arkansas hunting season dates

[mattmcdonald]

the arkansas hunting season opens oct 1st and ends feb 28th i was curious if other states kept there seson open that long
it just seems to late to me bucks with no horns and pregnate does?

[arky714]

There is way to many deer in Arkansas right now!The season really needs to be longer.The quality is going down and deer size is smaller.I have to dodge deer on way home from lake after dark...I see 10 or more deer every day...My dog keeps me awake at nite runing deer out of the yard....state game dept.. needs to add more does to bag limit...just tooo many da....deer!!!

[mattmcdonald]

have you seen on the agfc website they are starting an urban youth hunt in some counties sept 6th     and i think we should take away the antler restrictions so we can kill more deer

[SkottyBoy]

There are couple of urban bow hunts in northern Arkansas. These start sometime in September. A few guidlines and classes to go through. No limit on deer harvested.  And I agree to raise limit on does statewide. Way to many.

[Dave Lay]

i wish they would open in September,dont see a reason not to.. give us a little more time before the blasting starts..  . I personally like late season hunting,  the does are just as pregnant in late november as they are in late Feb.. our part of the state really isnt over run with does, I strictly bowhunt,and hunt alot on public land,  but there is a dang gun season of some sort from usually the 2nd weekend of October till january...

[rogers]

I hear ya!  Seems like I see 10 does to 1 buck where im at.  We have a huge coyote problem and even have a lion.  Iv seen it 3 times and neighbors seen him 6 times, one of them got a shot at it last year but missed.  And the agfc told me there aren't any in Ark. Ha

[mattmcdonald]

i have heard of peole seeing maountain lions in northwest arkansas and southwest missouri but ive never seen one

[sweeney3]

Yep.  We have does all over NWA, although there are some nice bucks around too.  I'm no expert, but my assumption is that the ratio isn't quite right.  Lots of deer and lots of fun though.  I wish there weren't so many gun seasons.  Seems there's almost always some gun season going on.  But, that is where most of the money is.  I'm looking forward to it!

As far as the season lenght goes, Kansas has a shorter season by about two months.  I don't remember what the season was in New York when I lived there as I didn't get the chance to hunt.  Sad but true.

[Dave Lay]

i have also seen a lion several years ago south of Sheridan maybe 20 miles.... pretty crazy..we have seen one in northern Missouri as well, they like the agf, wont admit they are there...

[mattmcdonald]

ignorance is bliss i guess

[ArkyBob]

I saw a solid black lion (panther?) in Winona WMA several years ago.  Don't really know if it was a escapee or not but the fact is that it was there.  The official game and fish position is that (wild) lions don't exist in Arkansas.  I suppose there almost has to be some wild ones, even if it was some that got LOOSE somehow, and reproduced.  Back to the main topic, I like the season just like it is, as far as dates.  I do think there could be more fine tuning of management of the deer herd.  I think the state should be divided into smaller zones than the existing ones.  To lump sum such large tracts into big zones puts areas that have too many deer into the the same regulations as some that may not have the same quantities. JMO

BOB