Yellville hunters dominate at Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center in 2026 Big Squirrel Challenge

Pictured: Tate Milligan (L) Owen Pearson (R)
Hunters at Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center showed why the location continues to be a standout in the Umarex Big Squirrel Challenge, posting top weights in multiple divisions during Saturday’s statewide event.
The nature center hosted the largest turnout of any site, with 56 teams participating. Austin Tate and Laine Hilliard led the adult fox squirrel division with three squirrels weighing a combined 2,494 grams. They also captured the adult gray squirrel division with 1,605 grams.

Ty and Bob Cason took home top honors in the youth fox squirrel division, turning in a total of 2,370 grams, while Tate Milligan and Owen Pearson led the youth mixed bag division with 2,122 grams. The youth gray squirrel division ended in a tie, with Jadon and Jacob Graetz and Bradley and James Tilley each weighing in 1,532 grams of squirrels.

Eric Maynard, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission education assistant chief, said the Yellville site exemplified the spirit of the challenge. “It was great to see so many hunters, from first-timers to veterans, coming together to celebrate their skills and enjoy the day,” he said.

The Crooked Creek Nature Center continues to be a key location in Arkansas’s growing tradition of squirrel hunting, producing some of the heaviest entries in the competition while fostering fellowship among hunters of all ages.

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