MonticelloLive

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission would like to remind hunters in deer zones 1 and 10 that no does may be taken and no deer dogs may be used in those zones during the Christmas Holiday Modern Gun Deer Hunt, Dec. 26-28.

This year the AGFC eliminated the need for hunters to draw for special doe tags in deer zones 1 and 10, instead using special “doe days” when any firearms hunter could harvest a doe. However, because of interpretations made by the 2007-08 Hunting Guidebook, many hunters are asking if their holiday harvest may include does.
            “No,” said Ricky Chastain, AGFC assistant chief of wildlife management. “According to the official Code of Regulations, Section 2.12, ‘A doe may only be taken with firearms in zones 1 and 10 on October 13-17, 2007 or November 10-11, 2007.’ The Guidebook specifies that the total limit for the year is three, and only two of those may be bucks. During the Christmas hunt, hunters may still harvest two bucks with firearms, but the only days for doe harvest with firearms in zones 1 and 10 were Oct. 13-17 and Nov. 10-11.”
            “We have also had quite a few hunters asking if they can run deer dogs in zones 1 and 10 during the Christmas hunt,” said Chastain. “Even though the Guidebook did not specifically exclude them, the answer to this question is also no. The Christmas hunt is a ‘no dogs allowed’ hunt throughout the state.”
            According to the official Code of Regulations, found at http://www.agfc.com/rules-regulations/code-of-regulations.aspx, Section 9.03 states:
            “It shall be unlawful to use dogs for hunting during archery, crossbow, muzzleloader, modern gun, the special youth modern gun and the Christmas Holiday modern gun deer seasons.” The only exceptions to this rule are during normal modern gun season in some zones.