Arkansas deer hunting continues to grow, with nearly 200,000 deer checked so far this season.
The total harvest for the 2024-25 season stands at 199,863, a 4% increase from last year’s 192,392. After a sharp decline in 2019-20, numbers have steadily risen.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) remains optimistic about sustainability but notes that regional trends, mast crop production, flooding, weather conditions, and hunter effort all influence overall harvest numbers.
This season introduced two new opportunities: an early archery buck-only season and an alternative firearms season allowing straight-walled cartridges instead of muzzleloaders. AGFC officials are monitoring the impact of these changes.
AGFC Deer Program Coordinator Ralph Meeker says “So far, it doesn’t look like the new seasons had a dramatic effect on overall harvest. Successful deer hunters still harvested an average of 1.2 deer per hunter, so it was more of a shift in harvest to different methods.”
According to Meeker, some hunters have asked if the alternative firearms and early anterless seasons will become regular fixtures in Arkansas’s deer hunting. He says “You never know exactly what the future holds, but there have been no conversations about changing from this season’s format. As of now, we’re looking at harvest numbers and management strategies to continue to accommodate these new seasons.”
For more information, visit https://www.agfc.com/hunting/deer/.
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