Figured it was only a matter of time. First I've heard of it.

 

Where did you hear this? Got some folks I know this will affect and thought I'd give em a heads up if it seems probable

 

I just found it on game and fish website... apparently once the details are worked out they are leasing 18400 acres of jack mountain tract from Ross foundation and making it a wma. Not trying to start a rumor just reporting what I read. Thanks Kemper for the heads up

 

I live right here beside it....it was the largest ATV riding area in the state....with hundreds every weekend....several months ago it was closed down to ATV riding......so I figure that is just the first phase of the AGFC deal

 

Probably need to make another HPA (hog protection area) - oh, I meant WMA.:up:

 

What is the Ross foundation?

 

What is the Ross foundation?

Id never heard of it either but I found this on Google;

http://rossfoundation.us/

 

It's a pretty place. I hope the agfc keep all the roads open. Be hard to walk through there.

 

Where did you hear this? Got some folks I know this will affect and thought I'd give em a heads up if it seems probable

I heard it firsthand from a long time employee of the Ross Foundation in Arkadelphia.
AG&FC will assume management of Ross Foundation lands in and around Jack Mountain as of July 1 and it will be a WMA

 

What is the Ross foundation?

Very large tract of timberland in the Ouachita mountains in between Hot Springs and Arkadelphia, which is owned by
Jane Ross and her family out of Arkadelphia.

Until recently was open to motorcycles, atv, horses, hunters, etc.
Recently closed it to all ATV and motorcycles, which should improve the hunting significantly because
it was HEAVILY used by ATV and motorcycle trail riders all year long.
I think you can still ride horses inside the Ross foundation for now, but who knows after the AG&FC takes over after July 1

 

I'm with John Stossel on public ownership of land.

 

I'm with John Stossel on public ownership of land.

& what does john stossel say ?

 

& what does john stossel say ?

That almost without fail, anytime any asset becomes owned by the public, the usefulness, longevity, functionality, and benefit of that asset decreases.

http://www.criticalcommons.org/Memb...rg/Members/fsustavros/clips/stossel-micro-02-economics-of-private-property/view

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0vmP7HoFI4

 

Too many ATV riders and such have abused the privilege and damaged property. Big Timber which is Ross Foundation, Clark Family and Jamison Family stopped ATVs last year or the year before. Private owners who didn't like their roads destroyed in wet weather and the added expense of maintaining property in order to cut timber. Transferring to the G&F lets them be the bad guys and do the enforcing. Not many of us if we owned the property would let people have unlimited use of ATVs etc on our property.

 

I talked to my friend that works at Ross Foundation yesterday.

Lee Creek and Jack Mountain Hunting Club
will not be affected by the transfer.

Only their lands west of Hwy. 128 and east of Hwy. 7 will be transferred
to AG&FC and will be become a WMA. They said it's not a done deal yet, but it looks like it is going to happen.

They have had an ATV fatality and some serious injuries to folks on ATV, motorcycle and horseback in the past, so
that coupled with all the soil erosion caused by the motorcycles and ATV's not using designated trails has caused them
to make this move.

 

I've Turkey hunted in there quite a bit and deer hunted too. I never failed to hear or see either in there, as long as you got in there before the 10am wheeler crew showed up. I always thought if they made it a lease I sure would like to get in it. I hope they close both ends of Camp Road and do some kind of limited MG and MZ deer hunt in there.

 

I used to hunt and roam that property many years ago when it was mostly Weyerhaeuser. It's pretty country and some of it is very rugged. Back then there was a decent population of turkeys and quail but there were only four deer on the place. I wouldn't have paid 50 cents an acre to lease it back then. I hear the hunting is better these days but the number of ATVs is a real pain.

 

I grew up on it and killed and hunted every kind of critter that lives there.....also the creek that crosses back and forth across camp road still holds native smallmouth in it.....the abuse from dirt bikes and ATV's was crazy...not to mention trash everywhere....only thing I will miss is not riding the main road on the rhino with wife picking blackberries.....We will see with the AGFC but that has always been a huge dog running area. So will see what the rules are going to be with that.

GF

 

Big timber wma is owned by the Ross foundation, I think it will be a good thing. And for us hog hunters you can't run dogs, but you can apply for a depredation permit to kill hogs with dogs but must be taken out dead, I got mine about 3 years ago.