Arkansas Wild | Fall 2025

ARKANSAS WILD

IN THIS ISSUE

THE FALL HUNTING GUIDE

Everything you need to get geared up for your hunt.

GEAR GUIDE

Find your way, secure your gear, and cast a stealthy line.

THE CONSERVATION REPORT

Learn about the history of Flatside Wilderness Area as well as its new addition.

WILD CANVAS

Bull Creek Outdoors is elevating the art of the deer blind in Beebe.

EVENTS

See some leaves, try to see Bigfoot, or just see what else is in store for the festival circuit this fall.

LOCAL FARE

Don't let a burn ban ruin your campsite meal plans.

PASSPORT

Take a trip to Mena and see what the state's preeminent leafgazing destination has to offer this fall.

By their gear box you shall know them.

Talimena Scenic Byway Sunset

Where Your Adventure

BROOKE WALLACE Publisher brooke@arktimes.com

LESA THOMAS Senior Account Executive

MIKE SPAIN Advertising Art Director

ANITRA LOVELACE Circulation Director

ARKANSAS WILD

MANDY KEENER Creative Director mandy@arktimes.com

LUIS GARCIAROSSI Senior Account Executive

KATIE HASSELL Art Director/Digital Manager

WELDON WILSON Conroller

ROBERT CURFMAN IT Director

ALAN LEVERITT President

CONTRIBUTORS

HEATHER IACOBACCI-MILLER

Heather Iacobacci-Miller, a Hot Springs native now rooted in Little Rock, is a freelance writer fueled by her love of healthy living and the outdoors. A dedicated runner and fitness enthusiast, she finds joy simply being outside and sharing her passion for wellness through her writing.

PHILLIP POWELL

Phillip writes for the Arkansas Times as a Report for America Corps Member. He likes to learn about environmental issues and different kinds of farms in Arkansas, and is happy to be contributing to Arkansas Wild.

Matt McNair Editor matthew.ryan.mcnair@gmail.com

WENDY HICKINGBOTHAM Senior Account Executive

ROLAND R. GLADDEN Advertising Traffic Manager

CHARLOTTE KEY Administration

BRI PETERSON

Bri Peterson is a mixed media artist and creative educator based in Little Rock. She has exhibited artwork throughout the state, participates in art markets, and her illustrations can be found in local publications. When isn’t creating art, she is in search of her next adventure. She enjoys hiking trails with her dog and exploring new areas in her van. You can see her artwork and travels on Instagram @ bumble_bri_artwork.

FROM the editor

The leaves, they are a’changin’

Hello and well-met to the readership of Arkansas Wild, for whom the denizens of Catfish Tower are ever grateful! Whether you’ve sought out this year’s fall edition purposefully or just happened upon it in the lobby of a doctor’s office, the free-mag rack at Vino’s or White Water or the equallyposh Capital Hotel, or even just picked it up off a stoop somewhere, we’re all of us tickled to have your company.

I’m especially grateful on account this is my first time editing this (or any) magazine. It’s been a frenzied few weeks between getting the offer in late July — just days before I embarked on a lengthy canoe trip through the Canadian backcountry — and sitting down to write this introduction. Couldn’t have done it without the support of all the hardworking and salty veterans of the Arkansas Times family, so my gratitude to them.

Alrighty then, with the how-do-you-dos taken care of, let’s get to the fall 2025 edition of Arkansas Wild

This issue was conceived as a look at the spookier side of Arkansas’s outof-doors — tales of haunted cabins and deer camps, beautiful trails that nonetheless held the power to raise one’s hackles as the sound of dried leaves underfoot seemed to mingle with the sound of dried leaves under someone or something else’s foot, of beloved Arkansas landmarks aswirl with rumors of things a bit less sunny than that presented to tourists — but as often happens

in this line of work, the story shifted and changed a bit as the shoe leather got scuffed. Though eerie tales were told, this is not the creepy version of AW first dreamt up.

As I wandered around the state and thought about fall, talked to other folks about fall, and went about my own set of annual tasks and traditions that signal the fall just as surely as the shortening days and the breaking heat, the theme that emerged was “preparation.”

Makes sense, really, the idea of preparation. In Arkansas, at least, the end of summer and the beginning of fall is the time to prepare. (We’re blessed with a fairly forgiving fall, one that gives us a few gentle nudges to get our business straight before the weather really turns.) Harvests are hauled from fields and put into jars and silos and cellars, firearms pulled from cases and toted to the range, Razorback sweaters snatched from closets and pulled over ever-hopeful heads, their wearers dreaming of ecstasy while preparing for agony.

In this issue you’ll see themes of preparation popping up all over the place. While we’ve just gotten a little rain, finally, as I write this, it still gets dry as a bone in this state and our forests are no strangers to burn bans as a result. That’s no reason to avoid camping though, and the lack of a fire is no reason to settle for less-than-fabulous campsite food. To that end, there’s a piece about prepping meals for camp that can be whipped up on-site with your trusty camp stove, burn ban or no.

But speaking of that rain, it might well jumpstart the turning of the leaves, spurring an Arkansawyer or three, present company included, to take in the autumnal sights. Scouting out a good route for same, I traveled to the perennial leaf-gazing mecca of Mena, gateway to Rich Mountain and Queen Wilhelmina State Park. While there I found a town in the middle of a little preparation of its own, the ongoing Trails at Mena project promising to bring no small bit of change. That kind of change can be spooky — the real-world variety — but Mena’s intrepid Mayor Smith has a steady hand on the tiller and the future looks bright.

All that and more has been prepared for you, the all-important reader, in this edition of Arkansas Wild. I can’t tell you just how proud and happy I am to have the opportunity to be a part of this team and this publication. It’s a joy and an honor, and a learning experience to boot. And I have absolutely learned a lot during this little crash course in editorial work.

For one thing, I need to be better prepared. Believe me, I’m preparing to work on that as we speak.

See ya out that way,

Matt McNair

The editor and co-editor, Chester, in repose.

GEAR GUIDE READY FOR ANYTHING

PUT A LITTLE PREP IN YOUR STEP WITH THIS HANDY GEAR.

Not so fast! Fall is fast approaching, and with it an expanded suite of activities to get you out-of-doors and off the beaten path. Hunting season will see folks in the backcountry with firearms, while cooling temperatures will tempt more trekkers farther afield. At the same time, many of the pests that plague the summertime will insist on staying alive and hungry well into the fall mont hs ... to get prepared for all that and more, check out our fall Gear Guide!

Splish, splash, smile!

Practice safe pics.

Snap a watery pic worry-free with this waterproof phone pouch from Simms. Designed with flyfishing enthusiasts in mind, it’ll work for anyone that loves to get on the water but just can’t bear to leave their beloved telephone in the dark recesses of a drybag. Big enough (5-inch-by-5-inch) to accommodate most standard telephones, it comes equipped with a patented, self-sealing zipper and a touch-sensitive front that lets you use the phone without opening the bag. Perfect for anyone who wants to unplug in the out-of-doors without, you know, unplugging-unplugging, the Simms Waterproof Wader Pouch can be found locally at the Ozark Angler (ozarkangler.com).

Beam me up.

No matter how far off the grid you get, you’ll never be truly stranded with the Spot-X 2-Way Satellite Messenger. So long as your cellphone’s battery has a charge, just connect it to the Spot-X via Bluetooth to access your contacts and utilize a two-way satellite link to exchange text messengers whether you’re just a little too far in the timber or all the way to Timbuktu. The Spot-X can be used as a standalone communication device as well, so if you’ve got a dead battery — and are about to join it — you can whip out the Spot-X and send up a 21st century emergency flare. Check out the Spot-X and other emergency communication devices at findmespot.com.

Put another ramen on the barbie.

Hitting the sweet spot between ultralight minimalism and “basically your entire kitchen, just outside under a tarp,” the Jet Boil Genesis Basecamp System has everything you need to amuse your backwoods bouche without sacrificing too much in the way of weight-shaving. Perfect for canoe camping, leveled-up shore lunches, or long-range offroading adventures, the Genesis Basecamp System will jumpstart the gear collection of rookie camp cooks or round out the toolkit of veteran hash slingers. To get this pot of stew going, head up to Ozark Outdoor Supply (ozarkoutdoor.com).

There’s a skeeter on my … uhhhhh, person.

One of the newer entries in the antimosquito arms race, the Mozz Mosquito Repellent Light is generating quite a bit of buzz among outdoor enthusiasts from the backyard to the backcountry. Chemical- and smoke-free, the Mozz is rechargeable (each charge should last 10 hours) and refillable (refill tabs sold separately), portable (2.4”x6.4”), waterproof, and can double as a 400-lumen camping light. If that sounds like something that’ll make your next out-of-doors frolic more enjoyable, head over to mozzshieldrepellent.com

Have rod, can travel.

Once considered novelties, telescopic fishing poles have climbed a rung or two up the ladder of respectability. For the canoeist just serious enough about fishing to want a pole on hand without really needing it to the angler so serious they can’t leave home or anywhere else without at least one fishing pole, there’s help on the way in the form of the Quick Draw Telescopic Spinning Combo from Bass Pro. As the name implies, this is a combo rig that includes both rod and reel, with the latter collapsing down to just under 24 inches, making it manageable in a backpack and virtually invisible in an office or a company car.

(Fish on the clock at your own risk. — ed.)

You’ll need to rig it up with line and have a few lures stored handy and safe, but you sneaky Petes already knew that. Find the Bass Pro Quick Draw at the local Bass Pro down on Interstate 30 or online at basspro.com.

Very sneaky.

X marks your spot.

You are here.

