Overview
Known For
Arkansas has earned a rightful reputation for world-class duck hunting. Stuttgart, Arkansas, is the proclaimed duck-hunting capital of the world. But there is more to hunting in Arkansas than just waterfowling. The state is great for huge Natural State bucks, ample opportunities for turkey, and even elk and alligator.
Terrain
Arkansas’s terrain is generally split between its northern highlands and southern lowlands. Its highlands include the Ozarks and Ouachita Mountains. Its southern lowlands include the Gulf Coastal Plain and the Arkansas Delta. In between and throughout are rivers, river valleys, forests, and savannas.
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Arkansas Hunting Seasons
Season Limit 1 Alligator 4 feet or longer
All Zones. Statewide Bag limit is 5 deer no more than 2 bucks. Limits vary by zone. See regulations.
Deer zones 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 4A, 5A, 14, 15, 9, 12, 13, 16, 16A, and 17. Statewide Bag limit is 5 deer no more than 2 bucks. Limits vary by zone.
All Zones. Statewide Bag limit is 5 deer no more than 2 bucks. Limits vary by zone. See regulations.
White-fronted bag limit 3 per day. Snow, Blue, and Ross bag limit 20 per day.
Bag Limit during the Special Youth Turkey Hunt is one legal turkey.
Two legal turkeys, no jakes (see Statewide Turkey Bag Limit for exceptions).
One legal turkey, no jakes (see Statewide Turkey Bag Limit for exceptions).
Arkansas Hunting Regulations
Alligator
Bag Limit
Limit of one alligator greater than 4 feet per person, per year.
Bear
Seasonal Bag Limit
Season bag limit is one statewide in bear zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 5A by any method.
Big Game
Hunting Hours
30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Archery
Long, recurve and compound bows: Must have at least a 35-pound pull. Scopes, string locks and mechanical string releases may be used. Big-game hunters must use arrowheads at least 7/8-inches wide (including mechanicals). Arrows and arrowheads containing firearm ammunition or poison may not be used.
Crossbow: Crossbows must have at least a 125-pound pull and a mechanical safety. Scopes may be used. Big-game hunters must use arrowheads at least 7/8-inches wide (including mechanicals). Arrows and arrowheads containing firearm ammunition or poison may not be used. Propelled Arrows: Arrows propelled from a compressed air system or by the action of an explosive or combustible propellant may not be used.
Muzzleloader
To be used for deer & bear hunting, muzzleloading rifles must have a barrel 18 inches or longer and be .40 caliber or larger. Magnifying sights may be used. Buckshot size 4 or larger may be used to hunt deer. Legal muzzleloaders use flint, percussion cap, primer or electronic pulse, must have the bullet loaded through the muzzle and are not capable of firing a cartridge. Hunters may use muzzleloading handguns with:
- Barrels 9 inches or longer
- .45 caliber or larger if they shoot conical bullets (200 grains or heavier), or
- .530 caliber or larger if they shoot round balls. A hunter may carry a muzzleloading handgun of any caliber as backup to a muzzleloading rifle
Modern Gun
Modern guns may be used for deer EXCEPT:
- Buckshot in a .410 shotgun.
- Shot smaller than No. 4 buckshot in any shotgun.
- Rimfire cartridges, military or full metal jacketed ammunition.
- Centerfire rifles or handguns smaller than .22 caliber.
- Handguns with barrels shorter than 4 inches. See illustration, right.
NOTE: The AGFC has approved for modern gun deer season the use of large-bore air rifles that meet certain standards. The large-bore air rifle must be at least .40-caliber, shoot a single, expandable slug, produce at least 400 feet/pounds of energy at the muzzle, and be charged from an external tank. Large-bore air rifles are not legal for harvesting bear or elk.
In zones 4, and 5 modern guns are restricted to:
- Shotguns .410 or larger with slugs,
- Handguns with barrels 4 to 10 inches long chambered specifically for straight-walled centerfire cartridges loaded with lead, lead alloy, soft nose and/or hollow point bullets .30 caliber or larger.
- Large bore air rifles (see above),
- Muzzleloaders.
Deer
Bag Limits
Bag limits vary by deer zone. See regulations for bag limits by zone.
Elk
Bag Limit
One elk either sex.
Furbearers
Gray Fox, Red Fox, Muskrat and Mink – Bag Limit
Bag Limit is two per day
Opossum, Raccoon & Striped Skunk – Bag Limit
No Bag Limit
Bobcat – Bag Limit
Bag limit is two per day
River Otter – Bag Limit
Bag limit is two per day
Coyote, Nutria, & Beaver
No Bag Limit
Migratory Birds
Shooting Hours
Legal shooting hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.
