Cell phone coverage for Verizon and AT&T users is strong in all areas of Ozotiowe. Other carriers provide spotty coverage.

FOR ANY EMERGENCY, CALL 911 FIRST. A small medical clinic with limited services and hours of operation is available SE of Ozotiowe: LAKEVIEW AREA CLINIC 14066 Hwy 44 Wabash, AR 72389 Phone: 870-827-3201 A larger regional medical hospital is located in West Helena: FAMILY MEDICAL CENTER OF HELENA 1393 Highway 242 South Helena, AR 72342 Phone: 870-572-6507

The closest Veterinarian is located in West Helena. The office does offer after hours emergency Vet services. However, the emergency service is not guaranteed. The local Vet may be reached at: Delta Regional Pet Hospital 2020 Martin Luther King Jr Dr. West Helena, AR 72342 Emergency services phone: 870.995.2713 General Phone: 870-338-7123 Chief Veterinarian: Dr. Holt Pittman The closest dedicated emergency Vet Hospital is: Memphis Veterinary Hospital & Emergency 555 Trinity Creek Cove Memphis, TN 38018 Emergency services phone: 901-624-9002 Chief Veterinarian: Many available according to specialty.

Call your group Captain or club manager first. You can reach us at Ozotiowe by calling 217.720.8927 any time. We will do all we can to help you. Local tow services in Phillips County will not respond to calls for service once you are off a designated county road or state highway. It is recommended that you carry a shovel, chains, and/or a tow strap when entering the bottomlands anywhere around the Big Creek watershed. As little as 1/2" of rain will cause the dirt roads to become impassable.

Tours are available by appointment only from October 1 to February 15. Please call us at 217.720.8927 to set up a tour.

Yes! "Try before you buy" adventures are available with the owner subject to availability of a hunt area. Current members have priority use of Ozotiowe. Please call to set up a date and we will do our best to fit you in.

As of May 2024, Ozotiowe Adventure Club's 80 acres is fully leased to one group for the 2024-2025 waterfowl season until April 2025 with an option to renew for the 25-26 season. As of May 2024, there are four large groups on the waiting list interested in leasing the entire 80 AC, and 16 smaller groups (not to exceed five persons/group) interested in leasing a single blind (three blinds will be available). We will not mix an exclusive group with a single group. We will not permit sub-leasing of blinds and/or day hunts at Ozotiowe. Please give us a call to discuss membership options at Ozotiowe. You may also send us an email requesting to be placed on the waiting list for an exclusive sitewide lease, or on the wait list for a single blind. We will contact you to let you know your position on the list.

The fee to join Ozotiowe Adventure Club varies depending on what kind of a lease we negotiate with you: an exclusive lease, or a single blind lease. Customer preference, inflation, and the economy also play a big role. Management, staff, and consultants work year round to manage the habitat and recreational facilities so that you, the customer has a quality recreational adventure at Ozotiowe. The final price will be reflected in this dedication to you and your guests. Regardless of the price, one half (1/2) of the fee (deposit) will be due upon signing and returning the lease agreement to Ozotiowe and is non refundable. The rest of the fee will be due by September 1 of the lease year. Due to the volatility of the internet and social media, we would prefer if a representative of your group call us at 217.720.8927 to discuss current fees and variables.

We live in a litigious society. No matter where you recreate, liability releases are required for most outdoor recreational activities, both public and private. Ozotiowe is no different. Most forms of outdoor recreational activities, especially hunting can be dangerous, including the possibility of death. No matter where a sportsman recreates, it is not up to the landowner or manager to monitor each member and/or guest's activities for safety and shoulder the financial burden for a member's mistakes. Anyone entering Ozotiowe must be responsible for themselves. If a member, guest, or other type of visitor does not want to sign the liability waiver, they will not be allowed access to Ozotiowe Adventure Club, even if they are a non hunting observer.

Safety! The rules are not in place to restrict members and their guests, but to assure that you have a quality outdoor experience in a safe way. Ozotiowe Adventure Club's rules will be enforced by management in coordination with a lessee's group Captain or club manager. The Ozotiowe rules are in addition to any rules the lessee may have in place. Ozotiowe rules are revised for each new lease after negotiating with the group prior to issuing a lease agreement. Rules may be revised upon renewal of an existing lease.

Information provided in your membership application is confidential and will not shared with anyone except emergency services personnel in case of an emergency. Applications that are submitted incomplete without all the required information will be rejected.

