Fort Chaffee Hunting - Crawford AR

Fort Chaffee WMA — Overview Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center (FCJMTC) is an active Arkansas Army National Guard training facility encompassing over 65,000 acres in west-central Arkansas, with approximately 44,000 acres available for outdoor recreation. It's designated as a Wildlife Management Area, with all Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regulations applying unless noted otherwise. The base contains extensive shrub-scrub, prairie, and oak savanna habitat — it's considered the largest landscape-scale conservation area in the Arkansas River Valley and may support the largest shrub-scrub habitat in the entire state. Prescribed fire is used primarily to maintain military training areas, but has the added benefit of enhancing wildlife habitat. Animals You Can Hunt Whitetail Deer — This is the big draw. Local hunters report deer being "stupid thick" in areas, with guys routinely seeing 20 deer in a sit, and 8-pointers described as being as common as does in some compartments. The WMA deer bag limit is four deer, no more than two antlered bucks. Deer archery runs September 27 through February 28, with a modern gun permit hunt and an alternative firearms permit hunt offered on specific days in November. Feral Hogs — Chaffee is described by local hunters as having a higher hog density than just about anywhere, with reports of seeing nearly a hundred in a single season. The population exploded over the past decade and hogs are now found in virtually every compartment on the base. Great opportunity if you're after pork. Wild Turkey — Flocks of 40+ birds have been reported on the base. A youth turkey hunt is held in April with a limit of one legal bird, and a spring season follows shortly after. Mourning Dove & White-winged Dove — Dove season runs from early September through late October and again December through January, with a daily limit of 15 and possession limit of 45. The AGFC prepares dove fields on the WMA for opening weekend on a first-come, first-served basis. Waterfowl — Waterfowl hunting is allowed 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset during the season, running September 1 through February 21, open Thursdays through Mondays only with no limit. Squirrel — Season runs May 15 through February 28, dogs allowed, with a daily limit of 12 and possession limit of 48. Rabbit — Also available with standard Arkansas bag limits. Key Access Requirements — Pay Attention Here Fort Chaffee differs from a normal WMA in that there are two separate permits required: A free annual General Use Permit (WMP) is required to hunt or trap on the WMA, available online at agfc.com or by calling 833-345-0325. All approved recreational activities are governed through the Fort Chaffee RecAccess system at fortchaffee.recaccess.com. Before accessing the WMA, you must possess a valid Fort Chaffee RecAccess permit and use that system to check in and out of your desired destination. For modern gun and muzzleloader permit hunts, you must also have a current FCJMTC permit. Gates 16 and 22 open at 4:30 a.m. for special hunts. CWD regulations apply, and public use compartments may be closed at any time due to military training. Practical Tips Hunting pressure on modern gun permit hunts is real — it draws a crowd. During archery season, however, you can find plenty of solitude in less-accessed compartments. The compartment system means you need to check which areas are open before each trip, as the military can close areas with little or no notice. The hog population is so thick that you'll almost certainly encounter them regardless of what you're primarily hunting. Being just east of Fort Smith, it's an easy day trip or overnight from eastern Oklahoma. Check the current open compartment schedule through the RecAccess system before any trip since closures happen frequently.