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Deer Zone 12
Ouachita County, Arkansas Hunting
Ouachita County, 2026-27: Deer Zone 12, AGFC Region 3 (Monticello), 14,015 mapped public acres and 2 public land records with their own pages.
Photo: Robert Nunnally (CC BY 2.0)
Which deer zone applies in Ouachita County
AGFC's 2026-27 county list puts Ouachita County entirely inside Deer Zone 12; 20 other counties share that zone. Modern gun season opens November 14 and its first window closes December 20, then the Christmas hunt adds December 26 through 28. In Deer Zone 12 the alternative firearms dates are October 17 through 25.
| Private zone | Antlerless | Legal buck | Deer dogs | Alt. guns | Modern gun | Booklet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Zone 12 | 4 antlerless, any method | 3-point, any in CWD | Nov 14-Dec 20 | Oct 17-25 | Nov 14-Dec 20/Dec 26-28 | Guidebook p. 19 |
Running deer with dogs is allowed in Deer Zone 12 during the dates in the table; nonresidents also need the $100 Nonresident Hunting Dog Owner's Permit and may use dogs only in the last nine days of the regular gun season. AGFC's antler rule for this county reads as three points on one side. Button bucks count as antlerless deer, the statewide cap is six deer with two antlered bucks, and the youth modern gun hunts fall on November 7 to 8 and January 2 to 3.
Zone bags, antler rules, dogs and dates from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook zone pages and AGFC’s deer seasons by zone page; county lists from the 2026-27 regs data (AGFC deer zone layer). Checked November 9, 2026.
CWD tier and carcass rules for Ouachita County
Ouachita County lies outside the CWD Management Zone, which covers 32 other Arkansas counties for 2026-27. A deer from Union County (zone county) can come into Ouachita County only as low-risk parts. Zone carcass rules stop at the zone line: only low-risk parts may come out.
Hunters returning from other states may bring in deboned venison, clean antlers or skull plates, cleaned teeth, hides and finished taxidermy, nothing else. Sampling costs nothing: AGFC offers refrigerated head drop-offs, taxidermist sampling and office testing. Since its February 2016 discovery, AGFC has built its CWD rules around this county-based zone.
Zone list, tiers and rules from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook CWD pages and the zone map; tiers read from the map shading. Checked November 9, 2026.
Ouachita County seasons, zones and permits
Each line links the guidebook page it came from, so a date that looks odd for Ouachita County can be checked in one tap.
| Animal | Season name | Covers | Ticket | Begins | Ends | Segments | Open? | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Early buck archery | Statewide | License | Aug 29, 2026 | Aug 31, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 14 | |
| Deer | Archery | Statewide | License | Sep 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 3 | |
| Deer | Alternative Firearms | Zone 12 | License | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 19 | |
| Deer | Youth gun hunt | Statewide | License | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | 2 parts | Guidebook p. 22 | |
| Deer | Modern Gun | Zone 12 | License | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 28, 2026 | 2 parts | Guidebook p. 19 | |
| Deer | Christmas gun hunt | Statewide | License | Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 28, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 3 | |
| Elk | Outside core counties | Outside core | License | Aug 29, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 25 | |
| Black bear | Modern Gun | Bear Zone 4 | License | Dec 19, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 29 | |
| Turkey | Youth spring 2027 | Turkey Zone 2 | License | Apr 10, 2027 | Apr 11, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 31 | |
| Turkey | Spring 2027 | Turkey Zone 2 | License | Apr 12, 2027 | May 2, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 31 | |
| Alligator | Permit hunt | AMZ 2 | Permit | Sep 18, 2026 | Sep 28, 2026 | 2 parts | Guidebook p. 28 | |
| Feral hog | Private land | Statewide | License | Jan 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 40 | |
| Squirrel | Squirrel | Statewide | License | May 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 36 | |
| Rabbit | Rabbit | Statewide | License | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 36 | |
| Quail | Quail | Statewide | License | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 36 | |
| Crow | Crow | Statewide | License | Sep 3, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 36 | |
| Bullfrog | Bullfrog | Statewide | License | Jun 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | One | Date sheet | |
| Ducks | Regular duck season | Statewide | License | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 3 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Coot | Coot | Statewide | License | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 3 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Mergansers | Merganser | Statewide | License | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 3 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Teal | Special Early Teal | Statewide | License | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | One | Date sheet | |
| Canada Goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | License | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 15, 2026 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Canada Goose | Regular Canada goose | Statewide | License | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 3 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| White-fronted Goose | White-fronted goose | Statewide | License | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 4 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Light geese | Light geese (regular) | Statewide | License | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 4 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Light geese | Conservation order | Statewide | License | Feb 1, 2027 | Apr 25, 2027 | 2 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Ducks and geese | Youth waterfowl | Statewide | License | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 7, 2027 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Ducks and geese | Veteran and military | Statewide | License | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 7, 2027 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Doves | Dove | Statewide | License | Sep 5, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | 2 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 4 | |
| Snipe | Snipe | Statewide | License | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 4 | |
| Gallinules | Gallinule | Statewide | License | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 4 | |
| Rails | Rails | Statewide | License | Sep 12, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 4 | |
| Woodcock | Woodcock | Statewide | License | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 21, 2026 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 4 | |
| Raccoon, opossum, skunk | Hunting | Statewide | License | Jan 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | Statewide | License | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Bobcat | During turkey season | Statewide | License | Apr 5, 2027 | May 9, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Coyote | Hunting | Statewide | License | Jan 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Coyote | Trapping | Statewide | License | Aug 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 38 | |
| Fox, muskrat, mink | Hunting | Statewide | License | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| River Otter | Hunting | Statewide | License | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Beaver, nutria | Hunting | Statewide | License | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Beaver, nutria | Trapping | Statewide | License | Nov 21, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 38 | |
| Badger, weasel | Hunting | Statewide | Closed | – | – | – | Closed | Guidebook p. 37 |
| Furbearers | Trapping | Statewide | License | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 38 |
Dates from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook, the 2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook and the AGFC season date sheet (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); zone county lists from AGFC zone layers and maps; checked November 9, 2026.
Bear, gobblers, gators and elk in Ouachita County
Ouachita County bear zones
Bear hunting is open in Ouachita County under Bear Zone 4; quotas this season: Zone 4 (25). Bear seasons here end at the quota, and the status line is 833-345-0398. Baiting bears is a private land practice here, legal from 30 days before the first bear season opens.
Ouachita County turkey outlook
Turkey Zone 2 covers Ouachita County according to AGFC's zone map, with the 2027 season set for Zone 2 from April 12 to May 2. A two-day youth hunt (April 10 to 11, 2027) comes first.
Ouachita County alligator and elk rules
Alligator hunting reaches Ouachita County through Alligator Management Zone 2, quota AMZ 2: 5; the season is night only, September 18 to 21 and September 25 to 28. The guidebook prints the Zone 2 quota as 5 alligators. The public land alligator draw opens July 1; private land permits are sold separately. Elk outside the core counties, Ouachita County included, may be taken during open deer seasons. Report an elk at 833-356-0824 for checking and sampling.
| Game | Hunt | Zone | Calendar | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bear | Modern Gun | Bear Zone 4 | Dec 19-25 | Guidebook p. 29 |
| Turkey | Spring 2027 | Zone 2 (map) | Apr 12-May 2 | Guidebook p. 31 |
| Alligator | Permit | AMZ 2 | Sep 18-21; Sep 25-28 | Guidebook p. 28 |
| Elk | Statewide Elk Zone | Statewide zone | Aug 29-Feb 28 | Guidebook p. 25 |
Bear, turkey, alligator and elk seasons, quotas and rules from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook (bear, turkey, alligator, elk); bear and alligator county lists from AGFC zone layers; turkey zone counties read from AGFC’s zone map; ranks from the 2025 bear report and turkey reports. Checked November 9, 2026.
Ouachita County permit hunt list
Parsed permit hunts: none for Ouachita County. The guidebook entries may still list one the parse missed. WMA deer permit applications ran June 1 to July 1, 2026; WMA turkey permit applications run January 15 to February 15, 2027. During a permit hunt only permit holders may hunt there, and other seasons except waterfowl close on that area.
Permit hunts parsed from the WMA pages of the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook (“permit required”); application windows from the guidebook draw page. The parse misses some text on a few listings. Checked November 9, 2026.
Checked deer in Ouachita County by season
Ouachita County produced 3,508 checked deer in 2025-26 (15th of 75 counties). Five reports, five totals: the average is 3,634, the peak 3,929 in 2024-25. 4.8 checked deer per square mile is the 2025-26 density here.
| Season | Harvest | Statewide | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 3,791 | 11th | Table 6 |
| 2022-23 | 3,318 | 16th | Table 6 |
| 2023-24 | 3,626 | 13th | Table 6 |
| 2024-25 | 3,929 | 14th | Table 6 |
| 2025-26 | 3,508 | 15th | Table 6 |
Does were 46% of the 2022-23 to 2024-25 harvest and antlered bucks 48%. The weapon split puts modern gun first (87%) and archery with crossbow at 6%.
| Year | Antlered | Buttons | Does | Rifle | Muzzleloader | Bows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 1,547 | 187 | 1,584 | 2,880 | 227 | 211 |
| 2023-24 | 1,767 | 255 | 1,604 | 3,200 | 146 | 261 |
| 2024-25 | 1,887 | 221 | 1,821 | 3,326 | 196 | 218 |
Checked deer by county from AGFC White-tailed Deer Reports, Table 6 (2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26); sex and weapon from the AGFC deer harvest record table (2022-23 to 2024-25). Checked November 9, 2026.
Ouachita County public land by owner
Merging the WMA, national forest, refuge, Corps of Engineers and Buffalo National River layers gives Ouachita County about 14,015 GIS acres of public ground, 3% of its land. Most of it is WMAs (14,015 acres).
| Category | Mapped acres | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Wildlife areas | 14,015 | See WMA page |
| State park acres | 132 | No hunting |
| Total open | 14,015 | Deduplicated |
No hunting in Poison Springs State Park and White Oak Lake State Park: AGFC Code 05.11 closes state and national parks.