Having your guests information allows us to identify your guest on the first and all subsequent visits to Ozotiowe. As with your personal information, your guest's information is confidential and will never be shared with anyone expect emergency services personnel in case of an emergency.

Ozotiowe Adventure Club property lines are clearly marked with upright stakes and no trespassing signs. Most are visible above the floodwaters. Some of the signs are attached to trees high above the floodwaters. Retrieving birds that have sailed onto the neighbors property is permissible as long as you don't linger. Members must get in, get their birds and get back onto Ozotiowe as soon as possible. Sending your retriever onto the neighbors land to retrieve a harvested bird is a better idea (if your retriever is trained to handle). If you do run into a landowner or hunter onto an adjacent parcel, please be courteous and do not argue with them about trespassing to get your downed game. Report any conflicts with adjacent landowners or other hunters to your group Captain so we can call the landowner and rectify the situation. Please report the location of any damaged signs to Ozotiowe Management so we can repair them.

Trespassers are a common occurrence at Ozotiowe, especially during periods of high water. If you see trespassers on site (outside the banks of Big Creek), do not engage them and create a conflict. Note their information: location of the trespass; date/time of day; type of boat and boat ID numbers; number of hunters/description; Report this information to your group Captain or club manager and ask them to report it to Ozotiowe Management. We will address the issue with the local AGFC county game warden. Arkansas Navigable Water's are defined by both State and Federal Laws. A list of Federally listed navigable water can be found at: https://www.swl.usace.army.mil/Portals/50/docs/regulatory/navigablestreams.pdf Big Creek is NOT considered a navigable water by either State or Federal Law. By State law, the bottom of any creek, river, lake, or other private or public body of water is owned by the State of Arkansas. Over time however, the State of AR has recognized a recreational navigation doctrine, meaning: the public may use a non navigable water (such as Big Creek) for recreational purposes, as long as the public stays below the the top of the bank (where the bank flattens out onto the farmland). For an in depth legal discussion of the recreational navigation doctrine, see the following: https://lawrepository.ualr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&context=lawreview See page 167 for AR laws, and the conclusion on page 175. Simply put: anyone can hunt within the banks of Big Creek, even inside the property lines of Ozotiowe without trespassing as long as they did not trespass to gain access to Big Creek. However, same persons must stay within the banks of Big Creek and not venture onto Ozotiowe property. Overflow water from Big Creek flooding Ozotiowe outside the banks of the creek is not publicly accessible for the purposes of the recreational navigation doctrine and IS a violation of state law. Most of the citations issued by AGFC to sportsman are for trespassing.

Ozotiowe is an 80 AC parcel located in Phillips County about 12 miles South of Marvell. Ozotiowe is bisected by Big Creek, with 60 Acres on the North side of Big Creek, and a 20 AC area on the South side. The North Unit is accessed from Phillips County Road 376 (just East of AR State HWY 318). The South Unit is accessed off Phillips County Road 470 (a levee road also East of HWY 318). See the map at the bottom of this web site for an exact location and a link to provide you with directions. Entering Ozotiowe Adventure Club on any web application search engine will also bring up a map.

North Unit: A small unpaved parking lot is located at the Northeast end of pond 1. During dry weather, hunters can drive their truck/trailer to the small parking area, unload their ATV then drive and/or walk on mowed levee roads to the pond access. During rainy periods: it is best to park on Phillips County Road 376 and drive in with your ATV. South Unit: A small parking area is available near pond 5. A short 50 yard walk will put hunters into the pond. Hunters wishing to hunt pond 4 can continue West along a very defined elevated/mowed levee road for 1,000 feet to access the timber hole. During rainy periods: it is best to park on Phillips County Road 470 and drive in with your ATV. During periods of high water, all areas may be accessed by boat. All parking areas and travel routes are marked with reflective signage during hunting season (except for boat trails). Digital maps are available on this web site. Larger wall maps are provided to members for posting on the club house wall.

