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WMA · Howard County
Caney Creek WMA Hunting, 2026-27
Wildlife management area in Howard County and 3 more counties (WMA zone 120; 85,000 acres).
Photo: JustTooLazy (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Caney Creek WMA
Parking, trailheads and gates near Caney Creek WMA
- Caney Creek EastParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Buckeye TrailParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Blaylock Creek Trail HeadParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.0 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Owner, acres and AGFC district for Caney Creek WMA
For 2026-27, Caney Creek WMA counts as an AGFC wildlife management area. By the 2026-27 guidebook count it covers 85,000 acres in Howard County and 3 other counties. It belongs to AGFC Region 5 (Fort Smith) in the Wildlife Management Division map. U.S. Forest Service is listed beside AGFC on the guidebook entry.
Clear creek running past a mossy rock bluff under green hardwoods, Caney Creek WMA in the Ouachita National ForestPhoto: Richard May (CC BY-SA 2.0)
From lands.json records (Guidebook · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4); acres: 2026-27 AGFC Hunting Guidebook WMA entry ("85,000 acres"). Checked November 9, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Caney Creek WMA
Caney Creek WMA WMA dates, bag and closures
These are WMA dates, not private land zone dates: the Caney Creek WMA entry, zone 120. For ducks and geese on the area, read the Waterfowl Guidebook; its WMA rules are not reproduced on this page. A season missing from the table is not open on the area unless the guidebook says otherwise. The CLOSED line for Caney Creek WMA lists alligator.
| Hunt | When | Paperwork | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer archery | Aug 29–31 Sep 26–Feb 28 | License | One antlered buck |
| Deer alt firearms | Oct 17–25 | License | – |
| Deer gun | Nov 14–Dec 6 Dec 26–28 | License | – |
| Deer gun youth | Nov 7–8 Jan 2–3 | License | – |
| Bear archery | Sep 9–Nov 30 | License | – |
| Bear alt firearms | Oct 17–25 | License | – |
| Bear gun | Nov 14–30 | License | – |
| Bear gun youth | Nov 7–8 | License | – |
| Turkey youth | Apr 10–11 | License | One turkey |
| Turkey | Apr 19–May 9 | License | One turkey |
Deer you may take on Caney Creek WMA
| Count | Deer | Season or weapon |
|---|---|---|
| two | antlered bucks | archery alternative firearms modern gun |
| two | antlerless deer | archery |
| one | antlerless deer | alternative firearms the first two days of modern gun |
- During youth hunt, youths may take two deer, one antlered buck (no antler restrictions) and one antlerless deer
Deer from any WMA add to the same statewide season total of six.
Small print on Caney Creek WMA
- Refer to Page 109 for additional US Forest Service information.
Guidebook p. 72 of the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook (WMA-specific regulations; Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); waterfowl: 2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook. Checked November 9, 2026.
Permit-only hunts parsed for Caney Creek WMA
An animal drawn for on Caney Creek WMA.
Wild turkey gobbler walking through a grassy field at Land Between the LakesPhoto: Russ (CC BY 2.0)
The automatic parse found no dated permit hunt in the Caney Creek WMA entry, which does not prove there are none.
guidebook entry; draw rules. Checked November 9, 2026.
Zone numbers for Caney Creek WMA
On Caney Creek WMA itself, hunters use zone 120, not a private land zone; the table shows the private land zones that surround it. Nonresident dog hunters buy a $100 dog owner permit and are limited to the last nine days of regular modern gun season.
| Zone | Gun windows | Alt windows | Dog dates | Legal buck | Zone bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 11 | Nov 14–Dec 6 Dec 26–28 | Oct 17–25 Dec 12–14 | Nov 14–Dec 6 | 3 points one side CWD zone: any buck | 4 (2 antlered) |
- CWD zone status for Caney Creek WMA: outside.
- Bear hunters here work under Bear Zone 2, with quotas that can end seasons early.
- Turkey Zone 1 sets the spring turkey season here (from AGFC's zone map).
- Its counties reach Alligator Management Zones 1 and 2, open for night alligator hunts by permit in September.
Zones from the guidebook deer zone pages, the AGFC zone layers and the CWD zone list; turkey zones from AGFC’s zone map. Checked November 9, 2026.
Deer and turkey numbers near Caney Creek WMA
Howard County checked 2,398 deer in 2025-26, rank 38 of 75, down 6 percent from 2024-25. Public and private harvest are combined in these county numbers.
| Where | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard | 2,398 | 2,550 | 38 |
| Montgomery | 1,723 | 1,993 | 55 |
| Pike | 3,833 | 3,908 | 10 |
| Polk | 2,951 | 3,669 | 28 |
deer report 2025-26 (checked deer by county (AGFC deer reports, Table 6)). Checked November 9, 2026.
Records that share ground with Caney Creek WMA
Caddo RD and Ouachita National Forest share ground with Caney Creek WMA, and WMA seasons win on WMA tracts.
Public land pins surrounding Caney Creek WMA
If Caney Creek WMA is crowded, Howard County WMA is 14 miles away to the southwest. Neighbouring pins by kind: 3 lake projects, 2 leased land WMAs and 1 natural area WMA.
| Neighbour | Category | Acreage | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County WMA | Leased land WMA | 23,721 | Howard | 14 miles | southwest |
| Gillham Lake (Corps) | Corps lake | 8,518 | Howard | 16 miles | southwest |
| Dierks Lake (Corps) | Corps lake | 4,162 | Sevier | 17 miles | south |
| Lake Greeson WMA | Leased land WMA | 29,060 | Howard | 19 miles | southeast |
| Lake Greeson (Corps) | Corps lake | – | Pike | 20 miles | southeast |
| Iron Mountain | Natural area WMA | 260 | Polk | 21 miles | northwest |
Point: AGFC WMA boundary layer (GIS/wmas_website_link) (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Arkansas public land map.
