Deersniper...I believe you are wrong about the allowed weapons in your area...nowhere that I know of in Arkansas are modern rifles prohibited during modern gun season...unless maybe you are a member of a club that prohibits them...Arkansas Game and Fish does not. Orange vest and hat are required no matter where you are (I always remove mine once I'm settled, but ALWAYS wear while I'm on the move). The rut should be heating up now...northern parts of the state, such as the Jobo area may be ahead of central and southern. As for quality places to hunt near you, I cant help you much there except to say that I consistently read that deer populations are much lower up there than elsewhere in the state. Here are two resources that can help you research and answer your questions http://www.agfc.com and http://www.ardeerhunting.com The AGFC site has all rules and regs, and the Ardeerhunting site has all the harvest stats for your county and surrounding areas...should be able to use it to decide where to go..also, there is a good message board there where you can probably find a new hunting buddy. Good luck!