Trusten Holder WMA

Mobility-Impaired Access

Flood Prone Region

Waterfowl Season Access Restrictions

15-Inch Inside Spread or 18-Inch Main Beam Rule

Valid Hunting or Fishing License or a WMA/Lake Conservation Permit is Required for All Users

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Acres: 8,173

2026-27 Closed Seasons

• Bear firearms

2026-27 Crow

Sept. 3, 2026-Feb. 21, 2027. Open Thursdays through Mondays only. No limit.

2026-27 Deer

Deer Archery: Aug. 29-31 (one antlered buck only); Sept. 26-Feb. 28.
Deer Alternative Firearms (permit required): Oct. 17-21.
Deer Alternative Firearms Mobility-Impaired Hunt (permit required): As set by Corps of Engineers.
Deer Modern Gun (permit required): Nov. 14-18.
Deer Modern Gun Youth Hunts: Nov. 7-8 and Jan. 2-3.

WMA Deer Bag Limit: Three deer, no more than two antlered bucks (15/18 Rule applies), which may include:

• Two antlered bucks with archery,
• Three antlerless deer with archery,
• One antlered buck and one antlerless deer with alternative firearms permit,
• One antlered buck and one antlerless deer with modern gun permit,
• During youth hunts and alternative firearms mobility-impaired hunt, hunters may take two deer, one antlered buck (no antler restrictions) and one antlerless deer.

Deer Notes:

• 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.

2026-27 Dove

Sept. 5-Oct. 25, 2026 and Dec. 8, 2026-Jan. 15, 2027

Mourning Dove and White-Winged Dove
Daily Limit – 15, possession Limit – 45

Eurasian Collared-Dove
No daily or possession limit
Eurasian Collared Doves must remain fully feathered in the field and while being transported from the field.

Dove Notes: The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission prepares a few fields each year for the opening weekend of dove season so the public has a place to enjoy this exciting form of wingshooting. Dove fields on WMAs are available on a first-come, first-served basis. WMA acreage put into dove fields is relatively small because most hunters only pursue doves the first few days of the season. However, after opening weekend of dove season, many wildlife species feed in the fields, particularly those that were top sown with winter wheat.

2026-27 Quail

Nov. 1, 2026-Feb. 7, 2027. Daily limit – 6

2026-27 Rabbit

Sept. 1, 2026-Feb. 28, 2027. Daily limit – 8

2026-27 Squirrel

May 15, 2026-Feb. 28, 2027. Dogs allowed. Daily limit – 12

2026 Bear

Bear Archery: Dec. 19-25. Season closes earlier when Bear Zone 5A quota is reached.

2026 Alligator

Alligator (permit required): Sept. 18-21 and Sept. 25-28.

2027 Turkey

Youth Hunt: April 10-11. One legal turkey.
Firearms Hunt (permit required): April 12-14 (permit required), April 15-May 2 (no permit required). One legal turkey.

2025-26 Waterfowl

• 2025-26 Arkansas Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook
• 2025-26 Statewide Waterfowl Season Dates and Bag Limits
• 2025-26 General WMA Regulations

Waterfowl Notes:

• In areas where a National Park or Army Corps of Engineers boundary follows a shoreline, a “no hunting” buffer zone (marked with signs or buoys) has been established. Possession of a loaded firearm within this zone is prohibited.
• No airboats during duck season (excluding Arkansas River, Arkansas Post Canal, Merrisach Lake, Moore Bayou and Post Lake).

About the Name

The area was named after Trusten Holder, a biologist and Federal Aid Coordinator for the AGFC in the 1950s.

Access

To reach the area in Arkansas county, take Hwy 165 south of DeWitt toward Gillett 10 miles to the junction of Hwy 164 and Hwy 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 and Dams 1 and 2 and Merrisach lake. Upon reaching the Lock and 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 the junction of Hwy 212 and Hwy 65 at Pendleton Bridge of the Arkansas River, continue on 212 east toward the Pendleton Park Area and Dam 2. Green and yellow info signs indicate area boundaries.

Age

Purchased in 1973.

Area Notes

• Free georeferenced maps are available for this WMA and others at https://apps.agfc.com/maps/. These maps are frequently updated and include features such as parking, types of road and land boundaries.
• Horses, mules, ATVs, bikes, and e-bikes are not allowed on Army Corps of Engineers property.
• WMA includes 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.
• Alternative firearms deer season is closed on this expanded portion of Trusten Holder WMA.
• In areas where the Arkansas Post National Memorial Boundary follows the shoreline, a marked “no hunting” buffer zone has been established.
• Possession or discharge of a loaded firearm in the no hunting zone is prohibited.
• Portions of Trusten Holder owned by the USFWS are closed to bear hunting.
• Road closure information available by calling the AGFC’s Wildlife Information Hotline, 833-345-0398, option 9.

Area Type

WMA

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.

Description

The area is a typical overflow bottomland hardwood area with overcup oak, Nuttall oak, sugarberry, ash and persimmon being the dominate species. An oxbow lake, named LaGrues Lake, provides excellent wetlands habitat for the areaês native wildlife and migrating waterfowl.

Hunting Opportunities

Deer; excellent, area restricted to primitive hunting only. Permit is required for Muzzleloading hunts. Turkey, good; squirrel, good; rabbit, excellent; furbearers, good; quail, good; dove, good; waterfowl, good; snipe, poor; woodcock, poor.

Location

Arkansas and Desha Counties; 35 miles SE of De Witt, near Lock and Dam no. 1 on the white River. In Desha County, area located 15 miles NE of Dumas near Pendleton bridge on the Arkansas River.

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.

Ownership

AGFC: 4,406 acres; USFWS: 1,490 acres; US Army Corps of Engineers: 4,372 acres.

Phone

833-363-7638

Purpose

The area was bought for the purpose of protecting prime bottomland hardwood tracts which had been dwindling in eastern Arkansas in the early 1970s because of increased farming activities.

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.

Safety

The area may flood between Dec. and May. Periods of torrential flooding can happen in October.