Twenty-Nine Arkansans draw elk hunting permits

July 1, 2019

Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

JASPER – Twenty-nine Arkansans will have the hunt of a lifetime this fall as they chase elk on public land in The Natural State. Their names were chosen during the 22nd Annual Buffalo River Elk Festival in Jasper Saturday. 

Representatives from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission oversaw the drawings for this year’s elk hunt. Permits were drawn from a squirrel cage in front of an anxious crowd throughout the day.

Trey Reid, emcee for the drawings and assistant chief of the AGFC’s Communications Division said the event was full of fun and excitement over Arkansas’s largest big game animal.

“It was a great weekend to celebrate the Arkansas elk herd,” Reid said. “We met Arkansans from every corner of the state, and they were all excited and eager to hear their names called during the permit drawings throughout the day. 

“It was a great crowd this year. This is my 12th elk festival to serve as emcee of the permit drawings, and it’s one of my favorite weekends of the year. The friendly folks of Newton County and Jasper always welcome visitors with open arms and warm smiles.”

Twenty-six of the permits were drawn from the 3,812 applications submitted online in May. Three other permits were selected from 680 applications submitted on site during the festival. Winners of the three on-site permits had to be present to win during the final drawing of the festival. 

Hunters are allowed to choose their weapons from archery, including crossbows, muzzleloaders, modern rifles, modern shotguns and handguns. 

All public land hunts occur on the Buffalo National River, Gene Rush Wildlife Management Area and Bearcat Hollow Wildlife Management Area. Hunters are assigned to specific zones within these public lands. Public land permit holders are required to attend an orientation before the hunt and will be notified of the time and location. 

Arkansas 2019 elk hunt permit winners:

Oct. 7-11
Zone 1 Either Sex (onsite draw) — Colten Flowers, Hasty
Zone 1 Antlerless — Ryan Harris, Benton
Zone 2 Antlerless (onsite draw)  — Derek Cornett, Harrison
Zone 3 Antlerless (onsite draw)  — Billy Burleson, Lead Hill
Zone 4 Antlerless — Dustin Easterly, Benton

Oct. 26-Nov. 1 Youth Hunts
Zone 2 Either Sex – Luke Schluterman, Conway 
Zone 3 Youth Either Sex — Joseph Ensminger, Brinkley

Oct. 28-Nov. 1
Zone 1 Either Sex — William Wood, Clarksville
Zone 1 Antlerless — Richard Blount, Pocahontas
Zone 1 Antlerless — Nicholas Adams, Fort Smith

Zone 2 Either Sex — Skylar Litaker, Searcy
Zone 2 Antlerless — Timothy Berkley, Little Rock
Zone 2 Antlerless — Raymond Baker, Pine Bluff
Zone 2 Antlerless — Adam Dobbs, Hoxie
Zone 2 Antlerless — Justin Simmering, Rogers
Zone 2 Antlerless — Kaitlyn Lowe, Conway

Zone 3 Either Sex — Gabriel Gibbany, Harrison
Zone 3 Antlerless — Charles Davis, Greenbrier
Zone 3 Antlerless — Brandon Futch, Bauxite
Zone 3 Antlerless — Anthony Powers,Shirley 
Zone 3 Antlerless — Kara Yoder, Harrison
Zone 3 Antlerless — Robert Meek, Greenbrier

Zone 4 Either Sex — Richard Eden, Horatio 
Zone 4 Either Sex — Clyde Eslick, Sheridan 
Zone 4 Antlerless — Vernon McNully, Austin
Zone 4 Antlerless — Hunter Cowell, Lamar
Zone 4 Antlerless — Jimmy Rodgers, Flippin 
Zone 4 Antlerless — Mike Duncan, Fayetteville 
Zone 4 Antlerless — Michael Feliz, North Little Rock