LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission recently set the state’s deer hunting seasons, with modern gun deer season opening Nov. 14, archery season opening Sept. 26, and muzzleloader season opening Oct. 17..
2015-16 deer hunting season:
Archery – All zones: Sept. 26-Feb. 29, 2016.
Modern Gun – Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10 and 11: Nov. 14-Dec. 6.
Zone 4: Nov. 14-15.
Zone 5: Nov. 14-15 and Nov. 21-22.
Zones 4A, 5A, 14 and 15: Nov. 14-Dec. 13.
Zones 4B and 5B: Nov. 14-22.
Zones 9, 12 and 13: Nov. 14-Dec. 20.
Zone 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 14-Dec. 25.
Muzzleloader – Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10 and 11: Oct. 17-25 and Dec. 12-14.
Zones 4A, 5A, 14 and 15: Oct. 17-25 and Dec. 19-21
Zones 9, 12, 13, 16, 16A and 17: Oct. 17-25 and Dec. 29-31.
Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B: Closed.
The statewide Christmas holiday modern gun deer hunt is Dec. 26-28. Youth modern gun deer hunts will be held Nov. 7-8 and Jan. 2-3, 2016. A private land antlerless-only modern gun deer hunt in zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 8, 8A, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 16A and 17 will be held Oct. 10-14.
2016-17 deer season opening dates:
Deer (special youth modern gun): Nov. 5, 2016 and Jan. 7, 2017
Deer (archery): Sept. 24, 2016
Deer (muzzleloader): Oct. 15, 2016
Deer (private land antlerless only modern gun): Oct. 29, 2016
Deer (modern gun): Nov. 12, 2016
2016 turkey season dates:
Zones 1, 2, 3, 4B, 5, 5B, 6, 7, 7A, 8, 9, 10 and 17: April 16-May 1, 2016.
Zones 4, 4A, 5A and 9A: April 16-24, 2016.
Zone 1A: Closed.
The special youth turkey season will be held April 9-10, 2016. Turkey zone 1A will be closed for the youth hunt.
In a reviewed the 2014-15 deer harvest. AGFC Deer Program Coordinator Cory Gray told Commissioners that hunters checked 208,075 deer. The harvest was a slight decrease from the previous season harvest of 213,199.
In other news, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission approved three annual hunting and fishing licenses for outdoorsmen 65 and older. The licenses are options, in addition to the current resident 65-plus license, for Arkansas hunters and anglers.
The new resident 65-plus fishing and hunting licenses are $3.50 each. The new resident 65-plus combination license is $4.50. They will be available July 1 at all AGFC regional offices. A 65-plus lifetime fishing license for $10.50, a 65-plus lifetime hunting license for $25 and a 65-plus lifetime combination license for $35.50 are offered by the agency and will continue with the annual licenses.
Additionally, the AGFC Accepted a proclamation by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to start Free Fishing Weekend at noon, June 12, and end at midnight, June 14. Licenses will not be required for fishing in Arkansas during that period.
