Opening day success

Eric Richardson killed these two bucks Nov. 11 at Old Belfast Hunting Club in Grant County.
Eric Richardson killed these two bucks Nov. 11 at Old Belfast Hunting Club in Grant County.

Nov. 11, opening day of modern gun deer season in Arkansas, was a textbook day for deer hunting.

Whitetails were active on that clear, cold and calm morning, and hunters were in position to kill 24,532 deer.

It was the best opening day in memory at Old Belfast Hunting Club in northern Grant County. Hunters at Old Belfast's Romine Camp brought in six bucks, of which five were at least 3½ years old. Henry Jezierski, a mechanic for the Little Rock Police Department, got the biggest buck in that particular camp.

Eric Richardson bagged two bucks, his season limit, in less than 30 minutes. One was a 4-year-old eight-point buck with massive main beams.

At 11 a.m., the hunters gathered at camp for hot fried catfish, chicken, French fries and onion rings prepared by Larry Romine, who also bagged a mature buck at sunrise.

The mood was very festive and celebratory, and it was shared by successful hunters at deer camps all over Arkansas. We're honored to share some of their memories here.

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Submitted by Connie Binz

Mary Lewis Johnson, 22, of East End shot this mature buck on opening day near Lonsdale while hunting with her father, Allan Lewis.

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Submitted by Todd Connelly

Jake Connelly of Cave Springs killed this 157-inch buck Nov. 11 at the Double Angel Hunting Club in Lafayette County. It scored 157.

Sports on 11/19/2017

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