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Been a pretty strange duck year. Got this dang lingering head-cold sinus crap thing going on and been putting off going to Arkansas until it's just right.

It's just right. Maybe a little too just right. My favorite spot has to be flooded GOOD where it's a log-filled mess and can hadly be found....and then it's auto-limit daily. Betting it's flooded that bad. waiting for the skies to clear and will be hitting the motorway.

First destination:
Dave Donaldson WMA
Lake Ashbaugh Access

After that I ain't sayin

aunt betty wrote:Been a pretty strange duck year. Got this dang lingering head-cold sinus crap thing going on and been putting off going to Arkansas until it's just right.

It's just right. Maybe a little too just right. My favorite spot has to be flooded GOOD where it's a log-filled mess and can hadly be found....and then it's auto-limit daily. Betting it's flooded that bad. waiting for the skies to clear and will be hitting the motorway.

First destination:
Dave Donaldson WMA
Lake Ashbaugh Access

After that I ain't sayin

Good luck AB! Let us know how you do. A cold front has moved into the area and I'm planning on going out this weekend IF this guy that's been asking about the gator trax doesn't buy it before then.

Coot83 wrote:I'll be out lookin for em too. If I find em it will be monumental, if not it may be detrimental to my season.
Went by my fav wma locally last night to check the water. It was flooded up to the dang highway ( abt a mile long drive to boat ramp off the highway)
Gna take alotta gas money lol

It's gunna take me 50 bucks just to get there. $245 for the dang license and wma permits. (and I claim to be doing it the cheap way)


I really need to register my boat and trailer in Arkansas (one time fee)
Then get to be a legal resident and pay WAY less.
Illinois sucks and I'll be heading south permanent one day but not for a while.

I'll try and remember to take pics and post them but they'll be posted a few days after the fact so I have time to dispose of the evidence.

aunt betty wrote:

Coot83 wrote:I'll be out lookin for em too. If I find em it will be monumental, if not it may be detrimental to my season.
Went by my fav wma locally last night to check the water. It was flooded up to the dang highway ( abt a mile long drive to boat ramp off the highway)
Gna take alotta gas money lol

It's gunna take me 50 bucks just to get there. $245 for the dang license and wma permits. (and I claim to be doing it the cheap way)


I really need to register my boat and trailer in Arkansas (one time fee)
Then get to be a legal resident and pay WAY less.
Illinois sucks and I'll be heading south permanent one day but not for a while.

I'll try and remember to take pics and post them but they'll be posted a few days after the fact so I have time to dispose of the evidence.

Does registering your boat in AR really make you a resident?

No, registering a boat don't make you a resident. That is a bit more tricky but not that tricky.

Here is the scenario I was told to use:
Find someone who is poor and pay for their propane for a winter. Sounds weird but paying a propane delivery is a utility bill and qualifies as proof of residency. I'm pretty sure the whole scheme would fall apart if pressed at a roadside stop or whatever.

Planning on becoming a resident for real so will just deal with the high fees.
If I were a resident it's $25 a year for a licence that comes with deer and turkey permits included. Dayum they got it good.
Toss in a state duck stamp for like 12 bucks or whatever.

They only register boats once and the same with trailers. One-time fee and you're done paying fees until you get a new one.

aunt betty wrote:No, registering a boat don't make you a resident. That is a bit more tricky but not that tricky.

Here is the scenario I was told to use:
Find someone who is poor and pay for their propane for a winter. Sounds weird but paying a propane delivery is a utility bill and qualifies as proof of residency. I'm pretty sure the whole scheme would fall apart if pressed at a roadside stop or whatever.

Planning on becoming a resident for real so will just deal with the high fees.
If I were a resident it's $25 a year for a licence that comes with deer and turkey permits included. Dayum they got it good.
Toss in a state duck stamp for like 12 bucks or whatever.

They only register boats once and the same with trailers. One-time fee and you're done paying fees until you get a new one.

Haha nothing like a little fraud to stick it to the man. I like it.

It wasn't my idea and it's dumb. Might work but ain't worth the risk imo.
Plus some yokel would be getting free propane.
Just the weird shit ppl talk about in a duck blind.
Arkies felt sorry for me having to pay the huge license cost and suggested the brilliant scheme.


It's $5 a day to hunt on a WMA if you are a non-resident, $100 for the whole season.
That sort of sucks.
Then they got this silly-ass "Sweet 16 Permit" now that you gotta get to hunt certain WMA's.
It's free but just another dumb ass hoop.

I guess you can't really blame them. Two good reasons I see behind the higher out of state licenses would be all the out of state guys who swoop into AR and take away ducks from tax paying Arkansans and with little tourism the state is taking advantage of what it does have to offer. So I get it, but I do agree that's a lot of dough to hunt ducks.

Olly wrote:I guess you can't really blame them. Two good reasons I see behind the higher out of state licenses would be all the out of state guys who swoop into AR and take away ducks from tax paying Arkansans and with little tourism the state is taking advantage of what it does have to offer. So I get it, but I do agree that's a lot of dough to hunt ducks.

In northwest Arkansas the duck hunters swoop into Oklahoma cuz they ain't no ducks in the hills. The poor Fayetteville guys get called Ooosers in Oklahoma. (rofl)

Got it all packed except groceries and some charcoal. Just turn the key and go.

Today was one of them days where you watch ducks landing just over there....we killed two but only cuz,they swam into our spread. Hunting the scrub timber. Ducks are hole shy already. Tomorrow be more better.

Hope you both get into them.

Buddies boat crapped. Brand new Yamaha on a brand new boat. I'm going with someone else tomorrow cuz he wants to go home.

Dave Donaldson separates the men from the boys. That place is incredibly thick and wild. Black River baby...

NICE AB! Shoot em up!

Had to split from the club I was invited to stay at. Got a different, newer boat engine while there. Moved to big lake. It's perfect ....the water is up to the fire ring in my camp like back when I massacred them a,few years back. Fly up was meh...we will see tomorrow cuz I'm going to my old reliable deep water spot.
Clear, North winds 12mph with gusts to 18. Perfect. Make sure you tell the ducks.

aunt betty wrote:Had to split from the club I was invited to stay at. Got a different, newer boat engine while there. Moved to big lake. It's perfect ....the water is up to the fire ring in my camp like back when I massacred them a,few years back. Fly up was meh...we will see tomorrow cuz I'm going to my old reliable deep water spot.
Clear, North winds 12mph with gusts to 18. Perfect. Make sure you tell the ducks.

Good luck!

It was one of them 1/2 mile high flight days. About 1/100th the ducks I'd like to see. Had two wood ducks in the hole I should have shot. ..too late dey gone. Same scenario with a pair of greenheads. Tomorrow b better.
Weather forecast went from "sunny all week" to cloudy all week with chance of rain which blows for timber hunting. Betcha it changes.

Saw about 50 k ducks this morning. All high... they ain't using the woods.

The good news: I saw teal flying.
Saw wood ducks and lots of mallards as usual but very few are paired up but its starting to happen. Saw some mallards paired up but less than 1%. Saw lots of flocks of ten to thirty ...typical. it ain't over if I'm seeing teal.

Is the flood water hurting you? When we get the heavy rains upstate, it just spreads the birds out.

Big Lake Steak House on the bow of my boat. Serving ribeye since right now.

Taters r dun

You still at the same spot we went last year?

Yes. Sunset at mallard lake. I here em quack in hawkeye