Register to Participate in an Urban Archery Deer Hunt this Fall

Deer hunters wishing to help manage deer herds in certain urban areas and help feed fellow Arkansans can learn how to register for one of nine urban archery hunts taking place this fall.

The comeback of white-tailed deer in Arkansas is an amazing conservation success story, with the deer population estimated as low as 500 individuals during the 1940s. Today, hunters legally harvest and check more than 200,000 deer per year in The Natural State, but some areas need even more deer removed to keep conflicts with homeowners at manageable levels. This is especially true in semi-rural and suburban communities on the fringes of large blocks of forest and agricultural land.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission works with some cities and towns to offer an inexpensive and effective method of nuisance deer management through urban hunting opportunities.

Many added requirements ensure safety is the top priority for all hunters. All hunts are archery-only hunts, and hunters are asked to hunt from elevated stands so arrows that may miss go into the ground instead of sailing beyond their target. Hunters must pass the International Bowhunters Education Program, available at www.agfc.com/education/hunter-education. They must also attend an orientation to learn the special rules of the hunts to ensure they adhere to ethical hunting behaviors. Finally, hunters will be required to pass a shooting proficiency test at the orientation, placing three out of three shots in the vital area of an archery target. Orientation fees are collected by the partnering organization, which covers any insurance policies needed to conduct the hunt.

Orientations are handled by three different organizations, depending on the area being hunted. The Arkansas Bowhunters Association manages hunts for Cherokee Village, Fairfield Bay, Heber Springs, Helena-West Helena, Horseshoe Bend and Russellville. The Bull Shoals Urban Bowhunters Association manages hunts at Bull Shoals and Lakeview, and the Hot Springs Village Property Owners Association coordinates all aspects of the hunt that takes place in Hot Springs Village. Deer harvested during urban hunts do not count toward a hunter’s seasonal limit. There are no limits to the number of deer that can be harvested in urban hunts, and all antler restrictions are lifted. However, a hunter’s first deer in an urban hunt must be donated to Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to providing ground meat to food pantries around the state.

Todd Noles, who coordinates the Hot Springs Village Urban Deer Hunt, says his group also has donated at least $5,000 each year from orientation fees to AHFH.

“With the first deer going to Hunters Feeding the Hungry, we also want to help them out with processing fees, and we’ve been able to generate that much through the orientations,” Noles said. “This year, we’re also hoping to give money toward the AGFC’s Archery in the Schools Program to help build the next generation of ethical hunters.”

Visit www.agfc.com/urbanhunt to learn more about urban bowhunts and find links to register for each hunt planned this season.

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CUTLINES:

DEER AT HOUSE
Urban archery hunts efficiently reduce deer populations near towns, preventing car accidents and other damage caused by wildlife while helping feed Arkansas’s needy families. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath.

ARCHERY TEST
Hunters must complete a series of additional safety trainings, including a proficiency test, to participate in urban archery hunts. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath.