WMA Maintenance Budgets

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by Reggoh

Some of the places that I go to you need a 4x4 truck just to access the parking areas which is ridiculous. I will also say there are some WMA's that are very well maintained like you guys mentioned Jackson-Bienville.... Another that comes to mind is Bayou Macon which has all gravel ATV trails, parking areas, and camping areas. Very nice.

I used to go to Red River WMA every year and I haven't been back in several years because some of the ATV trails that I use to access my areas were impassable with my 2WD ATV. It's literally been 7 or 8 years since any maintenance was done on that ATV trail and the ruts are just too big for my bike. It wouldn't take a whole lot of effort or money to put some culverts and gravel in the trouble areas so this wouldn't be a perennial problem.

I am just the opposite here (although I understand it) and I think the ease of access has ruined many a good hunting grounds. There are places we would have to ride ATVs for miles through some tough stuff that are now gravel roads for vehicles. You can literally drive (and I have seen it) a Camaro down a gravel road at Oua****a WMA, park it on the nice shoulder, and duck hunt 50 feet from your vehicle. Same with Boeuf WMA, same with Russell Sage WMA, same with Big Lake WMA, Tensas NWR, etc.

When I am hunting, I want to be as far away from anyone else as possible and will walk as far as I can to do that, but there are very few places where you can be one mile from an ATV trail. My favorite duck hole was in Tensas, it was a long boat ride and then a 3/4 mile walk from the river, now there is an ATV trail right to it.

I think this is one of the reasons duck hunting on some of the north La WMAs has gone way downhill - its way too easy to get around now and places that were once difficult to get you can now drive to them with a Prius


WMAs and NWRs do shut down ATV trails during turkey season and I think it makes a big difference. Would be a circus show if not haha!