New trails at Sulphur River WMA offer glimpses of birds and beasts

BY Kirsten Bartlow

FOUKE — Sulphur River Wildlife Management Area is known for its remoteness, but the recent addition of an AGFC water trail and birding trails makes the area more accessible for outdoor enthusiasts.

The 18,155-acre area in Miller County is the largest remaining tract of bottomland hardwoods in the Red River Valley of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Access to the WMA is limited, except by boat. For those searching an escape in a serene setting and a touch of adventure, it’s worth the effort.

“Sulphur River is unique because of its continuous bottomlands, remoteness and limited access,” Cameron Tatom, an AGFC biologist, said. “It can test any hunter’s skill and dedication in their pursuit of their chosen game. It is also a great place for a paddling or wildlife-watching day trip. It presents opportunities for an outdoorsman of any skill level to explore the wild.”

Mercer Bayou Water Trail
The newly designated Mercer Bayou Water Trail meanders 14 miles along the old river channel on the west side of the WMA. Water control structures allow the bayou to hold water year-round and paddlers may choose from three access points. Fourteen miles is a long stretch on flat water, so paddlers may choose to park and paddle – put in at any of the access points and paddle out and back.

A half-mile canal offers access to the northern portion of the trail, which traverses open water while the southern end of the trail narrows, meandering through trees. Key turns have trail markers, but otherwise, the trail is not marked. Download a georeferenced map to follow the trail route.

Approximately four miles south of the canal boaters will witness a large, forested sandstone formation, known as the upper mound, rising above the bayou. Be sure to scan its wooded hillsides for migratory songbirds and nesting bald eagles.

Some large alligators lurk in the area’s watery habitat and the WMA is one of a few where a lucky hunter can draw a permit for the public-land alligator hunt each September. Paddlers should keep a safe distance from gators.

Swallow-tailed kites have been confirmed breeding at Sulphur River WMA, outside of their traditional range. Brad Imhoff/Macaulay Library at Cornell University.

Birding Trails
A tremendous variety of songbirds and wetland birds thrive on Sulphur River WMA. Roads closed to vehicular traffic offer prime wildlife-viewing opportunities and three have been designated birding trails.

Canal Birding Trail:
Enjoy a one-mile-out-and-back path along a levee to Mercer Bayou. Be on the lookout for wading birds and waterfowl. Scan the skies for swallow-tailed kites along with a host of other birds of prey.

Henry Moore III Waterfowl Rest Area Birding Trail:
Walk along a one-and-a-half-mile-out-and-back gravel levee road. Two moist-soil units – managed wetlands – provide critical feeding and resting habitat for migrating waterfowl, wading birds and shorebirds.

River Road Birding Trail:
Hike along a gated road that traverses northwesterly 6 miles. A variety of warblers, woodpeckers and other songbirds flock to the trail’s bottomland habitat. American and least bittern can be spotted on the road.

Informational Signs on Mercer Bayou Water Trail offer education and direction when navigating this remote area. AGFC photo by Kirsten Bartlow.

Plan Accordingly

Paddlers and birders should plan their visit. Navigate the sprawling WMA with more confidence by downloading free georeferenced maps prior to a visit.

Waterfowl hunting is popular on Sulphur River WMA during fall and winter. Paddlers should wait until after shooting hours (mid-day) to take to the water during waterfowl season. Also, be aware that the Henry Moore III Waterfowl Rest Area Birding Trail is closed November 1 to February 15. This managed wetland provides a safe haven for migrating waterfowl, wading birds and shorebirds.

The area’s birding trails are mowed infrequently – be prepared with sturdy shoes and bug spray. Birding opportunities change with the seasons. Check out eBird’s checklist for the area before visiting and target waterfowl, wintering songbirds and raptors in the fall and winter, while spring and summer bring warblers, gallinules, bittern and herons. Be sure to scan the skies April through August for swallow-tailed kites. Documentation of breeding kites in 2020 generated excitement because the WMA is out of the bird’s established range.

Monster Mart in Fouke caters to adventurous souls after a glimpse of the rumored inhabitant of Boggy Creek. Photo courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.

“Other” Resident Wildlife?

A trip to Sulphur River WMA is not complete without wandering into Fouke – a town of about 800 people in Miller County – widely known for one of America’s most popular legends – the Fouke Monster.