Due to the high amount of rain that falls in the area, access varies from day to day. Phillips Road 376 and 470 are county maintained gravel roads that do not flood and are drivable year round. After getting off the gravel, access requires that you drive on unpaved muddy farm roads to access both the North and South Units. ATV's are required when the roads are muddy. North Unit: Dirt road off county road 376 is a legal easement for 1/2 mile, and 1/2 mile on a dirt road with secured permission from one landowner to access the duck ponds. Once you get on site, access is provided on a levee trail wide enough to drive on with ATV's and by foot. Specific parking for ATV's includes: Pond 1: park in the small dirt parking lot on the NW side of the pond and walk in East 400 ft to the blind. Pond 2: Unload gear at the edge of levee, park same as Pond 1 and walk in SE 1/4 mile to the blind. Pond 3: Park under the tree canopy near Pond 6 and walk in West 300 feet to the blind. Pond 6: Park under the trees near the edge of the pond and walk in East 200 ft to the blind. If water is too high to wade, take a small boat to the blind. Hunters can also walk 400 ft to the east side of the blind and access the blind. Pond 7: Drive ATV or walk in East side of Pond 1 for 1/4 mile and access A frame blind approximately 200 feet East of the Pond 1 levee. Park ATV back at small parking lot NW of Pond 1. South Unit: Dirt road of county road 470 is a legal easement for one mile, and then one mile of dirt road with secured permission from two landowners to access the duck ponds. Pond 4: Park under the trees near the timber hole and walk 200 ft to the blind. If hole is flooded, park on top of the access levee, and walk in 400 ft to the timber hole(s). Pond 5: Park under the trees near the edge of the pond, and walk in NE 300 ft to the blind. During periods of heavy rain high water when the levees are saturated and/or under water, driving on levees with ATV's will not be permitted. Hunters may park their ATV's in the small dirt parking lot on the NW side of the North Unit and walk in to hunt. The South Unit may be accessed by ATV during most of the year. Duck boats with a good sturdy engine will be mandatory for access to the hunting areas during periods of high water. Digital maps are available elsewhere on this web site. Wall maps will be provided to the manger of your club for posting.

Depends on the season. Drivable access into the ponds via ATV/UTV is only permitted when the ponds are completely dry. No driving is allowed in the ponds when they are wet, muddy, or flooded because the vehicle tires leave big ruts that become trip and fall hazards for wading hunters. If you are disabled in some way and can't wade into the ponds, we will do our best to accommodate you by coordinating a small boat to ferry you out to the duck blind.

During waterfowl season, reflective directional signage is posted on the roads leading into Ozotiowe. The same type of signage is posted in parking areas, along the levees, and at the access point to the blind to help with directions. Once in the water, a mowed path in the ponds with reflective posts on the perimeter of the path lead the way to the blind.

Duck boats (boats) may be parked on dry land at the NW side of the North Unit until needed for use during high water events. The area is open and not fenced, and parking a boat here is at your own risk. Boats may be used to access all areas of Ozotiowe (including the South Unit) from the North Unit boat parking area. It is recommended that the boats be taken off of the trailers, and the trailers moved off site to your camp. Make sure to anchor your boat as floodwaters can rise quickly overnight. Boats can be moved to get to the water by towing with an ATV or by hand as needed. Boats used at Ozotiowe must be sturdy with reliable motors. Strong currents are present when the area floods. During periods of calmer lower water, kayaks and canoes may be used to access the hunt areas. Smaller boats may be stored anywhere on site (at the hunter's own risk). Hunters using boats at Ozotiowe must comply with State law. A personal floatation device must always be worn while boating.

We scout Ozotiowe on a regular basis and will provide a scouting report to your group Captain or club manager upon request. We do not send out general emails or text messages to all your members. Scouting includes early morning "listening walks" conducted before first light on foot to gauge feeding activity at Ozotiowe. Daytime aerial recon is also done through the use of a drone along with conventional ground pounding. We network with other duck clubs, hunters, and the local AGFC game warden to look at the regional conditions as well.

Each blind is outfitted with 4 seats and/or stools. Blinds 1-2-3 are recessed into the levee and are provided with a 2" drain that allows most of the rain/flood waters to drain out. Bailing scoops are provided in 1-2-3 to bail rain/flood water out of the bottom of the blind. Their are no stoves or heaters in the blinds. Members are welcome to bring all the creature comforts they want to the blind, but must take same away at the end of the hunt day. None of the blinds have rain covers. Good duck blind etiquette includes taking your trash with you as you leave for the day (that includes hulls).

