LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Modern gun deer season starts this week in Arkansas, and there's plenty to look forward to.
"It is a big weekend, without a doubt the biggest hunting weekend of the year," Trey Reid with Arkansas Game and Fish, said.
With so many hunters heading out this weekend, Reid explained how he knows this is more than just a date on the calendar.
"It's huge, it's economically important, especially to a lot of rural areas around the state," he said. "So you just can't overstate the importance of deer season here in the Natural State."
Ahead of your first trek out, Reid said it's time for some basic reminders.
"Be careful out there this weekend," he said. "Positively identify your target, you know, hunter orange is a requirement."
It's a simple reminder, but he said there are also important things to pay attention to in the deer that you are hunting.
"The tricky part about CWD is a deer can have it and you would never know by looking at it," Reid said.
CWD— better known as Chronic Wasting Disease— is a deer killer, and there are telltale signs to look out for.
"Deer do look emaciated, they're thin. They're excessively salivating, urinating, seem to have confusion," Reid said. "You know, not sure, you know, what to do, lose fear of humans, and things like that."
If you do happen to come across a deer with the disease, Reid explained that it's easy to report.
"Urge you to have that deer tested, Arkansas Game and Fish offers over 100 locations around the state where you can get your deer tested for free," he said. "If it tests positive, we will replace that deer tag so you can take another deer with that."
However, the biggest message from Reid is for people to stay safe, and report what they see. After all, you are literally their eyes and ears out in the field.
"You're helping Game and Fish make sure that we have early detection, if there is, if CWD does show up in a new part of the state," he said.
For a list of those locations to have your deer tested, please click here.