New Deer Hunting Rules Proposed for Arkansas

First posted on 02-20-2009

New proposals made to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission could produce big changes for Arkansas deer hunters.

Doyle Shook, head of wildlife management, presented the recommendations to the commission. The proposals, outlined below, will be considered and voted on in an upcoming session, either in March or April:

* Deer check stations would be replaced by an automated telephone check-in system similar to the one used in Missouri. The Internet checking system currently in use would be continued.

* The current three-point rule for a buck would be replaced by a four-point rule, so only bucks with at least four points on one side would be legal. But in zones 16, 16A and 17, a buck with a main beam of at least 18 inches could be taken regardless of the number of points.

* Current deer zones will change along with boundary changes and the creation of several new zones.

* Zone quota doe permits would be eliminated. Instead, there would be two or more “doe days” for most deer zones that would apply to both muzzle-loading and modern gun hunting.

* Creation of another youth deer hunt from January 2-4, 2010 for deer hunters aged 15 and younger. Unlike in the November youth season, this January hunt would not allow hunters 65 and over accompanying youth to take a deer.

* The statewide season limit of four deer (including two bucks) would continue. But in zones deemed abundant in deer, hunters would be allowed to take up to four does.

While deer check stations have been a tradition in Arkansas for many years, the system is cumbersome, costly and inefficient according to Shook. He said that wildlife personnel spend a great deal of time handling and re-handling paperwork at deer check stations.

Shook described the way Missouri’s telephone check system worked and praised its efficiency. In Missouri, a hunter calls into the toll-free computer activated system within 24 hours of harvesting a deer and replies to a series of questions including the hunter’s name, hunting license number, sex of deer, points if a buck and where the animal was taken. The system automatically switches over to a human if any problem arises or a answer is unclear.

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