The year 2025 marked the second Umarex Big Squirrel Challenge, sponsored by Arkansas' Game and Fish Commission, with 186 teams hunting squirrels for the title statewide. “We had four locations with more than 20 teams participating this year,” Eric Maynard, AGFC assistant chief of education, said. “Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center in Yellville had 37 teams show up for the event.”
The challenge split categories into youth teams and adult teams, weighing batches of all-fox-squirrels or mixed-bag squirrels at one of 12 weigh-in stations across the state. "This year we just didn’t have that many bags of all fox squirrels weighed in," said Maynard. "In fact, four of the 12 weigh-in stations didn’t have a three-squirrel limit of fox squirrels turned in.”
The competition took place over the Feb. 14-15 weekend, with up to two people comprising a team that hunted Arkansas brushytails during regular hunting hours. (Individual youths could hunt with an adult mentor in their divisions, too.) What's more, it seems the youth teams really gave the adults a run for their squirrels ... er, money.
For example, Syler Villines, mentored by his father, Kurtis, brought in the best-ever score in any category, dropping three large fox squirrels on the Crooked Creek Nature Center scales that weighed 2,429 grams. Not only did they win the all-around youth category for fox squirrels, they had enough squirrels left in their daily bag limits to enter three others (this time including one gray squirrel) to take first place in the state in the youth mixed bag category with a score of 1,916 grams of beefy bushytails.
The team of Justin Wright and Jason Weatherford claimed top honors in the adult fox squirrel category, bringing 2,379 grams of squirrel to the Johnelle and J.B. Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center weigh-in location, and Hunter Moore took the top prize in the adult mixed bag category with two fox squirrels and a gray weighing 1,995 grams at the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center scales.
Each regional first- and second-place team received medals. The statewide overall winners received additional prizes, including a Umarex break-action air rifle valued at $190. Each weigh-in location also had a door prize drawing with cookbooks from the World Champion Squirrel Cookoff, Squirrel Dust seasoning and the same model Umarex air rifle as the one for overall winners.
Regional Winners, Division, Total Grams per Bag
Batesville, Independence County Shooting Sports Complex: James Wallace, Adult Fox-only, 2,269; Dalton Lee and Levi Branscum, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,903; David and Chesnee Bates, Youth Fox-only, 2,099; Ruger and Rocky Boyce, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,653.
Columbus, Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Nature Center: Chad Rader and Cameron Tatum, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,471; Braiden and Chase Friend, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,184.
Fort Smith, Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center: Lyle Smith and Jack Ishii, Adult Fox-only, 2,187; Hunter Moore, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,995; Aiden Newton and Jeff Armer, Youth Fox-only, 2,068; Hunter and Matthew Moore, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,750.
Hazen, Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA Headquarters: Lovett and Lovett, Adult Fox-only, 2,251; Boyett and Boyett, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,600; Holmes and Holmes, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,270.
Jonesboro, Forest L Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center: Andrew A. Agee and Andrew G. Agee, Adult Fox-only, 1,975; Chase Rye and Ethan King, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,862; Jake Johnson and Eelik York, Youth Fox-only, 2,112; Everett Davis and Walker Denevan, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,868.
Magnolia, SAU Laney Farm: CJ Johnson and Ronnie Hughey, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,237; Tracy Clark and Lisa Cupples, Youth Fox-only, 2,091; Heath Barr and Dayton Boton, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,557.
Mayflower, Camp Robinson Special Use Area Clubhouse: Aidon and Brad Ratliff, Adult Fox-only, 2,296; Kory and River Jones, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,704; Elijah Paulette and Hudson Wright, Youth Fox-only, 1,998; Carter and Bently Tedford, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,637.
Monticello, AGFC Southeast Regional Office: Tim Chapman and Nate Cooper, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,541; Slade and Ryan McRae, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,568.
Russellville, AGFC West Central Regional Office: Kyle Witt, Adult Fox-only, 1,919; Kyle Witt, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,559; Ryker Hipps, Youth Fox-only, 482; Robert McCormick, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,406.
Pine Bluff, Gov. Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center: Jaxon Power and Landen Shirey, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,226; Bentley and Cory Thompson, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,254.
Springdale, J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center: Justin Wright and Jason Weatherford, Adult Fox-only, 2,379; Blade and Megan Elmore, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,425; Mike and Koen Ransom, Youth Fox-only, 2,306; Colton and Chris Hendrix, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,660.
Yellville, Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center: Clayton Villines, Adult Fox-only, 2,233; Laine Hillard, Adult Mixed Bag, 1,877; Kurtis Villines, Youth Fox-only, 2,429; Kurtis Villines, Youth Mixed Bag, 1,916.
