Velvet buck hunting opportunities continue to grow for bowhunters across the south. Arkansas is the latest state to add an early season bowhunt to give hunters the opportunity to take the highly coveted velvet buck.
The hunt has been scheduled for the first full weekend in September – September 7-8. The weekend hunt gives bowhunters a chance to tag a buck in velvet prior to the regular archery season opening up September 28th and running through February 28, 2025. Â
This new opportunity for Arkansas bowhunters follows the growing trend among southern states to add a velvet hunt to their annual deer season.Â
At one time, South Carolina was the only place in the southeast to hunt a velvet buck. In portions of the state, the South Carolina archery season opened as early as August 15th.Â
Tennessee added a velvet buck hunt to their annual hunting season in August of 2018. The 3-day hunt takes place the last full weekend of August each year.Â
In 2022, Mississippi kicked off their first velvet buck hunting season with a 3-day hunt in mid-September.Â
Now, for the first time, Arkansas bowhunters will have this unique bowhunting opportunity for themselves. Â
“The velvet archery weekend is a great opportunity to punch that first buck tag of the season,” said Anne Marie Doramus, a member of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. “After seeing the excitement generated from deer hunters in nearby states that offer this early season, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission sees this as an exciting experience for hunters to harvest a unique trophy buck.”
The velvet hunt is limited to archery only and is open to hunters on private land and on Commission-owned or controlled wildlife management areas.Â
For more information, visit the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.Â
Also, be sure to read this article, How To Kill a Velvet Buck
