Early buck-only hunt offers head start to deer hunting season

LITTLE ROCK — The brief respite from triple-digit temperatures has many hunters breaking out their bows for the first time in a few months and checking their equipment to get back to the woods. The first of those opportunities will be Sept. 6-8, when Arkansas’s early buck-only hunt will kick off for the second year

The hunt is referred to by many as the “velvet hunt,” as this is the best opportunity hunters have to harvest a buck that has not yet rubbed the velvety coating from its antlers. According to Ralph Meeker, AGFC Deer Program coordinator, some bucks will have already shed their velvet by the time the hunt begins, but many will still be holding it.

“The hunt allows for a single antlered deer to be taken with archery equipment,” Meeker said. “That buck does not have to be ‘in velvet,’ but it does need to meet any antler point or size requirements for the zone you’re hunting.”

Arkansas bowhunters proved last year that many were willing to brave the heat and insects (more on that later) for a chance to take a velvet buck. Hunters checked roughly 1,200 bucks during the headstart to bow season, even though it ran alongside the opening weekend of dove season.

License Check
Before heading to the field, it’s always smart to make sure you have your licenses in order. Any valid license that includes a deer tag is legal for the early buck hunt.

“The digital deer tags on your license are available online at agfc.com and on the smartphone app,” Kyle Curry, assistant chief of the AGFC’s Information Technology Division, said. “Be sure to log into the system before going hunting if you plan to check your deer using the digital deer tags. Many hunters don’t look at the app between hunting seasons, and you may need to do a quick update if you haven’t gone to the app in a while. It may look like nothing is there at first, but if you give it a minute, the tags should be added.”

Curry says the app functions just as it has in the past, and will record information even if you don’t have cellular service.

“The screen will display a message that your check is pending, which will let the game wardens know that you’re following the process,” Curry said. “Just be sure to open the app once you’re back in cell range so it can complete the checking process.”

Private or Public?
The special early buck season is open on private land, AGFC-owned WMAs and AGFC WMAs listed as Leased Lands WMAs in the 2025-26 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook. WMAs and land owned by other entities, such as the USDA Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, are off-limits during the hunt, as are federal wildlife refuges in Arkansas.

“This also applies to public land that is owned by the Forest Service or Corps of Engineers that isn’t in a WMA,” Matt Warriner, AGFC assistant chief of wildlife management, said. “The best bet is to check each WMA where you plan to hunt in the guidebook. If the season dates are listed for that WMA, it’s open. On public land, if you don’t see wording that expressly states it’s open, assume it’s closed.”

Bugs Off
Bowhunters are well versed in the insect life that accompanies early season, but it’s important to remember that those mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers are more than an annoyance; they can pose a health hazard.

Some hunters decline to use bug sprays while bowhunting for fear of the scent giving away their presence, but the constant swatting and slapping at biting insects can just as easily spook a deer. For seasoned hunters, the word “Thermacell” brings significant relief. These handy devices put up a bug-proof barrier around a small area and even come in earthy scents to blend into the woods a bit. Another option is a bug mesh suit and hood to wear over your camouflage. Tucking your pants into the tops of your boots and adding a squirt or two of DEET-based insect spray will do wonders for keeping out insects. Permethrin-based repellents sprayed on your clothes and allowed to dry before your hunt are good medicine for ticks and chiggers as well.

Prep for Success
Archery is a low-odds game when it comes to success, but you still need to take a few extra precautions in the event that you manage to take a deer during the early hunt. Have a plan that gets the deer’s meat cooled as quickly as possible, even if that means bringing a cooler of ice and a mobile skinning rack in the truck.

If you do arrow a buck and want to preserve the velvet, try to touch it as little as possible. Dragging the deer will definitely rub the coating loose, so try to get an ATV to the animal if you’re hunting private land and lift the deer onto the back, taking care not to let the antlers rub against anything. If you’re on public land, a deer cart needs to be waiting at the truck to help you haul the deer out without dragging. In either case, a nonplastic game bag over the antlers also can protect the velvet and prevent flies from laying eggs in it until you get the deer to a taxidermist.

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CUTLINES:

DEER IN VELVET
Arkansas’s early buck-only archery hunt is Sept. 6-8, 2025. Hunters may take a single antlered buck. AGFC photo by Scottie Wyatt.

WALKING DEER
The velvety covering of a deer’s antlers protects and nourishes growing antlers until early September, when the deer rubs it off to reveal the hardened bone underneath. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath. 

HUNTER WITH GROUND BLIND
Hunters should prepare to use different tactics during the hot, green days of early bowhunting season. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath.