Arkansas deer Zone 16: 2026-27 seasons, counties and harvest
Arkansas deer Zone 16 covers 729,870 acres, by AGFC's zone map, across 4 counties. Off WMAs, refuges and urban zones, hunters checked 2,082 deer in it in the 2024-25 season, 898 antlered bucks among them (AGFC's deer check records). 2 WMAs with 32,226 acres lie inside it.
Data updated October 2026. Zone: AGFC's deer zone map. Harvest: AGFC's deer check records, 2022-23 to 2024-25. Seasons: AGFC's 2026-27 deer seasons by zone.
Zone 16AGFC WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
When is deer season in Zone 16?
| Season | Dates, 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Early Buck-only Archery | Aug. 29-31, 2026 |
| Archery | Sept. 26, 2026-Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Alternative Firearms | Oct. 17-25, 2026 |
| Youth Modern Gun Hunt | Nov. 7-8, 2026 and Jan. 2-3, 2027 |
| Modern Gun | Nov. 14-Dec. 28, 2026 |
Zone bag limit
Four deer, no more than two antlered bucks, which may include:
- Two antlered bucks with archery, alternative firearms or modern gun
- Four antlerless deer with archery
- Two antlerless deer with alternative firearms and modern gun combined.
Zone notes
- No dogs allowed for deer hunting.
- Legal bucks must be button bucks or have antlers with at least 15-inch inside spread or 18-inch main beam.
- Button bucks count as antlerless deer, but must be checked as a button buck.
Source: AGFC deer seasons and limits by zone, read October 2026. WMAs inside the zone set their own dates.
How many deer are taken in Zone 16?
AGFC files deer taken on WMAs, refuges and in urban zones under those areas, so these counts are the rest of the zone. 2024-25 was 16% above 2022-23.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 2,082 | 898 | 83 | 1,101 | 1.8 |
| 2023-24 | 1,630 | 726 | 66 | 838 | 1.4 |
| 2022-23 | 1,788 | 848 | 51 | 889 | 1.6 |
Source: AGFC deer check records, 2022-23 to 2024-25. Per square mile uses the zone's 1,140 square miles.
Which counties are in Zone 16?
| County | Acres in Zone 16 | County deer, 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 240,604 | 2,807 |
| Lincoln County | 178,376 | 2,462 |
| Arkansas County | 159,255 | 4,427 |
| Desha County | 149,640 | 3,180 |
Acres measured by FilledTag on AGFC deer zones and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries. County counts include WMA deer.
Which WMAs are in Zone 16?
| WMA | Acres in the zone | Deer on the whole WMA, 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto WMA | 32,169 | 63 |
| Trusten Holder WMA | 57 | 171 |
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in Arkansas Zone 16 for 2026-27?
Early Buck-only Archery: Aug. 29-31, 2026. Archery: Sept. 26, 2026-Feb. 28, 2027. Alternative Firearms: Oct. 17-25, 2026. Youth Modern Gun Hunt: Nov. 7-8, 2026 and Jan. 2-3, 2027. Modern Gun: Nov. 14-Dec. 28, 2026.
What counties are in Arkansas deer Zone 16?
Jefferson (240,604 acres), Lincoln (178,376 acres), Arkansas (159,255 acres) and Desha (149,640 acres), measured on AGFC's zone map. A county can lie in more than one zone.
How many deer are killed in Zone 16?
Hunters checked 2,082 deer in Zone 16 in 2024-25, not counting WMAs, refuges and urban zones, which AGFC records apart: 898 antlered bucks, 83 button bucks and 1,101 does.
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Sources: AGFC deer zones; AGFC deer check records, 2022-23 to 2024-25; AGFC deer seasons and limits by zone. FilledTag is not part of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
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