LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The opening day of Modern gun deer hunting season is fast approaching on November 13.

The deer harvest for 2019 was the lowest it’s been in years, but now hunters can expect plenty of big game and lots of competition.

It’s bustling at Ft. Thompson Sporting Goods in Sherwood as eager hunters get ready for the opening day of the modern gun deer hunting season.

“I will definitely be out there that day,” said hunter Danny Dring.

“I mean, it ought to be a state holiday,” said Trey Reid with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission says the pandemic got more people outside last year.

“We had an 11 percent increase in hunting license sales, overall,” Reid said.

And they’re expecting big numbers again this year.

“There will be more than 300,000 people in the woods on the opening day of deer season,” Reid said.

While hunters shop for opening day, they may notice a shortage in supplies.

“We’ve been real busy,” said Tom Denniston, owner of Ft. Thompson Sporting Goods. “The problem is just having stuff to sell our customers.”

Rifles and scopes are plenty, but there’s very little ammo on the shelves.

“I would just keep checking around,” Denniston said.

But most hunters are ready for the great outdoors.

“That’s an Arkansas tradition that I have taken part in for years and years and wouldn’t miss it,” Dring said.

And nothing’s going to get in the way of bagging that buck.

The state limit for deer this year is five, but different zones in the state have different limits, so be sure to check those regulations before you head out.

You can check out all the rules and regulations by clicking HERE.