What's Hunting like in Arkansas?

[lamrith]

Looking and thinking about future hunting opportunities and possible retirement destinations outside WA.  One place the wife and I have both zoomed in on is Arkansas.

I am curious if anyone has any experience with hunting in AR? 
Really interested what it is like for someone that does not own enough land for hunt on and must go public land.  Is it a pumpkin patch like it is here or is it less pressured? Archery seems to go on all fall/winter which is cool.

Seems there is an extremely limited Elk hunt (23tags, over 4500 applicants each year)  However it seems that deer hunting is pretty good, like 4 deer total for the year, max 2 bucks.  Also some bear, limited feral hog and decent fowl hunting?

[Ridgerunner]

Not sure too much about Arkansas but you are pretty close to other states that have pretty good hunting like Missouri and Oklahoma, I hear Georgia has lots of whitetails too. 

[Special T]

Looking and thinking about future hunting opportunities and possible retirement destinations outside WA.  One place the wife and I have both zoomed in on is Arkansas.

I am curious if anyone has any experience with hunting in AR? 
Really interested what it is like for someone that does not own enough land for hunt on and must go public land.  Is it a pumpkin patch like it is here or is it less pressured? Archery seems to go on all fall/winter which is cool.

Seems there is an extremely limited Elk hunt (23tags, over 4500 applicants each year)  However it seems that deer hunting is pretty good, like 4 deer total for the year, max 2 bucks.  Also some bear, limited feral hog and decent fowl hunting?

If you dont  have enough personal land you hunt a lease. Public land is scarce and not much of it. I hunted Near Hope, where Billy Clinton was from.  We stayed with a buddy and hunted his 20 acres around the house, and then went out to his lease. The lease was timber company that him and several others went in on for long term hunting. they could have a camp and do certain kinds of food plotts and such.  Down south the deer were bigger because more agriculture, along wiht the ducks. Snakes, ticks and Chiggars are no joke! It was many years ago but an out of state lic was $150 for 1 buck and 1 doe. for another $20 you kill another doe up to 4 taken in a weeks hunt.

[dvolmer]

Looking and thinking about future hunting opportunities and possible retirement destinations outside WA.  One place the wife and I have both zoomed in on is Arkansas.

I am curious if anyone has any experience with hunting in AR? 
Really interested what it is like for someone that does not own enough land for hunt on and must go public land.  Is it a pumpkin patch like it is here or is it less pressured? Archery seems to go on all fall/winter which is cool.

Seems there is an extremely limited Elk hunt (23tags, over 4500 applicants each year)  However it seems that deer hunting is pretty good, like 4 deer total for the year, max 2 bucks.  Also some bear, limited feral hog and decent fowl hunting?

If you dont  have enough personal land you hunt a lease. Public land is scarce and not much of it. I hunted Near Hope, where Billy Clinton was from.  We stayed with a buddy and hunted his 20 acres around the house, and then went out to his lease. The lease was timber company that him and several others went in on for long term hunting. they could have a camp and do certain kinds of food plotts and such.  Down south the deer were bigger because more agriculture, along wiht the ducks. Snakes, ticks and Chiggars are no joke! It was many years ago but an out of state lic was $150 for 1 buck and 1 doe. for another $20 you kill another doe up to 4 taken in a weeks hunt.

All those eastern states have very little to no public land.  All hunting leases.  Also you need to get used to the idea you will be sitting in a tree stand/ground blind for hours and days.  if you are used to and enjoy western style spot and stalk hunting, you might not enjoy that style of hunting.  For each their own on what you like or dont like.  My son in law did his doctor residency in Waco Texas and said he was bored out of his mind sitting for hours hunting.  Its just that he was used to hunting here and it can be a big change in styles of hunting.  Something to think about and consider for sure.  Dont blame you one bit for wanting to get out of Libtopia and move to a better state!

[Special T]

Looking and thinking about future hunting opportunities and possible retirement destinations outside WA.  One place the wife and I have both zoomed in on is Arkansas.

I am curious if anyone has any experience with hunting in AR? 
Really interested what it is like for someone that does not own enough land for hunt on and must go public land.  Is it a pumpkin patch like it is here or is it less pressured? Archery seems to go on all fall/winter which is cool.

Seems there is an extremely limited Elk hunt (23tags, over 4500 applicants each year)  However it seems that deer hunting is pretty good, like 4 deer total for the year, max 2 bucks.  Also some bear, limited feral hog and decent fowl hunting?

If you dont  have enough personal land you hunt a lease. Public land is scarce and not much of it. I hunted Near Hope, where Billy Clinton was from.  We stayed with a buddy and hunted his 20 acres around the house, and then went out to his lease. The lease was timber company that him and several others went in on for long term hunting. they could have a camp and do certain kinds of food plotts and such.  Down south the deer were bigger because more agriculture, along wiht the ducks. Snakes, ticks and Chiggars are no joke! It was many years ago but an out of state lic was $150 for 1 buck and 1 doe. for another $20 you kill another doe up to 4 taken in a weeks hunt.

All those eastern states have very little to no public land.  All hunting leases.  Also you need to get used to the idea you will be sitting in a tree stand/ground blind for hours and days.  if you are used to and enjoy western style spot and stalk hunting, you might not enjoy that style of hunting.  For each their own on what you like or dont like.  My son in law did his doctor residency in Waco Texas and said he was bored out of his mind sitting for hours hunting.  Its just that he was used to hunting here and it can be a big change in styles of hunting.  Something to think about and consider for sure.  Dont blame you one bit for wanting to get out of Libtopia and move to a better state!

When I asked my buddy if we did spot and stalk after the morning sit, he said... If you get out of that treestand before I come get you I will break you legs. this isnt washington!

[Alchase]

I live in Oklahoma, we have a bit more public hunting land then Arkansas has, but still a lot of leases. Arkansas is a beautiful state, not at all like Oklahoma. They have awesome fishing on the White and many more rivers and lakes. I do know a few guys who hunt Arkansas, but they hunt on leases. Lots of people from OKC go to Arkansas to fish for huge rainbows.
As a retirement destination, cost of living is comparable to Oklahoma (very low compared to the PNW) Land is still reasonable, and houses are not anywhere near the cost of Washington. Gas is about .20 cents a gallon more then where I live, but $2.00 a gallon less then Puyallup, Wa for reference. It is $3.40 a gallon for No Ethanol currently. Up from $1.70 a gallon before Biden 
I would not hesitate to retire in Arkansas, if I found the right place.

[lamrith]

Looking and thinking about future hunting opportunities and possible retirement destinations outside WA.  One place the wife and I have both zoomed in on is Arkansas.

I am curious if anyone has any experience with hunting in AR? 
Really interested what it is like for someone that does not own enough land for hunt on and must go public land.  Is it a pumpkin patch like it is here or is it less pressured? Archery seems to go on all fall/winter which is cool.

Seems there is an extremely limited Elk hunt (23tags, over 4500 applicants each year)  However it seems that deer hunting is pretty good, like 4 deer total for the year, max 2 bucks.  Also some bear, limited feral hog and decent fowl hunting?

If you dont  have enough personal land you hunt a lease. Public land is scarce and not much of it. I hunted Near Hope, where Billy Clinton was from.  We stayed with a buddy and hunted his 20 acres around the house, and then went out to his lease. The lease was timber company that him and several others went in on for long term hunting. they could have a camp and do certain kinds of food plotts and such.  Down south the deer were bigger because more agriculture, along wiht the ducks. Snakes, ticks and Chiggars are no joke! It was many years ago but an out of state lic was $150 for 1 buck and 1 doe. for another $20 you kill another doe up to 4 taken in a weeks hunt.

All those eastern states have very little to no public land.  All hunting leases.  Also you need to get used to the idea you will be sitting in a tree stand/ground blind for hours and days.  if you are used to and enjoy western style spot and stalk hunting, you might not enjoy that style of hunting.  For each their own on what you like or dont like.  My son in law did his doctor residency in Waco Texas and said he was bored out of his mind sitting for hours hunting.  Its just that he was used to hunting here and it can be a big change in styles of hunting.  Something to think about and consider for sure.  Dont blame you one bit for wanting to get out of Libtopia and move to a better state!

When I asked my buddy if we did spot and stalk after the morning sit, he said... If you get out of that treestand before I come get you I will break you legs. this isnt washington!

HAHA  too funny.

Honestly the only big game I have ever gotten down was a bear from tree stand while trying to elk hunt from one.  tree stands and ground blinds are the way of the land for the most part.  That and game cams to try and pattern the animal.

Yeah I am seeing lot about leases.  Guess I need to look at property, maybe snag some now and sit on it, then build if/when we move..

[lamrith]

I live in Oklahoma, we have a bit more public hunting land then Arkansas has, but still a lot of leases. Arkansas is a beautiful state, not at all like Oklahoma. They have awesome fishing on the White and many more rivers and lakes. I do know a few guys who hunt Arkansas, but they hunt on leases. Lots of people from OKC go to Arkansas to fish for huge rainbows.
As a retirement destination, cost of living is comparable to Oklahoma (very low compared to the PNW) Land is still reasonable, and houses are not anywhere near the cost of Washington. Gas is about .20 cents a gallon more then where I live, but $2.00 a gallon less then Puyallup, Wa for reference. It is $3.40 a gallon for No Ethanol currently. Up from $1.70 a gallon before Biden 
I would not hesitate to retire in Arkansas, if I found the right place.

Yeah and I am reading the lease prices are going thru the roof now too. 

For what I could get for my 1acre rambler here outside of Puyallup  I could get either a really nice river front 1acre, or  5+ acres outside of town with a 2000sqft+ home.  Prices have skyrocketed in AR, price graphs look like  climbing a wall, but still lot of bang for the buck.

[Alchase]

Even here, prices are on a steep yearly rise. But as you said, prices are relative. I bought my new 1795 sqft house on 1 acre in a high end neighborhood, for $160k in 2015. They are going for $300k now quickly.
Just down the road 30 new 1400 sqft houses on a tiny lots, are going for $195k.

[lamrith]

Even here, prices are on a steep yearly rise. But as you said, prices are relative. I bought my new 1795 sqft house on 1 acre in a high end neighborhood, for $160k in 2015. They are going for $300k now quickly.
Just down the road 30 new 1400 sqft houses on a tiny lots, are going for $195k.

We considered OK, but being honest are not willing to take the risk of living in Tornado alley, which also tossed out big sections of Texas.  We also like the green which also bumped much of texas out of running.

Challenge now is when and how to buy.  We don't have cash to go grab land.  Very close paying off this place.  Prices are skyhigh and hate to pay premium to see market tank in a year.  But once land is gone......

Based on some other forums, it does sound like for hunting it is buy bunch of land or do a lease which cost just as much as land almost.

[Machias]

You will still get tornados in Arkansas.  I lived a long time in Southern Missouri and have hunted right along the border with Arkansas.  So I can't speak specifically to Arkansas, but in southern MO there still a good amount of public land to hunt in the Mark Twain National Forests, several designated Wilderness areas.  I always belonged to a hunting club, even in MO as some of the public land does get hunted hard.  You have to be a little more strategic on public land.  Look for places that are harder to get to and usually you'll have the place to yourself.  However that is NOT the case during rifle season.  In most mid-west states they do not pit user groups against each other, so you have loooooong archery seasons with multiple deer allowed.  Squirrel hunting is excellent, rabbit is a lot of fun.  Lots of turkeys and if you are in Northern Arkansas you'll have a decent population of bears.

[jeffro]

Here’s my .02 cents for what it’s worth
Anything east of the Rockies is tornado country!
Add in Yellowstone and you best have a bunker and plenty of supplies.
Just saying

[2MANY]

Beware of Chiggers.

Their bite is super irritating.

[Special T]

Where abouts are you looking and why? be aware that heating/cooling costs are a big issue/cost in that country especially coming from mild Washington

[lamrith]

Where abouts are you looking and why? be aware that heating/cooling costs are a big issue/cost in that country especially coming from mild Washington

Little rock south.  Most likely el dorado area since wife's employer has a facility there she can transfer to.  If not maybe up toward Hot springs.

Heat is what we are after.  Done with long cold wet winters, not to mention 5hitty political landscape.

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