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Leased land WMA · 2026-27
Cherokee WMA Hunting Guide
Leased land WMA in Cleburne County and 8 more counties, 40,663 acres on record, WMA zone 128.
Photo: Brandonrush (CC0 1.0)
Getting to Cherokee WMA
What AGFC prints for Cherokee WMA
The rows below come from the Cherokee WMA entry in the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook, zone 128. Duck and goose rules for WMAs live in the Waterfowl Guidebook rather than this table. Dates run inclusive, first day to last day. The entry closes alligator on Cherokee WMA.
| What | Dates | Type | Small print |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer archery | Aug 29–31 Sep 26–Feb 28 | License | One antlered buck |
| Deer alt firearms | Oct 17–25 | License | – |
| Deer gun | Nov 14–Dec 6 Dec 26–28 | License | – |
| Deer gun youth | Nov 7–8 Jan 2–3 | License | – |
| Bear archery | Sep 9–Nov 30 | License | – |
| Bear alt firearms | Oct 17–25 | License | – |
| Bear gun | Nov 14–30 | License | – |
| Bear gun youth | Nov 7–8 | License | – |
| Turkey youth | Apr 10–11 | License | One turkey |
| Turkey | Apr 19–May 9 | License | One turkey |
Cherokee WMA deer limit
| Count | Kind | With |
|---|---|---|
| two | antlered bucks | archery alternative firearms modern gun |
| three | antlerless deer | archery |
| one | antlerless deer | alternative firearms modern gun |
WMA deer count toward the statewide limit of six, with no more than two antlered bucks a season.
Local rules at Cherokee WMA
- Seasons close earlier if zone quota is reached in the section in Bear Zone 1.
- Leased land permit holders may use ATVs or bicycles only on open, maintained roads while hunting to travel to or from a campsite or hunting location.
- Dogs may be used for coyote, fox and bobcat hunting when the declared furbearer hunting season is open and firearms deer season is closed.
- Camping limited to 14 consecutive days or fewer (unlawful to camp for more than 30 days during one calendar year).
- Camps may not remain unoccupied for more than 48 hours.
- Creating a disturbance after 10 pm not allowed.
Guidebook p. 74 of the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook (WMA-specific regulations; Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); waterfowl: 2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook. Checked November 9, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Cherokee WMA
Cherokee WMA by the numbers
Think of Cherokee WMA as a leased land WMA, private land that AGFC leases and opens to permit holders. Its size on record is 40,663 acres (2026-27 guidebook), and the ground lies in Cleburne County and 8 other counties. AGFC Region 7 (Mayflower) is the district that covers it. The guidebook entry credits Green Bay Packaging, Inc. as the owner or partner.
The WMA list page and the guidebook part ways on counties; guidebook: Cleburne, Conway, Independence, Logan, Pope, Stone, Van Buren and Scott.
Green pool reflecting wooded hills at Blanchard Springs Recreation Area, Ozark National ForestPhoto: Ray Ashley (CC BY 2.0)
From lands.json records (Guidebook · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4); acres: 2026-27 AGFC Hunting Guidebook WMA entry ("40,663 acres"). Checked November 9, 2026.
Cherokee WMA permit-required dates
One of the species in these hunts.
White-tailed deer moving through autumn woodsPhoto: NPS Photo (Public domain)
Nothing marked permit required was picked up for Cherokee WMA, but the parse is known to miss some lines.
guidebook entry; draw rules. Checked November 9, 2026.
Zones around Cherokee WMA
Zone 128 is the number for Cherokee WMA; step off it and you are in Deer Zones 6, 7, 8 and 11. Close to a zone boundary, confirm your side on the AGFC map. For nonresidents, dogs mean a $100 permit and only the closing nine days of regular modern gun.
