Arkansas deer Zone 16A: 2026-27 seasons, counties and harvest
Arkansas deer Zone 16A covers 672,511 acres, by AGFC's zone map, across 4 counties. Off WMAs, refuges and urban zones, hunters checked 1,326 deer in it in the 2024-25 season, 620 antlered bucks among them (AGFC's deer check records). 1 WMA with 1,831 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 16AAGFC WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
When is deer season in Zone 16A?
| 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
- Three antlerless deer with alternative firearms and modern gun combined.
Zone notes
- Dogs allowed for deer hunting Nov. 14-Dec. 25.
- Nonresidents may use dogs for deer hunting only during the last nine days of the regular modern gun season (Dec. 17-25).
- Outside the CWD Management Zone, legal bucks must be a button buck or have at least 15-inch inside spread of 18-inch main beam.
- Inside the CWD Management Zone, there are no antler restrictions.
- Button bucks count as antlerless deer, but must be checked as a button buck.
- In Ashley County, CWD regulations apply.
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 16A?
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 7% above 2022-23.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,326 | 620 | 33 | 673 | 1.3 |
| 2023-24 | 1,016 | 468 | 46 | 502 | 1 |
| 2022-23 | 1,239 | 617 | 36 | 586 | 1.2 |
Source: AGFC deer check records, 2022-23 to 2024-25. Per square mile uses the zone's 1,051 square miles.
Which counties are in Zone 16A?
| County | Acres in Zone 16A | County deer, 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Chicot County | 372,509 | 1,428 |
| Desha County | 159,099 | 3,180 |
| Ashley County | 106,610 | 3,899 |
| Drew County | 34,267 | 4,496 |
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 16A?
| WMA | Acres in the zone | Deer on the whole WMA, 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA West Unit | 1,831 | 18 |
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in Arkansas Zone 16A 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 16A?
Chicot (372,509 acres), Desha (159,099 acres), Ashley (106,610 acres) and Drew (34,267 acres), measured on AGFC's zone map. A county can lie in more than one zone.
How many deer are killed in Zone 16A?
Hunters checked 1,326 deer in Zone 16A in 2024-25, not counting WMAs, refuges and urban zones, which AGFC records apart: 620 antlered bucks, 33 button bucks and 673 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.
Arkansas hunting All Arkansas deer zones Chicot County Desha County Ashley County