U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Cache River National Wildlife Refuge

General Introduction

Welcome to Cache River National Wildlife Refuge.

Established in 1986, Cache River NWR is one of

over 540 national wildlife refuges administered by

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The nearly 100

million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System is the

only network of public lands in the United States

set aside specifically for wildlife.

The primary objective of the refuge is to provide

habitat for migratory waterfowl and preserve the

remaining tracts of bottomland hardwood forest in

the Cache River Basin. The refuge covers 61,000

acres of land along Cache River and Bayou DeView

in Jackson, Woodruff, Prairie, and Monroe counties

in eastern Arkansas. Hunting and fishing are

permitted under carefully controlled conditions to

maintain wildlife populations at levels compatible

with the ecosystem. This permits the use of a

valuable natural resource and provides recreational

opportunities for the public.

More than 74% of Cache River NWR (45,121 acres)

has been acquired using $38.7 million from the sale of

the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and

Conservation Stamp, or the “Duck Stamp.” At Cache

River Refuge, Duck Stamp funding conserved land for

the Black Bear, Swallow-tailed Kite, Bald Eagle, and

the once-thought extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

Access and Vehicle Use

Cache River NWR is in the acquisition phase.

Isolated land tracts are scattered throughout the

acquisition zone and have been posted with refuge

boundary signs and marked with yellow boundary

paint. Access to many of these refuge lands is

through private lands. All refuge visitors should

obtain permission from adjacent landowners prior

to crossing private land to reach refuge property.

Most refuge roads are open to the general public all

year. Roads may be closed any time hazardous or

poor road conditions exist. A locked gate or other

barrier means the road is closed to all vehicle travel,

but not to foot travel unless signed otherwise.

All vehicles must stay on established roads. ATVs

may be used on established roads south of Highway

38. Horses are prohibited. Personal watercraft (jetski, etc), hover craft and airboats are prohibited also.

Permitted Activities

Public use is permitted throughout the year.

Developed public use facilities are limited. A map

with recommended public access points may be

found on the reverse. ■ Boating in rivers and bayous throughout the

refuge is permitted.

■ The public is welcome to observe and photograph

wildlife.

■ Fishing and hunting (with refuge permit) are

allowed. A Public Use, Hunting, and Fishing

Regulations brochure is available at the refuge

office. A number of regulated hunts occur on the

refuge each fall and winter (generally September

to February).

Prohibited Activities ■ Camping. Public campgrounds are located

nearby at DeValls Bluff on Highway 70.

■ Building fires. ■ Cutting or defacing trees. ■ Littering. ■ Searching for or removal of artifacts. ■ Trapping. ■ Spotlighting. Artificial lights may not be used to

locate wildlife.

Firearms, archery equipment and crossbows are

permitted only during refuge hunts.

The use of audio devices, electronic callers,

recordings or similar artificial devices for

simulating the call of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker

or any other non-game bird is prohibited.

Waterfowl sanctuaries

Waterfowl sanctuaries are closed to all entrance

and hunting from November 15 through the end of

February. Obtain a Public Use, Hunting and

Fishing Regulations brochure for season dates and

a map showing the location of waterfowl

sanctuaries.

Ivory-billed Woodpecker Managed Access Area

Contact the refuge headquarters or visit the refuge

website to receive current public use information

on the Ivory-billed Woodpecker Managed Access

Area. See reverse for more information on the

Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

USFWS/Bill Alexander

USFWS/Garry Tucker

USFWS/Karen Graves

USFWS/F. Eugene Hester USFWS/Ray Paterra

USFWS/Jerry Griggs USFWS/Garry Tucker USFWS/Eric Johnson

USFWS/Garry Tucker
N

0 Miles 1

0 Kilo 1

Biscoe

Bottoms

George

Tract

Access

70

33

33

70

79 86

302

302

Biscoe

Clarendon

Dagmar WMA

Wattensaw

WMA

40

33

33

33

White River

White River

Cache River

Cache River

Cache River

Cache River

Cache River

Bayou

De

View

 Bayou

De View

White River

Broadwater

Access

De Valls Bluff

Seven Mile

Bayou Area

33 38 38

17

17

17

Cotton Plant

Brinkley

To Cache River

Headquarters

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Ivory-billed Woodpecker Managed Access Area

Information and Regulations

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker, the largest

woodpecker species in the U.S. and Canada, was

rediscovered at Cache River National Wildlife

Refuge in February 2004. Prior to its rediscovery,

its last confirmed sighting was in the 1940s at the

Singer Tract near Tallulah, Louisiana on what is

now the Tensas River NWR. Until the Cache River

sightings, most ornithologists believed the bird to

be extinct. With the rediscovery of the Ivory-billed

Woodpecker, a Managed Access Area has been

established. A map of this area is also available by

contacting or visiting the refuge office or by going

to the Cache River NWR website:

http://cacheriver.fws.gov.

