Deer hunters in our fair corner of Arkansas can begin their modern gun deer season on Saturday and not walk the floor waiting for November.
For the first time, Northwest Arkansas is included in the antlerless modern gun deer season that will run Saturday through Wednesday in much of the state.
Only does or button bucks may be killed during this five-day season.
Arkansas’ deer herd has grown to the point that killing does is necessary for a balanced herd. That’s the object of the antlerless season, said Cory Gray, deer program coordinator with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.
He hopes plenty of hunters will participate.
Ideally, Gray would like to see the total deer harvest for 2012-2013 be half bucks and half does. The antlerless season is part of that goal.
“We almost achieved that last year,” Gray said on Tuesday. If deer season ends with more does killed than bucks, “that will be a good thing.”
Back when Arkansas had fewer deer, Game & Fish protected the herd by allowing hunters to shoot only bucks. That helped foster a notion that it was plain wrong to shoot a doe.
These days, most hunters realize it’s not only OK to take does, it’s what’s best for the herd.
“I was talking to a landowner the other day and he’s been seeing all these does on his property.
He said he’s not a doe hunter, but he understands that it’s necessary for the maintenance of the herd.”
Hunters may take button bucks during the antlerless hunt - that is, bucks with antlers 2 inches or shorter.
Game & Fish doesn’t encourage hunters to kill button bucks, Gray said.
It’s part of the regulations in case a button buck is mistaken for a doe, the deer is still legal.
Last year, button bucks made up only about 10 percent of the harvest during the antlerless modern gun season.
Also last year, the only deer zones open for the antlerless hunt were in south Arkansas, Gray said.
“We wanted to see how it would go. It went so well that we’ve expanded it,” he said.
Starting Saturday, most deer zones will be part of the antlerless modern gun season. Two areas that won’t be open are northeast Arkansas and part of the Ouachita Mountains.
It’s a modern gun hunt, but deer hunters may use their muzzle-loaders if they choose. Archery hunters may keep bowhunting during the antlerless season, but they must wear hunter orange, as is required during any firearms deer season.
We never met an antler that tasted good yet. The antlerless season is prime time to gather the main ingredient for a pot of venison chili to enjoy on these crisp October evenings.
FLIP PUTTHOFF IS OUTDOORS EDITOR FOR NWA MEDIA.
FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER AT TWITTER.COM/NWAFLIP.
Outdoor, Pages 7 on 10/11/2012