LITTLE ROCK — With the new alternative firearms season upon us, some hunters have switched to the newly allowed rifles that shoot straight-walled cartridges, but many still plan to take this year’s deer with the same muzzleloader they’ve relied on for the last decade or so. Even if you’ve made the switch, don’t pitch the old front-stuffer just yet. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Triple Trophy Award still celebrates those who take at least one of their deer with black powder and a cloud of gray smoke.
The Triple Trophy Award is given to anyone who harvests a deer using the three historical methods of harvest: archery equipment, muzzleloader and modern gun. The intent was to promote archery and muzzleloader use in the state and begin to shift public perception toward harvesting female deer. With only two bucks in the seasonal bag limit, hunters had to harvest at least one doe to achieve the award.
Now that hunters are accustomed to taking female deer to help balance Arkansas’s deer herd, the award primarily serves as a celebration for hunters who challenge themselves to hunting with various weapon types.
“Rifles shooting straight-walled cartridges being allowed in alternative firearms is a great way to maybe get a few more hunters in the woods who were intimidated by learning how to shoot a muzzleloader, but we still want to recognize hunters who enjoy that added challenge” Jeremy Brown, AGFC Deer Management Assistance Program Coordinator, said. “We have many hunters who have really worked hard over the years to achieve this goal, and we do want to protect the integrity of their accomplishments.”