Boundaries of the Managed Access Area and public

use restrictions may be modified as more

information and facts become available through

continued research. Please contact the refuge office

at 870/347 2614 for current information and public

use regulations on the Managed Access Area.

Refuge visitors are encouraged to report any bird

sightings believed to be Ivory-billed Woodpeckers

to refuge officials and to carry cameras afield to

document any sightings. One can also help conserve

the Ivory-billed Woodpecker by keeping an eye out

for the bird. Carefully study the identifying field

characteristics of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker,

which are outlined below, and report all sightings.

All visitors should be aware that the Ivory-billed

Woodpecker is protected under the Endangered

Species Act, the Refuge Administration Act,

Migratory Bird Treaty Act, National Wildlife

Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and other

federal and state legislation. The unauthorized

taking or harassment of this species is prohibited.

If you believe you may have seen

an Ivory-billed Woodpecker,

immediately after the sighting,

make a drawing of what you saw,

noting the following characteristics:

■ Color of trailing edge of wing

(white vs. black)

■ Crest and forehead color

■ Bill color

■ Chin color

■ Relative size

■ Vocalizations

■ Habitat

If you are with someone else,

individuals should make their own

notes without conferring with

each other.

Please report any sightings to

refuge officials and to the Cornell

Lab of Ornithology via their

website:

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory.

Please bookmark these websites:

http://www.fws.gov/ivorybill

Ivory-billed Woodpecker Recovery

http://www.cacheriver.fws.gov

Refuge public use and regulations

http://www.agfc.com

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

http://www.ivorybill.org

Information on the search for the

Ivory-billed Woodpecker

N

0 Miles 1

0 Kilo 1

17

64

Patterson

McCrory

Jackson

Tract

Thompson

Tract

Access

Morris

Tract

730

260

745

33

To Cache River NWR

Headquarters

Black

Swamp WMA

Black

Swamp WMA

Black

Swamp WMA

Cache River

Cache River

Cache River

Cache River

National Wildlife Refuge

North Access Area

Identifying Field Marks of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker and Similar Birds

Wood Duck

Ivory-billed

Woodpecker

In flight - view from below

Distinct Ivory-bill characteristics:

■ White trailing edge of wing

(vs. dark trailing edge of Pileated).

■ Wing more slender than Pileated.

■ Tail feathers longer and more

pointed.

■ Pale, ivorywhite bill.

Red-headed

Woodpecker

White trailing

edge of wing

Pileated

Woodpecker

In flight - view from above

Distinct Ivory-bill characteristics:

■ White trailing edge of wing

(vs. dark trailing edge of Pileated).

■ Two white stripes

converge on lower back.

■ Tail feathers longer and

more pointed.

 ■ Pale, ivory-white bill.

Pileated

Woodpecker

Wood

Duck

Red-headed

Woodpecker

White trailing

edge of wing

Illustrations:

© David Allen Sibley

At rest

Distinct Ivory-bill characteristics:

■ Two white stripes converge on lower back.

■ Entirely white secondary feathers give appearance of white

“saddle” on back.

■ Largely dark face and dark chin (vs. white chin of Pileated).

■ Pale, ivory-white bill.

■ Crest is curved and pointed; male crest is red with

black forehead (Pileated male crest is

entirely red).

Ivory-billed

Woodpecker

Male

Pileated

Woodpecker

Male

Ivory-billed

Woodpecker

Red-headed

Woodpecker

Cache River NWR

Managed Access

State WMA

Boat Ramp

Road

Unimproved Road

South Access Area

Female

Pileated Woodpecker

Female

Ivory-billed Woodpecker

Female Head

■ Female Ivory-bill crest is entirely black (female

Pileated crest resembles male ivory-billed red

crest with black forehead – use chin color as

distinguishing feature)

Only a portion of Cache River National Wildlife

Refuge is depicted on the maps above. These maps

indicate the best locations for birdwatching, and

represent the best opportunities to see an Ivory-billed

Woodpecker. For an all inclusive map, please obtain a

free copy of the Public Use, Hunting and Fishing

Regulations brochure. You

may also purchase a detailed

wall map of the refuge from

Friends of Felsenthal NWR at

the Cache River Headquarters.