Scott Henderson Gulf Mountain WMA
Zone: 280
County: Van Buren
- 2023-24 Closed Seasons
- Alligator
- 2023-24 Crow
Sept. 1, 2023-Feb. 19, 2024. Open Thursdays through Mondays only. No limit.
- 2023-24 Deer
Deer Archery: Sept. 23, 2023-Feb. 29, 2024
Deer Muzzleloader (permit hunt): Oct. 21-25, 2023
Deer Modern Gun (permit hunt): Nov. 11-15, 2023
Deer Modern Gun Special Youth Hunt: Nov. 4-5, 2023WMA Deer Bag Limit: Three deer, no more than one antlered buck, which may include:
- One antlered buck with archery, muzzleloader permit or modern gun permit,
- Three antlerless with archery,
- One antlerless with muzzleloader permit,
- One antlerless with modern gun permit.
- Limit during the modern gun special youth hunt is two deer; one antlered buck and one antlerless.
Deer Notes:
- No antler restrictions.
- No dogs.
- 2023-24 Quail
Dec. 2-3, 2023 and Jan. 6-7, 2024. Daily Limit - 4.
While training bird dogs, you may use handguns or shotguns with blank ammunition. Pen-raised quail may be taken with a Shoot-To-Kill Bird Dog Field Training Permit. This permit is available from your local wildlife officer.
- 2023-24 Rabbit
Sept. 1, 2023-Feb. 29, 2024. Daily limit - 8, possession limit - 16.
- 2023-24 Squirrel
May 15, 2023-Feb. 29, 2024. Dogs allowed. Daily limit - 12, possession limit - 48.
- 2023 Bear
Bear Archery: Sept. 13-Nov. 30, 2023
Bear Muzzleloader (deer permit holders only): Oct. 21-25, 2023
Bear Modern Gun (deer permit holders only): Nov. 11-15, 2023Bear Notes:
- Statewide bag limit.
- No dogs.
- Bear Zone 1 quota does not apply on this WMA.
- 2024 Turkey
Youth Hunt: April 6-7, 2024. One legal turkey.
Archery Hunt: April 18-19, April 23-26 and April 30-May 5, 2024 (closed during firearms hunts). One legal turkey.
Firearms Hunt (permit required): April 15-17, April 20-22 and April 27-29, 2024. One legal turkey.Turkey Notes: A WMA Turkey Hunt Permit is required to hunt turkeys on this WMA. Click here for details.
- About the Name
Scott Henderson Gulf Mountain WMA was named after its most prominent landmark - Gulf Mountain. In 2010, the area was renamed to honor former AGFC director Scott Henderson. Henderson was AGFC director from 2003 to 2010.
- Access
The area is located at Scotland which is 12 miles southwest of Clinton and 30 miles north of Morrilton.From Clinton, on US 65, take highways 65B to the junction of 65B and state 95. Take state 95, 12 miles south to Scotland. From Scotland follow WMA signs to the management area, 2.5 miles.
- Age
The area was founded in 1970 with additional land purchases over the years.
- Area Notes
- A free annual General Use Permit (WMP) is required to hunt or trap on WMAs. Permits are available online by clicking "Buy Licenses" at agfc.com or by calling 833-345-0325 or any regional office.
- A hunting or fishing license or AGFC Camping Permit is required to camp.
- CWD regulations apply.
- Camping
Gulf Mountain has six primitive camping areas with 118 camping units.
- Description
Gulf Mountain contains 14,000 acres of which approximately 1,000 are in fields in various stages of growth. Composition of timber resources is approximately 65 percent hardwood and 35 percent pine. Hardwood type on the southern exposures is predominantly post oak-blackjack oak. The northern slope hardwoods are predominantly red oaks and white oaks. Topography is gently rolling to mountainous with elevation ranging from 700 feet msl on the south fork Little Red River to 1,500 feet msl on the highest ridge. There are 5.4 miles of streams on the property available via a low-water crossing.
- Hunting Opportunities
High populations of white-tailed deer and squirrels are found throughout the entire area. Black bears are fairly common. Wild turkeys are hunted with fair success. Furbearer populations are high on the area, with raccoon, gray fox, coyote and bobcat being featured species for trappers.
- Location
The area is in Van Buren county, about 12 miles southwest of Clinton and 30 miles north of Morrilton. It is bisected on the south by Arkansas Highway 389 and on the north by the south fork of the Little Red River. It is adjoined on the west by the Ozark National Forest, the remaining boundary is adjoined by private land.
- Management Practices
Management practices consist primarily of maintaining field systems and open forests through controlled burning, plowing and disking. Controlled burning is used primarily for quail management in field systems and to produce desirable browse species for deer and small game in pine and low-quality hardwood sites. Firelanes surrounding all field and woodlands are planted in wheat each fall to provide forage during winter, nesting cover in spring, and brood habitat and seed in summer and fall. Plowing and disking is used to control noxious vegetation and maintain plant succession in an early stage.
- Ownership
The area was purchased by the AGFC in 1970 with the initial purchase totaling 6,400 acres. In 1971, an additional 3,600 acres was purchased and several smaller tracts totaling 2,012 acres have been added since. Approximately 2,000 acres of Green Bay Packaging lands are incorporated into the wildlife management area land base.
- Phone
833-356-0879
- Purpose
The area was purchased to help meet the projected demand for all types of wildlife-oriented recreation.This upland is well diversified, having high deer and small game populations as well as the potential to provide more hunter opportunity on all species of upland game.
- Recreation Other Than Hunting
Nearby recreation focuses on the Little Red River. Swimming, canoeing and fishing are popular.
- Restaurants and Other Facilities
Restaurants and motels are available at Clinton, 15 miles away. Food, gas and supplies are available in Scotland.
- Safety
The local bear population is high. Care must be taken with food when camping on the area. Low-water crossing - Little Red River - heavy rains can make crossing impassable in a matter of hours.
- WMA Master Plan