The Buffalo River Elk festival will be held Friday and Saturday, June 27-28, on the Jasper square. For the 26th year, this festival will celebrate the successful reintroduction of elk into Newton County and the Buffalo National River area. Attractions include drawings for elk hunting permits, kids’ fishing derby, a Dutch oven cook-off, the Arkansas State Elk Calling Championship, arts and crafts, live music and other forms of entertainment.
The festival is the official stage for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's drawings for its yearly Arkansas elk hunt permits. In addition, there will be drawings for three on-site elk permits.
Registration for these exclusive permits will be Friday afternoon from 1-4 and on Saturday from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. in the Little Buffalo River Visitors and Convention Center on the north side of the square.
Drawings for elk hunt permits begin at noon on Saturday and are held every hour on the hour until 5 p.m. when the drawings for the on-site permits are held. Only people who attend the festival in person will be eligible for the on-site permit drawings.
Eighteen permits will be available for public draw through online applications this season. Six of those permits will be either-sex tags and 12 will be antlerless-only tags.
Winners will be notified via email and phone once the draw is concluded.
Only Arkansas residents may apply for an Arkansas public land elk hunting permit. Applicants must have a valid Resident Sportsman’s Hunting License or must be a holder of a Lifetime Sportsman’s Permit.
Licenses can be purchased in Jasper at Tanner's Do-It-Best Hardware. Applicants must be 6 years or older as of the beginning of the hunt (Oct. 4) to participate. Anyone with 18 or more AGFC wildlife violation points is ineligible for the permit.
Hunters with access to private land in elk country will follow the same regulations as last year, using a quota system instead of drawn permits. Anyone may purchase a Private Land Elk Permit (labeled PLE in the AGFC licensing system) for $5 in addition to a valid Resident Sportsman’s Hunting License or Nonresident All Game Hunting License.
The private land quota is 18 total, six either sex and 12 antlerless. Hunters must call each evening to determine if the quota has been met before the next day’s hunt. The season ends early if the quota is filled.
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Arkansas’s 2025 elk hunting season will be as follows:
Core Elk Management Zone public land hunts (by drawn permit only)
Youth Hunts: Oct. 4-5, 2025, and Oct. 25-26, 2025
Regular Elk Hunts (youth eligible): Oct. 6-10, 2025, and Oct. 27-31, 2025
Core Elk Management Zone private land hunt (by Private Land Elk Permit)
Youth Hunts (antlerless elk only): Oct. 4-5, 2025, and Oct. 25-26, 2025
Regular Elk Hunts (youth eligible): Oct. 6-10, 2025, and Oct. 27-31, 2025
Additionally, hunters may take any elk they see outside of the Core Elk Management Zone (Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Searcy counties) while legally deer hunting with archery, muzzleloaders or modern guns of at least .24 caliber.
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Youth fishing derby
Children up to 12 years old may participate in the fishing derby at the Little Buffalo River. Just show up at Bradley Park with your fishing pole and favorite bait at 8 a.m. Saturday. There is always a ton of prizes even if the fish aren’t biting.
The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission will stock a short section of the river with catfish of various sizes. Prizes are awarded in a variety of categories.
2025 Buffalo River Elk Festival Dutch Oven Cook-off
Dutch oven cooking enthusiasts are cordially invited to participate in the festival's annual Dutch Oven Cook-off on Saturday at the Harp Realty office on state Highway 7 South in Jasper.
Cash prizes will be awarded for the top three overall winners:
1st Place – $300
2nd Place – $200
3rd Place – $100
Category winners for Bread, Main Dish, Dessert and Showmanship will receive medallions for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. The crowd-favorite People’s Choice Award winner will also receive a special prize.
Cooking begins at 9 a.m. sharp.
Arkansas State Championship Elk Calling Contest
This contest with divisions for all ages is held on Saturday. Registrations begin at noon at the Official Festival Tent. Competition begins at 2 p.m. on the festival stage.
The contest is hosted by Newton County's Phillip Vanderpool, nationally recognized for his record book hunts for the "Hunter’s Specialties (HS) Outdoors" series. In recent years, Phillip has experienced success producing the industry acclaimed digital and web-series "Dominator 365." He continues to pursue a variety of game animals throughout the country.
Buffalo River Elk Festival, Inc. is a 100% volunteer, non-profit organization.
