LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – It was a good year for Arkansas elk hunters because it was a good year for Arkansas acorns.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission announced Wednesday that hunters harvested 26 elk during the season, which ended Nov. 4. A factor in this was a heavy crop of acorns falling that kept elk in the woods, AGFC elk program coordinator Wes Wright said.

The commission said 10 hunters successfully drew public land elk hunting permits. These hunters harvested four bull and six antlerless elk.

The public land harvest included the only successful youth hunter when Justin Sanford of Greenbrier harvested an antlerless elk at Gene Rush WMA.

Arkansas hunters on private land had greater success, with 10 bull and four antlerless elk harvested. This included what may be a state record elk taken in Searcy County by Billy Harris.

“We rough scored it at the check station and it came up to 378 inches of antler, and Mr. Harris’s taxidermist green-scored it at 392 inches,” Wright said. “It has to have 60 days of drying time and will be scored officially after that, but it’s going to be close to the current record, which is 355 inches.”