CLARKSVILLE, Ark. — It's a big weekend for hunters, as Saturday, Nov. 11 begins opening weekend for modern gun deer season.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) said there was a big turnout last weekend for the youth hunt, and officials want to get the word out about some changes before the season officially begins.
Children over the age of six can hunt with an adult's supervision. In the past, a youth hunter's deer would be checked under the hunting license number of the adult they were with, but that changed in 2020.
Now, while those under the age of 16 are not required to purchase a hunting license, all hunters, even children, have to have a free customer identification number (CID) in order to check the game and apply for permit hunts.
Susie Daniel, owner of Clarksville Processing and Taxidermy, said during the youth hunt last weekend, she helped many people who did not realize children needed youth customer IDs.
She's able to help customers get a CID number if needed, but having it taken care of ahead of time, she said, is free and easy.
“They just need the social security number, the birth date, and the child's given name to start off with. It’s a really easy, fast process, and it saves so much headache,” Daniel said.
You can buy a hunting license or get a free youth customer ID by visiting AGFC's website.
Another thing to note before taking off — AGFC is encouraging hunters to download the new smartphone app.
The app stores your license and allows you to tag your deer straight from your phone.
To use it, you'll have to delete your old AGFC app and download the new one.
On the AGFC website, there are tutorials that walk you through the process.
Spokesperson Trey Reid said using the app is the fastest way to check your deer, and you can do it from anywhere.
“The new app has a feature in it where if you don't have cell service, it will automatically ping us that you've tagged your deer as soon as you are back in cell service range, and it also works with the app that our game wardens carry too so they can check to see that you have tagged that deer,” Reid said.
Reid said during the youth hunt last weekend, there was a high volume of calls with people checking deer over the phone, and this weekend is expected to be even busier.
Even with extra staff manning the phones, long wait times are expected. With the app, you can skip the wait.