About US

About Blackwater Outfitters

Blackwater Outfitters is an all inclusive waterfowl experience. We pride ourselves on our customer service as well as our hospitality. Our goal is to provide each group with a private, one of a kind luxury experience including excellent food and comfort. Our guides are experienced hunters determined to provide each group with the most successful hunt possible. We have access to some of the best waterfowl land in Northeast Arkansas including riverfront, flooded timber, field pits and dry goose fields. We look forward to having you!

The Guides of
Blackwater Outfitters

Dowling Armstrong

HUNTING OPERATIONS
Dowling started his duck hunting career chasing woodies in South Georgia when he was in middle school. He fell in love with duck hunting at an early age. Dowling says he remembers his first wood duck hunt when he was 13 and he didn’t even know he needed waders! Dowling says, “We got to the swamp and I walked out in bibs and Georgia boots in 36 degree weather with water up to my chest. I might have froze but I fell in love that morning shooting wood ducks in the timber.” He then moved to Nashville and started running a club in west Tennessee then it soon moved to Arkansas and then down to Mississippi before finally settling in the bootheel which is now where he calls home. Dowling has an impressive guiding career and has been guiding for close to 6 years now. He has hunted and guided from Alaska down to Canada in Saskatchewan and all the way back to the wintering grounds in the Mississippi flyway delta. He has a strong passion for all aspects of waterfowl hunting. From the off season prep, the grind of scouting and finding feeds, all the way to the second you get to see all your hard work and planning pay off. Dowling especially enjoys working his dogs and watching them do what they love. He even trained our top dog, Gunner. He says his favorite time of year is when duck season starts and then he suffers a massive depression when the snow geese finally leave. Dowling says, “I love the sport and hope to offer an affordable opportunity to hunt with down to earth guides on some exceptional ground.” When Dowling & Olivia met they spent most of their time hunting for whatever season was in or taking others hunting. They both love seeing others succeed in the outdoors which is why they started Blackwater Outfitters.

Olivia Armstrong

LODGE OPERATIONS
I am 28 years old & originally from southeast Michigan. I started hunting when I was 15. After college I moved to middle TN where I met Dowling. Dowling and I were inspired to start Blackwater when we were dating in 2020 after his hunting club called “Backwater Fowl Club”. We purchased a lodge with our partner Dave & ran a nightly rental for members and hunters in the area. That lodge later turned into us offering guided trips to the public. Thats when we rebranded to “Blackwater”. Dowling and I love taking people hunting and have dedicated a lot of time to it throughout the years whether it was for deer, turkey or ducks. We always said we didn't want to open an outfitter because it would take away the fun part of hunting. But there is nothing better than experiencing someone's first deer or duck. We now spend most of duck season in Arkansas & have 3 duck dogs: Gunner, Goose and River. We hope to continue to grow better and better every season.

Garrett Wingo

GUIDE
Garrett is 24 years old and grew up in East Tennessee. He’s been guiding for 6 years and started hunting with his father at age 5 on the Tennessee River. It soon became a passion! He shares his passion with his 2 black labs, Coal and Shooter. “I eat sleep and breathe waterfowl hunting it’s a drug to me”. He chases birds 6 months per year from Canada to Arkansas! His favorite thing about guiding is the new faces he gets to meet, relationships he builds and being able to teach others what duck hunting is all about!