The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is hosting two open houses to assist hunters in Grant and Sevier counties as they prepare for the upcoming 2026-27 deer season. The events aim to provide information on deer hunting, deer management practices, and updates on chronic wasting disease (CWD) and other wildlife health issues.
The first open house is scheduled for Friday, September 1, from 6-8 p.m. at the Adams Building on the University of Arkansas Cossatot Community College De Queen Campus, located at 183 College Drive, De Queen. The second event will take place on Friday, September 8, from 6-8 p.m. at the Sheridan REC Center, 1511 South Rose Street, Sheridan.
Both gatherings will follow a casual, come-and-go format. Experts from AGFC and partner organizations will be available to answer questions, provide resources, and help hunters optimize their deer season. A.J. Riggs, a wildlife health biologist with AGFC, emphasized, “We won’t have any formal presentations or lectures, just experts in deer management who will be available to help people get the most out of their deer season.”
Landowners can speak with biologists from AGFC’s Private Lands Habitat Program and the National Deer Association for advice on the Deer Management Assistance Program or creating effective food plot strategies. Public land hunters will have an opportunity to consult with biologists responsible for wildlife management areas in their region.
Representatives from Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry will also attend to discuss options for donating harvested deer to help feed families in need. Additionally, they will highlight a snack stick program that serves elementary school students through backpack programs in underserved communities.
In De Queen, biologists from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will join the open house to provide information about the Millwood and Tri-County Lake areas. Members of AGFC’s Deer Team will also be on hand to address a wide range of deer-related questions.
The decision to host open houses in Sevier and Grant counties stems from the detection of chronic wasting disease during the 2025 deer hunting season. One male deer in Sevier County and two in Grant County tested positive for the disease, placing both counties within AGFC’s CWD Management Zone. Riggs explained that while AGFC’s current CWD management plan does not mandate such meetings, the agency wants to offer resources to hunters in these affected areas. “Out of an abundance of transparency, we wanted to help them understand what this means for their deer hunting and transport of game they harvest,” Riggs said.
Attendees will also have access to wildlife health professionals who can discuss other diseases and parasites affecting deer, such as epizootic hemorrhagic disease—commonly known as bluetongue—which tends to flare up during drought conditions. Experts will also address concerns about New World screwworm sightings in livestock in nearby Texas and New Mexico, which could raise questions for hunters.
No registration is required to attend the open houses. For more details on deer management, wildlife health, and hunting guidelines, visit agfc.com/deer.