Checking Deer with AGFC Iphone app.

Technology Makes Life Easy..Doesn't it?

During this years Muzzleloader season in South Arkansas I attempted to
check  my first deer using the Arkansas Game and Fish I-phone app, on a  young opening day doe.   The process went smooth and easy until I reached the last page.   I know it doesn't take much sometimes, but that's where this ol Arkansas boy became a little confused.  The I-phone application was supposed to provide me my so-called "check number" that I was required to write on my deer tag.  After arriving at the final screen shown below I asked aloud and with a puzzled look:   "Where is my check number?",   Could 1334 be my check number?",   "It does not say "check number."   I'm thinking I've really got this all screwed up.

There was no button to go forward from that point even though the screen tells me to review my information before submitting.  Like most remote areas of Arkansas, cell phone service kinda sucks where we hunt so  I  suspected that I was having cell service problems and would try again later. After  going through the process again  I had  now unintentionally  tagged this little doe TWICE!  And let me tell you if deer were tagged according to size this little gal would have barely been worth a quarter of a tag, certainly not two tags! 

The following Monday I made a call to the Game and Fish office in Little Rock and explained the situation.    I did feel a little better when they informed me that I was not the first.  They quickly removed one of the inadvertent check numbers  while I was on the phone and I breathed  a sigh of relief that I had not used up two of my precious deer tags on a dinky doe.

Tips for Arkansas deer hunters using the Ark GFC I-phone app to tag deer.

The screen shot shown to the left is  what I saw AFTER I hit my final submit button. 

1. The "before submitting" statement lead me to think I still had additional action to take.  Ignore this.. you are done.

2. "Submitted"  ??  This is the culprit that causes the confusion. It should be replaced with "Check Number":

3. This is the "check number" that you will write on your deer tag. 

The whole fiasco would have been avoided if I had gotten to the last page and saw a line that simply said:  CHECK NUMBER: 1334   You have to keep things simple for this ol Arkansas boy.

For additional information visit the AGFC site on how to check deer here.