Arkansas's deer herd depends heavily on Ozark and Ouachita white and red oak mast. Mast variability is meaningful between the rocky upland forests and the bottomland hardwoods. AGFC has flagged mast availability as a key driver of deer movement and harvest patterns.
Categorical ratings (failure → excellent) per year. Overall is solid; white oak and red oak series are dashed.
| Year | Overall | White Oak | Red Oak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | good | good | good |
| 2023 | poor | poor | poor |
| 2024 | fair | fair | fair |
| 2025 | good | good | good |
Most recent first. Click through to a year-specific page for a permanent reference link.
Preliminary reports suggest a strong mast year across the Ozarks; Delta variable.
Mast is plentiful enough to pull deer off plots and ag fields. Find the productive oaks and set up tight; expect deer to be less predictable on traditional stand sites built for travel routes.
Recovery, with red oak performing better than white oak in most regions.
Mixed conditions — some areas with productive oaks, others without. Scout for the pockets that produced and hunt the travel routes between bedding and mast. Plots and ag fields still hold deer where mast failed.
Mid-South mast failure year affected much of Arkansas, especially white oak in the Ozarks.
Concentrate on remaining food sources. Food plots, ag fields, persimmons, and isolated mast pockets become high-traffic stand sites. Expect competition from other hunters who notice the same thing.
Solid white and red oak production across the Ozarks and Ouachitas.
Mast is plentiful enough to pull deer off plots and ag fields. Find the productive oaks and set up tight; expect deer to be less predictable on traditional stand sites built for travel routes.
Locate specific white oak flats with active drop, hunt tight to the trees, and expect deer to be less predictable on traditional travel-corridor stand sites. With food everywhere, generic stand placement loses to oak-specific scouting.
Arkansas Forestry Division.
Arkansas Forestry DivisionAlways cross-reference with the most current published agency report. Mast surveys update annually in late summer to early fall.
Statewide mast reports tell you what to expect in general. Bield: Hunt logs every productive oak you find on your specific land — and turns multi-season data into stand sites that compound year after year.