There’s more cellphone apps out there than you can shake a selfie stick at, and quite a few of them are pitched toward single-minded outdoor enthusiasts. For the multitasker, this means sifting through numerous apps not only before subscription, but afterwards and in the field as well. ONX looks to cut through the clutter with its versatile mapping system. Featuring subscription tiers that emphasize hunting, backcountry trekking, off-roading, and fishing, ONX lets users subscribe to a base mapping system and upgrade to the service that best fits their primary activity. Even so, the highly-detailed and customizable subscription tiers allows for some double-dipping as, e.g., a backcountry hiker that goes on the

Safety first Safety first! No gear bag — hiking, boating, offroading, or anything else — is complete without a proper first aid kit. While not everybody needs to go full-bore EMT-in-a-bag, it’s generally a good idea to have more in the way of first aid than a few off-brand band-aids disintegrating in the bottom of a backpack. So before bounding off to that’s-gonna-leave-a-scar country, get yourself trail- and tumble-ready with a boo-boo bag from Adventure Medical Kits. The most basic model is great for anyone that ventures just a little off the beaten path, with more advanced kits getting into “Backwoods 9-1-1” territory. You can find them all locally at Ozark Outdoor Supply (ozarkoutdoor.com).

occasional hunting trip could easily utilize their trekker-tier subscription on a similarlyrugged hunting excursion. The ONX mapping app, attendant subscription packages, and tutorials on app features can be found at onxmaps.com.

Around the tree, under the … ugh, or is it …

Even masters of the taut-line hitch will occasionally run into conditions — rain, snow, dark of night, etc. — that’ll make it nearly impossible to tie one correctly, quickly, or at all. Be prepared for any nightmare knot-tying scenario with Nite Ize rope tighteners. Ideal for tightening up anything from light loads like tarps and basecamp laundry lines (the Figure 9 rope tightener) to heavy loads like boats and gear boxes (the CamJam XT aluminum rope tightener), Nit Ize rope accessories can be found at Ozark Outdoor Supply (ozarkoutdoor. com).

Now that you're geared up for everything from a nasty tumble on the trail to an impromptu riverbank feast, check the weather, pack and prep accordingly, and get out amongst the falling leaves for some quality fall adventuring!

Travelling flatside

THE PUSH TO CONSERVE ARKANSAS WILDERNESS CONTINUES.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY By Phillip Powell

To tell the story of the Flatside Wilderness Area, a beautiful expanse of wild backcountry sprawling across more than 10,000 acres of the eastern Ouachita Mountains, you have to go back to the beginning. I had the privilege of both visiting the Flatside Wilderness and learning about that beginning in August.

My guides for the day, Tom McClure and Kirk Wasson, know the Flatside and its beginning better than most, having volunteered in the Ozark Society, a conservation group, for decades. When they were younger men, McClure and Wasson, along with their late friend Don Hamilton, were key to getting the area that was to become Flatside Wilderness included in federal protections in the 1980s

as part of the Arkansas Conservation Coalition, a large alliance of state-based outdoors groups advocating for wilderness. Now in their 70s, they’ve worked to expand the protections ever since.

At the end of August, Wasson drove us down bumpy dirt roads in his Chevrolet to make a full circle around the Flatside Wilderness, while McClure regaled me from the backseat with the history of how it came about. Our first stop was the Flatside Pinnacle Overlook, where decades ago U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers held a press conference in support of making the nearly 10,000 forested acres behind the summit into a federally protected wilderness. At the time, many in the growing Ozark Society were looking for their next environmental project after successfully lobbying for the

preservation of the scenic Buffalo River in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the mid-20th century, environmentalists and outdoor recreation enthusiasts were pushing for the federal government to expand protections on undeveloped areas of land colloquially called “wilderness”. Inspired by the writings and activism of Aldo Leopold, organizations pushed the federal government to adopt a definition of wilderness in the Wilderness Act of 1964, which read “An area of wilderness is further defined to mean in this Act an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions …”

A rock sign greets visitors at the edge of Flatside Wilderness area.

Both Wasson and McClure gave me copies of “A Sand County Almanac” by Leopold before we started our excursion.

After that point, federal agencies would just have to determine what areas which federal lands would qualify as wilderness and be entitled to additional protection, given the ecological and pristine elements of each federal land.

In 1984, Sen. Dale Bumpers, the charismatic former governor who considered a presidential run at least once or twice, worked with Ed Bethune, an upstart Republican congressman representing Central Arkansas, to pass the Arkansas Wilderness Act through Congress. The Arkansas Wilderness Act granted federal protection to more than 90,000 acres of the Ouachita and Ozark national forests. A powerful lobbying effort led by environmentalists like McClure and Wasson coalesced around the AWA to help secure its passage.

McClure was there that day with Bumpers, having worked with countless other volunteers to drum up support for Flatside’s inclusion into the Wilderness Act. They wrote articles, visited county groups, talked with politicians and, of course, organized trips to potential wilderness areas with supporters. Wasson saw the story in the paper after one of his many turkey hunting trips with his dad in the Flatside Wilderness. In the forest that day, Wasson saw an area where a timber company had covered trees in orange paint — marking them for clear cutting.

He said he may not have known much about the Ozark Society at the time, but that was the group he wanted to join.

“Flatside is my favorite because of its history. I’ve spent thousands of hours hunting there with my dad,” Wasson said. “My dad taught me conservation. Not necessarily to be a part of a group, but to take care of the land, to pick up after myself, and to not shoot what I wasn’t going to eat that day.” Wasson spent the latter part of his career as a consultant

for Entergy, but has been involved with the Ozark Society since seeing that news story all the way back in the 1980s.

The Arkansas Conservation Coalition, which included members of the Sierra Club, Ozark Society, Wildlife Federation, and others, took advantage of the Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE) process, a 1970s protocol by which the U.S. Forest Service evaluated and proposed suitable wilderness areas for congressional approval. McClure said he and many environmentalists began combing the national forests in western Arkansas — the Ouachita and Ozark National Forests looking for suitable sites to become designated wilderness areas as part of this USFS program.

At the end of all the public comments, the Arkansas Conservation Coalition proposed 120,000 acres while the Forest Service suggested only around 40,000 acres of the national forests should be adopted as wilderness.

At the time, it wasn’t guaranteed that any areas of the national forests would be preserved as wilderness areas, and Flatside seemed one of the least likely to be included. The Forest Service did not recommend that the 10,000 acres to the west of the Flatside Pinnacle that I was looking out on become wilderness.

So, the coalition went to Congress, who ultimately had the final say. Bethune and Bumpers may not have seen eye to eye on many issues — they were members of different political parties — but they came together on preserving wilderness

in Arkansas. Their small coalition quickly grew to include Pryor and South Arkansas congressman Beryl Anthony. And an unlikely ally, the Republican senator from Texas John Tower, also joined as a sponsor of the legislation after some prompting from his young aide, French Hill. The Arkansas DemocratGazette reported last year, on the 40th anniversary of the Arkansas Wilderness Act, that congressmanto-be Hill influenced Tower to put his voice behind the legislation.

Ed Bethune didn’t have a long career in elected politics, being swatted down by the dominant Democratic establishment at the time after three terms in Congress. But he did manage to leave his mark on Arkansas’s outdoor legacy, as one of his lasting achievements from three terms in Congress would be the 12 wilderness areas preserved in Arkansas through the law, and the ongoing push by many in the state to continue conservation. Bethune was the first Arkansas representative to take on the cause of the Arkansas Wilderness Act in the 1980s, but he was quickly joined by Bumpers, Pryor, and Anthony.

In 2019, Hill, who now represents the same district Bethune once did, proudly announced the 640-acre expansion of the Flatside Wilderness Area that would be called the Bethune Woods. In September 2019, Hill hosted an event outside the designation of the Bethune Woods, where those 640 acres were included on the western edge of the FWA. Bethune joined Hill at the event, along with McClure.

By the time the Arkansas Wilderness Act passed in 1984, the state had already been included in one of the federal government's first efforts to protect wilderness areas in the eastern United States when the Caney Creek Wilderness Area near Mena was approved in 1975. But expanding protected wilderness in Arkansas from 14,000 acres to over 100,000 total acres in 1984 made the state a regional focal point for undisturbed,

Kirk Wasson (left) and Tom McClure (right) overlooking Flatside Wilderness area.

wild areas for generations.

More than 40 years after a bipartisan coalition of Arkansas environmentalists secured wilderness areas for generations of Arkansans, the push to conserve the wild areas of The Natural State continues in earnest with many familiar faces dedicated to the wilderness. Sitting in the United States Senate is a second bill Hill passed through the House called the Flatside Wilderness Additions Act, which would add another 2,200 acres to the wilderness.

The Future of Flatside

In 40 years, Flatside has become one of the most popular wilderness recreation areas in Arkansas. Situated just a short drive from both Hot Springs and Little Rock and as the only designated wilderness area in the eastern Ouachita Mountains, it’s found its way into the hearts of many, especially because of the almost 9 miles of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail running through the wilderness. The 225mile trail has been a great draw of the Ouachita Mountains, attracting hikers from all over.

In September 2024, McClure and Wasson’s friend Don Hamilton, a lawyer and Army veteran, passed away at the age of 87. Hill, a lifelong Ozark Society

member, wrote a eulogy about Hamilton on the Ozark Society blog, writing, “Arkansas is a better place because of Don Hamilton. One hundred years from today some kid will be following their parents scrambling down the steep ravines above Hamilton Falls in search of the famed Twin Falls of the Devil’s Fork or Richland Falls. They will have that experience deep in the wilderness due to Don’s advocacy and passion.”

