The Basics
Shut-In Mountain Walk-In Turkey Hunting Area
Phone: (479) 394-2382 (Mena District Office)
Brochure: Shut-In Mountain Walk-In Turkey Hunting Area
(courtesy USFS)
Closest Towns: Mena, Waldron
Directions: From Mena, head North on US Hwy59/71 for 5 miles to the junction with US 270. Turn Left, heading West on US 270, and go approx. 6.5 miles, then Turn Right onto CR#97/FR#516. Follow this road to acces the area.
About Shut-In Mountain
It's hard to imagine the perfect turkey hunt and not have that setting be in the Ozarks or Ouachitas. The remoteness of these areas and their dense oak/hickory forests, along with abundant water sources, provide an ideal habitat for healthy numbers of turkeys. The only problem is, many people know this fact about the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, and it can sometimes be difficult to find an area to hunt in that is not too overcrowded.
Thankfully, the Ouachita National Forest offers hunters 11 walk-in turkey hunting areas, plus an additional 6 wilderness areas as well. Although wilderness areas are never open to motorized traffic, most of the rest of the National Forest is. That is why the USDA Forest Service has teamed up with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and the Arkansas Wild Turkey Federation to set aside areas of the National Forest that are closed to vehicle traffic during turkey hunting seasons, providing hunters with the solitude they need for a successful hunt without unnecessary interuptions.
Most of these walk-in turkey hunting areas have a few roads that allow access into the interior, but the roads are typically closed from early spring through late summer, except for foot traffic only. This not only ensures hunters a better quality hunting experience, but it also helps protect the turkeys as well from overuse of these areas by vehicular and all-terrain use, especially during the critical nesting and rearing seasons of the turkeys.
Shut-In Mountain Walk-In Turkey Hunting Area
The Shut-In Mountain Turkey Hunting Area offers 8,400 acres of prime hunting grounds in the middle of the Ouachita National Forest, just north of Mena. The area is bordered on its south side by the Ouachita National Recreation Trail, and can also be accessed from this trail. Other access points can be found on the north side of the hunting area, off of CR#49.
What's Nearby
Parks & Nature
Queen Wilhelmina State Park
Trails
Queen Wilhelmina State Park Trails
Camping
Queen Wilhelmina State Park Campground
Lodging
Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge
Local Eateries
Queen Wilhelmina State Park Restaurant
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