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Arkansas wildlife management area
Gene Rush WMA Hunting, 2026-27
Wildlife management area in Newton County and Searcy County, 20,255 acres, WMA zone 250.
Photo: David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Gene Rush WMA
Parking, trailheads and gates near Gene Rush WMA
- Woolum River Access PointBoat ramp · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Woolum access for BRT & OHTParking · 3.5 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.
Gene Rush WMA basics for 2026-27
Gene Rush WMA is an AGFC wildlife management area, listed here for the 2026-27 season. Expect about 20,255 acres by the 2026-27 guidebook, inside Newton County and Searcy County. Questions about local conditions go to AGFC Region 6 (Jasper). Ownership in the guidebook: AGFC.
Big Piney Creek seen from the bluffs above Long Pool Falls in the Ozark National ForestPhoto: JustTooLazy (CC BY 2.0)
From lands.json records (Guidebook · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4); acres: 2026-27 AGFC Hunting Guidebook WMA entry ("20,255 acres"). Checked November 9, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Gene Rush WMA
Gene Rush WMA seasons from the guidebook
Everything in this table is the guidebook entry for Gene Rush WMA (WMA zone 250), cut into short cells. Check the Waterfowl Guidebook before any duck hunt here; its WMA pages were not parsed. Statewide private land dates do not apply on the WMA when its own entry differs. AGFC marks quail and alligator as closed here.
| Season | Open days | Entry | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | – |
| Elk | Oct 5–9 Oct 26–30 | Permit | – |
| Elk youth | Oct 3–4 Oct 24–25 | Permit | – |
| Turkey youth | Apr 10–11 | License | One turkey |
| Turkey | Apr 19–May 9 | License | One turkey |
How many deer on Gene Rush WMA
| Number | Deer type | Weapons |
|---|---|---|
| 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
Every WMA deer also counts against the six-deer statewide season limit.
Local rules at Gene Rush WMA
- Seasons close earlier when Bear Zone 1 quota is reached.
- Horses and mules are not allowed on portion of area lying east of Searcy County Road 14 and west of the Buffalo National River property line from Woolum Ford to the intersection of Searcy County roads 12 and 14.
- All caves closed.
Guidebook p. 82 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.
Gene Rush WMA deer, bear and turkey zones
Inside the boundary, zone 250 governs; outside it, Deer Zone 2 sets the dates.
| Deer zone | Gun dates | Alternative firearms | Dog hunting | Antlers | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2 | Nov 14–Dec 6 Dec 26–28 | Oct 17–25 Dec 12–14 | No dogs | No point rule | 4 (2 antlered) |
- Gene Rush WMA is CWD Management Zone land, tier by county: Newton Tier 1 and Searcy Tier 1.
- Bear Zone 1 applies to bear hunters on Gene Rush WMA.
- Turkey zones for Gene Rush WMA: Turkey Zone 1, read from AGFC's zone map.
- This is core elk country; elk need a permit, either public land draw or private land.
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.
Draw dates and permit hunts on Gene Rush WMA
What permit holders on Gene Rush WMA are after.
Two elk cows looking up from tall summer grass in ArkansasPhoto: Gordon (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The guidebook parse finds 2 permit hunts on Gene Rush WMA: 2 elk. Plan around permit dates: the WMA is reserved for permit holders then, apart from waterfowl.
| Animal | Hunt | Dates | Count | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | Elk | Oct 5–9 Oct 26–30 | 2 | Guidebook p. 82 |
| Elk | Elk youth | Oct 3–4 Oct 24–25 | 2 | Guidebook p. 82 |
When to apply for Gene Rush WMA hunts
| Game | Apply | Drawing |
|---|---|---|
| Elk | May 1-June 1, 2026 | Random draw in late June |
guidebook entry; draw rules. Checked November 9, 2026.
County harvest for Gene Rush WMA
The 2025-26 deer report credits Newton County with 1,211 deer, 8 percent fewer than 2024-25. These are county totals from AGFC Game Check, so they include private land as well as public ground. Gene Rush WMA made the 2025 top public turkey areas list in 10th place (40 birds).
| Spring | Rank | Turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10 | 24 |
| 2025 | 10 | 40 |
deer report 2025-26; turkey report 2025 (checked deer by county (AGFC deer reports, Table 6)). Checked November 9, 2026.
How Gene Rush WMA lines up with nearby WMAs and refuges
Bearcat Hollow WMA, 8 miles south, is the next pin over. By type, the nearest six are 5 wildlife management areas and 1 ranger district.
| Nearby | Type | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bearcat Hollow WMA | WMA | 24,361 | Newton | 8 miles | south |
| Searcy County WMA | WMA | 170 | Searcy | 17 miles | east |
| Buffalo RD | Ranger district | 243,058 | Newton | 18 miles | southwest |
| Piney Creeks WMA | WMA | 485,419 | Conway | 21 miles | southwest |
| Buffalo National River | WMA | 95,730 | Baxter | 22 miles | west |
| Loafer's Glory WMA | WMA | 2,686 | Marion | 24 miles | east |
Point: AGFC WMA boundary layer (GIS/wmas_website_link) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside) of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Arkansas public land map.
