Arkansas Hunting

Limit of one alligator greater than 4 feet per person, per year.

Season bag limit is one statewide in bear zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 5A by any method.

30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

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.

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 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.

Bag limits vary by deer zone. See regulations for bag limits by zone.

One elk either sex.

Bag Limit is two per day

No Bag Limit

Bag limit is two per day

Bag limit is two per day

No Bag Limit

Legal shooting hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.

Daily Limit – 25 Possession Limit – 75 (combined)

Daily Limit – 8 • Possession Limit – 24

Daily Limit – 3 • Possession Limit – 9

Mourning and White-winged Doves:

• Daily Limit: 15
• Possession Limit: 45

Eurasian Collared-Doves:

• No daily bag or possession limit

No Bag Limit

30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

Daily limit – 6, possession limit – 12.

Daily limit – 8, possession limit – 16.

Daily limit – 12, possession limit – 48.

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.

Two legal turkeys, no jakes (see Statewide Turkey Bag Limit for exceptions).

The statewide bag limit is two legal turkeys, no jakes.

Turkeys may not be taken from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.

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.

One-half hour before sunrise until sunset, except during teal season, which begins at sunrise.

• 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 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.

Daily bag limit – 20

No possession limit

Daily bag limit – 2

Possession limit – 6

Daily bag limit – 5

Possession limit – 15

Daily bag limit – 2

Possession limit – 6

Daily bag limit – 15

Possession limit – 45