The town drew press in May of 1971 when a local resident reported he was attacked at his home by a human-like creature. The story took off in 1973 when director Charles B. Pierce – an adopted Arkansan – released “The Legend of Boggy Creek,” a low-budget film shot in a documentary style in and around Fouke.

The Fouke Monster, sometimes called the Boggy Creek Monster, has become the South’s version of Sasquatch. Numerous films, television programs, articles and books have been produced about the beast. Swing by Monster Mart on Highway 71 for a snack, souvenir and some fun local lore.

Visit www.agfc.com/things-to-do/water-trails to learn more about Mercer Bayou Water Trail and other great paddling destinations in The Natural State.

Hunters haul 181 alligators in 18th annual hunting season

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas hunters managed the second-highest harvest of alligators on record during the last two weekends in the sloughs and swamps of The Natural State. The 181-alligator harvest falls short of last year’s record effort of 202 alligators checked, but maintains the overall upward trend in what is still a relatively new opportunity for hunters.

Amanda Bryant, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Herpetologist, said she was pleased with the healthy harvest, particularly the hunt’s higher-than-normal success rate.

“Typically we see about one-third of public land tags filled, but this year we had 54 percent success rate on public land,” Bryant said. “And 96 percent of the private land quota was filled.”

GATOR ON TRAILER
Cody Gourley and his uncle, Jason Mitchell, took the largest alligator of the 2024 hunting season, this 12-foot, 6-inch Millwood Lake monster. Photo courtesy Cody Gourley.

This year’s weather may have increased the harvest, as Hurricane Helene may have caused a few hunters to check an alligator during the first weekend who normally would have held out for a larger one.

“Most unfilled alligator tags are because people hold out for a larger alligator than what they’re seeing, but maybe some of the forecasted rain had people more willing to take a little smaller alligator,” Bryant said. “Then the last weekend turned out pretty nice after all, and we continued to see decent numbers taken throughout the end of the season.”

Cody Gourley of Amity was one of those hunters whose patience paid off when he wrestled a 12-foot, 6-inch beast to the side of his boat on Millwood Lake during the second weekend of the hunt.

“We went out the first weekend and saw 70 to 75 gators per night, but we just couldn’t get close enough to a big one to make it happen,” Gourley said. “I tried to use a harpoon on one or two, but I couldn’t get it to stick. The second weekend, I was getting to the point that any alligator would have been good for me. My uncle said we should hold out until midnight that Saturday night before we looked for a smaller gator. At about 9:30, we saw this one and knew it was in that larger category.”

Gourley says he rigged up a snare for his second weekend, using instructions from the AGFC’s website.

FORKLIFT GATOR
Temeren Pfaffenberg checked this 12-foot, 1-inch alligator from private land in Alligator Management Zone 2, the largest from that zone during this year’s hunt. 

“The snare was a much more intimate experience,” Gourley said. “We had to be right there within 8 feet of that gator before I could loop on the first snare. Then once we snared it, it was a fight.”

Gourley said he was in a 14-foot boat to be able to reach backwaters other hunters couldn’t.

“When the gator came up and I saw just how big it was, I was shocked,” Gourley said. “We couldn’t even get it in the boat, so we had to float it beside us as we made our way back to the ramp. It was unlike any hunt I’ve ever been on.”

Biologists have received a few calls from local anglers who were concerned about the alligator population in Millwood becoming too large, and Bryant says the harvest on the lake was encouraging.

“We had eight public tags for Millwood this year, and six of those were filled.” Bryant said. “It’s great to see so many of the tags being filled here, and hopefully it’s a step toward reducing the perception of human-wildlife conflict in this area.”

Bryant says increased harvest, especially on private land, has contributed to fewer nuisance calls in south Arkansas in the last few years.

“We see a strong relationship between the added harvest opportunity and lower nuisance calls,” Bryant said. “Some of it may be because people are more accustomed to seeing alligators now than they did 20 to 30 years ago, but a lot has to do with the private land hunt enabling landowners to handle the nuisance alligator on their own during the hunt.”

TAILGATOR
Chris Ryall shared this image of his 10-foot, 9-inch alligator taken in Alligator Management Zone 3. Photo courtesy Chris Ryall. 