Hill called Hamilton a “tremendous influence” on his life, and wrote about the time they floated the Buffalo River from Rush down to the White River. Hamilton was the first person to take Hill to the proposed Flatside Wilderness Area in 1983. McClure joked in the truck that every time he talked to Hamilton, his friend was known for saying he was well, but he’d rather be on the Buffalo. Both McClure and Wasson told me Hamilton was one of their best friends, and a lifelong mentor on conservation issues. All three credited Hamilton more than any other person for the preservation of the Flatside Wilderness.

In his eulogy, Hill wrote that the last time he saw Hamilton was at a lunch with McClure and Wasson. Flatside may have lost its fiercest advocate in Don Hamilton, but the spirit behind the collaboration that

U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers was instrumental in the Flatside Wilderness area.

brought about Flatside continues.

Some, like McClure, a more liberal Democrat who had a varied career as a dentist, environmental organizer, and biology teacher before settling into retirement in Rogers, believe strongly in preserving the unimpeded biodiversity and ecology of places like Flatside. He thinks it gives researchers great opportunities to see how an ecosystem evolves with minimal human impact, which can then translate into enormous benefits down the line. Others, like Wasson, a self-described conservative Democrat, believe strongly in places that can steward good relationships between humans and the environment, and opportunities for recreationists and hunters to truly experience the wild.

And now the biggest champion of Flatside in Congress is French Hill, a conservative Republican committed to the expansion of the great wilderness for his constituents.

Debates still remain about the character of wilderness, such as whether or not authorities should build structured trails through it to improve accessibility. McClure and Wasson believe that would be a grave mistake, by creating more human impact on an area that was made wilderness due to its distinct lack of human involvement. But the debate will likely

continue, and proposals for trails will pop up.

At our final stop on the western edge of Flatside, we got out of the truck and had a snack. Great cliffs towered ahead of us, singed black on parts from the many large campfires travelers must have lit under them over the years.

McClure showed me a map covering where Hill’s bill would expand the wilderness area. Up ahead, the Forest Service had piled dirt up to create a barrier preventing people from entering into the wilderness with a vehicle.

A young couple played with their dogs by their car, likely having returned from a hike. Another pair of young women pulled up in their SUV, about to head out for a hike. An older couple from nearby Hot Springs Village walked with their elementary-age grandson back to their car, while Wasson snacked on some crackers and McClure walked me through the rest of our journey. In a brief conversation with us, the older gentleman said if he didn’t get his grandson out of the house, who would?

On a bright Saturday afternoon, people were coming out to Flatside, an area that has endured and grown beyond political labels and conflicts, maybe as a sign that wilderness is destined to last far longer than any divisive political moment. Or maybe the lesson is just that people of all different beliefs and backgrounds can become friends over a shared connection to our natural areas, and work together to find creative ways to preserve what is special about them. Maybe with how divided we’ve become, personal connection and shared experiences in nature are the only things that can bridge these chasms.

Either way, I learned some lessons in the Flatside Wilderness. And I hope you do, too.

Tucked away in the piney woods of southwest Arkansas, Washington is a hidden gem for bladesmiths, history buffs, and hands-on makers. Home to the renowned James Black School of Bladesmithing, this historic town carries on the legacy of James Black—the legendary knifemaker behind the original Bowie knife.

Whether you're ready to forge your first blade or sharpen your skills with master bladesmiths, the school offers immersive classes year-round. And every spring, the town comes alive for the Annual James Black ’s Bowie Heritage Festival a celebration of bladesmithing, history, and the spirit of craf tsmanship.

Come for the classes. Stay for the tradition. Washington, Arkansas, is where history gets forged. Plan your visit now!

the date for the 5 Annual James Black’s Bowie Heritage Festival on April 24-25, 2026.

LOCAL FARE

Gourmet Campsite Meals Without a Fire

CREATIVE COOKING IDEAS FOR ARKANSAS ADVENTURES.

By Heather Iacobacci-Miller

When you think of camping, you often picture family and friends circled around a campfire, roasting marshmallows for ooey gooey s’mores, toasting up hot dogs, or burying foil packet meals under hot coals. However, if you’ve camped in Arkansas during a dry spell, you know about the heartbreak of burn bans. Burn bans don’t have to mean boring fare, though. The fact is, you don’t need a fire to enjoy delicious meals. With a bit of prep and a dash of creativity, you can pull together campsite meals that feel downright gourmet.

Double-Check the Burn Ban Rules

First things first: Before you pack up and head out, it’s always a good idea to double-check the current fire restrictions. Burn bans can vary not only by county, but sometimes even by individual parks or campgrounds. In Arkansas, conditions can change quickly, especially in the summer and fall. Before you leave, be sure to find official and reliable information about fire conditions in and around where you’ll be camping. If you’re camping in a national forest, check the official website of that specific national forest (either Ozark-St. Francis or Ouachita National Forest here in Arkansas). If you’re camping in an Arkansas State Park, make sure you’re looking at the information for that specific park, not just general information on the main ASP site. Most importantly, check the official website of whatever county you’ll be in.

If you are camping in a dedicated campground of any kind, regardless of the entity managing it, check in and confirm with rangers when you arrive at camp. That way, you’ll know exactly what kind of cooking equipment is safe and legal to use.

Prepping Before You Go

The key to pulling off gourmet campsite meals without a campfire is prepping. It may feel like work on the front end, but it’ll be worth it in the end. Start by planning out your meals; this will help you know what ingredients you need to prep and pack. Look for fresh vegetables that hold up well, proteins that are easy to store and cook, and simple pantry staples like grains, seasonings, and sauces to elevate your meals. For example, grab bell peppers, zucchini, or carrots that won’t wilt quickly; tortillas, pita bread, or wraps instead of plain buns; pre-cooked rice or pasta for quick sides; and easy proteins like chicken, sausages, or canned beans. Don’t forget small extras like olive oil, spice blends, or salsa to make camp meals feel more gourmet. Consider ways to use ingredients in multiple ways. For example, hummus is not only a tasty snack; it can also be used as a spread

in wraps for lunch by adding in lettuce, tomatoes, and your favorite lunch meat — or skip the meat for a veggie-friendly option. Spinach artichoke dip is even more versatile; it can be used as a snack, in wraps, or even as a sauce for pasta if you add a splash of milk to thin it out.

Before hitting the road, chop up any veggies you may need; if they need to be roasted, go ahead and do that as well. It’s all about reducing your workload when you get to your campsite. Marinate and cook your meat, and don’t forget to pack your favorite infused oils, spices, dips, and sauces. Sauces and dressings can go a long way in elevating your meals and are perfect for one-pot dishes. Pre-cook your grains and pastas, and pre-shred cheeses that you may want to use.

When packing up your food, skip the glass containers. Unless you’re in a large craft such as a houseboat or bass boat, they’re prohibited on all Arkansas waterways, and while not expressly prohibited in national forests, they’re more trouble than they’re worth. They’re a safety hazard due to the risk of breakage, which could lead to accidental cuts, and glass shards are extremely difficult to clean up. Instead, opt for stainless steel or BPA-free stackable containers and reusable silicone food storage bags.

Next up, the essentials. Pack a portable camp stove (as long as the burn ban doesn’t prohibit it), sharp knives, cutting boards, a spatula, pots and pans, and a cooler with ice packs. Think of it as taking your home kitchen on the road, just pared down to the basics, of course.

Going Gourmet

Elevating your camping meals is easy and fun. Focus on onepot meals that minimize cleanup. Choose high-quality ingredients like fresh herbs and produce. Consider stopping by a local farmers’ market for Arkansas-grown vegetables and homemade bread, jam, and cheese. Grains like quinoa or farro are extremely versatile and great options for elevating your campsite meals and are perfect in instances when a burn ban prohibits portable camp

BE FIRE SAFE BY DOING THE FOLLOWING:

• Before going hiking or camping, check with the forest, grassland or ranger district for fire restrictions or area closures.

• Plan ahead and prepare — know your route and tell a responsible adult where you are going and when you plan to return.

• Sign in at the trailhead.

• Use alternatives to campfires during periods of high fire danger, even if there are no restrictions. Nine out of 10 fires are caused by humans.

• If you do use a campfire, make sure it is fully extinguished before leaving the area — be sure it is cold to the touch.

• If you are using a portable stove, make sure the area is clear of grasses and other debris that may catch fire. Prevent stoves from tipping and starting a fire.

• Practice Leave No Trace principles — pack out cigarette butts and burned materials from your camping area.

• Beware of sudden changes in the weather or changing weather conditions. For example, if you see a thunderstorm approaching, consider leaving the area. Fires started by lightning strikes are not unusual.

• If you see smoke, fire, or suspicious activities, note the location as best as you can and report it to authorities by calling 911.

• Do NOT attempt to contact suspicious people or try to put out a fire by yourself.

• Be careful of parking or driving your car or ATV in tall, dry vegetation such as grass. The hot underside of the vehicle can start a fire.

• Don't forget what Smokey Bear says: Only YOU can prevent wildfires!

• Remember: You are responsible for your safety and for the safety of those around you.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, fs.usda.gov

stoves. Just add your favorite veggies, protein, and sauce or vinaigrette — no heat required. Pasta dishes are always a hit. Even kids will enjoy a tasty pasta primavera with fresh veggies and cheese. Keep your theme Arkansas style, with shrimp and grits. When you pre-cook grits, it’s a dish that comes together in no time. Just saute your shrimp in butter, add in your grits, some grated parmesan cheese, and top with fresh herbs.

Want to wow your crew? Try a shakshuka for breakfast or brunch. It sounds exotic and complicated, but it’s basically poaching eggs in a spiced tomato sauce that you can pre-make. As a bonus, if you’ve got eggs for shakshuka, then use the rest for an easy breakfast scramble, adding in veggies, potatoes (premade, of course), and cheese. For a no-fire-needed meal, roll up smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber in tortillas or try overnight oats, topping with fresh fruit for a fuss-free breakfast.

