Why No Animal Represents Arkansas Better Than the White-Tailed Deer

Choosing a mammal to represent a state can be difficult. Strong reasons for selection may relate to the animal’s majesty, the strength it exudes, or the state’s history with the species. Some places across the nation have had an official mammal since the 1940s. Other states have only recently named an animal to represent them. One of those states is Arkansas, which chose the white-tailed deer as its official state mammal. For some, this may seem like a dull choice, but for those in Arkansas, the white-tailed deer was the only true contender.

The White-Tailed Deer Is Part of Arkansas’s Natural Heritage

The white-tailed deer inhabited the United States long before the nation was settled by non-Indigenous people. Before Europeans came ashore, the white-tailed deer played an important role in the survival of Indigenous people, both through the nutrition the animal provided and the warmth its hides offered.

As territories and later states became populated, the white-tailed deer was still an important component of survival. This is why states like Arkansas have a history intertwined with the deer. Consequently, Arkansas sees the white-tailed deer as part of the state’s natural heritage.

With its glorious landscapes and ties to the white-tailed deer throughout history, Arkansas didn’t need to look beyond this beautiful animal to find a state mammal. With its majestic antlers and confident strides, the white-tailed deer personifies the natural beauty of Arkansas.

Interestingly, the white-tailed deer was not named the Arkansas state mammal until recently. But when the idea of the white-tailed deer was finally floated, many wondered what took so long to officially recognize this special animal, given how important it is to both the state’s history and economy.

How Did the White-Tailed Deer Become Arkansas’s State Mammal?

Despite the fact that the white-tailed deer has been part of the Arkansas landscape since before Europeans settled in the area, official recognition of the animal didn’t occur until three decades ago.

In March 1993, the Seventy-ninth General Assembly of Arkansas passed House Bill 2110, which named the white-tailed deer the official mammal of Arkansas. This piece of legislation was introduced by Representative Arthur F. Carter. The bill was later signed into law in April 1993, known by then as Act 892, making the white-tailed deer the face of the state.

Arkansas Did Not Have a State Mammal Until the White-Tailed Deer Was Named

Arkansas’s admission to the Union in 1836 made it the 25th state. Until 1993, however, the only animal representing the state was the state bird, the Northern mockingbird. By that time, a multitude of other states had named their official state animals, not to mention their official marine animals, official wild animals, and even their official dogs and horses.

Arkansas was not the last state in the country to choose an animal to represent it; that honor goes to Alabama in 2006. However, it was late to join the party. Despite this, the white-tailed deer is not any less significant to the state. In fact, what the white-tailed deer stands for has remained the same for centuries.

What Does the White-Tailed Deer Represent About Arkansas?

Arkansas is known as “The Natural State”, a moniker earned for its beauty. Between mountain ranges, rolling hills, dense forests, glorious rivers, hot springs, and caves, Arkansas is a nature enthusiast’s dream.

The white-tailed deer was chosen, in part, because it “symbolizes the state’s beauty” and represents the state’s wildlife diversity. Conservation efforts have allowed many of Arkansas’s natural wonders to be preserved. One of these wonders is the wildlife, including the white-tailed deer.

During the early 1900s, white-tailed deer were severely hunted. By the time the 1930s rolled around, only a few hundred deer remained in Arkansas. Conservation efforts were implemented to increase their population. These efforts proved successful, and today there are approximately one million deer roaming the state.

White-tailed deer represent a “commitment to conservation” that has not wavered. By returning wildlands and waterways to what they once were, and ensuring animal populations thrive, Arkansas is protecting the natural beauty of the state for generations to come.

There Are More White-Tailed Deer in State Other Than Arkansas

Despite the fact Arkansas claims the white-tailed deer as its representative, other states have larger populations of the animal. Not all of these states, however, see the white-tailed deer as a symbol of strength and conservation.

Currently, Arkansas has approximately one million white-tailed deer. States that have a larger population of white-tailed deer include:

• Texas: 5.5 million white-tailed deer
• Michigan: Two million white-tailed deer
• Alabama: 1.75 million white-tailed deer
• Mississippi: 1.75 million white-tailed deer
• Wisconsin: 1.6 million white-tailed deer
• Pennsylvania: 1.5 million white-tailed deer
• Missouri: 1.4 million white-tailed deer
• Georgia: 1.27 million white-tailed deer
• New York: 1.2 million white-tailed deer

Arkansas Is Not the Only State with the White-Tailed Deer as the State Mammal

Arkansas is not the only state to name the white-tailed deer as its mammal, nor was it the last to do so. Interestingly, these other states have even lower white-tailed deer populations than Arkansas. Each state that chose the white-tailed deer to represent it has its own reasons for doing so. This lovely animal is important to multiple states in specific ways, and to the entire nation as well.

The states that also selected the white-tailed deer to represent them in an official capacity include:

• Georgia
• Illinois
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• Ohio
• Oklahoma (state’s game animal)
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Wisconsin (state’s wildlife animal)

White-Tailed Deer May Be the Arkansas State Mammal, But They Are Still Hunted

Despite the white-tailed deer’s designation, they are not protected in Arkansas. Instead, as part of conservation efforts and to keep populations in check, white-tailed deer are hunted annually in The Natural State. White-tailed deer have been hunted in Arkansas since the early 1900s. While a lack of limits jeopardized the population in the past, today, there are restrictions on what can be bagged and when. These strict limits ensure mature deer can bring the next generation into the world year after year.

Arkansas is divided into multiple hunting zones that allow deer hunting from September to February. State officials advise consulting local hunting guidelines before setting out to bag deer. A broad overview of the current guidelines for hunting white-tailed deer in Arkansas is as follows:

• Early Velvet Buck Hunt: early September
• Main Archery Season: end of September through the end of February
• Modern Gun Season: early November through late December
• Alternative Firearms Season: mid to late-October and again in mid-December

While 5 deer are generally allowed, with two of those being bucks, it is best to check local regulations before heading out to ensure compliance.

It may seem odd that the animal special enough to earn state-recognition status is also allowed to be hunted. However, in Arkansas, the white-tailed deer is not only the state mammal but also an animal that contributes significantly to local economies. However, strict regulations on hunting limits ensure that white-tailed deer populations remain healthy and that Arkansas’ iconic representation of beauty and conservation will never be in jeopardy again.