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2026-27 county guide
Dallas County Hunting Guide
Zone dates, CWD rules, bear and alligator quotas, deer harvest since 2021-22 and every public tract in or near Dallas County, checked November 9, 2026.
Photo: Farther Along (CC BY 2.0)
Deer zones that cover Dallas County
Every private acre of Dallas County reads off the Deer Zone 12 line in the guidebook, with no second zone to sort out. Expect the rifle opener on November 14 and the end of the first gun window on December 20. The October alternative firearms window runs October 17 to 25 in Deer Zone 12.
| Deer zone | Gun does | Buck rule | Dog dates | Muzzleloader | Gun dates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Zone 12 | 4 antlerless, any method | 3-point, any in CWD | Nov 14-Dec 20 | Oct 17-25 | Nov 14-Dec 20/Dec 26-28 | Guidebook p. 19 |
AGFC allows dogs for deer in Deer Zone 12, and the dog column in the table gives the exact dates. For a legal buck in Dallas County, look for three points on one side. Statewide pieces apply on top: early buck-only archery August 29 to 31, archery September 26 to February 28, 2027, youth gun weekends November 7 to 8 and January 2 to 3, and a season limit of six deer with no more than two antlered bucks.
Zone bags, antler rules, dogs and dates from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook zone pages and AGFC’s deer seasons by zone page; county lists from the 2026-27 regs data (AGFC deer zone layer). Checked November 9, 2026.
CWD tier and carcass rules for Dallas County
On AGFC's 2026-27 CWD map, Dallas County is unshaded: outside the management zone. Neighbouring Grant County is in the zone, so a deer killed across the line follows that county's carcass rules. Carcass movement is limited by tier inside the zone; nothing but low-risk parts may cross into a county like this one.
Out-of-state cervids follow AGFC's import rule: deboned meat, clean skull plates and antlers, cleaned teeth, hides and finished mounts only. To test a deer, leave the head and roughly six inches of neck at an AGFC drop-off container, a participating taxidermist or a regional office. The disease turned up in Arkansas in February 2016; elk surveillance goes back to 1998 and statewide deer sampling to 2002.
Zone list, tiers and rules from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook CWD pages and the zone map; tiers read from the map shading. Checked November 9, 2026.
Dallas County hunting calendar by zone
A split season shows its first and last day here; the Splits cell says how many separate windows AGFC set between them.
| Species | Hunt | Applies in | Needs | First day | Last day | Pieces | Status | Booklet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Early buck archery | Statewide | License | Aug 29, 2026 | Aug 31, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 14 | |
| Deer | Archery | Statewide | License | Sep 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 3 | |
| Deer | Alternative Firearms | Zone 12 | License | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 19 | |
| Deer | Youth gun hunt | Statewide | License | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | 2 parts | Guidebook p. 22 | |
| Deer | Modern Gun | Zone 12 | License | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 28, 2026 | 2 parts | Guidebook p. 19 | |
| Deer | Christmas gun hunt | Statewide | License | Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 28, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 3 | |
| Elk | Outside core counties | Outside core | License | Aug 29, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 25 | |
| Black bear | Modern Gun | Bear Zone 4 | License | Dec 19, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 29 | |
| Turkey | Youth spring 2027 | Turkey Zone 2 | License | Apr 10, 2027 | Apr 11, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 31 | |
| Turkey | Spring 2027 | Turkey Zone 2 | License | Apr 12, 2027 | May 2, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 31 | |
| Alligator | Permit hunt | AMZ 2 | Permit | Sep 18, 2026 | Sep 28, 2026 | 2 parts | Guidebook p. 28 | |
| Feral hog | Private land | Statewide | License | Jan 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 40 | |
| Squirrel | Squirrel | Statewide | License | May 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 36 | |
| Rabbit | Rabbit | Statewide | License | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 36 | |
| Quail | Quail | Statewide | License | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 36 | |
| Crow | Crow | Statewide | License | Sep 3, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 36 | |
| Bullfrog | Bullfrog | Statewide | License | Jun 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | One | Date sheet | |
| Ducks | Regular duck season | Statewide | License | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 3 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Coot | Coot | Statewide | License | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 3 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Mergansers | Merganser | Statewide | License | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 3 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Teal | Special Early Teal | Statewide | License | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | One | Date sheet | |
| Canada Goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | License | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 15, 2026 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Canada Goose | Regular Canada goose | Statewide | License | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 3 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| White-fronted Goose | White-fronted goose | Statewide | License | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 4 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Light geese | Light geese (regular) | Statewide | License | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 4 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Light geese | Conservation order | Statewide | License | Feb 1, 2027 | Apr 25, 2027 | 2 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Ducks and geese | Youth waterfowl | Statewide | License | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 7, 2027 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Ducks and geese | Veteran and military | Statewide | License | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 7, 2027 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Doves | Dove | Statewide | License | Sep 5, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | 2 parts | Waterfowl guide p. 4 | |
| Snipe | Snipe | Statewide | License | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 4 | |
| Gallinules | Gallinule | Statewide | License | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 4 | |
| Rails | Rails | Statewide | License | Sep 12, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 4 | |
| Woodcock | Woodcock | Statewide | License | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 21, 2026 | One | Waterfowl guide p. 4 | |
| Raccoon, opossum, skunk | Hunting | Statewide | License | Jan 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | Statewide | License | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Bobcat | During turkey season | Statewide | License | Apr 5, 2027 | May 9, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Coyote | Hunting | Statewide | License | Jan 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Coyote | Trapping | Statewide | License | Aug 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 38 | |
| Fox, muskrat, mink | Hunting | Statewide | License | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| River Otter | Hunting | Statewide | License | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Beaver, nutria | Hunting | Statewide | License | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Beaver, nutria | Trapping | Statewide | License | Nov 21, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 38 | |
| Badger, weasel | Hunting | Statewide | Closed | – | – | – | Closed | Guidebook p. 37 |
| Furbearers | Trapping | Statewide | License | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | One | Guidebook p. 38 |
Dates from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook, the 2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook and the AGFC season date sheet (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); zone county lists from AGFC zone layers and maps; checked November 9, 2026.
