| Name | Trusten Holder WMA | | WMA Zone | 630 | | Region | 3 | | County Coverage | Arkansas, Desha | | Location | Arkansas and Desha Counties; 35 miles SE of De Witt, near Lock & Dam #1 on the white River. In Desha County, area located 15 miles NE of Dumas near Pendleton bridge on the Arkansas River. | | Phone | 877-367-3559 | | Seasons and Regulations | Turkey:
Youth Hunt: April 13-14, 2013. One bearded turkey.
Firearms Hunt: April 20-May 5, 2013. Two bearded turkeys, no jakes (Youths may take one jake as part of their statewide seasonal bag limit).
Deer:Deer Archery: Sept. 15-Feb. 28. Deer Muzzleloader (permit hunt): Oct. 20-24. Deer Special Mobility Impaired (permit hunt): Noon, Nov. 14-Noon, Nov. 16. Merrisach Park area only. This hunt is administered by the Corps of Engineers. Only muzzleloaders and shotguns with slugs are allowed. WMA Deer Bag Limit: Four deer, no more than two bucks, which may include: • Two bucks with archery, • Four does with archery, • One buck with muzzleloader permit, • Two does with muzzleloader permit. Deer Notes: 15-inch inside spread or 18-inch main beam rule. No dogs. No more than one buck and one doe may be taken during the mobility impaired muzzleloader permit hunt. Doe taken during the special mobility impaired permit hunt are bonus deer and do not count toward the seasonal bag limit (Contact Corp of Engineers at 870-548-2291 or at www.swl.usace.army. mil/parks/pinebluff /hunting.htm for specific mobility impaired criteria; application period July 5-Sept. 5). Bear:Bear Archery: Dec. 3-11, 2011. Closed on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service property on Trusten Holder WMA. Statewide bag limit. No dogs. Alligator:Sept. 17-20 and Sept. 24-27. Permit required. Quail:Nov. 1, 2012-Feb. 3, 2013. Daily limit - 6, possession limit -12. Bird dogs allowed. Rabbit:
Sept. 1, 2013-Feb. 28, 2014. Daily limit - 8, possession limit - 16. Dogs allowed except during firearms deer hunts.
Squirrel:
May 15, 2013-Feb. 28, 2014. Dogs allowed except during firearms deer hunts. Daily limit - 12, possession limit - 48.
Crow:Sept. 3, 2012-Feb. 21,2013. Open Thursdays through Mondays. No limit. CLOSED: - Alligator
- Elk
- Deer modern gun
- Bear
Area Notes: - A free Sweet 16 WMA permit is required to hunt any species on this WMA. Click here to receive your permit.
- Portions of this area is in Flood Prone Region F and other portions are in Flood Prone Region H. Click here for details.
- Horses, mules and ATVs are not allowed on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property.
- The Trusten Holder WMA has been expanded to include U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lands north and east of the Arkansas River downstream from the Pendleton Bridge to just below Dam 2 (Wilbur D. Mills Dam) and to Lock No. 2, including Merrisach Lake, Arkansas Post Canal, Moore Bayou to the old Highway 1, one lane bridge and Post Lake to Highway 169. Hunting equipment on this portion of Trusten Holder WMA is limited to archery equipment and shotguns using T-shot or smaller. Muzzleloader deer season is closed on this expanded portion of Trusten Holder WMA.
- The National Park Service has made changes to the hunting boundary surrounding the Arkansas Post National Memorial. In areas where the park boundary follows the shoreline, a marked “no hunting” buffer zone (marked with signs or buoys) has been established to insure the safety of visitors to Arkansas Post National Memorial. Possession of a loaded firearm or discharge of a firearm within this boundary or the no hunting buffer zone is prohibited.
- Portions of Trusten Holder owned by the USFWS are closed to bear hunting.
- Nonresidents need a Nonresident Wildlife Management Area Waterfowl Hunting Permit to hunt waterfowl.
- Airboats may not be operated within Trusten Holder WMA (excluding Arkansas River, Arkansas Post Canal, Merrisach Lake, Moore Bayou and Post Lake) during duck season.
| | Leased Land Permit Required | No | | About the Name | The are was named after Trusten Holder who was a biologist and Federal Aid Coordinator for the AGFC in the 1950’s. | | Ownership | AGFC -- 4,406 acres; USFWS -- 1,490 acres; US Corps of Engineers -- 4,372 acres. | | Age | Purchased in 1973. | | Purpose | The area was bought for the purpose of protecting prime bottomland hardwood tracts which had been dwindling in eastern Arkansas in the early 1970’s, due to the extensive farming activities in the region. | | Description | The area is a typical overflow bottomland hardwood area with overcup oak, nuttall oak, hackberry, ash and persimmon being the dominate species. An oxbow lake, named LaGrues Lake, provides an excellent wetlands habitat for the area’s native wildlife and migrating waterfowl. | | Access | To reach the area in Arkansas county, take Hwy 165 south of De Witt toward Gillett 10 miles to the junction of Hwys. 164 & 44, then east on Hwy 44 to Tichnor. At Tichnor take the paved county road south 10 miles as indicated by the directional sign toward Lock & Dams #1 and # 2 and Merrisach lake. Upon reaching the Lock 7 Dam and Merrisach Lake turn-off continue south across the Post Canal Bridge at Lock #2 immediately over the bridge turn left as indicated follow the gravel road 1 mile.
To reach the area in Desha County. From Pine bluff take Hwy 65 south toward Dumas for 30 miles to Gould, take Hwy 212 east for 10 miles to Jct Hwys 212 and 65 at Pendleton Bridge of the Arkansas River, continue on 212 east toward the Corps Pendleton Park Area and Dam #2. Green and yellow info signs indicate area boundaries. | | Hunting Opportunities | Deer; excellent, area restricted to primitive hunting only. Permit is required for Muzzleload hunts.
Turkey, good; squirrel, good; rabbit, excellent; furbearers, good; quail, good; dove, good; waterfowl, good; snipe, poor; woodcock, poor. | | Management Practices | Include scheduled selective timber harvest which include clearcutting of wildlife openings in the scheduled harvest areas. These openings are 1 to 5 acres in size and are controlled burned at 3 to 5 year intervals. Other practices on the area is the planting of 10 acre food plots. In the spring a mixture of soybeans, cowpeas, millett and sorghum are planted on 5 acres; then in the fall all 10 acres is planted in winter wheat. | | Recreation Other Than Hunting | Fishing on the area is best during the spring and early summer when the water is receding and the rivers are clear. During the winter, you can observe Bald and Golden eagles along the Arkansas White ship canal. | | Camping | There are 5 primitive camping areas located in Arkansas County.. Located 3 miles from the adjacent to Lock #2 is Merrisach Park. It is a fee area with all the modern facilities.
Located along Hwy 212 East is Pendleton park. The park has water and electrical service at each of its 13 sites, a fee is charged and the park is open year round.
Wilbur D. Mills Park is just down stream of Dam # 2 on the Desha County side of the river and offers the same services as Pendleton park, March through October. | | Restaurants and Other Facilities | Restaurants and Motels: Gillett, De Witt and Dumas. Supplies: Tichnor, Nady and Back Gate. | | Safety | The area may flood between Dec. and May. Periods of torrential flooding can happen in October. | 34.022701 -91.224053 |
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