plan to take full advantage of it. I would like to hear more about Nebraska if you are willing to share. Being right under SD do you have the same opportunities offered? Is the quantity of state land available large? Forgive my ignorance, I know the mitten well, but am not familiar with the rest of the states. This is why I was looking at the infamous AR and SD, there is a lot of publicity and info saying go there because the ducks are everywhere. I will be searching for info while I wait for your reply. I viewed some of the Echo calls guys hunting in Nebraska and it looked like a wonderfull experience. Thank you for sharing, I look forwad to your response.

-Brandon
 
May want to consider Mississippi. I have not hunted there, but some of our biologist go up every year to hunt flooded timber in NW Mississippi and love it. They say it is not hard to find public areas and now where near the crowds you see in Arkansas.
 
Arkansas aint what it used to be. Folks that come still seem impressed, but it aint what it used to be. The 1000's of acres of public land advaible to hunt aint what you think either, my advice if this is a trip of a lifetime (or of a decade) and you want to hunt timber, book with a repetable guide. Getting lost in bayou meto or in a fight with some locals in 'their' hole, aint a way to spend a trip. The later the better so January is defiently the time to plan for. Mark (mo) used to guide for an arkie service, might still do, so he'd be a good point of contact for you on here.


Everyone here thinks MO kills more ducks these days. Dunno how true that is. And if I was personally going to make a trip for ducks, it'd be to a dakota, or argentina or mexico. But thats me. travis
 
I appreciate the response guys. Its funny that you mention fighting with the locals, thats the one thing that I was concerned about. Seems they are a little more passionate about public spots being owned down there. As far as exiting the country, I will save that for retirement, I still like to get cold and its a bit more of an investment. I talked with my neighbor today and he told me about a report that stated more birds nested in the prarie pot hole region than in Canada, so thats good. Threw the idea by my father the other day, and he wants in. This trip just keeps getting better and better. Once again, thank you.
 
Hey Brandon,

It has been a few years but I did exactly what you did, freelanced Arkansas. I went mainly for the timber hunting as it is something that is uncommon here. DId a lot of research and ended up hunting black swamp and donaldson . I went down with a canoe and stuck to walk in areas (places with no boat launch). I found less competition that way. I'd tote my canoe down to the water, load the dekes, dog and dog stand and then walked along side the canoe in years when water was shallow and paddled it in flood years. The walk in area was a couple of miles down from the boat launch area so I was able to beat the boaters to some good spots since they had to boat thru tight timber. Never had a problem with locals since as they got close they would see our lights, know the hole was taken and head for the next one. They wouldn't know we were from oos unless they stopped.I don't think a long tail mud motor would work too well. Remember, you will be going thru timber where the turning radius can be very tight. Last few years I was down there the walk in area at black swamp was dry and not really worth going to . The Arkie DNR has a sight that lists water levels and what they are seeing .

Donaldson may be more problematic in this regard as there they are allowed to leave their dekes out over nite. This makes for a more "possessive attitude". Often I find my own holes. They aren't as big as the established ones but I have found that once birds get shot at the tighter holes can be better. Not as many big flocks but lots of singles to 5 bird groupings. Be aware that a permit ( with fee) is needed for EACH wma you hunt.

I scouted for holes I could get to quickly and that looked good the first day down there and marked them on gps and with compass readings and bright eyes on trees. Make sure you have 5 or 6 marked in case your first couple of choices are full when you get there. Let the birds work down into the hole. No shooting at tree top birds. We try and let one or two land since that will bring in the rest. If they go to leave early, take em. Other wise wait til the rest of the flock comes in, shoot them just before they land and take the first ones as they take off. Usually see and hear woodies screaming thru at first light. This is fast and furious pass shooting. Have a gps that works well in heavy woods.

I also posted on different boards for "trade a hunt" . I offered grouse , woodcock, archery deer, goose or layout hunt for ducks here in wi in exchange for use of anyone's private pit. Public land hunting is over at noon so we wanted a place to hunt in the afternoon if we didn't get limits in the am. Traded with some great guys that I have become tight friends with . They come up every year for what I have to offer and I go down there now, stay at the camp and either hunt rice or timber.

As for best time.... a lot depends on weather. If there is no snow cover up north the birds just don't seem to make it down there as they hang up here in the corn belt. If it snows hard and heavy early thru Il it can be great as there are a lot of fresh dumb birds. W/O fresh birds you can expect a lot of call and hole shy birds. That is where the "tighter" holes have worked well for me. End of Jan should give you good odds but I have had some very good early hunts as well. Best deal is if you watch the weather and the reports and can go at a moments notice. Then, if you know there is a big front that is going to blanket the ground thru Il and into Mo, go for it and get there before it hits.

I've just stayed in small hotels or cabins near where ever I was going to hunt. Now I stay at my bud's duck camp.

good luck,

dave b aka baumy
 
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If you end up planning on hunting rice fields, you absolutely do not want to plan your trip during the full moon. Typically our birds will night feed during full moons, and you'll run birds up, but they never come back. Used to be clouds where better than sun, but that doesnt seem to be the case anymore, if the wind blows you can kill them. If its cloudy they wont get next to edges or ditchlines, but if its sunny they will. But the full moon, unless its with MAJOR weather, sucks for rice field hunting. travis
 
Travis and Dave,

Thanks for the insight guys. There are a lot of factors when it comes to choosing 1 week! I have a 17ft canoe that would be perfect for walking and paddling. That would be the easiest set up to tote along, and I have been using it for years so there is no learning needed. I did not factor in dodging trees with a long tail, probabaly end up running into everything. I like the idea of walking in and keeping to the shalllows. Makes it less of a burden when you need to do some traveling. Watching birds light into the decoys is exactly what I like to do, really getting them to commit is what gets the heart pumping, I never did get into pass shooting. I have been looking into cabins, and I think that is the best route, looks to be the most comfortable.

As far as finding a good spot, well if someone is there then good luck and have a good hunt, I don't plan on bothering anybody. I hope that I can find a local that wants to come up north sometime. Its not flooded timber, but you will hunt hard and leave tired! Offer open to anyone! hint hint......

Thanks so much guys, I am getting exactly what I was looking for.
 
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