Forest Service Reminds Hunters About Regulations on Public Lands

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – October 28, 2024 – Modern gun season is quickly approaching, and Forest managers are reminding hunters of important safety and regulatory considerations.

General safety tips for hunters and other forest visitors that are always important to remember:

• Remain alert and aware of surroundings and practice the “Four Steps for Safety” to improve awareness of natural hazards: Look Up, Look Down, Look Around, Look Below. Dead or dying trees can potentially fall or drop branches without warning, especially in high winds, and forest terrain can be uneven or unstable.
• Check the weather forecast and assess weather conditions before traveling.
• Hunters should let family or friends know planned routes, destinations, and expected return times.
• Visit www.arkfireinfo.org and https://ag.ok.gov/divisions/forestry-services to check for current burn bans or wildfires before heading out. Don’t park vehicles in tall grass during dry conditions – hot engines and exhaust pipes can cause fires in dry grass.
• Follow us on Facebook (@ouachitanf and @ozarkstfrancis) for updated safety and fire information. Information updates could include closed areas or posting of burn bans that could prohibit campfires or other open flames for cooking.

All state game regulations are in effect on National Forest lands. State law enforcement officers work cooperatively with Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers to enforce federal regulations. Prohibited activities include:

• Baiting game species on the National Forests.
• Shooting from or across a county, state, or federally maintained road.
• Possessing or consuming alcohol during any hunting activity or while operating a motorized vehicle, including off-highway vehicles.
• Traveling off designated routes for motorized vehicle use.
• Leaving dispersed campsites up and unoccupied for longer than 30 days. Any unoccupied (held) campsite is considered abandoned. At the end of the 30-day period, dispersed campsites must be completely dismantled and moved at least one mile from the original campsite. The 30-day period begins the first day any item is placed at the campsite. Campers may camp up to 90 days in a calendar year. Dispersed campsites may not be reserved.

Hunters should also be aware of the requirements that apply specifically to individual National Forests or wildlife management areas on a National Forest:

Specific to Ouachita National Forest

• Hunting stands may only be erected for up to 14 days and must then be moved to another location more than 200 yards away. All stands must have the owner’s name and address permanently affixed. Remove stands from the Forest at the end of the hunting season.
• Off-highway vehicles are allowed on designated routes only or in game retrieval corridors while retrieving legally downed large game.

Specific to Ozark-St. Francis National Forests

• Remove hunting stands from the Forest at the end of the hunting season.
• Off-highway vehicles are not allowed off designated routes. There are no game retrieval corridors or allowances available on the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests.

Maps and OHV Regulations

• OHVs are allowed on designated routes only. The Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) displays National Forest System routes (roads and trails) or areas designated as open to motorized travel. Routes not shown on the MVUM are not open to public motor vehicle travel. Routes designated for motorized use may not always be signed on the ground but will be identified on the MVUM. It is the user's responsibility to reference the MVUM to stay on designated routes for motor vehicle use. Visit the Maps and Publications section on National Forest websites to view or print maps before leaving home.
• Want to go paperless? Download the Avenza app for digital MVUM maps. Hunters can track their activities all season long with this free interactive mapping tool.

National Forest offices do not issue hunting licenses. For more information and additional regulations regarding licenses and hunting on public lands, reference state hunting regulations published by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission or the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.