Virginia Rails & Sora – Bag Limits
Daily Limit – 25 Possession Limit – 75 (combined)
Snipe – Bag Limits
Daily Limit – 8 • Possession Limit – 24
Woodcock – Bag Limits
Daily Limit – 3 • Possession Limit – 9
Doves – Bag Limits
Mourning and White-winged Doves:
- Daily Limit: 15
- Possession Limit: 45
Eurasian Collared-Doves:
- No daily bag or possession limit
Crows – Bag Limits
No Bag Limit
Small Game
Legal Hours
30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Quail – Bag Limit
Daily limit – 6, possession limit – 12.
Rabbit – Bag Limit
Daily limit – 8, possession limit – 16.
Squirrel – Bag Limit
Daily limit – 12, possession limit – 48.
Turkey
Zone 1 Bag Limit
One legal turkey, no jakes (see Statewide Turkey Bag Limit for exceptions). Hunters who harvest a turkey in this zone must travel to a NWR, WMA or Zone 2 to harvest a second bird.
Zone 2 Bag Limit
Two legal turkeys, no jakes (see Statewide Turkey Bag Limit for exceptions).
Statewide Bag Limit
The statewide bag limit is two legal turkeys, no jakes.
Shooting Hours
Turkeys may not be taken from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.
Legal Hunting Equipment for Turkeys
Only shotguns (10 gauge and smaller) and archery equipment (including crossbows) are legal for turkey hunting. Shot larger than No. 2 common shot is prohibited.
Waterfowl
Legal Hours
One-half hour before sunrise until sunset, except during teal season, which begins at sunrise.
Legal Shot
- Hunters may have only U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-approved nontoxic shot in their immediate possession when hunting waterfowl.
- Hunters may use only nontoxic shot size T (.2-inch diameter) and smaller when hunting waterfowl and coots. Other migratory birds may be taken with nontoxic shot size T and smaller or lead shot size BB (.18-inch diameter) and smaller.
Duck, Coot and Merganser
Duck daily bag limit – 6, which may include no more than:
- 4 mallards (2 hens), 1 scaup, 3 wood ducks, 1 pintail, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 2 black
- Ducks, 1 mottled duck. If not listed, up to 6 ducks of a species (including teal) may be taken.
Coot daily bag limit – 15.
Merganser daily bag limit – 5, which may include no more than 2 hooded mergansers.
Snow, Blue and Ross’s Goose – Bag Limit
Daily bag limit – 20
No possession limit
White-fronted Goose – Bag Limit
Daily bag limit – 2
Possession limit – 6
Early Canada Goose – Bag Limit
Daily bag limit – 5
Possession limit – 15
Canada Goose – Bag Limit
Daily bag limit – 2
Possession limit – 6
Common & Purple Gallinule – Bag Limit
Daily bag limit – 15
Possession limit – 45
*Season dates and regulation data provided by 
Arkansas Licenses, Permits and Regulations
Arkansas hunting licenses, permits, and regulations for resident and non-resident hunters can be purchased on the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission website. Click below to view the website.
Hunting GPS Maps
Every Arkansas hunter should have hunting GPS maps on hand. Arkansas hunting maps are available from onX Hunt. With a paid membership you can access Satellite, Topo, or Hybrid Basemaps, over which you can view maps of hunt zones, along with State, Forest Service, and other public and private property boundaries. You can view trails and roads, and even download maps to the Hunt App for use offline. Click below to get onX Hunt for Arkansas.
Hunt Zones
Arkansas’s hunt zones vary from Zone 1 to Zone 17, with each having its own regulations, restrictions, and limits. The state has an estimated 1,000,000 whitetail deer. There are more than 6.5 million acres of public hunting grounds and over 150 WMAs. Click below to view Arkansas’s hunt zones in more detail through an interactive map.
Hunting Layers
AR Private Lands
Over 1,300,000 parcels mapped by the onX team, this layer helps you know who the property owners are in Arkansa. Tap any parcel to learn more info about the owner and acreage.
AR Gov Lands
onX has the most accurate maps of Gov Lands, covering over 4,300,000 acres in Arkansas. Not all Gov Lands offer access opportunities, check regulations before recreating.
AR Possible Access
onX has mapped 2,500,000 acres of possible access lands in Arkansas including timber and land conservation groups. Research rules on these private lands before recreating.
AR Hunt Zones
Arkansas Alligator, Bear, Deer, Elk and Turkey Zones. Please hunt responsibly, obey all signage and have a safe legal hunt.
Includes 5 Sublayers
- Alligator
- Bear
- Deer Zones
- Elk
- Turkey Zones
AR WRICE
The Arkansas Waterfowl Rice Incentive Conservation Enhancement (WRICE) program, these lands are open to permitted public hunting opportunities. Check local rules for each Property.
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