Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita WMA

CWD Zone

Waterfowl Season Access Restrictions

AGFC Camping Permit Required

Factory Exhaust Only

Shell Limit (25 shells max per hunter)

Waterfowl Hunting Ends at Noon

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Acres: 10,986

2024-25 Closed Seasons

• Alligator
• Bear
• Turkey Regular Firearms (youth hunt available)

2024-25 Crow

Sept. 1, 2024-Feb. 17, 2025. Open Thursdays through Mondays only. No limit.

2024-25 Deer

Deer Archery: Sept. 7-9 (1 buck only); Sept. 28-Feb. 28.
Deer Alternative Firearms: Oct. 19-27.
Deer Modern Gun: Nov. 9-Dec. 15 and Dec. 26-28.
Deer Modern Gun Special Youth Hunt: Nov. 2-3 and Jan. 4-5.

WMA Deer Bag Limit: Five deer, no more than two antlered bucks, which may include:

• Two antlered bucks with archery, alternative firearms or modern gun,
• Five anterless with archery, alternative firearms and modern gun combined.
• During the modern gun special youth hunt, youths may take five deer, no more than two bucks (no antler restrictions) or up to five antlerless.

Deer Notes:

• No antler restrictions.
• No dogs.

2024-25 Quail

Nov. 1, 2024-Feb. 2, 2025. Daily limit – 6, possession limit – 12.

2024-25 Rabbit

Sept. 1, 2024-Feb. 28, 2025. Daily limit – 8, possession limit – 16.

2024-25 Squirrel

May 15, 2024-Feb. 28, 2025. Dogs allowed. Daily limit – 12, possession limit – 48.

2024-25 Waterfowl

• 2024-25 Arkansas Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook
• 2024-25 Statewide Waterfowl Season Dates and Bag Limits
• General WMA Regulations

Waterfowl Notes:

• No airboats during duck season (excluding the Ouachita River).
• Boats for fishing and nonhunting activities are allowed.
• No boats allowed Nov. 16-22, Dec. 3-9 and Dec. 24-26.
  Exception – Boats allowed on Ouachita River and for fishing activities.
• Closed to all access (except designated campsites, parking areas and boat launch ramps) from 2-4 a.m.
  Exception – Access allowed on Ouachita River.
• No boats allowed from 1 p.m. to 4 a.m. Nov. 23-Dec. 2, Dec. 10-23 and Dec. 27-Jan. 31.
  Exception – Boats allowed from 1-6:30 p.m. Jan. 31 and Feb. 8-9, and within the Ouachita River or for fishing-related activities.

2025 Turkey

Youth Hunt: April 12-13. One legal turkey.
Firearms Hunt (permit required): April 21-23, April 26-28, May 3-5. One legal turkey.

Turkey Notes: A WMA Turkey Hunt Permit is required to hunt turkeys on this WMA. Click here for details.

About the Name

The area was named after a former AGFC commissioner who assisted with acquisition of the area. Before it was renamed, this area was known as Lower Ouachita WMA.

Access

There are two access roads on the Union County side of the WMA. One road exists along the west side of the river. The other road coming off First Street on the west side of the WMA is seasonally gated when the WMA is flooded.

Age

The AGFC purchased the land in 1987.

Area Notes

• A free annual General Use Permit (WMP) is required to hunt or trap on WMAs. Permits are available online by clicking “Buy Licenses” at agfc.com or by calling 833-345-0325 or any regional office.
• CWD regulations apply.
• Only non-toxic shot may be possessed and used while hunting small game with shotguns.
• For access restrictions that affect all users during waterfowl season, check the waterfowl guidebook.
• The Clear Lake access road is subject to flooding and closures. Accessibility information available at 833-345-0398.

Camping

Currently, two designated primitive campsites exist along the access road on the west side of the river.

Description

The Beryl Anthony WMA comprises seasonally flooded bottomland hardwoods. A few pine ridges and prairie remnants also occur on the area.

Hunting Opportunities

The area provides excellent waterfowl hunting opportunities when the Ouachita River floods. Deer and squirrel hunting is fair to good.

Location

The area is 15 miles west of Crossett between Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas and Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana.

Management Practices

Management goals for this area are to sustain bottomland hardwood habitat by protecting the existing young hardwood forest from disease and year-round flooding caused by beavers.

Ownership

This 10,986-acre area is owned by the AGFC. It includes Coffee Prairie Natural Area, which belongs to the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.

Phone

833-356-0860

Purpose

The area was purchased in order to provide hunting fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities in south Arkansas.

Recreation Other Than Hunting

The Ouachita River, oxbows and sloughs provide excellent fishing opportunities.

Restaurants and Other Facilities

Nearest towns are Huttig, Crossett and El Dorado.

Safety

Care should be taken when driving along the access road. There are a couple of places where it gets very near the high bank of the Ouachita River. Care should also be taken when the area becomes flooded.

WMA Master Plan

View this AGFC-owned WMA’s master plan for operations details.