The Eastern migration from Arky and other states was full on this afternoon with the season coming to a close. I don't believe I've ever seen a procession of so many Side by sides in tow. Had to have seen well over 40 in just a 20 minute span.

You ain't lying. Hunting pressure has really stepped up the last 3-4 years.

well that sucks.

It’s amazing at all the sxs being pulled around out there.

Yea I know, my buddy has had the same farm leased since the mid 90's, way too many people asking around looking for a lease lately.
One reason I no longer post pics from there.

I've seen the progression of hunters in that area and parts south. It has really ramped up with the number of farms around where his spot is that just a few years ago were void of hunters.
The new leaves being pulled etc.......

Duck Dynasty is off the air,but the wannabees are still trying....

My group has a long standing policy of no photos on any media anywhere.

It really is amazing the gar holes that have new pits and levee's pulled and guys are lining up to pay 5K or more for. We have one farm where on the weekends we used to hear only one other spot shooting. Now it's 7 or 8 groups. We had an absolute barrel burner year about 5 back and everyone knew it and now every damn puddle around that farm is leased up.

The quantity of pressure is eventually gonna push the newbies out. When guys can't work ducks, they ain't gonna make that drive and spend the cabbage.

I don't care. I go for the dog work, the camaraderie and the time away from the grind. If I get to burn some powder, its a dang bonus.

Do you recall the way it was right before the crash happened? 06-07

What I recall from then is the same money/excitement starting all over but even faster maybe this time.

I was hunting the Cache and White rivers before they were Federal, when they went Federal is when the chaos began and I left AR for several years. Either stay and fight folks everyday or take up full time deer hunting.
I knew a farmer over there around Fair Oaks that just gave in, he put pits in fields just because they kept pushing him. His FIL actually guided in blinds that shot 12-15 at a time and stayed booked most of the seasons.

We used to run all over the cache river bottoms. Early 2000's we'd wait for the river to get out and then just run till we found ducks. No one cared that we'd get off the river channel onto someone's property. It was a different time, a simpler time.

It's big business now. Crap, for what I pay, I wouldn't let anyone drive their surface drive onto our fields.

One of the guys talked with a land owner while we were eating, mentioned they turned pipes up in front of pits, that way they could pump and bust ice. Said it wasn't too bad, like $300 every time they busted the ice.
Do you hunt with the Competition BBQ guys?

We use to have a good farm leased. None of the fields around us were leased. Then a big club started leasing up all the fields around us and absolutely ruint that area. I can’t wait until they take up a different hobby. It’s amazing what goes on out there now.

My buddy has a friend that lost a heck of a spot, a place you rarely hear of. Anyway he'd had it for a long long time. He was so comfortable he had a huge expensive custom pit installed in the levee. He lost the lease a few years later to a high roller. The high roller thought the pit came with the lease. It didn't!!!! That was when we quit posting pics.

Don't know the BBQ guys.

A new private timber hole went into a piece of property next to one we have. They put in a giant levee, cut out a giant hole (120' or so), chipped the whole thing, put in a new riser and put an underground 12" pipe right into the middle of the hole. For the 20K+ they put into it, they hardly hunted it. I'm sure it'll be on the market soon.