Desha County deer harvest: Arkansas, 2022-23 to 2024-25
Hunters checked 3,180 deer in Desha County in the 2024-25 season: 1,182 antlered bucks, 58 button bucks and 1,940 does (AGFC's deer check records). That is 4.3 deer per square mile of land, 25th of Arkansas's 75 counties by total. The count was 12% above 2023-24 (2,852). The county lies in deer zones 9, 16, 16A and 17.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: AGFC's deer check records to the 2024-25 season.
Desha CountyAGFC WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer checked, 2024-25 | 3,180 (1,182 antlered bucks, 1,940 does) |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of land | 4.3, 30th of 75 |
| Highest of the three seasons | 3,180 in 2024-25 |
| Taken with a gun | 76% in 2024-25 |
| Deer zones | Zone 9, Zone 16, Zone 16A, Zone 17 |
| Land area | 741.2 square miles (Census) |
| Public land mapped here | 3 WMAs, 15,788 acres; 24,678 acres of national wildlife refuge |
| Towns | McGehee, Dumas, Arkansas City, Reed and Watson |
How many deer are killed in Desha County each season?
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 3,180 | 1,182 | 58 | 1,940 | 4.3 |
| 2023-24 | 2,852 | 1,120 | 86 | 1,646 | 3.8 |
| 2022-23 | 3,003 | 1,352 | 52 | 1,599 | 4.1 |
| Season | Modern gun | Straight-wall rifle | Muzzleloader | Archery | Crossbow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 2,310 | 97 | 70 | 470 | 225 |
| 2023-24 | 1,755 | 76 | 428 | 171 | |
| 2022-23 | 2,287 | 80 | 466 | 170 |
Source: AGFC deer check records, 2022-23 to 2024-25, counted by FilledTag by county, sex and weapon. County counts include deer taken on WMAs. Per square mile uses the county's 741.2 square miles of land (Census).
Where is the public hunting land in Desha County?
| WMA | Acres in Desha County | Deer on the whole WMA, 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA East Unit | 9,525 | 123 |
| Trusten Holder WMA | 4,432 | 171 |
| Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA West Unit | 1,831 | 18 |
24,678 acres of national wildlife refuge lie in the county, measured on the federal map.
Acres measured by FilledTag on AGFC WMA boundaries and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries.
How does Desha County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Deer, 2024-25 | Antlered bucks | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desha County | 3,180 | 1,182 | 4.3 |
| Arkansas County | 4,427 | 2,224 | 4.5 |
| Chicot County | 1,428 | 536 | 2.2 |
| Drew County | 4,496 | 1,893 | 5.4 |
| Lincoln County | 2,462 | 1,104 | 4.4 |
| Phillips County | 1,054 | 586 | 1.5 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in Desha County, Arkansas last season?
Hunters checked 3,180 deer in Desha County in the 2024-25 season: 1,182 antlered bucks, 58 button bucks and 1,940 does, by AGFC's deer check records.
How were deer taken in Desha County?
In 2024-25: 2,310 by modern gun, 470 by archery, 225 by crossbow, 97 by straight-wall cartridge rifle and 70 by muzzleloader.
Is there public hunting land in Desha County?
Yes. AGFC's map puts Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA East Unit (9,525 acres in the county), Trusten Holder WMA (4,432 acres in the county) and Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA West Unit (1,831 acres in the county) in Desha County.
What deer zone is Desha County in?
Desha County lies in Zone 9 (56,242 acres), Zone 16 (149,640 acres), Zone 16A (159,099 acres) and Zone 17 (150,318 acres), measured on AGFC's zone map. Seasons are set by zone; see each zone's page.
Get a Arkansas hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Arkansas are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Arkansas included.
Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: AGFC deer check records, 2022-23 to 2024-25.
- Deer zones: AGFC deer zones. Public land: AGFC WMA boundaries; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries. County land area: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Numbers are copied from AGFC and the Census Bureau or measured from public maps; nothing here is estimated by FilledTag.
Arkansas hunting Arkansas deer harvest by county Arkansas County Chicot County Drew County Lincoln County