Deer hunting regulations

Hunting is a hobby that has many benefits. But there are also some regulations you need to know and follow. And in this blog we want. to share with you about deer hunting regulations.

Deer hunting is hunting for deer for meat and sport, an activity which dates back tens of thousands of years. Venison, the name for deer meat, is a nutritious and natural food source of animal protein that can be obtained through deer hunting. There are many different types of deer around the world that are hunted for their meat. For sport, often hunters try to kill deer with the largest and most antlers to score them using inches. There are two different categories of antlers. They are typical and nontypical. They measure tine length, beam length, and beam mass by each tine. They will add all these measurements up to get a score. This score is the score without deductions. Deductions occur when the opposite tine is not the same length as it is opposite. That score is the deducted score.

Hunting deer is a regulated activity in many territories. In the United States, a state government agency such as a Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) or Department of Natural Resources (DNR) oversees the regulations. In the United Kingdom, it is illegal to use bows or rifles chambered in bores smaller than .243 caliber (6mm) for hunting.

The end of the main beam and all points 1 inch long count as points in regard to antler-point restrictions.

Hunters who are 6 to 15 years old may harvest any buck without regard to antler size or points.

A legal buck must have both antlers shorter than 2 inches (button buck) or have three or more points on one side of his rack.

• On Bald Knob, Big Lake, Cache River, Felsenthal, Holla Bend, Overflow, Pond Creek, Wapanocca and White River NWRs; Rex Hancock Black Swamp and U of A Pine Tree Experimental Station WMAs any buck deer may be legally harvested during all deer hunts.
• On Greers Ferry Lake WMA any buck may be legally harvested during the deer muzzleloader Mobility Impaired permit hunt.
• On Hobbs State Park Conservation Area, Nimrod Lloyd Millwood WMA and Johnson County WRA on Dardanelle WMA any buck may be legally harvested during the deer modern gun mobility impaired hunt.

• Long, recurve and compound bows: Must have at least a 35-pound pull. Scopes, string locks and mechanical string releases may be used. Big-game hunters must use arrowheads at least 7/8-inches wide (mechanicals OK). Arrows and arrowheads containing firearm ammunition or poison may not be used.
• Crossbow: Crossbows must have at least a 125-pound pull and a mechanical safety. Scopes may be used. Big-game hunters must use arrowheads at least 7/8-inches wide (including mechanicals). Arrows and arrowheads containing firearm ammunition or poison may not be used.
• Propelled Arrows: Arrows propelled from a compressed air system or by the action of an explosive or combustible propellant may not be used.

To be used for deer hunting, muzzleloading rifles must have a barrel 18 inches or longer and be .40 caliber or larger. Magnifying sights may be used. The use of shot is not legal. Legal muzzleloaders use flint, percussion cap, primer or electronic pulse, must have the bullet loaded through the muzzle and are not capable of firing a cartridge.

Hunters may use muzzleloading handguns with:

• barrels 9 inches or longer
• .45 caliber or larger if they shoot conical bullets (200 grains or heavier), or
• .530 caliber or larger if they shoot round balls.

A hunter may carry a muzzleloading handgun of any caliber as backup to a muzzleloading rifle.

Modern guns may be used for deer EXCEPT:

• buckshot in a .410 shotgun.
• shot smaller than No. 4 buckshot in any shotgun.
• rimfire cartridges, military or full metal jacketed ammunition.
• centerfire rifles or handguns smaller than .22 caliber.
• handguns with barrels shorter than 4 inches. See illustration, right.

NOTE: The AGFC has approved for modern gun deer season the use of large-bore air rifles that meet certain standards. The large-bore air rifle must be at least .40-caliber, shoot a single, expandable slug, produce at least 400 feet/pounds of energy at the muzzle, and be charged from an external tank. Large-bore air rifles are not legal for harvesting bear or elk.

In zones 4, and 5 modern guns are restricted to:

• shotguns .410 or larger with slugs,
• handguns with barrels 4 to 10 inches long chambered specifically for straight-walled centerfire cartridges loaded with lead, lead alloy, soft nose and/or hollow point bullets .30 caliber or larger,
• large bore air rifles (see above),
• muzzleloaders.

• Modern guns, muzzleloaders or archery equipment may be used during modern gun seasons.
• Hunters may carry only muzzleloaders and archery equipment during muzzleloader deer or bear seasons.
• Hunters may carry only archery equipment during archery deer and bear seasons.
• Hunters may use air rifles on small game.
• Firearms may be carried on WMAs, but may not be used for any hunting purpose unless the weapon is legal for that season.

Hunters and those accompanying hunters in areas where modern gun or muzzleloader deer, bear or elk seasons are open must wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange, chartreuse or blaze camouflage above the waist and a head garment of those same safety colors. Safety colors are not required for migratory bird hunters in these areas. View hunter orange requirements on ground blinds on WMAs.

Baiting is the direct or indirect placing, exposing, depositing, distributing or scattering of salt, grain or other feed that could serve to lure or attract wildlife to, on or over an area where hunters are attempting to take them. An area is considered baited for 10 days following complete removal of bait.

• Hunters may bait and feed deer on private land outside of the CWD Management Zone year-round.
• Food plots may be used year-round.
• Baiting is not allowed on wildlife management areas.

It is unlawful to feed wildlife within the CWD Management Zone except:

• Bait may be used to hunt deer and elk on private land from Sept. 1-Dec. 31.
• Baiting bears, see Bear-specific Hunting Regulations.
• Hunting or trapping furbearers with the use of bait during open furbearer trapping seasons on private land.
• Incidental feeding of wildlife from livestock operations.
• Normal agricultural, gardening or soil stabilization practices are allowed.
• Attracting or feeding birds and squirrels with birdfeeders, bird baths.

Deer hunting near water

• Swimming deer may not be hunted.
• Deer may not be driven or captured from a boat.
• Deer may not be hunted from a watercraft on public water.