Named public places in Ouachita County
Poison Springs WMA
Zone 530
Two Bayou Creek WMA
Zone 633
Nearby public ground beyond the Ouachita County line
- Big Timber WMALeased land, 3 mi
- Moro Big Pine Natural Area WMANatural area, 3 mi
- Falcon Bottoms Natural Area WMA (natural area wma)Natural area, 32 mi
- Terre Noire Natural Area WMANatural area, 37 mi
- Kingsland Prairie Natural Area WMANatural area, 41 mi
- Blevins WMAWMA, 43 mi
- Hall Creek Barrens Natural Area WMA (natural area wma)Natural area, 43 mi
- Hope Upland WMAWMA, 45 mi
Ouachita County closed areas
- Poison Springs State ParkClosed · State Park
- White Oak Lake State Park (closed to hunting)Closed · State Park
GIS acres from the AGFC WMA boundary layer, USFS ownership, 50 CFR 32.23 refuges, PAD-US Corps of Engineers and NPS units (merged, water over 2 square kilometres removed; not official acreage); land records from AGFC, USFS, USFWS and Corps sources; closures under AGFC Code 05.11, 36 CFR 327.8 and 50 CFR 32.23. Checked November 9, 2026.
Ouachita County towns and outfitters
Ouachita County belongs to AGFC Region 3 (Monticello); the district office is at 771 Jordan Dr, Monticello, phone (877) 367-3559. From the middle of Ouachita County, Perrytown is the closest AGFC office at 38 miles. For town-level planning, start with Camden, Stephens and Reader. 0 listings in Ouachita County and 9 next door; none is individually verified, so call first.
Nearest AGFC doors to Ouachita County
Ouachita County towns with pages
Deer processors, mounts and gun shops by Ouachita County
District offices from the AGFC districts layer; offices from the AGFC regional offices page; towns from the 2024 Census gazetteer; shops from Yellow Pages listings, chain store locators and the AGFC CWD taxidermist list (not individually verified; call ahead). Checked November 9, 2026.
Ouachita County shooters: ranges and shoot dates
1 range carry a Ouachita County address; none of them is on the AGFC public list.
Kidd's Nevada Gamebirds (Nevada County) lists a rifle line 29 miles from Ouachita County.
Ranges from the AGFC Shooting and Archery Ranges page, the AGFC range layer, club sites and directory listings, checked November 9, 2026.
Ouachita County legal light on opening days
Arkansas hunting hours run from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, and the times below are figured for Ouachita County itself.
| Date | Event | Sunrise | Sunset | General rule | Bird rule | Times via |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Early buck archery | 6:43 a.m. | 7:43 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 8:13 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:01 a.m. | 7:04 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Zone 12 alt-firearms | 7:19 a.m. | 6:34 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 6:34 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Youth gun weekend | 6:38 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 6:08 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 6:08 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Zone 12 gun opener | 6:45 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Duck season opens | 6:52 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Dec 20, 2026 | Zone 12 gun closes | 7:15 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:15 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Apr 12, 2027 | Turkey Zone 2 opens | 6:44 a.m. | 7:41 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 8:11 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 7:41 p.m. | AGFC table |
Hours rules from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook; sunrise and sunset from the AGFC Little Rock table with AGFC’s nine-mile correction, or the NOAA solar formula on Central Time where the table has no entry; checked November 9, 2026. Legal hours across Arkansas.
Layered rock walls of the Little Grand Canyon near White Oak Lake with fall leavesPhoto: Marcus O. Bst (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Pines on a bare rock rim above the Little Grand Canyon near White Oak LakePhoto: Marcus O. Bst (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Ouachita River bend with a sandbar under a summer sky near CamdenPhoto: Robert Nunnally (CC BY 2.0)
Ouachita County common questions
Which owner holds most of the public ground in Ouachita County?
Mostly WMAs.
What did Ouachita County hunters check in 2025-26?
3,508, from AGFC Table 6.
How many miles separate Camden from the nearest AGFC office?
About 38 miles from the county centre to Perrytown.
Can nonresidents use deer dogs in Ouachita County?
Only in the last nine days of the regular modern gun season, with the $100 permit.
Which private land deer zones cover Ouachita County?
AGFC’s 2026-27 county list gives Deer Zone 12.
When does deer gun season close in Ouachita County?
The first window closes December 20 in Zone 12.
Can I take a whole deer out of Ouachita County?
Yes, the county is outside the zone; a deer killed in a zone county is a different matter.
Which bear zones touch Ouachita County?
Bear Zone 4.
When is the youth turkey hunt in Ouachita County?
April 10 and 11, 2027.
How do I get an alligator permit for Ouachita County?
Public land permits by the July draw; private land permits are purchased.
Can deer hunters take an elk in Ouachita County?
Yes, during an open deer season.
From the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook, the AGFC deer zone page, CWD rules, quota lines, AGFC harvest reports and the county data above. Checked November 9, 2026.