Leave No Trace and Minimize Waste

SHAKSHUKA

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon chili powder

1 (28-ounce can) whole peeled tomatoes

6 large eggs

Great campsite food doesn’t mean leaving a mess behind. The Leave No Trace principle applies to meals, too: Pack out every scrap you bring in, break down your camp carefully, and leave your site looking untouched. Choosing reusable containers, utensils, and cups makes a big difference — less trash in your pack and less waste in the wild. Plus, they’ll make your gourmet meals feel that much more special.

Final Bite

While burn bans mean no campfires, they don’t have to mean cold sandwiches, either. With some planning and a few creative swaps, you can make campsite meals that feel gourmet. After all, the real joy of camping isn’t just a campfire, it’s slowing down, savoring good food, enjoying time with family and friends, and soaking up the Arkansas outdoors.

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped bell pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.

Add garlic and spices and cook an additional minute.

Pour the can of tomatoes and juice into the pan and break down the tomatoes using a large spoon. Season with salt and pepper and bring the sauce to a simmer.

Use your large spoon to make small wells in the sauce and crack the eggs into each well. Cook the eggs for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your liking. You can also cover the pan with a lid to expedite the eggs cooking.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and parsley before serving.

Before you pack up, check the burn bans here.

CALEB PATTON

El Dorado

BLIND AMBITION

STREAMLINED DESIGN AND METICULOUS CRAFTMANSHIP ELEVATE LOCALLY MADE DEER BLINDS.

By MATT McNAIR

“I’m big on anything made in Arkansas,” says William Dismang, owner and operator of Bull Creek Outdoors, the company he started with his wife, Cynthia, back in 2014. He says this sitting in his office at the Bull Creek Outdoors headquarters, which occupies a few acres just west of U.S. Highway 167 in Beebe and includes a storefront, metal fabrication shop, and a sales lot filled with all manner of heavy equipment, of which the most prominent example is a fleet of zero-turn mowers in the unmistakeable blazing-hot orange of Bad Boy, Inc., out of Batesville. Rattling off several other Arkansas companies that fill out the BCO sales-and-rental inventory, Dismang does cop to carrying watercraft designed and manufactured by CustomBilt Pondtoons, an outfit based

in Geneva, Alabama. Not Arkansas, certainly, but the boat — a hybrid affair that answers the question “What if you could duck hunt from a pontoon boat?” as well as its inverse — is sturdy and well-made, and since not everything can be made in Arkansas, William goes out of his way to make sure anything he imports is “at least made in the U.S.”

Dismang knows what he’s talking about when he talks about “made in Arkansas,” as Bull Creek Outfitters didn’t start off as an equipment company selling Arkansas-made wares, but as a metal fabrication shop doing the waremaking. Or the ware-welding, at least, the shop’s primary line being to weld and install industrial-scale HVAC infrastructure. It was a successful venture, but as any tradesman will tell

you, that kind of work is subject to a slowdown in wintertime; bill collectors and mortgage companies, on the other hand, are notoriously indifferent to the otherwise-inviolate laws of weather and physics, and so the enterprising foreman has need to sharpen his pencil and figure out a way to keep a crew employed, paid, and intact.

Dismang’s sharpened pencil ended up producing a deer blind, one that could be completely fabricated in his own shop. With keeping the crew busy during winter the ultimate goal of the project, Dismang sums up the design goal in one word: “streamlined.”

The result of the design is a deer blind that can be shipped and installed, as well as broken down and moved from one spot to the next, with relative ease. The result

Bull Creek deer blinds give hunters a bird's eye view.

“I’m

of the project in its entirety, though, was a shift in focus at Bull Creek, as what started out as an off-season side project became a primary driver for the business. The blinds caught on, keeping the Bull Creek crew busy far beyond the lull of wintertime and proving a better use of their time all year round.

Besides being a pretty snazzy-looking deer blind, the appeal of a BCO blind lies in the innovative design. To realize his goal of streamlining the installation of a free-standing deer blind, Dismang designed his to to be collapsible, with the customer able to haul off the blind of their choice — Bull Creek blinds come in multiple heights and sizes, and also offer varying ladder setups for hunters that might need a little more stability on the climb up — without the cabin scraping the sky and catching the wind on the way home or to the hunting spot. Once there, the whole thing goes up with nary a nut, bolt, or screw, relying instead on a system of pins and cables to hinge and tighten the structure, with metal anchors hammered into the ground to secure the legs.

It should be noted that the one very substantial tool one needs in order to install a BCO blind is a front-loading tractor equipped with forks, which is required to lift the cabin to its full height and allow the legs and understructure to unfold underneath the cabin. Presuming one has a tractor, though, it’s reasonable to expect a fairly handy hunter to complete the entire setup operation in less time than it takes to skin a deer.

If you don’t have a tractor, though, don’t worry: Bull Creek Outdoors is now offering a free-standing blind built onto its own trailer. What a hunter gives up in vertical stealth with the BCO “blind trailer” they’ll gain in mobility, able to haul the ready-to-go blind from one spot to another between the morning the evening hunt.

With BCO deer blinds growing in popularity, William and Cynthia

took the opportunity to purchase the property on which BCO now sits and expand the business to include the storefront, equipment sales, and equipment rentals. At the same time the Dismangs’ business was growing, Dismang had some conversations with his friend, an employee of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission working on the growing feral hog problem in The Natural State; he mentioned that the hog traps being used at the time by the AGFC weren’t up to the task. Sharpening up his pencil once again, Dismang set out to design a better hog trap. The results speak for themselves, as not only the AGFC, but also wildlife agencies in several other hog-plagued states have adopted the BCO rig; between government contracts and private landowners dealing with their own feral hog populations, the BCO shop is turning out hog traps and deer blinds apace.

It’s worth noting that all of BCO’s stands and traps are made on-site, here in Arkansas, by a crew of local craftsmen that are in turn realizing the design of a local craftsman. Worth noting as well is that Dismang is much quicker to talk about his crew than he is himself, and just as quick to point out the many products from Arkansas factories on his lot as the blinds and traps he designs himself. Employing more than a dozen local craftsmen in the same town where they started their fabrication shop just more than a decade ago, William and Cynthia Dismang are pretty good examples of what can be done when folks apply their craft and stick to their principles.

If you’d like to see one of the BCO deer blinds in person right where they’re made, the address is 1100 Access Road, Beebe, AR 72012. Take a virtual look and watch a video of a blind being installed at bullcreekblinds.com, or check out the full gamut of equipment sales and rentals at bullcreekoutdoors.com.

WFALLING FOR FESTIVALS

FALL 2025 FAIR AND FESTIVAL PRIMER. EVENTS

hy “Primer” and not “Guide”? Because this time of year is peak festival time, and we don’t have enough column inches to list every fair, festival, fundraiser, fling, and funtime free-for-all to be found during the fall around here. Too many festivals is a good problem to have, but have it we do, and so CliffsNotes it is.

Along with festivals explicitly concerned with the out-of-doors, folklife festivals and traditional fairs made the roundup. And while there are no haunted houses listed, there are a couple of Halloweenadjacent events we couldn’t pass up, given the time of year. So use this non-exhaustive list as a jumpingoff point and hit every festival you can this fall!

SPOOKY STUFF

Ouachita Bigfoot Festival & Conference — Oct. 10-11

The Blue Zipline and Farm, 142 Polk Road 185, Mena

Eureka Springs Zombie Crawl — Oct. 25

Downtown Eureka Springs

Festival of Darkness — Oct. 25 (5-9p.m.)

Little Rock (Lost 40 Brewery)

FALLING FOR AUTUMN

Mena Falling Leaves Festival — Oct. 18 (10a.m.-5p.m.)

Janssen Park, Mena

Lake Chicot Fall Festival — Oct. 24 - 25

Lake Village

FOLKLIFE

Paris Frontier Day — Oct. 4

Downtown Paris

Caddo Gap Heritage Day — Oct. 4 (9a.m.-4p.m.)

35 Vaught St., Caddo Gap

11th Annual Mountain Man Rendezvous — Oct. 11 - 12

Oxley (Crown Mountain Canvas)

Bean Fest and Championship Outhouse Races — Oct. 24-25

Mountain View

Plainview Frontier Day — Oct. 25 (10a.m.-8p.m.)

Downtown Plainview

Ozark Moonshine and Music Festival — Nov. 1

Van Buren County Fairgrounds (Clinton)

Buck Fever Festival — Nov. 7-9

Banks

NATURAL RESOURCES

Sheridan Timberfest — Oct. 3-4

Downtown Sheridan

Manchester Pumpkin Day — Oct. 4 (9a.m.-2p.m.) 1216 Manchester Road, Arkadelphia

Arkansas Goat Festival — Oct. 4

Perryville

Turkey Trot — Oct. 10-11

Yellville

Mt. Ida Gem, Mineral, and Craft Show — Oct. 10 - 12 1210 Hwy 270E, Mt. Ida

Mt. Ida Sorghum Festival — Oct. 11 819 Luzerne St., Mt. Ida

Gurdon Forest Festival — Oct. 25

Downtown Gurdon

STATE AND COUNTY FAIRS

Arkansas State Fair — Oct. 10-19

Little Rock

Southwest District Livestock Show — Sept. 30-Oct. 4

Hempstead County Fairgrounds (Hope)

Drew County Fair — Oct. 15-18

Monticello

Lincoln County Fair — Oct. 15-18

Star City

Arkansas Goat Festival

NATURE'S PASSPORT

Falling for Mena

ARKANSAS'S LEAF-GAZING

CAPITAL HAS PLENTY TO OFFER ALL YEAR 'ROUND.