Other big game in Dallas County
Dallas County black bear outlook
Open bear zones in Dallas County: 4, with Zone 4 (25). Check the quota line (833-345-0398) the night before; seasons end when a quota fills. Bear bait is legal only on private land in Bear Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 5A, from 30 days before the first bear season to the end of the last.
Dallas County spring turkey dates
AGFC's zone map puts Dallas County in Turkey Zone 2, which opens for gobblers Zone 2 from April 12 to May 2, 2027. Youth turkey hunters have a weekend of their own in April 2027, the 10th and 11th.
Alligator and elk notes for Dallas County
The alligator season in Dallas County (Alligator Management Zone 2, AMZ 2: 5) runs in two September stretches, after dark only. The guidebook prints the Zone 2 quota as 5 alligators. Apply for a public land alligator permit in July; private land permits are bought. No elk permit is needed in Dallas County; the statewide zone lets hunters take an elk during deer seasons. Elk go through their own check and sampling step at 833-356-0824.
| Game | Kind | Applies in | Dates | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bear | Modern Gun | Bear Zone 4 | Dec 19-25 | Guidebook p. 29 |
| Turkey | Spring 2027 | Zone 2 (map) | Apr 12-May 2 | Guidebook p. 31 |
| Alligator | Permit | AMZ 2 | Sep 18-21; Sep 25-28 | Guidebook p. 28 |
| Elk | Statewide Elk Zone | Statewide zone | Aug 29-Feb 28 | Guidebook p. 25 |
Bear, turkey, alligator and elk seasons, quotas and rules from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook (bear, turkey, alligator, elk); bear and alligator county lists from AGFC zone layers; turkey zone counties read from AGFC’s zone map; ranks from the 2025 bear report and turkey reports. Checked November 9, 2026.
Dallas County WMA draws for 2026-27
None of the 1 public area here turned up a parsed permit hunt, which is not proof that none exists. Next up is the WMA turkey draw, January 15 to February 15, 2027. When a permit hunt is under way, the WMA is reserved for permit holders apart from waterfowl.
Permit hunts parsed from the WMA pages of the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook (“permit required”); application windows from the guidebook draw page. The parse misses some text on a few listings. Checked November 9, 2026.
Five seasons of Dallas County deer
Hunters checked 4,260 deer in Dallas County in 2025-26, 3rd among the 75 counties. Checked deer peaked at 4,268 in 2021-22 and averaged 4,079 across the five reports. Harvest density came to 6.4 deer for each square mile of land.
| Season | Deer | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 4,268 | 5th | Table 6 |
| 2022-23 | 3,750 | 9th | Table 6 |
| 2023-24 | 4,100 | 8th | Table 6 |
| 2024-25 | 4,016 | 12th | Table 6 |
| 2025-26 | 4,260 | 3rd | Table 6 |
Across 2022-23 to 2024-25, antlered bucks made up 43% of the checked deer here and does 50%. By method, modern gun led with 89%; bows and crossbows together took 4%.
| Season | Antlered | Button | Doe | Modern gun | Muzzleloader | Bow/crossbow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 1,644 | 236 | 1,870 | 3,349 | 245 | 156 |
| 2023-24 | 1,807 | 320 | 1,973 | 3,733 | 161 | 192 |
| 2024-25 | 1,695 | 248 | 2,073 | 3,494 | 151 | 160 |
Checked deer by county from AGFC White-tailed Deer Reports, Table 6 (2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26); sex and weapon from the AGFC deer harvest record table (2022-23 to 2024-25). Checked November 9, 2026.
