Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Southeast Oklahoma - is it a nice place to retire ?

Yeah, exactly. McCurtain and LeFlore Counties. When I was a kid, it was always said that per capita McCurtain County has just about the highest murder rate in the country. Not sure if it was true, but it was true enough that it was told and believed.

Out of curiosity I had to go to MAPS to look at this part of the country — I was pretty much amazed at the amount of empty, open, and timbered space down there. I had no idea.

Look on google earth or whatever satelite doodad system at the amount of ''nothing'' in the big bend area of florida , where the nw panhandle makes a right headed south . Some sand two track roads and not much else .

My momma grew up in Leflore county, Grandpa and some aunts, uncles, and cousins still live down there. It’s a different place for sure, time warp different in places. My Grandpa has never had a phone, TV, or AC, and he didn’t get indoor plumbing until 83 or 84. That all seemed pretty standard for his neighbors too. There’s lots of wild country to get lost in up in them hills, Grandpa used to point out roads that were not to be gone down for any reason, don’t know why but I always felt like he was pretty serious.

I don’t think it’s the bigfeet that gets the big bucks down there though, think it’s maybe the “coon” hunters more often. . I remember sleeping in my Grandpa’s house one July with the doors and windows open due the heat. Woke up to the crack of a 22 down on the creek, Grandpa just said not to worry and go back to bed. Come morning there was magically a hindquarter on the back porch and we had steak and eggs for breakfast, he indicated that this was a pretty regular occurrence and the neighbor boys’ way of saying thanks for letting them coon hunt.

Very true. Incredible. ‘Gators, snakes, and hogs?

So like I said, I grew up one county over in Arkansas. It was the 2010 census before the population was as high as it was in the 1890 census. 16,000 people in 600 square miles and more than 10,000 of those in one town. There are fewer people out and about, fewer farms and houses than ever before.

In the Dierks company came in from Nebraska in the late 19th and early Century and bought up thousands and thousands of acres of western Arkansas and Southeastern Oklahoma in the Ouachitas. It was the last virgin forest. When the Depression hit and the farms cleaned out, they bought up more and more land. Sevier County is 60 percent owned by Weyrhouser. And then there is also the Oachita National Forest.

That area of Western Arkansas and Oklahoma is as isolated as just about anywhere in the Lower US except for some places out west.

Ok, with these vast tracts of timbered ridges and flats, one wold think it would provide the leg-room for more than just deer, turkeys, and hogs. Do red wolves range that far north? Cougars?

Very intriguing country.

Tons of bear. I’m sure there are cats, but you know how that goes with Game and Fish. And there are...other things. My dad was a logger from the time he was in his teens until he quit doing it in his 50s with only a four year break for the Air Force. For years he cut the right of ways for the new Weyerhaeuser roads. So, from DeQueen to Mena he has been virtually everywhere in there. He hauled mostly to the Dierks mill but sometimes to Wright City. My granddad had a heart attack, fell off a loaded, and died in those hills there.

Based on your testimonial, just penciled in the annual summer family vacation there.

Once you ditch those heads in the trunk, freedom will call!.

I was raised in Leflore county and we raised our boys here. But if I was just starting a family I wouldn't do it here. Things in our community have changed. Having said that, I'm not going to leave. Lots of hunting and fishing on public lands. Broken Bow lake is as pretty as it gets anywhere, but Texas discovered it and during the summer it's as crowded as hell. The mountains north of Broken Bow and south of where I live are beautiful and they too are seeing more and more folks. Nice country, it just ain't like it used to be....but what is

George ,

Odd that you said that , , I saw a red wolf north of Texarkana , Arkansas in 1979 . I had moved to Houston right out of high school [78'] for a job - went back to visit family in 79' . I was taking some roads to see some of the countryside besides interstate 30 so I don't remember exactly where I was . But Texarkana was maybe 20 miles in my rearview mirror.

Coming down a grade after a bit of rain driving along looking around - spot a big canine near the fence on the right side of the road - immediately knew it was a wolf - a red wolf . No mistaking a wolf for a lad who lived for predator calling , read and gazed at anything predator calling - had Jim Daugherty's book 'Varmint Hunters Digest' wore it out nearly .

Sure enough a big red wolf crossed the road angling towards me - I slowed down checked my mirror - no cars in sight front or back and stared studied the wolf , It crossed the road eased under a barb wire fence - galloped off a bit and stared over its left shoulder back at me staring at it . It stopped a couple of times to stare back at me . It crossed at least 200 yards of open pasture while I looked at it with 19 year old eyes . I'll never forget it , I can still see it in my mind .

Terrible place, terrible people, go somewhere else!

I bought property there several years ago. What a mistake! My neighbor to the west took me out coon hunting the day after I met him and let's me hunt his adjoining 320 whenever I want. Neighbors across the road are constantly loaning me anything I need, have me over for dinner every night, gave me the keys to their house and tool shed and even had the nerve to get a Christmas stocking for me. My neighbor down the road is a real piece of work, takes me out predator hunting, fishing, brings his tractor over and does work on my place without my asking. Just terrible people in general.

Seriously though, I can't say I've met a better bunch of people that gladly accept 'outsiders', as long as they're not a$$holes.

Just saw your ? mark -- of coarse yes gators , snakes and hogs + panthers coyotes wild dogs [lots] an 80,000 acre dog hunting lease just broke up after many years of being the biggest dog hunting lease in the region , several members in our club have posted pics of 4-5-6 wild dogs roaming around , eating corn under their feeders [abandoned dogs]. Two barked/growled and circled me while I was field dressing a big sow late one night , 500-600lb. bears , bobcats , Lord only knows down here .

A true 350-400lb. boar hog was killed at our hunting lease - it was being dragged to an open spot so the member could try to shoot coyotes off the carcass , rope broke and they left it where it lay which was close to my lease spot . I dragged it over onto my spot and hunted over it hoping to get a coyote , jumped a coyote off the carcass getting into my stand after an all-nighter of hog hunting . Drove into town for breakfast after all-nighter of hog hunting -lots of coffee with the plan of hunting over the hog carcass if I could stay awake - couldn't stay awake in the blind . Stalked down towards the carcass after seeing movement and a lanky wolf looking critter galloped off - I took a shot at it with my cz 221fb . It was NOT a coyote it was a wolf - skinny and way too lanky wolfie to be a coyote - maybe a cross of some type but definitly wolf genetics . Lots of wolf loving kooks around here and I'm not the only person around here who has seen a wolf around this area .

Have they given you any land or money ?

No, but then, I've never asked. Seems most of my neighbors would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it...