When the clock says go at Gene Rush WMA
Deer, bear, elk, turkey and small game follow the general window; the migratory bird column applies to ducks, geese, doves, woodcock and snipe near Gene Rush WMA.
| Day | Why it matters | Sun up | Sun down | Deer and turkey | Ducks and doves | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Early buck archery | 6:41 a.m. | 7:46 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 8:16 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:02 a.m. | 7:04 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Zone 2 alt-firearms | 7:20 a.m. | 6:35 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:05 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 6:35 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Youth gun weekend | 6:39 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Zone 2 gun opener | 6:46 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Duck season opens | 6:53 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Dec 6, 2026 | Zone 2 gun closes | 7:06 a.m. | 5:01 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:16 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Apr 19, 2027 | Turkey Zone 1 opens | 6:36 a.m. | 7:48 p.m. | 6:06 a.m. to 8:18 p.m. | 6:06 a.m. to 7:48 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.
Restocking runs from Gene Rush WMA
For gas and groceries, Mount Judea is 7 miles off. The Census 2024 estimate puts Marshall at 1,320, the largest nearby. Ten-mile neighbours of Gene Rush WMA: Mount Judea, Western Grove, Witts Springs and Jasper. Jasper has the closest AGFC office or center, 14 miles out. Confirm that a business is open by phone before you go.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Judea | Newton | – | 7 miles | west |
| Western Grove | Newton | 347 | 11 miles | north |
| Witts Springs | Searcy | – | 12 miles | south |
| Jasper | Newton | 518 | 15 miles | west |
| Marshall | Searcy | 1,320 | 16 miles | east |
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.
Gene Rush WMA: practice before the trip
The range map puts Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center Range 23 miles from Gene Rush WMA. Rifles: Ozark Dynamics Training Facility, 37 miles from the land.
From the AGFC Shooting and Archery Ranges page, the AGFC range layer, club sites and directory listings, checked November 9, 2026.
Kayaks on the Buffalo National River near Ponca below a tall wooded bluffPhoto: David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Layered Ozark ridges and farm valleys seen from a bluff near Harrison in Boone CountyPhoto: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0)
Gene Rush WMA hunting questions
Is blaze pink legal on Gene Rush WMA in Arkansas?
Yes, whenever firearm deer, bear or elk seasons are open: 400 square inches above the waist and a hat in orange, chartreuse or blaze camo.
Which Arkansas town works as a base camp for Gene Rush WMA?
Mount Judea is closest, roughly 7 miles. An AGFC office or nature center sits in Jasper, 14 miles away.
What are the opening-day shooting hours on Gene Rush WMA?
Opening day of modern gun, November 14, 2026, gives legal light here from 6:16 a.m. until 5:38 p.m.
Is Gene Rush WMA part of Arkansas core elk country?
Only with a permit: public land elk permits are drawn, private land permits are sold separately.
What sources back this Gene Rush WMA page?
AGFC and federal agency sources, read for the 2026-27 season and checked November 9, 2026.
Which AGFC district looks after Gene Rush WMA?
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, with AGFC as landowner or partner; AGFC work in the area runs through AGFC Region 6 (Jasper).
How does zoning work on Gene Rush WMA?
Use 250, the guidebook zone for Gene Rush WMA, not the private land zone number.
What do I carry to hunt Gene Rush WMA?
Your Arkansas hunting license, plus a drawn permit for any permit-required hunt.
Which CWD tier applies to deer from Gene Rush WMA?
Yes. Any buck is legal, feeding wildlife is unlawful except listed exceptions, and carcasses move by tier (Newton Tier 1 and Searcy Tier 1).
When can I hunt deer with a rifle on Gene Rush WMA?
Nov 14–Dec 6 and Dec 26–28; dates come from the guidebook entry.
Is Gene Rush WMA turkey ground in spring 2027?
It sits in Turkey Zone 1 (from AGFC's zone map), with WMA dates Apr 19–May 9.
Can a black bear be taken legally on Gene Rush WMA this fall?
Bear season applies through Bear Zone 1 with dates from the entry.
How many acres does Gene Rush WMA cover, by which source?
20,255 acres (2026-27 guidebook), in Newton County and Searcy County.
How many permit hunts does Gene Rush WMA have?
Yes: 2 in the parsed list, all requiring a drawn permit.
Before the alarm goes off for Gene Rush WMA
Rules, closures and permit dates for Gene Rush WMA can change during the season; posted signs and the managing agency outrank this page.
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: JustTooLazy (CC BY 2.0); Gordon (CC BY-SA 2.0).