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Arkansas

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Arkansas County Finder

Answer six questions and get Arkansas counties ranked by habitat fit, 2026–27 season dates, public land and AGFC checked deer.

How the Arkansas finder works

AGFC records every checked deer with the county it came from. This tool scores all 75 counties using checked deer from 2022–23 to 2024–25 (antlered, antlerless and archery), USGS land-cover and elevation data, and the share of public land such as the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests and AGFC WMAs.

Season fit uses AGFC's 2026–27 deer seasons by zone (archery, alternative firearms, youth and modern gun), the 2027 spring turkey dates, bear seasons by bear zone, and the Buffalo River elk hunts. Turkey, bear and elk are ranked on habitat and access.

Species covered

  • White-tailed deer
  • Elk
  • Black bear
  • Wild turkey

Upland birds (ranked by county)

  • Quail

Waterfowl and migratory birds (ranked by county)

  • Ducks
  • Canada and dark geese
  • Snow and Ross's geese
  • Mourning dove
  • American woodcock

About every species on the species page →

Data sources

  • AGFC checked deer 2022–23 to 2024–25 (ArcGIS harvest records, summed by county)
  • AGFC deer zones and bear zones (ArcGIS); each county takes the zone covering most of it
  • https://www.agfc.com/hunting/deer/deer-seasons-and-limits-by-zone/
  • USGS PAD-US 3.0 (Fee); NPS parks and monuments excluded
  • USGS NLCD 2021 Land Cover (250 m resample)
  • USGS 3DEP elevation service

Arkansas hunting FAQ

When does Arkansas's 2026 modern gun deer season open?

Nov. 14, 2026 in every deer zone. It closes between Nov. 22 and Dec. 28 depending on the zone, plus a Christmas segment Dec. 26–28. Archery runs Sept. 26–Feb. 28.

Which Arkansas counties have the most deer?

Union, Clark, Bradley, Washington and Saline counties lead AGFC's 2022–2025 checked-deer totals. Pick white-tailed deer to rank every county.

Where can I hunt bears in Arkansas?

Bear Zones 1 and 2 (the Ozarks and Ouachitas) have archery, alternative firearms and modern gun seasons with quotas; several southern and river zones have a short December gun season. Most of the Delta is closed.

Arkansas harvest leaders

The counties with the highest average reported harvest for each species. High totals often reflect large areas and many hunters; the tool above also weighs harvest per square mile, hunter success, habitat and access.

White-tailed deer (2022–2024 average)

  1. Union County: 6,288 per year
  2. Clark County: 5,346 per year
  3. Bradley County: 4,552 per year
  4. Washington County: 4,386 per year
  5. Saline County: 4,273 per year

Ducks (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Arkansas County: 164,437 per year
  2. Monroe County: 92,081 per year
  3. Poinsett County: 81,529 per year
  4. Woodruff County: 59,020 per year
  5. Lonoke County: 50,299 per year

Canada and dark geese (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Arkansas County: 26,093 per year
  2. Poinsett County: 15,468 per year
  3. Craighead County: 8,623 per year
  4. Lonoke County: 8,259 per year
  5. Cross County: 6,300 per year