The winter months mean hunting season in Arkansas. Hunting in Arkansas isn't just about making a kill. It's about experiencing the beauty and serenity of the natural state in the great outdoors. Even though deer kills were down last year, AGFC has high hopes that this year will be an upswing. These are five of the AGFC's best places to hunt for white-tail deer in Arkansas. Happy hunting!
1) White River
Desha County - The White River Refuge is touted as one of the best places to find trophy bucks in the state of Arkansas. However, to hunt in this area you must have a permit and those are limited for gun season. Permits are given out randomly during the summer months.Arkansas Bow-hunting permits are unlimited during bow season. 1-870-946-1468.
2) Felsenthal
Ashley County - Felsenthal Wildlife Refuge is another great place to find trophy bucks and 778 deer were killed here last year. The reserve allows hunting on a quota permit system so hunter numbers are limited. 1-870-364-3167.
3) White Rock
The area is situated in the heart of the rugged Boston Mountains in Northwest Arkansas. The area is extensively forested with upland hardwoods occurring primarily on northern and eastern aspects and shortleaf pine and pine/hardwood mixtures on the southern and western exposures. 1-877-734-4581.
The one million white-tailed deer in the state are viewed from many different perspectives by Arkansans. Outdoor enthusiasts are thrilled by the opportunity to see, photograph or hunt a deer. Others, however-farmers, landowners and motorists-often encounter deer under more troublesome circumstances. As a result, the management challenge is immense. Appropriate population levels, harvest methods and season and bag limit considerations, control mechanisms and the types of recreational uses we may promote are all subject to considerable debate.
Our job at the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission is conserving and protecting our treasures natural resources and inspiring people to enjoy and live in harmony with the natural environment. That responsibility requires that we seek ways to ensure that deer are conserved at levels compatible with the health of other natural resources, and in a manner consistent with the health, safety and well-being of Arkansans. At the same time, we want to provide opportunities for individuals to enjoy the many diverse recreational benefits associated with deer.
In the future, as we seek to meet these objectives, our deer management strategies will continue evolving. Our plans will always retain a strong commitment to hunting as the most cost-effective control mechanism available in much of the state, and as a valuable recreational experience for many Arkansans. We also recognize, however, the new challenges we face as the deer population expands.