| Zone | Modern gun | Alt firearms | Dogs | Legal buck | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 6 | Nov 14–Dec 6 Dec 26–28 | Oct 17–25 Dec 12–14 | Nov 14–Dec 6 | No point rule CWD zone: any buck | 4 (2 antlered) |
| Zone 7 | Nov 14–Dec 6 Dec 26–28 | Oct 17–25 Dec 12–14 | Nov 14–Dec 6 | 3 points one side CWD zone: any buck | 4 (2 antlered) |
| Zone 8 | Nov 14–Dec 6 Dec 26–28 | Oct 17–25 Dec 12–14 | Nov 14–Dec 6 | 3 points one side CWD zone: any buck | 4 (2 antlered) |
| Zone 11 | Nov 14–Dec 6 Dec 26–28 | Oct 17–25 Dec 12–14 | Nov 14–Dec 6 | 3 points one side CWD zone: any buck | 4 (2 antlered) |
- Count Cherokee WMA as CWD Management Zone ground: tiered carcass rules, no antler limits (Cleburne Tier 2, Conway Tier 2, Independence Tier 2, Logan Tier 2, Pope Tier 2, Scott Tier 2, Stone Tier 2 and Van Buren Tier 2).
- Bear seasons here follow Bear Zones 1 and 2 and stop when the quota is met.
- Spring 2027 turkey dates come from Turkey Zone 1 (from AGFC's zone map).
- The counties touch Alligator Management Zone 2, where September permit hunts run at night.
Zones from the guidebook deer zone pages, the AGFC zone layers and the CWD zone list; turkey zones from AGFC’s zone map. Checked November 9, 2026.
Map of Cherokee WMA and its neighbours
Go west about 7 miles to reach Rainey WMA. Nearby options include 5 wildlife management areas and 1 natural area WMA.
| Public land | Kind | Acres | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainey WMA | WMA | 488 | Pope | 7 miles | west |
| Point Remove WMA | WMA | 8,854 | Conway | 11 miles | south |
| Gulf Mountain WMA | WMA | 14,923 | Van Buren | 12 miles | north |
| Lake Overcup WMA | WMA | 1,340 | Conway | 13 miles | south |
| Brewer Lake/Cypress Creek | WMA | 1,200 | Conway | 14 miles | southeast |
| Cove Creek | Natural area WMA | 228 | Conway | 17 miles | southeast |
Point: AGFC WMA boundary layer (GIS/wmas_website_link) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside) of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Arkansas public land map.
What hunters checked near Cherokee WMA
Cleburne County placed 42nd statewide with 2,283 checked deer in 2025-26. Read them as county-wide totals, private land included. The 2025 Turkey Program report lists Cherokee WMA at number 5 of the top public areas, 60 turkeys.
| County | This report | Prior | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleburne | 2,283 | 2,369 | 42 |
| Conway | 2,211 | 2,547 | 44 |
| Independence | 3,019 | 3,220 | 25 |
| Logan | 2,421 | 2,541 | 36 |
| Pope | 3,485 | 4,046 | 17 |
| Scott | 2,036 | 1,920 | 49 |
| Stone | 2,161 | 2,116 | 46 |
| Van Buren | 2,559 | 2,851 | 34 |
| Spring | Rank | Turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4 | 57 |
| 2024 | 8 | 27 |
| 2025 | 5 | 60 |
deer report 2025-26; turkey report 2025 (checked deer by county (AGFC deer reports, Table 6)). Checked November 9, 2026.
Nearest towns and AGFC office for Cherokee WMA
Jerusalem sits 4 miles from Cherokee WMA, the shortest hop to town. Of the five, Hector is biggest at 419. Cherokee WMA shows up on the town pages for Jerusalem, Hattieville, Center Ridge and Hector. For AGFC help in person, Russellville is closest at 25 miles. Listings are unverified; a quick call saves a wasted trip.
| Nearest towns | County | Population | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jerusalem | Conway | – | 4 miles | west |
| Hattieville | Conway | – | 7 miles | south |
| Center Ridge | Conway | – | 10 miles | east |
| Hector | Pope | 419 | 13 miles | west |
| Springfield | Conway | – | 14 miles | southeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); AGFC buildings from the AGFC offices page and AGFC layers; businesses from services.json directory listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 9, 2026.
