Beaver River Wildlife Management Area

"Live water." Folks in northwest Oklahoma, particularly hunters, know the importance of live water and its relationship to good wildlife habitat. While much of northwest Oklahoma's upland habitats are dominated by farmlands or relatively treeless sagebrush rangeland. it's the areas around live water such as small creeks or rivers that tend to concentrate populations of deer, turkey, small game and quail.

Live water can be a relative term when talking about northwest Oklahoma. Shallow-sandy creeks and rivers may not even run year-round, however, enough moisture flows through the sandy river bottoms to sustain thirsty cottonwood trees that provide critical roosting sites for Rio Grande wild turkeys. The moist soils around creeks or rivers also attract insects, which provide quail all-important "bugging grounds." For the first six weeks of life, insects provide virtually 100 percent of a quail chick's diet. The areas around live water, referred to as riparian zones by wildlife biologists, tend to have more plant diversity and trees to provide food and escape cover for larger game such as white-tailed deer.

If you ever wanted to see firsthand what "live water" means to wildlife and game populations, then look no further than the Beaver River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) located immediately northwest of the town of Beaver in the Oklahoma Panhandle . In a parched land that only receives a scant 19 inches of rainfall per year, water is a precious commodity around these parts. Yet despite the dry climate, the Beaver River WMA benefits from 19 plus miles of live water to create a classic western Oklahoma flood plain that provides sportsmen a wealth of hunting opportunities.

Covering some 27,813 acres, the Beaver River WMA is a large rectangular block of land that is some 16 plus miles east to west, and two to four miles wide north to south. The meandering Beaver River bisects the WMA, forming two halves. The area is a mixture of upland, flood plain, and river bottom. Sagebrush and buffalo grass predominate on upland sites, which are interspersed with sand plum thickets and gentle rolling sandhills. A quail hunter and a pointer with a decent nose will have plenty of room to roam over the hills and thickets in search of coveys. Among other species, Beaver River WMA is probably most well known for its quail hunting opportunities. Quail hunters from across the state and a growing number of nonresidents have discovered the area for pursuing bobwhites.

Like many western Oklahoma WMAs with good quail populations, a hunter who can avoid the weekends will have fewer dogs and hunters to compete with. Also, hunting pressure tends to drop off later in the quail season, although many bird hunters say that coveys become more skittish as the season goes on. A majority of the management practices on the WMA are conducted to enhance quail and other upland bird species. A combination of prescribed grazing of cattle, strip disking, strip mowing, and prescribed burns are conducted to produce native forb species. To a quail, pheasant, or prairie chicken, forbs, commonly known as weeds, are the smorgasbord of plants. Weedy species such as ragweed and sunflower are prolific seed producers and are enhanced by the various management techniques used on the area.

As you get closer to the river bottom, sagebrush and grasslands give way to more woody vegetation. Sand plum thickets, salt cedar, and mixed grasses with cottonwood, hackberry, and American elm grow more plentiful as you get closer to the river. Turkeys and deer find refuge in the thicker stands of timber where escape cover is always nearby. Although the area doesn't boast a large number of trees for potential treestand locations, a bowhunter can still find plenty of setup areas next to game trails and well-worn river crossings. The majority of deer hunters approach this area like western states, glassing from hilltops and utilizing the spot and stalk methods of pursuit.

Depending upon which month you visit Beaver River WMA, you may or may not see running water in the river. However, dry periods can actually work to the hunter's advantage. Deer will often come to water during early morning or late afternoon hours, particularly in the early part of the archery season when temperatures are still warm. But perhaps the best advantage of having drought-like conditions occurs in September for dove hunters.

Even if no water is running down the river, there are usually a few pools that hold water even in drought conditions. These, in addition to approximately 40 solar wells and 10 artificial watering stations called "guzzlers," scattered throughout the area can, at times, provide excellent early morning or late afternoon waterhole dove hunting in early September. As a general rule of thumb, the hotter and drier the weather is and has been, the hotter the dove hunting action can be around these few drinking sites. Much of the land bordering the WMA to the North and South are farms planting wheat, milo, corn, and soybeans, where migrating doves will feed on spent grain leftover from the harvest earlier in the summer. However, before going to roost in the cottonwoods, doves will usually stop off in the late afternoon to get a drink at just about any place that has an open puddle of water. While most solar wells on the area are used to fill a stock tank, most of them are left running to overflow into a pit pond, which can be "dove magnets" on a hot, dry day

Although present in small numbers, Beaver River WMA offers some unique and unusual game species. Populations of scaled quail, ringneck pheasant, and even mule deer are present on the area and are occasionally taken by hunters. Additionally, the area provides small game hunters opportunities for both black-tailed jackrabbits and the more common cottontail.

To the wildlife watcher. Beaver River WMA offers unique viewing opportunities for two of Oklahoma's short-grass prairie icons, the black-tailed prairie dog, and the lesser prairie chicken. Although no hunting is allowed for these species, a visitor equipped with powerful binoculars or a spotting scope can view prairie dog towns from the area roads year-round Viewing the rare lesser prairie chicken is more difficult however, each spring, the male chickens will conduct their unique courtship displays on the same areas year after year. Birders who want to view these areas, called "booming-grounds " can contact the WMA biologist for more information.

Beaver River Wildlife Management Area Contact Information

Weston Storer, biologist at Beaver River, Optima, and Rita Blanca WMA's. Phone: (806) 339-5175.

WMA Facilities - Rifle Range

A rifle range can be found on the north side of the area. It offers both 50 and 100-yard ranges and has a covered shooting bench.

Camping

Seven designated primitive camping areas are offered on the area.

Local camping/lodging facilities

The Beaver Dunes Park offers campsites with facilities and RV hookups. The Park can be reached at (580) 625-3373.

The towns of Beaver and Forgan have lodging and restaurants. The Beaver Chamber of Commerce can be reached at (580) 625-4726. In Forgan contact the city clerk at (580) 487-3393.

Area Fishing Opportunities

Fishing opportunities exist at Beaver Dunes Park, about I mile north of the town of Beaver, and at Lake Evans Chambers (known locally as Clear Lake) located about 45 miles east of the area. There are no ponds or permanent pools on the WMA to sustain a reliable fishery.