By MATT McNAIR

Any excursion into the out-of-doors takes at least a little bit of preparation, and most of them, even the relatively minor ones, take more than a little. Depending on what you might be getting up to, there might be gear to gather, shuttles to set, licenses to buy, meals to prep, and so on and so forth right up to the moment you get out the door. And you’ve most likely had at least one eye on the latest weather forecast the entire time, as a shift in the weather might shift your gear list a little or quite a lot, and perhaps torpedo the whole affair before you even get out of town.

There is, however, one outdoor pursuit that is for the most part insulated from these concerns and therefore lends itself to a bit of spontaneity: sightseeing. And it just so happens that the time of year when a little leisurely drive to take in the sights is upon us, as the long and sweltering days shorten and cool and bleed off into the liminal space of autumn, and the vast canopies of Arkansas’s forests — upland and lowland, from ridgetop to Delta and everywhere in between — trade the verdant green of summertime for the motley calico-checked palette of a southeastern fall. While toodling along the highways and byways just looking at the pretty leaves (passengers only, please, we’d ask the driver to mind the road till arriving at one of our state’s many fine overlooks or turnouts or hidey-hole parking spots) might not pack the punch, adventure-wise, of a backcountry trek or a screaming downhill run on a Trek, it’s still fun, and unlike the white-knuckle big-trip stuff, one can just wake up in the morning and decide, yeah, sure, let’s go ramble around and look at some leaves. That’s just about all the prep a body needs to do.

That being said, it never hurts to do a little bit of preparation before setting out, even when it’s not strictly necessary. To that end, we did a little route-scouting with a mind toward taking in some leisurely sights once the leaves really get to putting on a show. For a few different reasons, we lit out of the capital city toward a perennial favorite of leaf-watching Arkansawyers: Mena.

The view from Rich Mountain in Queen Wilhelmina State Park is worth the drive.

MENA

Mena, the Polk County seat, is nestled at the base of Rich Mountain and is the gateway to Queen Wilhelmina State Park, which is accessed via winding road through a section of the Ouachita National Forest. While a very small town by the standards of the wide world, it boasts a robust population as Arkansas towns go, and as the only major town on Highway 71 between DeQueen and Fort Smith (and the only one west of Mt. Ida on US 270), Mena’s service area is that of a town several times its size. Founded as a railroad town in the late 19th century, Mena, like a lot of little hamlets, hasn’t changed too awful much over the last 130 years or so. The primary thing one needs to prepare for around town, big-picture wise, is the town’s original raison d’etre: the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf Railroad (now the Kansas City Southern), which still runs through the middle of town and still carries long, slow-moving trains that will hem a commuter up for several long and loud minutes if they don’t time it right.

That’s all likely to change though, and soon, as The Trails at Mena — a long-gestating project that aims to construct a mountain bike park and trails complex at the base of Rich Mountain, provide a bicycle trail from the park to Queen Wilhelmina State Park through the Ouachita National Forest, and install miles of singletrack downhill trails along with lift-assist gondolas in between — has underwent a NEPA review and been granted, via Arkansas State Parks, a special use permit by the federal government. Now well into the planning stage and with significant backing, both financial and political, The Trails at Mena project looks to be an inevitability, and upon completion will certainly position the city of Mena as the next major destination for mountain bike tourism in Arkansas, likely the larger Ark-La-Tex region, and quite possibly the rest of the country. While the city, led by Mayor Seth Smith, is preparing for an expected influx of people — massive in the case of bicycle tourists, and not insignificant in the case of new permanent residents — folks that have visited the little leaf hamlet to admire the foliage in the past should probably head up there one more time, and pretty soon, as no matter how positive the changes to come might be, the town of Mena is about to change just as sure as the breathtaking sea of treetops that surround it change every autumn.

QUEEN WILHELMINA STATE PARK

Queen Wilhelmina State Park gets its own heading just because a part of it could go in every single one of the sections below. One of four or five parks in the Arkansas State Parks system with a legitimate claim to the title of “Crown Jewel,” QWSP should be on the bucket list of any serious Natural State leaf gazer. Perched on the summit of Rich Mountain (elev. 2,861ft.), the park’s lodge offers posh hotel-style accommodations, a restaurant and gift shop, and one heckuva of a back porch, the latter of which looks out over the south side of the mountain in all its canopied glory, providing the perfect perch for luxurious leaf-gazing.

There are also RV and tent campsites at QWSP, along with numerous hiking trails crisscrossing the park’s 460 acres. Reserve lodging and get information at www.arkansasstateparks.com/ queen-wilhelmina.

Did you know?

You can visit a 1920s-era railroad depot downtown, a reminder of Mena's founding as a railroad town.

Talimena Scenic Drive

Queen Wilhelmina State Park

Caney Creek Wilderness

WHERE TO STAY

As noted above, QWSP offers both lodging and camping, and if you want to actually rough it, dispersed camping is allowed in Ouachita National Forest. If, however, you like your leaf-gazing and sleeping done separately, there are a few places in Mena that can accommodate you. Although you’ll not find a national chain just yet (the arrival of which is a goal of Mayor Smith’s, who says the prospect is looking good but is without a firm timeline), the Sun Country Inn feels like one, and has a pool to boot. For slightly more eclectic digs, check out retro-chic motorcourt BeBoppers Inn.

WHERE TO EAT

Fuel up for a long day of traversing Rich Mountain and looking for leaves with a classic diner-style breakfast at Skyline Cafe , a downtown Mena staple for just shy of 105 years. (Make sure you’ve got your foldin’ money, though … they’ve never even accepted checks at Skyline, much less imaginary phone-money.) After a productive morning of taking in the scenery, grab a light lunch and appreciate the work of local artists at American Artisans Eatery and Gallery, then finish up with wings and a local beer at The Ouachitas tap room and coffee bar.

WHERE TO SHOP

Along with a burst of color and a blast of (hopefully) cool air, the bleeding edge of fall brings with it a reminder that, indeed, all things must pass from this corporeal realm. What it does not bring is any certainty that’s the end of it all, and indeed, it is in the fall of the year that many cultures — ours included — have a creeping sense that the other, non-corporeal world might be closer than we think, and along with that a whole host of possibilities emerge from the calico ether. Embrace that feeling or ward it off — or maybe a little bit of both — at Little Shop of Hoarders, one of Mena’s newest businesses and the only one that will guarantee of its stock, in writing, that “most items probably aren’t haunted.”

WHAT TO DO

If the Little Shop of Hoarders whets your appetite for the more mysterious side of autumn, consider a visit to the Board Camp Crystal Mine (just southeast of town on AR-8), which along with crystals has a reputation of phenomena that defy conventional explanations. If it's gravity you'd rather defy, The Blue Zipline Farm has you covered. And if the trails at Queen Wilhelmina are a little too manicured for your taste, the Caney Creek Wilderness Area offers ruged trails over challenging terrain that can be accessed just 25 miles south of your cozy Mena hotel room. It also has crystals, for those with an inclination to seek those things (no explanation necessary). Whatever your inclination, though, it is imperative to make a reservation before going, as they are required.

WHICH TO-DO TO GO TO

If one is going to prepare a trip dedicated to leaf-peeping, one might as well go ahead and plan to be in Arkansas’s leaf-peeping capital the one weekend a year given over — entirely, officially — to just that pursuit, and hit up the Mena Falling Leaves Festival. Held this year on November 15th and 16th, the festival takes place in Janssen Park and, while the only festival we are aware of dedicated solely to the appreciation of Autumn’s crunchy firecracker show, is just one of many fine festivals, events, and gatherings taking place all across the Natural State this Fall. You can find a (non-exhaustive) list on page 23.

Skyline Cafe

Be-Boppers Inn

The Blue Zipline and Farm

• Explore the nation’s largest blackland prairie • Hunting, fishing & boating on two lakes • Birding, hiking, butterflies & wildflowers • Shotgun & 3-D archery ranges

• Group lodging & classroom space available

THE 2025

Fall Hunting Guide

BY MATT McNAIR

If we’re leaving the calendar out of it and going by the mercury alone, it would seem the Arkansas summertime is not too keen on a timely changing of the seasonal guard — it was still blazing hot outside when this issue was hot off the press — but fall is fast approaching nonetheless, and Arkansas Wild is determined to do our part to elbow summer off the stage and let autumn get its turn in the spotlight.

And since nothing primes the pump for fall in these parts quite like seeing hunting season on the horizon, we’re pleased to present the 2025 Arkansas Wild Fall Hunting Guide. In the following pages you’ll find everything you need to whet your appetite for another season in the woods, from a listing of public shooting ranges for getting your favorite boom-stick or smoke-pole tuned up and ready to go, to a few hunting stories to get your yarn-spinning muscles limbered up.

Hang in there … it’ll be Opening Day before you know it!

Range Guide

Hunting is a hobby that comes packaged with more than a few chores, lots of little things that aren’t all that much fun, but that must be done to ensure the hunt itself is fun.

But there’s one hunting-related chore that barely counts as a chore at all, that qualifies as unmitigated fun: pulling out that prized, trusty old deer rifle and running a few cartridges through it before opening day. If it’s still shooting true from last season, put it back for a couple more weeks and save on ammo; if it’s not, get to tweaking the sights or dialing the scope till it’s back to driving tacks. Ammo might be expensive, but a spot-on rifle is priceless come Opening Day, and target shooting is fun anyway.

If you think you don’t have a good spot to go shoot, you’re probably wrong, as in Arkansas we’re blessed with a number of public shooting ranges, all of them either free to use or nearly so, and designed for both hunters and recreational shooters. (And generally surrounded by plenty of other things to do, so if you’re a shooter and your spouse or your buddy or whoever isn’t, pick a range close to an activity that person does like and bring’ em along.) If you’re aiming to shoot, we’ve put together the following guide to get you started.

