Arkansas › Hunting seasons › Bear zones
AGFC 2026-27
Arkansas bear zones
Eight black bear zones with counties, seasons, quotas, 2025 harvest and the two closed zones.
Photo: Justin Meissen (CC BY-SA 2.0)
How Arkansas divides black bear hunting
Arkansas manages black bear in eight zones: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5A, 6 and 7. Zones 1 and 2 cover the Ozarks, the Arkansas River Valley and the Ouachitas and carry archery, alternative firearms, youth and modern gun seasons; Zones 3, 4, 5 and 5A in the south and southeast open for modern gun December 19 to 25; Zones 6 and 7 in the east are closed to bear hunting.
Quotas: Zone 1 is set by method (archery 450, alternative firearms 50, modern gun 50); Zone 3 is 5, Zone 4 is 25, Zone 5 is 10 and Zone 5A is 5. A season closes when its quota is reached, so hunters call 833-345-0398 the evening before hunting. Zone 2 has no printed quota.
AGFC counted 445 bears in 2025; the zone totals in the report add to 444 because one Zone 4 bear lacked method and sex. Zone 1 led with 292 and Zone 2 followed with 126. Bear bait is allowed only on private land in Zones 1 through 5A, from 30 days before the first season, and never on WMAs.
Zones, seasons and quotas from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook; county overlap from the AGFC bear zone layer; harvest from the 2025 Black Bear Harvest Report; checked November 9, 2026.
All eight Arkansas bear zones
| Zone | Counties | Status | Seasons | Quota | 2025 bears |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Baxter Benton Boone +26 more | Open | Sep 9–Nov 30 Oct 17–25 Nov 7–8 Nov 14–30 | By method | 292 |
| Zone 2 | Clark Conway Crawford +18 more | Open | Sep 9–Nov 30 Oct 17–25 Nov 7–8 Nov 14–30 | No quota | 126 |
| Zone 3 | Clark Hempstead Howard +5 more | Open | Dec 19–25 | 5 | 0 |
| Zone 4 | Ashley Bradley Calhoun +19 more | Open | Dec 19–25 | 25 | 22 |
| Zone 5 | Arkansas Desha Monroe +1 more | Open | Dec 19–25 | 10 | 4 |
| Zone 5A | Arkansas Chicot Desha | Open | Dec 19–25 | 5 | 0 |
| Zone 6 | Arkansas Crittenden Desha +9 more | Closed | None | Closed | — |
| Zone 7 | Clay Craighead Crittenden +14 more | Closed | None | Closed | — |
From the 2026-27 guidebook and the 2025 bear report; checked November 9, 2026.
Black bear sow standing among tall trees and green grass beside a creekPhoto: Yellowstone National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Black bear wading across a rushing riverPhoto: marneejill (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Black bear walking past downed timber in a grassy clearingPhoto: Yellowstone National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Arkansas bear zone questions
How many bear zones does Arkansas have?
Eight: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5A, 6 and 7. Zones 6 and 7 are closed.
When is bear season in Zones 1 and 2?
Archery September 9 to November 30, alternative firearms October 17 to 25, youth November 7 and 8 and modern gun November 14 to 30.
When is bear season in the southern zones?
Modern gun December 19 to 25 in Zones 3, 4, 5 and 5A.
How many bears may one hunter take each season?
One bear per season statewide by any method.
How do I know if a quota zone is still open?
Call 833-345-0398 the evening before hunting.
Can I bait bears?
Only on private land in Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 5A, from 30 days before the first bear season. Baiting is not allowed on WMAs.
What did the 2025 bear harvest add up to?
445 statewide, most of them in Zone 1.
Why are Zones 6 and 7 closed?
AGFC lists all bear seasons closed there in the 2026-27 guidebook.
From the AGFC sources above; checked November 9, 2026.