Hunting

2009 Elk Hunting Season Dates


The 2009 elk season will be broken into two segments: September 21-25, 2009 and December 7-11, 2009.  

The application period for elk hunting permits is May 1-31, 2009. 
Learn more about the permit process.Bull elk bugling in Boxley Valley

The drawings will be held at the annual Buffalo River Elk Festival on June 27.
Two of the permits will be auctioned during fund-raising activities of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Season Dates

September 21-25, 2009. No dogs. One bull permit (valid in elk zone 1), one bull permit (valid in elk zone 2), one bull permit (valid in elk zone 3), and one bull permit (valid in elk zone 4).

December 7-11, 2009. No dogs. One bull permit (valid in elk zone 1), one bull permit (valid in elk zone 2), two either sex youth permits (valid in elk zone 3), and two bull permits (valid in elk zone 4). Three antlerless permits (valid in elk zone 1), three antlerless permits (valid in elk zone 2), five antlerless permits (valid in elk zone 3) and five antlerless permits (valid in elk zone 4).

Elk Hunt Quota

September 21-25, 2009 and December 7-11, 2009. No dogs. Either-sex permits valid for elk in elk zone A. Each hunt period will end when the quota of elk has been harvested in zone A. The quota for the September 21-25, 2009 hunt period in elk zone A is three elk. The quota for the December 7-11, 2009 hunt period in elk zone A is three elk.

December 7-11, 2009. No dogs. The antlerless quota for the December 7-11, 2009 hunt period in elk zone B is seven antlerless elk. The antlerless hunt will end when the quota of antlerless elk have been harvested in zone B. Three bull permits valid in elk zone B. 

December 7-11, 2009. No dogs. The antlerless quota for the December 7-11, 2009 hunt period in elk zone 4 (private lands only) is five antlerless elk. The antlerless hunt will end when the quota of antlerless elk have been harvested in zone 4 (private lands only). Two either sex permits valid in elk zone 4 (private lands only). 

2009 Buffalo River Elk Festival


The 12th Annual Jasper/Newton County Elk Festival will be held on Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27, 2009 in Jasper, Arkansas.  The award winning festival began in 1998 to celebrate the successful reintroduction of elk to Newton County and has been an annual event every year since.

The highlight of the festival is the drawing for elk hunting permits.  The hunters are selected from a squirrel cage every hour throughout the day starting at noon. Click here to learn more about the festival.

Arkansas Elk Zones

 
Elk zone map Arkansas' elk hunting is on public lands of the Buffalo National River and the Arkansas Game
and Fish Commission's Gene Rush Wildlife Management Area, as well as adjacent private lands
within Elk Zones 1 through 4. 
 
Zones 1-4 are referred to as public hunting zones and are composed of both public and private land. Elk zone A is our largest hunting zone and is composed of only private land. Elk zone B is our newest zone which opened for the first time in the fall of 2007.  Zone B is composed of only private land.
 
 
Click here or on the image above to download a map of the elk hunting zones.

Legal Description of Arkansas Elk Zones

Elk Zone 1

Intersection St. Hwy #74 and St. Hwy # 43, NE on St. Hwy # 43 to Cecil Cove Rd., E on Cecil Cove Rd. to National Park Service boundary, E then south on National Park Service boundary to Newton County Rd. # 443, NE on Newton County Rd. # 443 to Newton County Rd. # 81, E on Newton County Rd. # 81 to Newton County Rd. # 126, E on Newton County Rd. # 126 to Newton County Rd. # 125, E on Newton County Rd. # 125 to Newton County Rd. # 19, E on Newton County Rd. #19 to St. Hwy # 7, S on St. Hwy # 7 to intersection of St. Hwy # 74 (Jasper), W on St. Hwy # 74 to intersection of St. Hwy # 43.

Elk Zone 2

Intersection St. Hwy 7 and Co. Rd. #82, #82 S to intersection Co. Rd. #50, #50 E to intersection Co. Rd. #213, #213 SW to intersection Co. Rd, #51, #51 E to intersection Co. Rd. #83, #83 S to intersection Co. Rd. #53, #53 SE to intersection St. Hwy 123 (Hasty), St. Hwy 123 SW to intersection St. Hwy 74 (Piercetown), St. Hwy 74 NW to intersection St. Hwy 7 (Jasper), St. Hwy 7 NE to intersection Co. Rd. #82.

