Below is a news release from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Twenty-one Arkansans will have the hunt of a lifetime this fall as they chase elk on public land in The Natural State. Their names were chosen during the Annual Buffalo River Elk Festival in Jasper.
Representatives from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission oversaw the drawings for this year’s elk hunt. Permits were drawn from a squirrel cage in front of an anxious crowd throughout the day.
Eighteen of the permits were drawn from the 4,330 applications submitted online in May. Three other permits were selected from 406 applications submitted onsite during the festival. Winners of the three onsite permits had to be present to win during the final drawing of the festival.
Hunters are allowed to choose their weapons from archery, including crossbows, muzzleloaders, modern rifles, modern shotguns and handguns.
All public land hunts occur on the Buffalo National River, Gene Rush Wildlife Management Area and Bearcat Hollow Wildlife Management Area. Hunters are assigned to specific zones within these public lands. Public land permit holders are required to attend an orientation before the hunt and will be notified of the time and location.
(Photo credit: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission)