JASPER –-(Ammoland.com)- Twenty-nine Arkansans will have the hunt of a lifetime this fall as they chase elk on public land in The Natural State. They are winners of 2016 public land elk hunting permits.
Representatives from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission oversaw the drawings for this year’s elk hunt applications at the 19th Annual Buffalo River Elk Festival in Jasper. The drawing was from a squirrel cage with the queens from the Buffalo River Elk Festival Pageant doing the drawings. Both the applications and the permits were free.
Twenty-six of the permits were drawn from applications submitted online in May. Three other permits were selected from special applications submitted on site during the festival. There were 622 applications for the onsite drawing and 4,894 applications for the standard drawing.
Hunters are allowed to choose their weapons from archery, including crossbows, muzzleloaders, modern rifles, modern shotguns and handguns. Minimum specifications are set for these weapons. In the last 18 years, virtually all elk hunters have used modern rifles.
The public land hunting is on Buffalo National River, Gene Rush Wildlife Management Area and Bearcat Hollow Wildlife Management Area. Hunters are assigned to specific zones within these public lands.
This year’s elk hunts will be Oct. 3-7 and Oct. 31-Nov. 4 with youth hunters in action the Saturday and Sunday before these dates. Public land permit holders are required to attend an orientation before the hunt and will be notified of the time and location.
Private land elk hunting permits will be issued later in the year to landowners in Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Searcy counties who apply for the Elk Management Assistance Program by July 15. An mail-in application is available at http://www.agfc.com/licenses/Pages/PermitsSpecialElk.aspx.
2016 elk permit winners:
Oct. 3-7:
- Zone 1 Either sex (onsite draw): Dwaine Dickey, Rogers
- Zone 1 Antlerless: Keith Sparks, Pocahontas
- Zone 3 Antlerless (onsite draw): Gary Sanders Jr., Fort Smith
- Zone 4 Antlerless: Joel Scott, Heber Springs
- Zone 4 Antlerless (onsite draw): Joel Scott, Heber Springs
Oct. 29-Nov. 4:
- Zone 2 Youth either sex (Oct 29-Nov 4) Emily Hand from Flippin
- Zone 3 Youth either sex (Oct. 29-Nov. 4) Colton Dunlap from Quitman
Oct. 31-Nov. 4:
- Zone 1 Either sex: Donald Hopkins, Lake City
- Zone 1 Antlerless: Kimberly Murphy, Perryville
- Zone 1 Antlerless: Getty Thomas, Hindsville
- Zone 2 Either sex: Keith Moore, Marshall
- Zone 2 Antlerless: Kenny Bennett, Texarkana
- Zone 2 Antlerless: Ryan Larsen, Rogers
- Zone 2 Antlerless: Jeff McMullin, Brookland
- Zone 2 Antlerless: Mickey Bramlett, Shirley
- Zone 2 Antlerless: Michael Price, Rogers
- Zone 3 Either sex: Dennis Duncan, Jasper
- Zone 3 Antlerless: Clifton Gilbert, Perryville
- Zone 3 Antlerless: Kimberly Bittle, Austin
- Zone 3 Antlerless: Steve Rawls, Jonesboro
- Zone 3 Antlerless: Jeremiah Keck, Rogers
- Zone 3 Antlerless: Joe Eddings, Mountain Home
- Zone 4 Either sex: Brandon Gattis, Arkadelphia
- Zone 4 Either sex: Hillary Simmons, Enola
- Zone 4 Antlerless: Todd Butler, Springdale
- Zone 4 Antlerless: Patrick Litster, Glenwood Zone 4 Antlerless: Frank James, Rogers
- Zone 4 Antlerless: Sammy L Campbell, Ozark Zone 4 Antlerless: Joseph Godwin, Pocahontas