Elk Zone 3

Intersection Co. Rd. #53 and St. Hwy 123 (Hasty), St. Hwy 123 NE to intersection Co. Rd. #72, #72 E to Newton, Searcy County Line, Searcy Co. Rd. #22 E to intersection Searcy Co. Rd. #21, #21 S to intersection BNR boundary, boundary line E and S to intersection Searcy Co. Rd. #231, #231 SE to intersection Searcy Co. Rd. #14, Searcy Co. Rd. #14 SW to intersection Buffalo River, (Woolum Ford) Buffalo River E to intersection Richland Creek, Richland Creek S to intersection Searcy County Rd. # 14, east on Searcy County Rd. # 14 to intersection of Searcy County Rd. # 12, S on Searcy County Rd. # 12 to intersection of Ozark National Forest boundary (Eula), Ozark National Forest boundary W to intersection St. Hwy 74 (Bass), St. Hwy 74 NW to intersection St. Hwy 123, St. Hwy 123 N to intersection Co. Rd. #53 (Hasty).

Elk Zone 4

Intersection Searcy County Rd. # 231 and Searcy County Rd.# 14, E on Searcy County Rd. #14 to intersection of Searcy County Rd. # 18, E on Searcy County Rd. #18 to intersection with State Highway # 374, E on St. Hwy. #374 to intersection with U.S. Hwy. 65 at St. Joe, SE on U.S. Hwy. 65 to intersection of Searcy County Rd. # 33, SW on Searcy County Rd. # 33 to intersection of Searcy County Rd. # 34, W on Searcy County Rd. # 34 to intersection of St. Hwy.# 74, W on St. Hwy. 74 to Snowball, W from Snowball on Searcy County Rd. # 12 to intersection of Searcy County Rd. #14, W on Searcy County Rd. # 14 to Richland Creek, N on Richland Creek to intersection of Buffalo River, W on Buffalo River to intersection of Searcy County Rd. # 14, E on Searcy County Rd. #14 to intersection of Searcy County Rd. # 231. 

Elk Zone A

Intersection U.S. Hwy 412 and St. Hwy 103, St. Hwy 103 north to Rudd, N from Rudd on St. Hwy 103 to intersection U.S. Hwy. 62, U.S. Hwy 62 E to U.S. Hwy 412, E on U.S. Hwy 412 to intersection St. Hwy 392, St. Hwy 392 S to intersection Boone Co. Rd #9 (Creel Road) at Capps, Boone County Rd #9 S to intersection with St. Hwy 43, St. Hwy 43 S to intersection with St. Hwy 206, St. Hwy 206 SE to intersection with Boone County Rd. # 62 (Erbie Cut-Off), S on Boone County Rd. # 62 to Newton County Rd. # 118, S on Newton County Rd. # 118 to Newton County Rd. # 19, W on Newton County Rd. # 19 to Newton County Rd. # 125, W on Newton County Rd. # 125 to Newton County Rd. # 126, W on Newton County Rd. # 126 to Newton County Rd. # 81, W on Newton County Rd. # 81 to Newton County Rd. # 443, W on Newton County Rd. # 443 to National Park Service boundary, N and then west on National Park Service boundary to Cecil Cove Rd., W on Cecil Cove Rd. to St. Hwy # 43, SW on St. Hwy # 43 to St. Hwy # 103, N on St. Hwy # 103 to U.S. Hwy 412, W on U.S. Hwy 412 to intersection with St. Hwy 103 N.

Elk Zone B

Begin at the intersection of state Hwy 43 and Newton Co. rd. #10, go south on state Hwy 43 to intersection of Newton Co. rd. #105, go west on Newton Co. rd. #105 to intersection of the National Park Service authorization boundary, go south on the National Park Service authorization boundary to the intersection of the United States Forest Service authorization boundary, go west on the United States Forest Service authorization boundary to the intersection of Newton Co. rd. #92, go north on Newton Co. rd. #92 to the intersection of Madison Co. rd. #3605, go northeast on Madison County rd. #3605 to intersection of Madison Co. rd. # 3655, go west on Madison Co. rd. #3655 to intersection of state Hwy 74, go east on state Hwy 74 to intersection of state Hwy 21, go east on state Hwy 21 to intersection of Newton Co. rd. #9, go north on Newton Co. rd. #9 to intersection of Newton Co. rd. #10, go east on Newton Co. rd. #10 to intersection of state Hwy 43.