The first segment of the 2024-25 Arkansas youth deer hunting season takes place this weekend, and many young guns will be celebrating their first deer hunting trip, first deer of the season and the beginning of their conservation journey as a hunter. Make sure they have all the tools for success, including the deer tags they will need to use to check their harvest with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

To obtain youth deer tags, your youth hunter will need to have their own account in the AGFC licensing system. Visit www.agfc.com and click “Get a License” on the top right hand corner of the website. Youth licensing options only appear under youth accounts, so if your youth hunter already has an account from previous years, be sure to sign in under their account. If you’ve never set up an account for your new hunter, click the “Create an Account” button to set them up. Their free deer tags will be listed under the Hunting section of the license system and will have the license code #YDT for residents and #YDTN for non-residents.

If you use the AGFC smartphone app, be sure to log out of your name and log into the youth’s account to obtain and use the youth’s deer tags.

Once their deer tags are obtained, youths will check their harvest just like adults. They may use the mobile app, www.agfc.com or call 833-289-2469 to check their deer at the location of harvest, and as long as their deer remains within their immediate vicinity until it is home, it does not need to be tagged with a physical tag. If you are unable to immediately check your deer through one of the three options (app, website or phone), you must place a temporary physical tag on the deer indicating the hunter’s name, customer identification number, date, time, zone or WMA of harvest and the method they used. This paper tag must stay with the deer until it is checked. Hunters have 12 hours after the time of harvest to check their deer.