Anytime during the legal season is a great time to hunt waterfowl at Ozotiowe. However, we find that the waterfowling improves dramatically right after a flood event. Birds instantly respond to the flooding by arriving en mass to get to the newly flooded vegetation (both natural and planted) and invertebrates. The yearly waterfowl hatch, weather, as well as pressure by hunters plays a huge role in when it is the best time to hunt waterfowl in the Big Creek flyway. As with any hunt area, the more the birds get pressured, the harder it is to harvest them. The 2023-2024 was an excellent example. A poor breeding pair count in the late spring along with a poor hatch due to drought caused initial concerns throughout the Mississippi flyway. Later, a drought and warm weather caused waterfowl not to migrate into AR until early January. As a result of these conditions the Big Creek flyway experienced a very poor harvest rate until mid January. Once the waterfowl arrived, shooting improved dramatically.

The most harvested waterfowl at Ozotiowe are Wood Ducks, followed by (in order) Mallards, Gadwall, Snow Geese, Pintail, and Teal. Pintail and widgeon prefer Ozotiowe when the area floods and they are able to work the moist soil units for seeds and invertebrates. Wood ducks congregate at Ozotiowe all night feeding on the moist soil plants in the ponds. At first light, the Wood Ducks fly out by the thousands joining thousands of other Wood Ducks as they move from feeding to roosting areas. Woodies use the creek as a flyway and fly over and around at tree top height providing excellent early morning pass shooting opportunities near ponds 3, 4, 5, and 6. Snow Geese by the hundreds of thousands feed in the myriad of farm fields surrounding Ozotiowe and provide excellent pass shooting opportunities all day. The Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, and Widgeon harvest varies according to the weather and time of year.

The Big Creek flyway that extends from the Mississippi River on the East to the White River NWR on the West is a heavily hunted by a great many private duck clubs and freelance duck hunters. The constant pressure on the waterfowl makes them very wary and difficult to hunt. With an exclusive lease to one group, you are entitled to hunt Ozotiowe all you want. However, it is recommended that your group allow a couple of days rest between hunt days to rest the fields and hunt no more than three groups of shooters on each hunt day. With a smaller group lease to three groups (if Ozotiowe is not leased to a single group), hunting is allowed on Wed-Sat-Sun and holidays; as well as by request by all three groups. The same principal applies: the more you rest Ozotiowe, the better your hunts will be. Regardless of the type of lease, hunters should try to keep the amount of time spent at Ozotiowe as short as possible to allow waterfowl to filter back in and feed/rest. For morning hunts, that means leaving by around 10 AM. Afternoon hunts are not recommended, but if you must hunt in the afternoon, hunt from about 3 pm to the close of shoot time. Birds start filtering into Ozotiowe's moist soil units late afternoon and stay all night long feeding on the myriad of plant seeds and invertebrates. Hunters driving in on their ATV's usually scare the birds off very early and consequently, the birds are gone when shoot time roles around. Walking in does not scare the birds off and the waterfowl are available at shoot time.

When an exclusive lease is issued to one group for the season, we work with your group Captain/club manager to recommend hunt locations each shoot day so their is minimal conflict between groups. If one group has not leased all of Ozotiowe for the year, and we have three smaller groups leasing Ozotiowe, we manage the three groups through their group Captain(s). We conduct a draw the night before a hunt day (Wed-Sat-Sun, holidays and by request) and advise the groups of their hunt site. The draw decision is final. If only one group is hunting on a shoot day, they have freedom to break up, spread out, and use any hunt site they want. No matter the type of lease, we have a check in board at the North Unit and South Unit. The board is a simple vertical standard with pins. We ask that hunters place a (provided) cover over the blind number they are hunting upon entering, and remove the cover when they are leaving. That way, late arriving groups can see which blinds are free or taken before they go out to the field. In most cases, simple common sense prevails. Hunting no more then three groups a per hunt day is the best approach in order to minimize conflicts and allow for a great experience to the hunters on site that day.

