The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is making it illegal to capture wild deer and keep the animals as pets.
The ban — which takes effect July 1 — won’t apply to people who already have deer in captivity, though they won’t be able to add to their collections.
The agency says the new regulation is part of its effort to prevent chronic wasting disease. The illness has been confirmed in northern Missouri and northern Illinois but not in Arkansas.
The state already has a ban on importing live deer from outside of Arkansas.