Parks and closed land near Cherokee WMA
Closed ground nearby: Petit Jean, 22 miles from the Cherokee WMA point. Parks are closed by Code 05.11; Hobbs and the Buffalo National River WMA are the exceptions.
| Place | Reason | Miles | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petit Jean | State park (Code 05.11) | 22 miles | Conway |
| Lake Dardanelle | State park (Code 05.11) | 26 miles | Pope, Yell |
| Wooly Hollow | State park (Code 05.11) | 28 miles | Faulkner |
AGFC Code 05.11; closed places from lands.json (PAD-US 4.1, NPS, FWS). Straight-line miles. Checked November 9, 2026.
Cherokee WMA legal hours on opening days
Clocks around Cherokee WMA fall back on November 1, 2026 and jump ahead on March 14, 2027, which moves every time in this table by an hour across those dates.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | General hours | Migratory birds | Sun times from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Early buck archery | 6:40 a.m. | 7:44 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 8:14 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 7:44 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 6 alt-firearms | 7:18 a.m. | 6:33 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 7:03 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 6:33 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Youth gun weekend | 6:37 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Zone 6 gun opener | 6:44 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Duck season opens | 6:51 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Dec 6, 2026 | Zone 6 gun closes | 7:04 a.m. | 4:59 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 5:29 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:14 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Apr 19, 2027 | Turkey Zone 1 opens | 6:34 a.m. | 7:46 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 8:16 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 7:46 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.
Cherokee WMA hunters: nearest ranges on file
Arkansas Muzzle Loading Association sits 8 miles from Cherokee WMA; check its access line first.
From the AGFC Shooting and Archery Ranges page, the AGFC range layer, club sites and directory listings, checked November 9, 2026.
Mirror Lake and its boardwalk below steep green hills at Blanchard Springs, Stone CountyPhoto: Brandonrush (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Turquoise Mirror Lake and its small waterfall below green hills at Blanchard Springs, Ozark National ForestPhoto: Mike Norton (CC BY 2.0)
Straight answers on Cherokee WMA for 2026-27
Which days are open for modern gun on Cherokee WMA?
Modern gun runs Nov 14–Dec 6 and Dec 26–28 (the guidebook entry).
Does the 2026-27 CWD Management Zone take in Cherokee WMA?
Yes, so check the tier carcass rule before hauling a deer home.
Which AGFC bear zone covers Cherokee WMA?
Bear Zones 1 and 2 is open, subject to quota.
What turkey limit applies on Cherokee WMA next April?
Apr 19–May 9 on the WMA; Turkey Zone 1 otherwise, from AGFC's zone map.
How many permit hunts does Cherokee WMA have?
No dated permit hunt was parsed; the printed entry is final.
How much ground does Cherokee WMA actually hold?
40,663 acres, Cleburne County and 8 other counties.
Which nearby town has a page on this site for Cherokee WMA?
Jerusalem, about 4 miles in a straight line. Closest AGFC site: Russellville, 25 miles.
Does chartreuse count as hunter orange on Cherokee WMA?
During modern gun or alternative firearms deer, bear or elk seasons: 400 square inches of hunter orange, chartreuse or blaze camouflage above the waist plus a matching head garment. Blaze pink is not listed.
How early may I shoot on Cherokee WMA during modern gun?
The general rule is half an hour either side of sunrise and sunset. For the November 14, 2026 gun opener at this spot, shooting runs from 6:14 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. by that rule.
Whose land is Cherokee WMA, and who runs the hunting?
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, out of AGFC Region 7 (Mayflower).
How current is this Cherokee WMA page?
Each section links its source; the whole page was checked on November 9, 2026.
Is a leased land permit needed on Cherokee WMA?
Yes. Hunters 16 and older need the WMA Leased Land Permit ($75) plus an Arkansas hunting license; it expires June 30.
Do private land zone dates apply on Cherokee WMA?
Zone 128. WMAs and refuges are their own zones; the private land around it is Deer Zones 6, 7, 8 and 11.
Night-before checklist for Cherokee WMA
Report wildlife violations on Cherokee WMA to AGFC; the nearest office is listed above.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4; seasons from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook and the 2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook. Checked November 9, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Ray Ashley (CC BY 2.0); NPS Photo (Public domain).