Up to 290,000 people deer hunt in Arkansas each year, with most being in the woods on opening day. AGFC image.
An estimated 290,000 people — enough to fill Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville more than four times — will head to the woods this year in search of deer, and many will celebrate their first hunt of the year this weekend with the opening of Arkansas’s modern gun deer hunting season.
Arkansas’s deer season is divided into several segments. Hunters have already harvested and checked more than 47,700 deer during archery season, alternative firearms season and last weekend’s youth deer hunt. Those early seasons are only appetizers compared to modern gun season, which opens Saturday, Nov. 8. Historically, hunters have checked more than 30,000 deer during the two-day opening weekend.
Staff at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission expect many hunting camps will extend their opening weekend even further with the Veterans Day holiday falling on the Tuesday after opening weekend.
Things to Double-Check Before Opening Morning
Licenses and tags: Make sure your hunting license is up to date and that you’ve downloaded your free deer tags through the AGFC website or mobile app. If you’ve purchased your license this year, the tags should appear automatically. However, youth hunters and lifetime license holders may still need to download theirs. The AGFC provides detailed instructions at www.agfc.com/licensingsupport.
Firearms: Ensure your firearm is legal for the zone or wildlife management area (WMA) you’re hunting. Hunters in Deer Zones 4 and 5 and some WMAs are limited to shotguns .410 and larger with slugs, muzzleloaders, rifles firing straight-walled cartridges .30-caliber or larger, and legal air rifles. A complete list of legal hunting equipment is available on Page 48 of the 2025–26 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook.
Chronic wasting disease: Check the AGFC’s chronic wasting disease (CWD) zones and testing locations. Only deboned meat, cleaned skulls, antlers and finished taxidermy may legally leave CWD zones. Testing is free and voluntary through the AGFC’s network of drop-off locations and taxidermists. More information is available at www.agfc.com/cwd.
Hunter education: Make sure you have your Hunter Education card or that you are “HE-Verified” in your AGFC license account. Hunter Education is required for every hunter 16 and older who was born after 1968. Hunters under 16 and those with a Deferred Hunter Education (DHE) code may still hunt but must remain within arm’s reach of a licensed hunter. Visit www.agfc.com/huntered for course options and requirements.
Safety colors: Wear blaze orange or safety chartreuse. By law, all hunters and mentors must wear at least 400 square inches of blaze orange or safety chartreuse above the waist and a matching hat, both visible at all times. The colors are required even inside blinds. Failing to put orange back on after recovering a deer can lead to accidents.
Hunter orange is required to be worn, even if you’re in a hunting blind. AGFC image.
Tree stands: Inspect all straps, welds and bolts on tree stands before use. Stands left outdoors can deteriorate from weather or damage by rodents. Replace any worn or compromised equipment before opening morning.
Harnesses: Familiarize yourself with your safety harness before the hunt. Put it on at home to ensure you understand the straps and buckles. Check the tether and lineman’s belt for wear and ensure they’re ready to use.
Hunting plans: Tell someone responsible where you’re hunting and when to expect you home. If you fall from a stand or encounter trouble, that person could be your lifeline.
Emergency contacts: Store the AGFC Radio Room number (833-356-0824) in your phone before heading out. Game wardens are often the most knowledgeable first responders in the woods. The number can also be used to report poaching activity. Visit www.agfc.com/enforcement for more information.
Tagging deer: Remember to check any harvested deer within 12 hours of the kill. If you have cell service, you can check the deer through the phone system, website or app before moving it. As long as the deer remains with you, a physical tag is not required.
If you cannot check the deer immediately, make a temporary tag with your name, CID number from your hunting license, the animal’s sex, and the date, time and county of harvest. This tag must stay with the deer until it is checked. Deer left at processors, camps or taxidermists must have a tag attached. Examples are available on Pages 115–121 of the 2025–26 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook.
For more information about deer hunting in Arkansas, visit www.agfc.com/deer.
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