Oh deer, hunters go afield

More than 300,000 deer hunters will hit the woods today for opening day of the modern gun deer season.

Although Arkansas is famous for its world-class duck hunting, opening weekend of the modern gun deer season is its biggest event in terms of participation. Many schools close for the opening Monday of the modern gun deer season.

Cory Gray, deer biologist for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said it’s one of the biggest days of the year for Arkansas sportsmen.

“People wait all year long for this weekend,” Gray said. “It’s a family event, and it’s huge. I was in Wal-Mart yesterday and there were people filing in there to stock up with stuff for deer camp.

“The biggest thing is it’s a management tool. It’s the biggest tool in our management toolbox, and it’s a big deal for us, too.”

Of the 213,487 deer that

hunters reported killing in the 2012-2013 deer seasons, nearly 70 percent were killed during the modern gun season. Of those, 26,972 were killed during the opening weekend, more than any other weekend, and 38,361 were killed in the first three days.

Opening day of modern gun deer season involves more than just hunting. Dick Baxter, assistant chief for the AGFC’s wildlife management division, said the night before opening day is almost like the night before Christmas.

Arkansas schedules its modern gun deer season to coincide roughly with the rut, or the whitetailed deer’s breeding period. The peak of the rut varies across the state, but by mid-November rutting activity should be occurring in all parts of the state.

With the new moon and cool temperatures, hunters can expect deer to be active during the daylight hours this weekend. Gray said he expects hunters will kill 25,000 to 30,000 deer this weekend alone.

For those who don’t hunt private land, Arkansas offers more than 3 million acres of public hunting in the Ozark and Ouachita national forests. About 25 percent of Arkansas’ deer hunters pursue their game on public land.

Deer hunters are required to wear a fluorescent cap and vest or jacket during the modern gun season. They also must possess a hunting license and proper tags and should carry an ink pen and a rubber band, length of wire or zip tie so they can fill out their tag and attach it to their deer before transporting it.

This year, successful hunters do not have to take their deer to a check station.

Hunters can check deer by calling (877) 507-4263, going online at www.agfc.com or by using a smart phone with the AGFC’s game check application.