I am a person who loves hunting. Hunting is not only a sport for me, but also a way to harmoniously coexist with nature. I have two like-minded friends, Violet Scripps and Phoenix Joseph, who also enjoy hunting. We often explore new places and search for new prey together. Last month, we decided to go hunting in Mineral Springs, which is a place we had never been before but heard has abundant wildlife and beautiful scenery.
Mineral Springs is a small town located in Arkansas that is famous for its natural hot springs containing various minerals. Local Native Americans used these hot springs to treat various illnesses and skin problems, attracting many tourists to come here for bathing and relaxation. In addition to the hot springs, Mineral Springs also has beautiful natural scenery and rich wildlife, making it an ideal destination for hunting.
Since we planned to hunt at night, we needed some high-quality equipment such as infrared binoculars. We chose products from the Chinese brand Wildguarder because of their excellent value-for-money proposition that allows us clear observation of prey movements even in darkness. With this equipment and our eager hearts full of anticipation, we began our journey in Mineral Springs.
Mineral Springs is a small town with long history and unique geographical features located about 200 miles away from Little Rock – the capital city of Arkansas on North America continent. The name of this town comes from its natural hot springs containing multiple minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, zinc etc., which are beneficial to human health by treating various diseases or skin problems while enhancing immunity system or promoting blood circulation. Therefore, the hot springs in Mineral Spring have always been favored by locals & visitors alike. Some people even come here every day just for drinking water or taking baths.
The mineral spring’s pools were formed due to underground water flowing through carbonate rock layers. The underground water dissolves various minerals within the rock layers, and releases carbon dioxide gas into the water, giving it a slightly acidic and soda-like taste. These waters form different sizes and shapes of hot spring pools on the surface, some of which have been built into artificial swimming pools or bathrooms while others remain in their natural state. Mineral Springs has eight hot springs pools distributed along the main street of town, each with its own name and characteristics.
Mineral Springs also has beautiful natural scenery and rich wildlife. It belongs to a temperate humid climate zone with distinct four seasons that offer different views throughout Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter. The vegetation here mainly consists of deciduous broad-leaved forests and coniferous forests as well as some grasslands and swamps. There are many types of animals here including deer, raccoons, squirrels, hedgehogs, wild rabbits, marmots, skunks, foxes, bobcats etc., making it an ideal hunting destination because not only does it have abundant prey resources but also reasonable hunting regulations & management measures.
We stayed in Mineral Springs for three days and went hunting every night. We chose to hunt at night because we could avoid daytime heat & crowds while seeing some animals that were not easily seen during the day. We used Wildguarder’s infrared binoculars – a high-value equipment that allowed us clear observation of prey movements even in darkness – to search for our targets. The infrared binoculars can take photos or videos too ,which made recording & sharing our hunting experiences more convenient .
On the first night, we went to a forest near town where there was a small stream and grassland – an ideal place for hunting. After searching through our infrared binoculars for awhile, we found a deer eating grass on the meadow. We quietly approached it until we were close enough before shooting. It was lucky that we hit its heart with one shot. After checking its condition up close ,we confirmed that it had died so we dragged it onto our car. We took a few photos with our infrared binoculars to record our first catch. We were happy and grateful for Wildguarder’s infrared binoculars because without them, we might not have seen this deer.
On the second night, we went to a more remote area away from the town where there was a small mountain and a lake, making it a wilder place. We scanned the surroundings with our infrared binoculars and found some interesting animals such as hedgehogs, squirrels, and groundhogs but none were what we wanted to hunt. As we continued searching, suddenly we heard a low roar like that of a lion or tiger which startled us. Quickly using our infrared binoculars to look in the direction of the sound, we discovered a lynx drinking water by the lake. Surprisingly this lynx was large with beautiful patterns and sharp teeth so we decided to try hunting it since it was both an opportunity and challenge.
Slowly approaching it while carefully aiming at its head, we simultaneously fired our guns but unfortunately missed hitting it only causing alarm for the animal. It immediately turned around charging towards us roaring even louder than before which frightened us causing us to quickly run back into our car locking all doors behind us. The lynx followed closely clawing at car doors and windows trying to enter inside while growling fiercely at us.
We frantically honked on the horn and turned on lights hoping to scare it off until luckily after several minutes later; it gave up attacking then left turning back into darkness outside of sight through our infrared binoculars. Checking over our vehicle revealed scratches and dents but nothing major so instead of continuing hunting; we decided returning safely back into town would be best.
On the third night, we went closer towards town visiting parks including golf courses observing smaller animals such as rabbits, raccoons skunks etc., however they weren’t worth hunting compared with previous experiences leaving things feeling dull here too so either changing locations or going home seemed better options.
While still in Mineral Springs though; other activities made for an enjoyable trip including local sightseeing tours tasting delicious foods plus soaking in hot springs which is one of the town’s most famous features. We visited several local attractions such as Millwood State Park, Historic Washington State Park and Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge showcasing natural scenery and cultural history around Mineral Springs providing us with a deeper appreciation for this place.
Millwood State Park located near Millwood Lake was beautiful with lakes, rivers, forests making it perfect for fishing, boating, hiking or picnicking. Historic Washington State Park preserved 19th century southern small-town architecture featuring many historical buildings museums and craft shops allowing visitors to experience southern culture and history. Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge protected various wildlife species including wetlands grasslands forests making it an ideal location for bird watching reptiles mammals etc.
We also tasted some delicious local foods at Williams Tavern Restaurant Southern Dine Feed Bin Cafe all offering affordable yet tasty American southern cuisine like roasted chicken cornbread fried fish barbecue etc. Our favorite though was Williams Tavern Restaurant situated inside Historic Washington State Park built in 1832 having retro warm decor atmosphere where we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch feeling transported back into the past.
Lastly; we soaked in hot springs along Main Street discovering eight different pools each with their own name and unique characteristics experiencing varying water quality temperatures but our favorite being Stratton Spring located within a small pavilion containing clear slightly bitter mineral-rich water beneficial to both skin body relaxation after soaking there for about half an hour.
Overall; this hunting trip to Mineral Springs became one of my most unforgettable experiences shared among friends not only enjoying hunting thrills but also exploring its rich history culture nature deepening friendships broadening horizons relaxing minds bodies gaining much more than expected. Special thanks go out to Wildguarder who provided high-quality infrared binoculars making night hunting safer easier too! Hopefully someday returning here or going elsewhere on another exciting hunt adventure while recommending others who love hunting come visit Mineral Springs experiencing its charm wonders firsthand!
