Broken Bow, Oklahoma: A Place to relax, Hunt Fish, or Dine
In mid-April of this year, I was looking for a place to unwind for a few days. While I had been to Broken Bow in the past, it had been 40 or so years ago. I remembered driving up the Talamena Skyline Drive and thought it would be an excellent opportunity to relax and see some different Terrain, and it was well worth the drive. Searching for a cabin rental before the Easter Holiday was tough on short notice. We thought the Holiday crowd had already rented everything until we discovered a hidden gem. Indian Lookout Mountain Cabins: There are only five cabins on the mountainside, each one with a balcony facing east, which allows for spectacular sunrises over the mountains in the morning and at that time of year moonrises in the evening. Each cabin is nicely appointed and has a hot tub, Hammock, and gas grill. The Hammock and hot tub were particularly interesting to me, and I used both daily. After a day of rest, I began to explore and found everything I could imagine for an outdoor enthusiast. If fishing is your game, you have a lot to choose from. You can find trout fishing in the lower 12-mile stretch of the Mountain Fork River and 5 miles of that in the beautiful Beavers Bend National Park. You can also find Bass, Smallmouth, and Largemouth, along with excellent Crappie fishing in Broken Bow Lake and Nearby Piney Creek Lake. The water is clear, and topwater fishing can be outstanding. Hunting, well, the cabins are across the road from the 200,000-acre Three Rivers WMA. I drove through it twice and saw both Turkeys and numerous White Tail deer.
A few Trophy-sized bucks come from this area annually. For the traveling bird hunter, while there every morning, I heard coveys of Bobwhites whistling and their covey calls every evening. The Three Rivers WMA has miles of excellent quail habitat and, while not the numbers of other famed quail destinations, very huntable populations. Spending a few days there in the late summer with a whistle and a GPS to mark coveys would be a productive plan. If small game is your target, there is also the Little River NWR, one of Oklahoma’s most extensive remaining tracts of bottomland habitat, approximately 15,000 acres. Waterfowl hunting can be good at times, and after visiting with some of the locals, the word is that while it is not a wintering area when the birds are there, there are a lot of Mallards. There is also a myriad of activities for non-hunters, from ATV rentals to golf, and the dining opportunities include world-class brick oven Pizza at Grateful Head Pizza Company to craft sandwiches at Brick and Bread, including a delicious Cuban Sandwich and micro-breweries and wineries as well. In my travels, I have not found another place with such a diverse opportunity to Hunt, Fish, Dine, or relax on the side of a mountain and be thankful to be alive.
HI, I'm JOHN HARDY
Hi, I’m John Hardy, a lifelong outdoorsman, fisherman, hunter, and cook. This site shares my extensive experience in the field, on the water, and in the kitchen, along with insights from our expert Pro Staff. Explore our proven tips and tools for outdoor adventures and culinary success.