Fish, Bears, Deer, Snakes: Arkansas Has It All

Arkansas is the Sportsman's Paradise.

Why do I use the word "paradise"? Well, when was the last time you just spent a few minutes pondering the diversity of wildlife that exists in Arkansas? And I'm not talking about bald eagles and ivory billed woodpeckers; I'm only speaking of the wildlife you can "bag."

Now I know we don't have some of the big game such as grizzly, moose, caribou and others as some of the Western states do, but browse through your Arkansas Hunting Guidebook and you will discover of plethora of animals that MOST states cannot boast.

Here's just a brief sampling: white-tail deer, turkey, quail, elk, duck, river otter, coyote, black bear, mink, fox, bobcat and cougars (no season on cougars, but they are in Arkansas).

Keep in mind, that's not all, just a few. How many other states have all these? Not many.

What about fish? Before you answer, think of all the lakes and rivers in The Natural State and the fish therein.

Lake Ouachita, Greers Ferry, Bull Shoals, Norfolk and Beaver are ALL fishing hot spots. Then you have the White, Little Red, Ouachita, Saline, Kings and Big Piney rivers that are all within an hour or two's drive anywhere in the state.

There are approximately 233 species of fish in these waters, including five species of trout and carp, three species of pike and four of tilapia. Plus, there are largemouth, striped and smallmouth bass; black and white crappie; tons of bream and perch; flathead, blue, channel and bullhead catfish; paddlefish (restricted), alligator gar, sturgeon, walleye (a major sports fish), and the list goes on.