NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark — If you love hunting, the best time of year in Arkansas is right around the corner. Deer hunting season starts this weekend, with duck hunting season being the week after.
Hunters may run into some trouble getting one important supply: ammo.
Bryan Hearn, the owner of American Tiger Firearms says the Winchester Super X 7mm pack of ammo is the most sought after for hunting, but he has to limit how much he hands out.
"Right now we're trying to feed a lot of people with a short supply. If you're the guy that wants to take his child out hunting for the first time and you can't get but one box of ammo and we sold all the ammo to somebody else that guy doesn't get one to take his child," said Hearn.
He says he's seen ammo shortages before, but this time around with the pandemic, it feels more prolonged.
Due to supply shortages and shipping delays, ammo is just the latest supply on hold.
"The prices are going up on us and the sources that we would normally get ammunition on just simply don't have it," said Nathan House, the general manager of Arkansas Armory, Inc.
He says another fact that's limiting ammo supply these days is the rise in first-time gun owners from 2020.
It was an election year and with racial unrest, people wanted to arm themselves.
"We've had times in the past where we've had to limit some handgun ammunition, but for hunting ammunition, for instance, we're not limiting it at all. Everything we have is what we have and it's for sale, but there's just not much of it," said House.
Deer hunting season is the favorite pastime for many Arkansans and it may have to be a little more limited for 2021.
"When they don't can't find the ammo, they've got to figure out what they got to do to get ammo," said Hearn.