Elk
Elk roamed Arkansas before settlers transformed the landscape and hunted to feed their families. By the 1840s, elk no longer existed in the state. In the 1980s, AGFC partnered with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to bring native elk back to The Natural State. Over four years, 112 elk from Colorado and Nebraska were released in Newton County near the Buffalo River. By 1998, the herd had grown large enough to offer a limited hunt each autumn.
Interest in Arkansas elk continues to grow each year. Not only in hunting elk, but catching a glimpse of one as well. More Arkansans visit the Buffalo River area each year to observe and photograph these magnificent animals, especially in late September and early October when elk are breeding. The herd will never be large compared to those in western states, but these elk provide an exceptional wildlife-viewing and hunting opportunity.
Statewide Elk Management Zone Legend
Core Elk Management Zone (Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Searcy counties)
2025 Permit Application Schedule
Elk | Public Land
A total of 18 permits will be available for 2025:
15 permits (5 either sex and 10 anterless) will be available for the online draw. There will be 3 permits (one either sex and two anterless) available to draw at the Buffalo River Elk Festival.
ELK | PUBLIC LAND
May 1, 8 a.m.
Application period begins
(Select the Special Hunt Applications button)
June 1, 11:59 p.m.
Application deadline
June 27-28
3 (one either sex and 2 antlerless) public land permits will be drawn at the annual Buffalo River Elk Festival in Jasper, AR.
15 permits will be available for public draw through online applications for Arkansas’s 2025 elk hunting season. All elk permits will be drawn at the Buffalo River Elk Festival in Jasper, scheduled for June 27-28, 2025. Winners will be notified via email and phone once the draw is concluded. Three additional on-site permits will be drawn at the festival. Only people who attend the festival in person will be eligible for the on-site permit drawing.
- Only Arkansas residents with a Resident Sportsman Hunting License or holders of a Lifetime Sportsman’s Permit may apply.
- A $5 nonrefundable application fee is required to apply.
- Applicants must be 6 or older as of the beginning of the hunt to participate (Oct. 4).
- Applicants with 18 or more violation points are ineligible to apply.
Public land elk hunts are held on designated areas of the Buffalo National River, Gene Rush WMA, Richland Valley Sonny Varnell Elk Conservation Area and Bearcat Hollow WMA.
Elk | Private Land
Hunters with access to private land in elk country use a quota system instead of drawn permits. Any resident may purchase a Private Land Elk Permit (labeled PLE in the AGFC licensing system) for $5 in addition to a valid resident Sportsman Hunting License. Nonresidents must purchase a Nonresident Elk Permit (NRE) for $300 in addition to a valid Nonresident Annual Hunting License. Bull harvest is limited to one legal bull per landowner property.
There is a quota of 6 bulls and 12 antlerless for 2025. Hunters must call each day to determine if the quota has been met before the next day’s hunt. The season ends early if the quota is filled.
The Private Land Elk Hunt takes place only in the Core Elk Management Zone (Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Searcy counties). AGFC must be contacted immediately after harvest by calling 833-356-0824 to receive check station information. Each day, hunters must call the AGFC Wildlife Hotline (833-345-0398) and select option Elk Quota Status to determine if the season quota has been met. Bull hunters must call after 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. each day to see if the quota has been reached. Antlerless hunters only have to call in after 8 p.m. each day. All harvested elk have to be checked online at AGFC.com within 12 hours of harvest. The private land elk season ends early if the quota is reached. Limit of one elk per person, per year.
ELK | PRIVATE LAND
June 1
Permits go on sale
- Elk Hunters must have a valid Resident Sportsman’s Hunting License or Nonresident Annual Hunting License, as well as a Private Land Elk Permit
- Permits are sold through the online license and permitting website
- Resident Private Land Elk Permits cost $5
- Nonresident Private Land Elk Permits cost $300
- Elk hunters must be at least 6 years old at the time of the hunt
- Hunters must obtain landowner permission in accordance with AGFC Code of Regulations before hunting.
- Bull harvest is limited to one legal bull per landowner property.
Any hunter outside of Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Searcy counties who incidentally sees an elk while legally hunting for deer may take that elk with a limit of one, either sex per year. Hunters must call 833-289-2469 immediately after harvest for instructions on checking elk and submitting samples.
All elk harvested in Arkansas must have CWD samples taken and submitted. The test is free, and hunters will be given the results in a timely manner. Instructions for sampling will be given when the hunter calls to check the elk as harvested. Visit the CWD page for more information.
