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Zone 13 · gun closes Dec 20
Deer Zone 13 deer hunting in Arkansas
Private land in 10 Arkansas counties hunts under Zone 13 rules: 2 antlered bucks inside a four-deer zone bag, with modern gun closing December 20.
Photo: Samuel Hozan (CC0 1.0)
The ground inside Deer Zone 13
Measured on the AGFC deer zone layer, Zone 13 takes in about 2,762 square miles spread over 10 counties. No county sits wholly inside Zone 13: each of the 10 is split with at least one other zone.
10 of the 10 counties carry ground in two or more zones, so the table below names every zone each county touches.
Zone counties and area from the AGFC deer zone layer (GIS overlay with Census counties); dates and rules from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook; checked November 9, 2026.
Deer Zone 13 seasons for 2026-27
Zone 13 closes its main gun season on December 20, 37 days after the November 14 opener. A separate Christmas hunt runs December 26 to 28. Zone 13 gives alternative firearms hunters 1 window totalling 9 days, starting October 17.
| Hunt | Windows | Applies to | Status | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early buck archery | Aug 29–31 | Statewide | Guidebook p. 14 | |
| Archery | Sep 26–Feb 28 | Statewide | Guidebook p. 3 | |
| Alternative firearms | Oct 17–25 | Zone 13 | Guidebook p. 19 | |
| Youth modern gun | Nov 7–8 Jan 2–3 | Statewide | Guidebook p. 22 | |
| Modern gun | Nov 14–Dec 20 Dec 26–28 | Zone 13 | Guidebook p. 19 | |
| Deer dogs, residents | Nov 14–Dec 20 | Zone 13 | Guidebook p. 19 | |
| Deer dogs, nonresidents | Dec 12–20 | Zone 13 | Guidebook p. 19 |
Archery hunters in Zone 13 follow statewide dates, which open with a three-day buck-only weekend at the end of August.
| Count toward | Deer | Weapon |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide season | 6 deer | 2 antlered max |
| Zone 13 total | 4 deer | 2 antlered max |
| Antlerless, archery | 4 | Bow or crossbow |
| Antlerless, firearms | 3 | Alt and gun combined |
| Legal buck | 3 points, one side | Inside CWD: any buck |
Antlerless deer in Zone 13: up to 4 with a bow or crossbow and 3 with any firearm. Button bucks are antlerless for bag purposes; report them as button bucks when you check them.
Bucks with fewer than three points on either side are off limits in Zone 13, button bucks aside. That rule drops away in the CWD Management Zone part of the zone (Sevier). The antler rule does not apply to hunters aged 6 to 15.
AGFC prints November 14 to December 20 as the Zone 13 deer dog window, with nonresidents restricted to December 12 to December 20. Nonresidents must buy the Nonresident Hunting Dog Owner's Permit ($100).
Zone dates, bag, antler rule and dogs from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook; statewide deer dates from AGFC season date sheet; dog permit price from the license list; checked November 9, 2026.
Where Deer Zone 13 meets county lines
| County | Share | Also in | CWD tier | Bear | Checked 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark | Part | Outside | 2 3 4 | 5,406 | |
| Garland | Part | Outside | 2 | 2,999 | |
| Hot Spring | Part | Outside | 2 4 | 3,695 | |
| Howard | Part | Outside | 2 3 | 2,398 | |
| Montgomery | Part | Outside | 2 | 1,723 | |
| Pike | Part | Outside | 2 3 | 3,833 | |
| Polk | Part | Outside | 2 | 2,951 | |
| Pulaski | Part | Outside | 1 2 4 6 7 | 2,106 | |
| Saline | Part | Outside | 2 4 | 3,818 | |
| Sevier | Part | Tier 2 | 2 3 | 2,174 |
Whole-county harvest is shown for scale: Clark reported 5,406 deer in 2025-26, the most among the zone counties.
County overlap from the AGFC deer zone layer; CWD tiers from the CWD Management Zone list; bear zones from the AGFC bear zone layer; county deer from deer report Table 6, 2025-26; checked November 9, 2026.
Deer checked in Deer Zone 13
At 14,435 deer in 2025-26, Zone 13 sat 3rd of 20 zones, with antlered bucks making up 46% of the take. From 15,133 in 2021-22 to 14,435 in 2025-26, the zone moved 5% down; 2024-25 topped the run.
| Season | Bucks | Buttons | Does | All deer | Zone rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 7,152 | 945 | 7,036 | 15,133 | 2 of 20 |
| 2022-23 | 6,388 | 914 | 6,908 | 14,210 | 3 of 20 |
| 2023-24 | 7,354 | 945 | 7,139 | 15,438 | 3 of 20 |
| 2024-25 | 7,784 | 1,117 | 7,948 | 16,849 | 2 of 20 |
| 2025-26 | 6,712 | 960 | 6,763 | 14,435 | 3 of 20 |
Per square mile of mapped zone, the 2025-26 take is about 5.2 deer. WMAs and refuges are separate zones, so this table counts private land only and runs below the county totals.
Private land deer by zone and sex from AGFC deer reports, Table 5: 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26; checked November 9, 2026.
Deer Zone 13 CWD status
Within Zone 13, CWD regulations apply in Sevier and not elsewhere. The feeding ban in CWD counties has listed exceptions, the main one being deer and elk bait on private land September 1 to December 31 in season.
Intact carcasses from a Tier 1 county move freely between Tier 1 counties; only low-risk parts into Tier 2 or outside the zone. Tier 2 carcasses move between Tier 2 counties or into Tier 1; only low-risk parts outside the zone.
| Where | Tier |
|---|---|
| Sevier | Tier 2 |
CWD counties from the zone entry and CWD Management Zone list; rules from CWD regulations; checked November 9, 2026.
Map of Deer Zone 13 public land
22 land pages list Zone 13 among the private land zones around them, led by Ouachita National Forest (Arkansas) and Mena Ranger District, Ouachita National Forest. Each WMA and national wildlife refuge is its own deer zone with its own number, bag and dates, so a WMA inside this zone does not follow these private land rules.
Big Timber WMA
Lake Greeson WMA
Single zone
Howard County WMA
Single zone
Jack Mountain WMA
Single zone
Cedar Mountain WMA
DeGray Lake WMA
Single zone
De Queen Lake WMA
Single zone
Also in the zone's counties, though outside its line (19 in all):
Deep blue water of DeGray Lake with wooded shores under a streaked sky
Land zones and WMA zone numbers from the guidebook WMA listings and each land page’s sources; Corps lakes rest on 36 CFR 327.8; checked November 9, 2026.
Deer Zone 13 towns and neighbours
Towns tied to Zone 13 by county: Little Rock, North Little Rock, Benton and Hot Springs. The zone codes after each name show which zones its county shares.
- Little RockPulaskiZ9 Z10 Z12 Z13
- North Little RockPulaskiZ9 Z10 Z12 Z13
- BentonSalineZ11 Z12 Z13
- Hot SpringsGarlandZ11 Z13
- SherwoodPulaskiZ9 Z10 Z12 Z13
- JacksonvillePulaskiZ9 Z10 Z12 Z13
- MaumellePulaskiZ9 Z10 Z12 Z13
- MalvernHot SpringZ12 Z13
- ArkadelphiaClarkZ12 Z13
- De QueenSevierZ13 Z14
- MenaPolkZ11 Z13
- NashvilleHowardZ11 Z12 Z13 Z14
Zone 11 overlaps Zone 13 in 6 counties, more than any other neighbour.
| Neighbour | Counties shared | Gun ends | Dogs | Buck rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 11 | Garland Howard Montgomery Pike +2 more | Dec 6 | Yes | 3 points, one side |
| Zone 12 | Clark Hot Spring Howard Pike +2 more | Dec 20 | Yes | 3 points, one side |
| Zone 14 | Howard Pike Sevier | Dec 13 | Yes | 3 points, one side |
| Zone 9 | Pulaski | Dec 20 | No | 3 points, one side |
| Zone 10 | Pulaski | Dec 6 | Yes | 3 points, one side |
Towns from Census places in the zone counties; neighbouring zones by shared county on the AGFC deer zone layer; checked November 9, 2026.
When legal light starts around Deer Zone 13
WMA duck hunts, the early teal season and night alligator hunts keep their own hours, which the Deer Zone 13 table does not show.
| Day | Note | Sunup | Sundown | Game hours | Duck hours | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Early buck archery | 6:44 a.m. | 7:46 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 8:16 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:03 a.m. | 7:06 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 7:36 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 7:06 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Zone 13 alt-firearms | 7:23 a.m. | 6:38 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:08 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 6:38 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Youth gun weekend | 6:42 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Zone 13 gun opener | 6:49 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Duck season opens | 6:56 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Dec 20, 2026 | Zone 13 gun closes | 7:19 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:19 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Apr 19, 2027 | Turkey Zone 1 opens | 6:39 a.m. | 7:51 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 8:21 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 7:51 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.
Clear blue water and a low wooded shore on DeGray LakePhoto: Samuel Hozan (CC0 1.0)
Still water of Valley Creek under arching spring trees on the DeGray Lake WMAPhoto: risingthermals (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Deer Zone 13 questions
Does any town lie inside Deer Zone 13?
Towns in split counties may sit in another zone; check the map.
Which Arkansas counties hold part of Deer Zone 13?
The zone list reads Clark, Garland, Hot Spring, Howard, Montgomery, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Saline and Sevier.
Does Deer Zone 13 get the Christmas hunt?
Yes, December 26 to 28.
Is muzzleloader season open in Deer Zone 13?
Yes; AGFC now calls it alternative firearms: October 17 to October 25.
What is the bag limit in Deer Zone 13?
Four deer per season in the zone, inside the statewide six.
Which antler rule governs bucks in Deer Zone 13?
3 points, one side, except any buck in Sevier.
Is Deer Zone 13 a dog zone?
Yes.
Is baiting deer allowed anywhere in Deer Zone 13?
In the CWD Management Zone, bait for deer is allowed on private land only September 1 to December 31 during an open season.
Where can I see harvest for Deer Zone 13?
In the harvest table on this page, from AGFC deer reports.
How many public areas touch Deer Zone 13?
22.
What zone is next to Deer Zone 13?
Zone 11 shares the most counties.
Answers from the AGFC sources cited on this page; checked November 9, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Armyman (CC BY 2.0).