The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is preparing the recently acquired Oakwood Wildlife Management Area (WMA) for its inaugural year as a public hunting destination, with support from local partners to improve accessibility. Desha County Judge Wayne Smith and the Cypress Creek Drainage District are collaborating to renovate an aging bridge that connects the area to Arkansas State Highway 277, east of Dumas.
"The bridge has been there for years, and it’s been functional, but out of an abundance of caution, the Arkansas Department of Transportation marked it as in need of repair," said David Luker, assistant chief of wildlife management at AGFC. The AGFC initially planned to replace the structure this year, but Desha County and the Cypress Creek Drainage District offered to expedite the project, recognizing the value the 2,206-acre WMA brings to the community.
Luker stated that contractors are expected to start renovations within the next two weeks and anticipate project completion shortly after, weather permitting. "We fully expect to be done with the repair by the opening of deer archery season (Sept. 26). Barring any unforeseen delays, we may be complete by the time the early buck-only archery hunt starts on Aug. 29," Luker explained. Hunters have already begun expressing excitement about the upcoming season at Oakwood WMA.
The Oakwood WMA was officially added to Arkansas’ public hunting areas this year after a land trade between the AGFC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The USFWS previously owned the property, known as the Oakwood Unit, but a lack of public access prevented its full utilization for hunting. To resolve the issue, AGFC worked with USFWS and a private landowner to secure the property and establish a public right-of-way.
In the land exchange, the USFWS received 2,202 acres of the Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita WMA, creating a connection between the Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge in south Arkansas and the Lower Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge in north Louisiana. The Beryl Anthony area will remain open to public hunting under USFWS management. The trade resulted in a net gain of 2,206 public hunting acres for Arkansas hunters.
The Oakwood WMA project highlights efforts by local and state agencies to expand outdoor recreational opportunities while fostering partnerships at the community level.