Different ranges, different experiences

For the purposes of this guide, we’ll be looking at public shooting ranges operated by two public agencies: the USDA Forest Service (USFS) and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). While there are scores of gun ranges across the state that are open to the public, the ones operated by the USFS and AGFC are truly public ranges, in that anyone may use them at any

time they are in operation so long as the visitor obeys the rules. While there is a price of admission at AGFC ranges, the fee is minimal; USFS ranges do not charge a fee. AGFC ranges have varying hours of operation; USFS ranges are open from sunup to sundown, 365 days a year unless closed for maintenance. Other particulars of each kind of range are discussed below.

Additionally, this guide provides directions for getting to each range. Please note, however, that where each range is located, the kind of place that “where” happens to be and — crucially — how one goes about getting there varies widely from range to range. For example, several AGFC ranges are inside an incorporated municipality, and therefore have a straightforward address that can be plugged into mapping software or easily found on a basic city or county map. Some USFS ranges, on the other hand, are far enough off the beaten path that step-by-step directions begin to sound like an old Andy Griffith routine. In the case of the former,

Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Nature Center

“I never really grew up hunting,” says Zach Foster, recounting what is actually a pretty good hunting story, “just a few times with my dad. Squirrels and stuff. But I enjoyed rifles and I enjoyed shooting, and I knew how to shoot.”

CRASH COURSE WILD TALES

Zach grew up in and around Pocahontas, and spent a lot of time on the family farm outside of town. Like most farm kids, he grew up shooting and, while not a serious hunter, was immersed in hunting culture. So even though he didn’t really worry about not having ever killed a deer, it was still something he thought about from time to time.

“I wanted to experience that,” he says of what is, after all, a rite of passage for a great many kids from rural Arkansas.

As the years wore on, it was that connection to his Randolph County roots far more than runof-the-mill bloodlust or bragging rights that kept the idea of bagging a deer floating around the edges of Zach’s mind, and that desire to feel tethered to family and tradition also dictated what firearm he would use: a Remington 700 chambered in .243 that had been passed down to him from his grandfather, and the very same gun with which Zach’s father had killed his first deer. More than the kill itself, it was the rifle, and the family history it represented, that was the whole shooting match; bragging rights and rites of passage were just the gravy on the venison steak.

Fast forward to November 2019. Zach is 30 years old, has been married for six months, and still has zero deer to his (or the old Remington’s) credit. Being a newlywed, finally bagging that deer was not very high on Zach’s list of priorities, but an invitation to deer camp from Terry Gambill, Zach’s father-in-law, moved it to the front of the line.

There’s a lot that has to happen between getting an invite to deer camp and getting a deer, though, and when you get that invite from your brand-new father-in-law and you get it as a 30-year-old man without a lot of hunting experience — and who is not just on a hunt, but on a quest — well, that makes for a pressurecooker of a deer hunt.

Given the choice between a solo or double stand, Zach opted to share one with Terry, figuring that between knowing what to shoot — big deer camps tend to have rules regarding which deer can be harvested, and those rules aren’t generally covered in the AGFC guidebook — and plain old gratitude for the invite, he should spend some quality time with his new father-in-law.

The former quickly came in handy, as a young 8-point — usually a shooter, especially for a first deer — stepped out and Terry identified it as “one of the ones we’re gonna wait on.”

The latter had already come into play, although Zach didn’t know it yet.

“When I chambered the Remington after getting in the stand,” says Zach, “I did it slowly and tried to be quiet.” Unbeknownst to Zach, he hadn’t fully seated the cartridge, and he still didn’t know it when — late into the day, shooting light nearly gone and with nary a deer to be seen since the verboten 8-point — another buck, a tall

10-point, stepped into the lane and Zach pulled the Remington up, sighted in, and asked the all-important question:

“Can I take it?”

“Yeah, take it.”

*click*

Not realizing the misfire’s cause, Zach threw the bolt to feed the chamber, which resulted in a double-feed with the previous, unseated cartridge. With time running out to clear the chamber, reload, and shoot, Zach quickly reached underneath the Remington and flipped open the floorplate, emptying the magazine and clearing the double-feed.

And also, of course, sending a rain of metal shells onto the floor of a metal stand, each one a tinny bombblast in the ears of a hunter wracked with buck fever. The deer heard it too, and was starting to ease back into the woods.

The noise also alerted Terry, who’d been glassing the buck through binoculars, and he quickly handed over his rifle to Zach, who hesitated for just a moment with the empty Remington — the gun he wanted to shoot — still in hand; but that moment passed, and in the next he let fly a good shot, 200 yards through the lung even as the buck turned and headed for the woods, and he had his first deer.

“I really wish I could have gotten him with the Remington,” he says, acknowledging that something he'd wanted for so long didn't happen exactly the way he'd imagined. It doesn’t bother him though, as the intervening years have brought the old Remington’s next owner into the world — Zach’s own son, Jack — and there’s talk of someone on the way that might be in line for Terry’s BLR. At the end of the day, the Remington played its part and Zach’s just fine with it.

“All in all,” he says, it’s just as good of a story.”

Zach Foster had to do some fancy rifle-work to bag his first deer.

SOCK IT TO 'Em WILD TALES

It was late fall and the sun was setting earlier, and the long evenings were fertile ground for exaggerated hunting stories told around the wood stove (or the living room heating vent, whatever the case may be). I was finishing up my last year of college, living with my longtime — and long-winded — hunting buddy, and he was in fine form telling me, yet again, how the squirrels in Marion County were “the size of house cats” and that we needed to take a trip up to his parents’ house and hunt some plus-sized squirrels. At this point, I had known the guy for many years and have to say he had been known to embellish a story if it kept the company entertained, especially after a frothy barley pop or two. But he’s got the personality and wit that can make a good time out of sitting on the porch watching a mud puddle dry up, so I figured I’d take him up on it, monster squirrels or not.

Matt Reynolds, admiring his handiwork and dreaming of wool socks.

The weatherman was calling for snow that afternoon, and we set off for Marion County from Fayetteville under a foreboding sky. But being young men full of bravado (and possibly other things best not to mention in polite company), we packed our gear and headed into the teeth of what was about to shape up as a pretty nasty winter storm; the snow started to fall before we hit Harrison, and there was a good inch on the ground when we arrived at my buddy’s folks’ place in Bruno.

If you don’t know where Bruno is, that makes sense; you can’t hardly get there from here. My friend’s dad is a classic country guy who does not suffer fools lightly, and to make matters worse, he has perfect comic timing and a knack for poking fun at

young men trying to hunt squirrels in, as he noted with great disdain, “a blizzard.” His mother had cooked us a delicious lunch and was also kindly suggesting that we wait for the snow and wind to settle down to hunt. I was beginning to feel that maybe we were being foolish (also, she was promising homemade cookies to hunters that listened to reason) but sometimes it’s hard to turn a ship around after you’ve set your sails. As we were watching the snow and wind whip around and get heavier and heavier, his dad was chatting with a friend on the phone and loudly stated, “Storm like this, those boys would have better luck finding squirrels with a chainsaw.”

To make it look even more like amateur hour in front of his parents, I had forgotten my cold-weather socks, and all I had was a pair of short thin cotton dress socks. His father and mother got wind of this and offered a pair of thick wool socks, but I puffed out my prideful chest and insisted that I did not need any socks and that I, instead, needed to teach myself a lesson about being prepared. Today, being older and wiser, I would gladly take those wool socks, but at the time I had fed the data into my dimwit calculator and it concluded that I would look tougher taking the thin-sock route, and earn some respect.

In hindsight, I looked like a nincompoop, but in those days I just wasn’t in the advicetaking business and my hosts hadn’t got the memo. Socks and snow be damned, and without further ado, the hunt was on!

I will give us a little credit though: Our bullheaded persistence paid off. We bagged squirrel after squirrel as we wound our way through the forest and down the mountain toward Tomahawk Creek. We were having so much success that I almost forgot how numb my toes were. Almost. We had just about reached our bag limit of nice-sized — but definitely not house cat-sized — squirrels when my buddy spotted something huge in the very top of a big oak tree. No lie here, it was quite literally the largest squirrel I had ever seen. If we were gathered around a campfire, my buddy would give you a specific number (probably inflated, the guy’s incorrigible), but all I know is it is the largest squirrel I have ever seen before or after that day. In fact, I wasn’t sure my .22 was going to take it down. So, my roommate suggested we count to three and shoot at the same time. Our timing was impeccable and our hunt concluded. The squirrel dumplings never tasted so good, nor were the stories so tall as they were that night sitting around the fireplace with warm toes.

If I had to offer any advice as you all set out to hunt this fall, I’d leave you with this: If someone tells tall tales of unbelievably large-sized animals to hunt, you should take them up on it. And if someone offers you wool socks in a blizzard, take them, put them on your feet, and say thank you. —Matt Reynolds

A FEW NECESSITIES TO GET YOUR SEASON GOING:

BAG THAT BUCK

Take advantage of the new Alternative Firearms season while retaining the one-and-done challenge of muzzleloading with this single-shot rifle chambered in .350 Legend from Henry.

Blowin' smoke

Muzzleloading rifles are still allowed during Alternative Firearms season, so if you want to keep rolling smoke this October head to your local gun shop and pick up a black powder beauty like the CVA Optima V2.

Right on Target

Not only will you need to bring your own targets to any Forest Service gun range, you'll need something to hang them on, too. Take care of both at the same time with this portable target setup from BassPro Shops.

No WIFI Needed

Navigate the backcountry analog-style using an Arkansas Gazetteer from DeLorme. It never loses signal, never needs charging, and can be found locally at Ozark Outdoor Supply.

this guide will provide the street address and leave it with that. In the case of the latter, the guide will present the directions in a way we hope provides the most useful — and easy to use — information. In both cases and everything in between, the aspiring recreational shooter should always consult the relevant website and/or agency before heading out.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Ranges

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission operates 10 shooting ranges in 10 counties, and while there are two in Central Arkansas relatively close together, the otherwise wide distribution of AGFC ranges ensures that no one needs to drive halfway across the state to use one.

Along with proximity, most AGFC ranges provide a more varied and structured recreational experience than do their USFS counterparts. Additionally, AGFC ranges are staffed with at least one Range Safety Officer during open hours (the only exception is Jack Cox Scatter Creek Firing Range in Paragould) to provide security, make sure all users observe gun safety protocols, and enforce the rules of the range. Generally Range Safety Officers are all trained firearms professionals as well, and are available (as other duties allow) to assist patrons who are new to shooting or might otherwise need a little extra help or a few pointers. AGFC ranges also provide amenities such as handicap access, restrooms, and running water, which makes them an ideal place for folks who’d like to shoot some rounds without fore going modern conveniences. The relative comfort of an AGFC range might also sweeten the pot for our hypothetical nonshooting companion. All guests will be required to follow the same rules and safety protocols whether or not they choose to participate in a shooting activity.

As noted above, manned AGFC ranges do charge a small fee for entry, but along with entry to the range the fee covers two

Duck, Duck, Dads WILD TALES

The five of us have been duck hunting together since our college years at Arkansas Tech University. We could never agree on what to call our hunting group, so we became the No Name Duck Club. We have a few different spots we lease that make our hunts a little easier. Now that we have kids, we take them on a couple of hunts during the week after Christmas.

The first time we did this, we had five boys, ages 5 to 12. That first year was an experiment in patience for everyone! Waking up five boys at 5 a.m. and getting them dressed for the cold weather was a very “A Christmas Story ”-esque experience all on its own, and when we finally got them fully layered-up and out the door, it was on to another cold, wet adventure as the younger ones had to be carried through the mud of a flooded soybean field from the UTV to the blind.

Once there, they got to see the birds fly, but they knew to hide their faces once the duck calls were sounding off. That was good, but the best was watching them as they watched the dog retrieve the bounty brought down from the sky by smoking shotgun barrels. A short 45 minutes after the hunt started, the boys discovered that we were out of honey buns and hot chocolate, and once the first one said “I’m cold” it ran through the lot of them, and they were all the coldest they’ve ever been in their lives. That meant that the hunt was suddenly over, but for us the “fun” of picking them up, one by one, and trudging back to the UTVs began again. Back at the camper, they shed layers of warm clothing to get ready for the next adventure: a real breakfast and then a trip to Mack’s Prairie Wings in Stuttgart. —Michael Keener

SPECIAL YOUTH HUNTS: TURKEY

YOUTH HUNT

Zones 1, 1A, 2, 2A: April 11-12.

Zone 3: Closed.

BEAR

SPECIAL YOUTH

MODERN GUN HUNT

Zones 1, 2: Nov. 1-2. Zones 3, 4, 5, 5A, 6, 7: Closed.

DEER

SPECIAL YOUTH HUNT

Nov. 1-2 and Jan. 3-4 (statewide except WMAs closed during modern gun deer season).

HUNTS (permit required) Oct. 4-5 and Oct. 25-26.

Griffin Fisher, Will Keener, Jett Fisher, Paul Styles still get together with their dads yearly to hunt.

2025-26 Hunting Season

DEER

EARLY BUCK ARCHERY HUNT

Sept. 6-8 (statewide).

ARCHERY

Sept. 27-Feb. 28 (statewide).

ALTERNATIVE FIREARMS

(FORMERLY MUZZLELOADER)

Zones 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11: Oct. 18-26 and Dec. 13-15. Zones 4A, 5A, 14, 15: Oct. 18-26 and Dec. 20-22.

Zones 9, 12, 13, 16, 16A, 17: Oct. 18-26.

MODERN GUN

Zones 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11: Nov. 8-30.

Zones 4, 5: Nov. 8-16. Zones 4A, 5A, 14, 15: Nov. 8-Dec. 7. Zones 9, 12, 13: Nov. 8-Dec. 14. Zones 16, 16A, 17: Nov. 8-Dec. 25.

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY HUNT

Dec. 26-28 (statewide except WMAs closed during modern gun deer season).

WMA PERMIT APPLICATION

June 1-July 1.

ELK

PUBLIC LAND (permit required)

Zones 1, 2, 3, 4 – Oct. 6-10 and Oct. 27-31.

PUBLIC LAND YOUTH HUNTS (permit required)

Oct. 4-5 and Oct. 25-26.

PRIVATE LAND (permit required)

Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Searcy counties: Oct. 6-10 and Oct. 27-31.

STATEWIDE

Elk found outside of Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Searcy counties may be taken during deer season with weapon legal for that season.

PUBLIC LAND PERMIT APPLICATION

May 1-June 1.

complimentary paper targets and the rental of ear and eye protection (you can bring your own, but wearing both is required either way). Other accessories, such as spotting scopes, are available to rent but users must pay a separate rental fee for those.

There are no firearms for rent. You need to bring your own.

Also — this is important! — DO NOT BRING A LOADED FIREARM TO ANY AGFC RANGE . All firearms must be unloaded until the shooter has been assigned a shooting station and arrived at same. It’s important to note that a firearm is considered loaded if even one shell or cartridge is inside the magazine.

While there are general rules that apply to all AGFC shooting facilities, fee structures, hours of operation, and other activity-specific regulations may vary, so it’s imperative to review the particulars of your chosen range before you go. Access information for each AGFC range at www.agfc.com/things-to-do/shooting-archery-ranges/.

Fiocchi Shooting Sports Complex

574 Clinton Road, Conway, AR 72032

Often referred to as “the Mayflower range,” the Fiocchi facility is one of the AGFC’s premier ranges, with 200-yard rifle lanes, 50-yard pistol lanes, shotgun fields equipped for both skeet and trap shooting, and an archery range.

Jack Cox Scatter Creek Firing Range

Greene County (no address)

Closer in spirit to its USFS counterparts, the Jack Cox Scatter Creek Firing Range is unmanned and therefore without the amenities common to many other AGFC ranges. This includes hearing and eye protection, as well as targets, so remember to bring your own. And while the website indicates there are target holders on the site, it’s a good idea to always bring your own target holders to any unmanned range.

From Paragould, go north on AR-135 for about 5 miles and turn west on AR-34 for approximately 3 1/2 miles. When you see the sign for William E. Brewer Scatter Creek Wildlife Management Area, take a right. The range should be about a mile from the turnoff.

Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Nature Center Shotgun Range

1685 CR35N, Columbus, AR 71831

Located in the Grandview Prairie Wildlife Management Area, this range is for shotguns only, with one field dedicated to trap shooting and two more for both trap and skeet.

Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center Range

851 Conservation Lane, Yellville, AR 72687

Come for the 3D archery range, stay for the world-class smallmouth fishing on Crooked Creek, or take a stroll along its banks using the system of nature trails.

Potlatch Cook’s Lake Nature Center Range

625 Cooks Lake Road, Casscoe, AR 72026

501-404-2321

While recreational shooting is available, Cook’s Lake Nature Center is an educational facility and may be closed to the public at certain times, and reservations may be required for admission. Call before you go.

Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex 2800 Graham Road, Jacksonville, AR 72076

501-241-2441

A multi-use complex with an education center and clubhouse to go with 14 shotgun fields, a stocked fishing pond, and a 3D archery range.

Paul H. “Rocky” Willmuth Sport Shooting Complex

3600 N. St. Louis Street, Batesville, AR 72501

If it’s too rainy to use the archery ranges and shotgun fields, head inside and practice on a virtual clay shooting simulator.

Jonesboro Shooting Sports Complex

3702 Moore Road, Jonesboro, AR 72401, 870-933-4604

Enjoy pistol, rifle, skeet, trap, and archery shooting right in the middle of Red Wolves country.

Warren Shooting Sports Complex

323 Bradley County Road 38, Warren, AR 71671, 870-820-1428

Accommodates pistol, rifle, skeet, trap, and archery practice.

J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center

3400 N. 40th St., Springdale, AR 72762

833-356-0847

A 12-lane 3D archery range and an indoor airgun range complement this immersive nature center.

United States Forest Service

Remember, USFS ranges are largely lacking in amenities — none of them have potable water, and the few that have restrooms are equipped with either a vault or portable toilet. Maintenance issues for such facilities may not be immediately reported. They are also unstaffed, so users should not expect a ranger or other USFS employee to be on-site. Users that prefer an experience that include amenities and on-site safety personnel should consider visiting an AGFC range.

Pleasant Hill Shooting Range

Labeled “Johnson County Public Shooting Range” on Google Maps. To get there, follow AR-21 north from Clarksville to the edge of the national forest and take a right onto Forest Service Road 1471. The range is just a few hundred yards from the turnoff.

Shelton Point Shooting Range

From Arkansas Highway 7, head west on AR-16 (15 miles south of Jasper, 50 miles north of I-40 at Russellville), take Newton County Road 8766 and head 4 miles to FS 2202D. The range will be about a mile from the turnoff.

Sylamore Shooting Range

This range boasts a covered shooting area with 12 rifle benches as well as a dedicated pistol range. It’s directly off AR-5, 15 miles north of Mountain View and 8 miles south of Calico Rock.