No-hunting places close to Caney Creek WMA
Within 15 miles lies Cossatot River State Park – Natural Area, where hunting is not allowed. Under Code 05.11, the only parks open to hunting are Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area and the Buffalo National River WMA.
| Closed area | Why closed | Miles off | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cossatot River State Park – Natural Area | State park (Code 05.11) | 15 miles | Howard, Polk |
| Daisy | State park (Code 05.11) | 19 miles | Pike |
AGFC Code 05.11; closed places from lands.json (PAD-US 4.1, NPS, FWS). Straight-line miles. Checked November 9, 2026.
Gas, processing and supplies near Caney Creek WMA
Nearest town: Board Camp, about 10 miles away from Caney Creek WMA. For more stores, Mena (5,594 residents) is 18 miles away. Caney Creek WMA shows up on the town pages for Board Camp, Newhope and Mena. For AGFC help in person, Columbus is closest at 43 miles. Call ahead before driving to any business listed here.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board Camp | Polk | – | 10 miles | northwest |
| Newhope | Pike | – | 14 miles | southeast |
| Mena | Polk | 5,594 | 18 miles | northwest |
| Norman | Montgomery | 305 | 19 miles | east |
| Dierks | Howard | 877 | 20 miles | south |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); AGFC buildings from the AGFC offices page and AGFC layers; businesses from services.json directory listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 9, 2026.
Legal shooting light at Caney Creek WMA for the 2026-27 season
AGFC prints sunrise and sunset for Little Rock and tells hunters to shift them one minute for every nine miles; Caney Creek WMA sits about 10 minutes west of that table.
| Date | Event | Sunrise | Sunset | General rule | Bird rule | Times via |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Early buck archery | 6:46 a.m. | 7:48 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 8:18 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 7:48 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:06 a.m. | 7:09 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 7:39 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 7:09 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Zone 11 alt-firearms | 7:26 a.m. | 6:41 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:11 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 6:41 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Youth gun weekend | 6:45 a.m. | 5:19 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:49 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Zone 11 gun opener | 6:52 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Duck season opens | 6:59 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Dec 6, 2026 | Zone 11 gun closes | 7:12 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:22 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Apr 19, 2027 | Turkey Zone 1 opens | 6:42 a.m. | 7:54 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 8:24 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 7:54 p.m. | AGFC table |
Hours rules from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook; sunrise and sunset from the AGFC Little Rock table with AGFC’s nine-mile correction, or the NOAA solar formula on Central Time where the table has no entry; checked November 9, 2026. Legal hours across Arkansas.
Caney Creek WMA hunters: nearest ranges on file
Caney Creek WMA hunters can practise at Mountain Fork Gun Range, 24 miles off.
From the AGFC Shooting and Archery Ranges page, the AGFC range layer, club sites and directory listings, checked November 9, 2026.
Brier Creek running through bare spring woods in the Ouachita National ForestPhoto: Fredlyfish4 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Clear blue lake with pine-covered shores in the Ouachita National ForestPhoto: Oemar (CC BY 2.0)
Caney Creek WMA questions and answers
Where does Caney Creek WMA sit on the AGFC CWD map?
Outside the zone; cervid parts from other states still follow the import rule.
Black bear on Caney Creek WMA, open, closed or quota-limited?
It is in Bear Zone 2, and the WMA entry prints its own bear dates.
When do spring gobbler days open on Caney Creek WMA in 2027?
Use Turkey Zone 1, from AGFC's zone map, and the WMA dates Apr 19–May 9.
Does Caney Creek WMA have permit hunts?
The parse found none, but it misses some permit text, so read the guidebook entry before assuming there are none.
How large is Caney Creek WMA on the AGFC or agency record?
About 85,000 acres in Howard County and 3 other counties.
What community sits closest to Caney Creek WMA?
The closest town page here is Board Camp, 10 miles off. Columbus holds the closest AGFC office or center (43 miles).
Which safety colors pass on Caney Creek WMA during deer gun season?
Required in firearm deer, bear and elk seasons; blaze pink is not an approved color in the guidebook.
When does legal light open on Caney Creek WMA for the gun opener?
Expect 6:22 a.m. as first legal light and 5:44 p.m. as last on the November 14 opener here; ducks stop at sunset instead.
Which agency is responsible for Caney Creek WMA?
Management: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; partner or owner: U.S. Forest Service.
Which documents cover Caney Creek WMA?
The 2026-27 AGFC guidebooks, AGFC map layers and the managing agency pages, checked November 9, 2026; signs and the agency outrank this page.
Is a special pass needed for Caney Creek WMA?
Most hunters need only their license; drawn permit hunts are the exception.
What number do I give Game Check from Caney Creek WMA?
On the area, zone 120; on surrounding private land, Deer Zone 11.
When does modern gun deer season run on Caney Creek WMA?
Per the guidebook entry: Nov 14–Dec 6 and Dec 26–28.
Things to confirm the week of a Caney Creek WMA hunt
Look up flood, road and fire closures affecting Caney Creek WMA before you set off.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4; seasons from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook and the 2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook. Checked November 9, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Richard May (CC BY-SA 2.0); Russ (CC BY 2.0).