Dallas County public acres
Of every hundred acres in Dallas County, roughly 1 are public hunting land, 5 acres in all. 5 of those acres are WMAs, more than any other kind.
| Owner | Acres (GIS) | Status |
|---|---|---|
| AGFC WMAs | 5 | Per WMA entry |
| Public total | 5 | No double count |
Dallas County public land with its own page
Big Timber WMA
Zone 045
Next-door public land for Dallas County
- Kingsland Prairie Natural Area WMANatural area, 5 mi
- Poison Springs WMAWMA, 6 mi
- Hall Creek Barrens Natural Area WMA (natural area wma)Natural area, 8 mi
GIS acres from the AGFC WMA boundary layer, USFS ownership, 50 CFR 32.23 refuges, PAD-US Corps of Engineers and NPS units (merged, water over 2 square kilometres removed; not official acreage); land records from AGFC, USFS, USFWS and Corps sources; closures under AGFC Code 05.11, 36 CFR 327.8 and 50 CFR 32.23. Checked November 9, 2026.
Dallas County AGFC contacts and shops
AGFC groups Dallas County with the Monticello district, reached at (877) 367-3559. For questions or a CWD sample, the Hot Springs Office in Hot Springs is about 38 miles off in a straight line. Town pages for Dallas County: Fordyce. Call ahead: these are directory rows, not checked visits.
Nearest AGFC doors to Dallas County
Towns in Dallas County
- Fordyce3,174 people
Where Dallas County hunters buy shells and drop deer
District offices from the AGFC districts layer; offices from the AGFC regional offices page; towns from the 2024 Census gazetteer; shops from Yellow Pages listings, chain store locators and the AGFC CWD taxidermist list (not individually verified; call ahead). Checked November 9, 2026.
Dallas County: firing lines and clay fields
Area 59, 31 miles from the Dallas County centre, is the closest listed range.
Dallas County deer hunters needing a rifle bench can drive 31 miles to Area 59 (Grant County).
Ranges from the AGFC Shooting and Archery Ranges page, the AGFC range layer, club sites and directory listings, checked November 9, 2026.
When legal light starts around Dallas County
Deer, bear, elk, turkey and small game follow the general window; the migratory bird column applies to ducks, geese, doves, woodcock and snipe near Dallas County.
| Date | Marker | Rise | Set | Big and small game | Waterfowl window | Worked from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Early buck archery | 6:42 a.m. | 7:42 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 8:12 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:00 a.m. | 7:03 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 7:33 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 7:03 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Zone 12 alt-firearms | 7:18 a.m. | 6:33 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 7:03 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 6:33 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Youth gun weekend | 6:37 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Zone 12 gun opener | 6:44 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Duck season opens | 6:51 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Dec 20, 2026 | Zone 12 gun closes | 7:14 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:14 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Apr 12, 2027 | Turkey Zone 2 opens | 6:43 a.m. | 7:40 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 8:10 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:40 p.m. | AGFC table |
Hours rules from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook; sunrise and sunset from the AGFC Little Rock table with AGFC’s nine-mile correction, or the NOAA solar formula on Central Time where the table has no entry; checked November 9, 2026. Legal hours across Arkansas.
Falls Creek Falls dropping over a rock ledge into a pool at Lake Catherine State ParkPhoto: Marcus O. Bst (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Still water of Valley Creek under arching spring trees on the DeGray Lake WMAPhoto: risingthermals (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Pines on a bare rock rim above the Little Grand Canyon near White Oak LakePhoto: Marcus O. Bst (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Dallas County FAQ
What weapon takes the most deer in Dallas County?
Modern gun, over 2022-23 to 2024-25.
Which AGFC office building is nearest to Dallas County?
Hot Springs Office in Hot Springs, about 38 miles from mid-county.
Are deer dogs legal in Dallas County?
Yes, in Deer Zone 12.
What zone do I report a Dallas County deer under?
Under the private land zone where it fell (Deer Zone 12); on a WMA or refuge, use that area’s own zone number.
How long is gun season in Dallas County?
Zone 12 has 40 gun days, holiday days included.
What CWD tier is Dallas County?
None: it is outside the zone.
What dates can I hunt bears around Dallas County?
Modern Gun Dec 19-25.
When does spring turkey season open in Dallas County?
Zone 2 from April 12 to May 2, 2027 (zone from AGFC’s zone map).
Is there an alligator quota in Dallas County?
AMZ 2: 5. The guidebook prints the Zone 2 quota as 5 alligators.
Which days are elk legal in Dallas County?
During any open deer season.
What public hunting ground sits just outside Dallas County?
Within reach are Kingsland Prairie Natural Area WMA (5 mi), Poison Springs WMA (6 mi) and Hall Creek Barrens Natural Area WMA (8 mi).
From the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook, the AGFC deer zone page, CWD rules, quota lines, AGFC harvest reports and the county data above. Checked November 9, 2026.