LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — This is the first weekend of the modern gun deer hunting season in Arkansas.
However, if you're in the eastern part of the state, you may want to keep an eye on water levels before you head out.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is warning of potential hunting area closures this weekend due to rising water.
"This is kind of, you know, last second that couldn't have been worse timing, but, you know, we've got to watch out for the resource, and make sure that we have plenty of deer out there for everybody," explained Keith Stephens with Arkansas Game and Fish.
All the rain we've seen recently has had the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission keeping a close eye on the river levels across the state.
"We haven't had this happen for about six years. We haven't had any problems with flooding," Stephens described.
That could change though, and the AGFC may have to close some areas because of the water levels.
"We're going to have to watch the White River and make sure that that doesn't get to the point where we have a closure of a hunt or flood-prone zone," he said.
Although no hunting areas are currently closed as of Friday afternoon, Stephens said there's a possibility for some closures to happen over the weekend.
"It may close by 3:00 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday), where you can't hunt on Sunday. So just check those gages and make sure that the area you're hunting is still open," he added.
When it comes to making that call, Stephens said whether they are closed or not varies for different areas. However, you can find out if your area is closed by clicking here.
"We have different gages on the White River, so you need to go and look for your permit area, or if you're hunting in public land," he added.
So what's the reason for the closures? Stephens said the deer tend to move to higher ground and congregate in a single area.
"We don't want people to go out and, you know, really take out a bunch of deer in an area that's not really sporting to do. So that's why we close these areas," he said.
Stephens also said that about 350 permits may be affected by flooding this weekend, so remember to check the current status.