This year, Alligator Management Zone 1 (southwest Arkansas) and AMZ 3 (southeast Arkansas) tied for the most alligators harvested.

“Usually Zone 3 has the most harvest, but this year was evenly split at 87 alligators each,” Bryant said. “Alligator Management Zone 2 [south-central Arkansas] had seven alligators checked.”

Alligator hunting is by permit only in Arkansas. The AGFC issued 50 public hunting permits through a public draw system, with hunting allowed only on designated areas of certain WMAs, lakes and rivers in south Arkansas.

Alligator hunting on private property is managed through a quota system. Anyone may purchase a private land alligator hunting permit, but hunting season ends early if the quota for the alligator zone is met. This year, all zones remained open during the entire hunting season.

Alligator hunting in Arkansas is open from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise during the last two weekends each September. All alligators must be snared or harpooned by hand and subdued before being dispatched. Visit www.agfc.com/alligator for more information.

Alligators a steady presence in Arkansas

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas is known as the “natural state” for a reason, and the abundant wildlife is a major contributor to the reputation. Lions and tigers, not so much. Bears — sure, here and there. But for residents across the state’s southern tier of counties, alligators make more than the occasional appearance.

KNOW YOUR ZONE — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has established fize management zones in Arkansas, three of which alllow permitted hunts in September each year. (Graphic courtesy AGFC.)

In Miller County, for example, spotting the occasional reptile is just part of life. Jen Caraway, Miller County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said they’re not uncommon in areas where waterways are essential to agricultural operations.

“There’s not much you can do if you encounter one, other than stay clear and call it in,” Caraway said.

Decades ago, American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in the United States were hunted nearly to extinction. In 1973, they were identified in the Endangered Species Act, but were ultimately removed from the list in 1987 once their population numbers rebounded.

Becky McPeake, extension wildlife biologist for the Division of Agriculture, said alligators have managed to thrive throughout much of the south in the intervening years.

“We’ve had great success reintroducing them to Arkansas,” McPeake said. The state lies at the northern edge of the animal’s natural range, she said, with most of the northern half of Arkansas being simply too cool an environment for alligators to survive.

Sometimes, McPeake said, alligators are just part of the neighborhood, including one known specimen that nests near a site of frequent field research.

“Whenever we go out there to do any kind of research or environmental survey, the first thing we do is locate it," she said. "Once we know where it is, we can avoid it.

“Honestly, they prefer to avoid people,” McPeake said. “It’s when they become used to being around people that they become dangerous. Some people want to feed them for some strange reason. Please don’t. It can have terrible consequences for both people and pets.”

McPeake said that if a person spots an alligator, they should stay at least 60 feet away from it, whether it’s on land or in a body of water. She said that one way to help livestock avoid crossing paths with alligators is to make sure they have their own secure sources of drinking water.

“We recommend that producers maintain water tanks for their livestock, rather than letting the livestock drink from ponds,” she said.

In November 2023, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, introduced a new nuisance wildlife hotline. The number, 833-345-0315, is intended to respond to reports of wildlife that may pose a threat to people, livestock or property. The number is monitored 24 hours a day.

The commission has published annual Alligator Management Reports since 2007 and has records of alligator nuisance reports dating back to 2000. In that year, the commission reported 11 nuisance reports across the state’s five alligator management zones. The number has varied year to year, peaking in 2009 with 108 complaints across all three zones. In 2023, the commission reported 57 alligator nuisance complaints.

Among the five alligator management zones, alligator sport hunting is only allowed in the three southern-most zones (Zone 4 includes about a dozen counties in the northeastern corner of the state; Zone 5 includes most of the counties covering the northwestern third of the state).

Alligator hunting on public lands is limited to Alligator Management Zone 1, the southwest corner of the state, and Zone 3, the southeast corner of the state. These permits are drawn, so some luck is involved. Alligator hunting on private land is allowed in any of the three zones, including Alligator Management Zone 2, which encompasses more than 16 counties in central and south-central Arkansas. Private Land Alligator Permits can be purchased outright.

The hunting dates for either permit include two four-day periods in mid-September. In 2023, Arkansas hunters set a record for alligator harvest, bagging 202 alligators on public and private lands.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.