Ouachita National Forest

The oldest national forest in the southern United States (designated in December 1907), the Ouachita National Forest stretches across nearly 1.8 million acres of (mostly) Arkansas and (a relative smidge of) Oklahoma. That massive acreage includes the bulk of the Ouachita Mountains and six designated wilderness areas totaling nearly 70,000 acres, including the newly-expanded Flatside Wilderness Area discussed elsewhere in this issue of Arkansas Wild. The Ouachita National Forest has 11 shooting ranges scattered across several counties, with a mix of very remote facilities and others close to population centers.

NEED YOUR HUNTING LICENSE?

FURBEARERS

Hunting

BEAVER AND NUTRIA

Sunrise Sept. 1-sunset March 31 (day hunting only).

BOBCAT

Sunrise Sept. 1-sunset Feb. 28 and during turkey season (day hunting only).

COYOTE, OPOSSUM, RACCOON AND STRIPED SKUNK Year-round (sunrise to sunset for coyote only).

GRAY FOX, MINK, MUSKRAT AND RED FOX

Sunrise Sept. 1-sunset Feb. 28 (day hunting only).

RIVER OTTER

Sunrise Nov. 8-sunset Feb. 28 (day hunting only).

Trapping

COYOTE

Sunrise Aug. 1-sunset March 31.

BEAVER AND NUTRIA

Sunrise Nov. 8-sunset March 31.

FURBEARERS OTHER THAN BEAVER, COYOTE AND NUTRIA

Sunrise Nov. 8-sunset Feb. 28.

ALLIGATOR

ZONES 1, 2, 3 Sept. 19-22 and Sept. 26-29 (night hunting only; permit required)

PUBLIC LAND PERMIT APPLICATION

July 1-31, 2026.

SQUIRREL

May 15-Feb. 28

RABBIT

Sept. 1-Feb. 28

WHICH HUNTING ZONE ? FOR MORE RULES & REGULATIONS.

BEAR

ARCHERY

Zones 1, 2: Sept. 17-Nov. 30 (Zone 1 closes earlier if quota is reached).

ALTERNATIVE FIREARMS

(FORMERLY MUZZLELOADER)

Zones 1, 2: Oct. 18-26 (Zone 1 closes earlier if quota is reached).

MODERN GUN

Zones 1, 2: Nov. 8-30 (Zone 1 closes earlier if quota is reached).

Zones 3, 4, 5, 5A: Dec. 20-26 (closes earlier if quota is reached).

Zones 6, 7: Closed.

TURKEY

REGULAR SEASON

Zone 1: April 20-May 10.

Zone 1A: April 20-28.

Zone 2: April 13-May 3.

Zone 2A: April 13-21.

Zone 3: April 6-26.

WMA PERMIT APPLICATION

Jan. 15-Feb. 15.

QUAIL

STATEWIDE – Nov. 1-Feb. 1.

BULLFROG

STATEWIDE

June 1-Dec. 31.

CROW

STATEWIDE

Sept. 1-Feb. 21 (Thursday-Monday only).

Acorn Shooting Range

From this issue’s featured leaf-gazing mecca of Mena, take U.S. Highway 71 north, then west onto U.S. Highway 270. In 1 mile take a right onto Forest Service Road 808, travel 2 miles to FS 750 and take a right.

Bear Mountain Shooting Range

From Hot Springs, head west on U.S. Highway 270. Go 1 1/2 miles past the community of Royal, turn right on Garland County Road 98, travel 3 miles and turn left on Forest Service Road 98A. The range will be a mile down the road on the right.

Brushy Hollow Shooting Range

From Waldron, head west on AR-248 (Winfield Road inside the city limit) 5 miles. Go south on Hinkle Dam Road (Scott County Road 32). In 3 miles turn onto Brushy Hollow Road and follow it for 2 miles.

Buck Ridge Shooting Range

From Booneville, take AR-23 south for 3 miles and turn right onto Jack Creek Road. In 5 miles, turn onto Forest Road 522 and follow it to the range.

Jessieville Shooting Range

From Hot Springs, head north on AR-7 toward Jessieville and head west on AR-A298. Just past the Walnut Grove Church, take a left onto Rock Springs Road until it ends, then take a right onto Cedar Fouche Road. In approximately 3 miles, take a left on Rifle Range Road, then a left onto Hackmore Road. The range will be on your right.

Kelly Branch and Kiamichi Shooting Ranges

A forest is no respecter of boundary lines, and since we’re talking about the Ouachita National Forest here, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the ONF does indeed stretch across our western border into eastern Oklahoma, and so if you want to go do some target shooting with our Okie neighbors, you’ve got options in the Kelly Branch and Kiamichi Shooting Ranges. But this being a magazine about Arkansas — it’s right there in the title! — we’re going to suggest you start your journey in The Natural State, and in keeping with this issue’s leaf-gazing theme we’ll point out that Mena is a fine place for lighting out for the Territory. It’s a pretty long haul to Oklahoma just to sight in a rifle, so we suggest making a day of it by taking the long way around via the breathtaking Talimena Scenic Drive.

Oden Shooting Range

From Hot Springs, head west on U.S. Highway 270 to Pencil Bluff. Turn west onto Arkansas 88, travel 6 miles, hang a right onto Oden Rifle Range Road and proceed 1 mile.

Peeler Gap Shooting Range

From Danville, go east on Arkansas Highway 10 and take a right onto Peeler Gap Road for 2 1/2 miles. Range is on the right.

Pigeon Roost Shooting Range

From Glenwood, go northeast on U.S. Highway 70 (back toward Hot Springs), take a left on Pigeon Roost Road, travel a little more than 2 miles, then take a left on County Road 27. The range will be a half-mile down on your right.

Reed Mountain Shooting Range

From Mt. Ida, head north on Arkansas Highway 27 for 4 miles, then left on Forest Service Road 37 for 1 mile, then a right on Forest Service Road W42 for just shy of a mile to find the range. Get your fill of shooting and head back to Mt. Ida for a cheeseburger and shake at the Dairyette east of downtown on U.S. 270.

END OF THE TRAIL

Leveling up

By MATT McNAIR

One of the many, many wonderful aspects of a life spent fooling around in the out-of-doors is the steady accumulation of lots and lots of very cool stuff. I’m no gearhead, but I’m as susceptible to the nerdy allure of a shiny new gizmo — nifty and niche, sure to elicit appreciative ingroup “oohs” and “aahs” on the next canoe float or campout or trip to deer camp — as the next outdoorsman. I think that’s true of just about anyone that spends very much time at all outdoors, especially those that have been doing it for a long time. Not every outdoorsman is a gearhead, in other words, but every outdoorsman loves gear.

That love of gear comes from a fondness for preparation, of getting things together and making sure everything is just so before setting out on any adventure, big or small. Although a lot of this prep can be something of a slog — the less said of setting shuttle, the better — drudgery can quickly give way to a few “oohs” and “ahhs” of one’s own, as the gear comes out and you remember that, oh yeah, I do have one of those, and aha! that’s where I put that thing. The preparation becomes its own little adventure. Not surprising, really, considering how it is a person who is good at gearing up tends to get that way.

The thing about preparing for outdoor pursuits is that you don’t really learn how to do it by finding out what you need and what you need to do, and then getting and doing those things; rather, it’s assuming you’ve got what you need and have done what you need to do, and then getting out there and finding out that you absolutely do not have everything you need, and have most certainly not done everything you need to do.

Now, most of us are fortunate enough to learn these lessons when we’re young, and hardy enough to put up with the manifest discomforts and indignities of ill preparation. And if you’ve an inclination to stick with that kind of pastime, then you’ll likely spend many hours of your young adulthood in the cold and the dark and the wet; and in this condition you will ponder many things, but most especially you will be focusing your intense, misery-whetted powers of concentration on the many items you could have with you, and all the actions you could have taken beforehand, that would have ensured you were warm and dry, and in a well-lit camp.

These lessons are actually learned pretty quickly — an

ill-prepped adventure is a truly phenomenal teaching tool — but for most of us it takes quite a long time to put them all into play.

See, it doesn’t take too many trips going fully off the rails to know in theory how to keep things running smooth, but it generally takes no small measure of time to fully put it into practice. A lot of that theory, for example, works better in the real world when executed with with good gear, and your average outdoor enthusiast will amass quite a store of knowledge about gear before stockpiling enough money to actually buy it. Most of us hone our skills using gear that’s been handed down and cobbled together, a motley kit full of improvisation and compromise. And truth be told, all that pondering and improvising, and all that making-do, probably makes us more skilled in the field. But even so, as the years roll on and we maybe catch a few lucky breaks — a top-notch birthday gift, a pay raise, a providential yard sale find — the gear box gets fuller and better, and that makes us better in the field, too.

And then, in one of life’s many little ironies, we find less and less time to use all that cool stuff as obligations stack and schedules fill, and even sleep and recuperation — things once optional, maybe even a bit disdained — elbow their insistent, incessant way to the front of the line.

The gear box is willing, but the flesh is weak.

But I don’t really see it that way, or at least I see a silver lining to the inexorable march of time and accumulation. This piece started with an appreciation of the stuff we acquire following our chosen pastime through the years, and it’ll end that way, too. Because whether you’ve got kids or your friends have kids, or you’ve got younger pals or a friend of any age thinking they’d like to try something out there like you’ve been doing — and accumulating neat-o whizbang stuff to do it with — for years, you can always lend a hand, lend a tip, maybe lend some gear. And that gives you an excuse to get out that box, unpack it, and remember how much fun you’ve had figuring out what it needed and figuring out how to fill it up. Because the next-best thing to going is having already gone, and the next-best thing to using all that stuff is lending it out.

Don’t give the kids all the best gear, though. They’ll never learn a thing that way.

Illustration by @bumble_bri_artwork