Because of the diverse nature of the ponds. Not all blinds/ponds are hunted on a hunt day, and each blind shoots best on particular types of weather or flood events. Blinds are well spaced, and separation between hunt groups has never been an issue. While group's that have an exclusive lease can hunt as many hunters as they wish at Ozotiowe, it is recommended that no more then three hunt groups are allowed to hunt on site at any time. If the yearly lease is to three disparate hunt groups, they will be spaced out by management to allow for the best separation and least conflict between groups. Pond 1-3 & 5: Moist soil ponds surrounded by levees and flooded at the beginning of the season. Best hunting when the site is not flooded too deep by floodwaters. Pond 4: A classic cleared timber hole that fills when Big Creek overflows its banks. May be waded during most flood events. Shoots best when the bottomland is flooded. An elevated A frame platform blind has been installed at the edge of the deeper side of the timber hole for the 2024-2025 season so that hunters can get out of the cold water when needed. Pond 6: A floating blind inside the banks of Big Creek in a creek plateau on the North side of Big Creek. May only be hunted when the creek is high, and is usually acessed by wading. Must be accessed with a boat when the creek is very high. This is historically the best hunting site at Ozotiowe. Pond 7: An elevated A frame platform blind on the Northeast end of the North Unit. May be accessed via ATV and/or on foot most of the time. Hunters will need a boat to access during periods of very high water when this blind hunts the best. Hunting during highwater flood events is dangerous. Hunters must be prepared to use good sturdy boats with reliable motors so that they have a safe recreational adventure. Boats may be parked on the North end of the North Unit to access all areas of Ozotiowe (including the South Unit). No more then three ponds should be hunted at any time at Ozotiowe. Management will help with suggestions and hunting group placement to minimize conflicts.

Yes. Each blind is outfitted a variety of decoys that are appropriate for the type of habitat around the blind. Decoys are stored at each blind in multiple groups of 18 Any decoys set out must be picked up every shoot day. Blind 1-2-3-7: open water moist soil units. Most of the decoys composed of sprig and a few divers. A smaller number of mallard and teal are mixed with the sprig. Blind 4-5-6: flooded timber units. Most of the decoys are made up of mallard and wood duck with a small number of sprig and teal. Decoys are mostly floaters rigged Texas style with 4 oz weights on six foot non tangle cords collected to carabiners in groups of approx. 18. The Texas rigs must be attached to the blind at the end of each shoot day so that they don't float away during periods of high water. There are also a few full body decoys designed to be propped up with (provided) wooden stakes. A few full body greater white-front goose decoys are provided at blinds 1-2-3. Motion decoys such as spinning wing, splashers, jerk strings and similar types of motion dekes are the responsibility of the members. Members are welcome to bring their own decoys, but must pick same up at the end of the shoot day.

The training of retrievers, flushing, and pointing dogs is permitted from April 15 to August 15 in the 60 AC North Unit and South Unit by special permission. This schedule allows for resting of the ponds before and after waterfowl season(s). Sorry, no hound training is allowed at Ozotiowe because hounds will run off site which may require handlers to trespass to take them off the game they are tracking. All training is by appointment only so we can manage dog training groups to reduce conflicts. Retriever training is most effective in the moist soil units inside the ponds. Training areas include a variety of water depths, islands, levees, duck blinds (sunken and elevated) and flooded timber (if the bottomland is flooded). Pointing and flushing dogs can train in upland areas in the dry sections of the moist soil units and outside the ponds. The 2024 fee for dog training at Ozotiowe is $20/dog/day. Ozotiowe is available to professional dog training groups and clubs for their daily training needs and to hold trials and hunt tests. The 2024 fees for club and professional use of Ozotiowe is negotiable based on industry standards. A signed liability waiver will be required of all persons entering Ozotiowe associated with a dog training event.

The moist soil units (MSU) at the North Unit stay full of water from the end of duck season until mid June. We have the ability to add water to Pond 1 on the North end of the MSU through the deep well located on site. Filling Pond 1 takes about 30 hrs. of pumping and is an additional charge of $500/24 hrs. of pumping. We do not recommend training inside the banks of Big Creek. The steep banks and muddy edges make for very difficult retrieves. In addition, Big Creek is home to alligators.....any questions on that issue?

NO! The area all around Big Creek is known to harbor Alligators. We recommended that trainers do not allow their sport dogs near the edges of Big Creek for their safety. Allowing sport dogs to swim in Big Creek at any time of year attracts alligators and is a recipe for disaster. In addition, the slippery/muddy/steep banks are difficult to maneuver and dangerous for both dogs and people.

No permits are required to train at Ozotiowe if you are using bumpers, dead birds, or live feral pigeons. The State AGFC has very specific rules about shooting certain types of live birds for dog training purposes. You must have an AGFC "Shoot to Kill" permit in hand when training at Ozotiowe with the types of live birds discussed on the AGFC web site: https://apps.agfc.com/regulations/F1.06/ Shoot to kill permits are only issued by AGFC to residents of the state of AR.