Deer Hunting in Arkansas

 Season Dates for the 2009-2010 Season

Bag Limits

Statewide seasonal limit of four (4) deer per individual using any legal method provided at least one deer is taken in one of the following zones: Deer Zones 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita WMA, Big Timber WMA, Blevins WMA, Casey Jones WMA, Choctaw Island WMA, Crossett Experimental Forest WMA, Cut-Off Creek WMA, DeGray Lake WMA, Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois D’Arc WMA, Falcon Bottoms Natural Area WMA, Felsenthal NWR, Gum Flats WMA, Hope Upland WMA, Howard County WMA, Lafayette County WMA, Lake Greeson WMA, Little Bayou WMA, Little River WMA, Nacatoch Ravines Natural Area WMA, Overflow NWR, Ozan WMA, Poison Springs WMA, Pond Creek NWR, Provo WMA, Sandhills Natural Area WMA, Seven Devils WMA, Spring Bank WMA, Sulphur River WMA, Terre Noire Natural Area WMA, Trusten Holder WMA, Two Bayou Creek WMA, Warren Prairie Natural Area WMA and White Cliffs Natural Area WMA.

Zone(s)	Bag Limit
Deer zones 2, 6, 7 and 8:	Seasonal bag limit of three (3) deer, no more than two legal bucks. No more than two legal bucks or up to two doe may be taken with archery tackle. No more than two legal bucks and no more than one doe may be taken with firearms. A doe may only be taken with firearms October 17-21, November 7-8 or November 14-15, 2009.
Deer zone 3	Seasonal bag limit of three (3) deer, no more than two legal bucks. No more than two legal bucks or up to three doe may be taken with archery tackle. No more than two legal bucks and no more than one doe may be taken with firearms. A doe may only be taken with firearms October 17-21, November 7-8, November 14-15 or December 26-28, 2009.
Deer zones 1, 1A and 10	Seasonal bag limit of three (3) deer, no more than two legal bucks. No more than two legal bucks or up to two doe may be taken with archery tackle. No more than two legal bucks and no more than one doe may be taken with firearms. A doe may only be taken with firearms October 17-21, 2009 or November 7-8, November 14-18 or December 26-28, 2009.
Deer zone 11	Seasonal bag limit of three (3) deer, no more than two legal bucks. No more than two legal bucks or up to three doe may be taken with archery tackle. No more than two legal bucks and no more than one doe may be taken with firearms. A doe may only be taken with firearms October 17-21, November 7-8 or November 14-15, 2009.
Deer zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B	Seasonal bag limit of three (3) deer, no more than two legal bucks. No more than two legal bucks or up to three doe may be taken with archery tackle. No more than two legal bucks and no more than one doe may be taken with firearms. During the January 2-3, 2010 Special Youth Modern Gun Deer hunt youths may only take bucks.
Deer zones 4A and 5A	Seasonal bag limit of three (3) deer, no more than two legal bucks. No more than two legal bucks or up to three doe may be taken with archery tackle. No more than two legal bucks and no more than two doe may be taken with firearms. During the January 2-3, 2010 Special Youth Modern Gun Deer hunt youths may only take bucks.
Deer zones 6A and 8A	Seasonal bag limit of three (3) deer, no more than two legal bucks. No more than two legal bucks or up to two doe may be taken with archery tackle. No more than two legal bucks and no more than one doe may be taken with firearms. A doe may only be taken with firearms October 17-21, November 7-8 or November 14-18, 2009.
Deer zones 12 and 17	Seasonal bag limit of four (4) deer, no more than two legal bucks. No more than two legal bucks or up to four doe may be taken with archery tackle. No more than two legal bucks and no more than four doe may be taken with firearms.
Deer zones 13, 14 and 15	Seasonal bag limit of four (4) deer, no more than two legal bucks. No more than two legal bucks or up to four doe may be taken with archery tackle. No more than two legal bucks and no more than two doe may be taken with firearms. During the January 2-3, 2010 Special Youth Modern Gun Deer hunt youths may only take bucks.
Deer zones 9, 16 and 16A	Seasonal bag limit of three (3) deer, no more than two legal bucks. No more than two legal bucks or up to three doe may be taken with archery tackle. No more than two legal bucks and no more than two doe may be taken with firearms.

Legal Buck

When counting the number of points, the end of the main beam constitutes one point. Points must be at least one inch long to count.

Antler restrictions increase average buck age by reducing the harvest pressure on yearling bucks. On some WMAs and all NWRs, antler restrictions are not the same as the statewide three-point rule. These restrictions allow biologists to try different management techniques and collect additional data from deer harvested.

Three-point rule (deer zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 4B, 5, 5A, 5B, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15) – A buck having both antlers under two inches (including button buck) or at least one antler with at least three points including the tip of the main beam, each a minimum of one inch long. 

Four-point rule (deer zones 16, 16A and 17) – a) a buck having both antlers under two inches (including button buck) or b) a buck having at least one antler with at least four points including the tip of the main beam, each a minimum of one inch long, or c) a buck having at least one main beam 18 inches or more in length. 

4x4 Slot: Cut-off Creek, Bayou Meto, Sheffield Nelson Dagmar, Henry Gray Hurricane Lake, Little Bayou, Moro Big Pine Natural Area, Rex Hancock Black Swamp, Trusten Holder, Seven Devils, Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMAs and UA Pine Tree Experimental Station WDA require that a legal buck must have:

• four or more points on one side of his  rack, or
• four or fewer total points on both sides of his rack (button bucks included).

On Choctaw Island WMA, a legal buck  is either:

• a Type A buck with five or more points on one side of his rack or an inside spread 15 inches or more (measured at widest point at a right angle to the centerline of the skull); button bucks included.
• a Type B buck with five or fewer total points.

On Greers Ferry Lake WMA any buck may be legally harvested during the deer muzzleloader mobility impaired hunt.

Youth Hunts

During Special Modern Gun Youth Deer Hunt, hunters aged 15 years and younger are not under any antler restrictions for the first buck.

Hunters under 16 may take any buck as their first buck of the season, except on Choctaw Island WMA where they must comply with area restrictions. Youth hunters may harvest any buck during the permit youth hunts on DeGray Lake WMA, Hobbs State Park Conservation Area, Hope Upland WMA, Howard County WMA, St. Francis National Forest WMA, Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA, U of A Pine Tree Experimental Station WDA, Holla Bend NWR, Lake Greeson WMA Moro Big Pine Natural Area WMA, Prairie Bayou WMA and Provo WMA and Cook’s Lake Area within the White River NWR.

Special Deer Regulations

• Swimming deer may not be hunted. Deer may not be driven or captured from a boat. Deer may not be hunted from watercraft on public waters. 
• Deer may not be hunted over bait from Feb. 1-28 if the hunter knows, or should reasonably know, the area is baited. An area is considered baited for 10 days following complete removal of the bait.  Click here for more information about baiting.
  

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