Arkansas › Hunting seasons › Bear zones › Bear Zone 2
Bear Zone 2 · 126 bears in 2025
Black bear rules in Bear Zone 2
The Bear Zone 2 calendar, its 21 counties, the quota call line and the WMAs and forests inside its line.
Photo: Jason Ronza (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Which counties Bear Zone 2 reaches
Bear Zone 2 takes in parts or all of 21 counties, about 9,456 square miles in all. Bear zone lines follow roads and rivers, so near a boundary check the AGFC bear zone map rather than the county name.
| County | Shares with | Deer zones | CWD status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark | Outside | ||
| Conway | Tier 2 | ||
| Crawford | Tier 2 | ||
| Faulkner | Outside | ||
| Franklin | Tier 2 | ||
| Garland | Only this zone | Outside | |
| Hot Spring | Outside | ||
| Howard | Outside | ||
| Johnson | Tier 2 | ||
| Logan | Only this zone | Tier 2 | |
| Montgomery | Only this zone | Outside | |
| Perry | Only this zone | Outside | |
| Pike | Outside | ||
| Polk | Only this zone | Outside | |
| Pope | Tier 2 | ||
| Pulaski | Outside | ||
| Saline | Outside | ||
| Scott | Only this zone | Tier 2 | |
| Sebastian | Only this zone | Tier 2 | |
| Sevier | Tier 2 | ||
| Yell | Only this zone | Tier 2 |
County overlap from the AGFC bear zone layer (GIS overlay with Census counties); deer zones from the 2026-27 guidebook; checked November 9, 2026.
Bear Zone 2 calendar
Bear Zone 2 opens to archers on September 9 and closes to everyone on November 30, with firearm windows in between. The bag is one bear per hunter per season statewide, by any method.
| Season | When | Bag | Now | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 9–Nov 30 | 1 bear | Guidebook p. 29 | |
| Alternative Firearms | Oct 17–25 | 1 bear | Guidebook p. 29 | |
| Youth Modern Gun | Nov 7–8 | 1 bear | Guidebook p. 29 | |
| Modern Gun | Nov 14–30 | 1 bear | Guidebook p. 29 |
The guidebook gives Bear Zone 2 no quota. Before each day of a quota hunt, call 833-345-0398 the evening prior to confirm the zone is open.
| Season | Bears |
|---|---|
| All methods | No zone quota |
Bear seasons and quotas from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook; quota call line from the quota hunt page; checked November 9, 2026.
Bear Zone 2 harvest record
Bear Zone 2 accounted for about 28% of the 2025 statewide bear harvest, 126 animals. Bears were checked in 42 counties in 2025. Johnson County led this zone with 36 bears.
| Category | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Total | 126 |
| Female | 49 |
| Male | 77 |
AGFC 2025 Black Bear Harvest Report; checked November 9, 2026.
Can you bait bears in Bear Zone 2
Bear baiting in Bear Zone 2 is a private land practice with a start date 30 days before the first opener. No bait on WMAs, apart from bait in a legal furbearer trap.
In the CWD counties of Bear Zone 2, bait set out before September 1 must come from AGFC's short list: pet food, pastries, cooking oils, non-wildlife meat, popped popcorn or fish.
Bait rules from the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook; checked November 9, 2026.
Map of Bear Zone 2
Our records put 60 public areas in Bear Zone 2. Each WMA lists its own bear rules in the guidebook.
Ouachita National Forest (Arkansas)
One bear zone
Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
Mena Ranger District, Ouachita National Forest
One bear zone
Oden Ranger District, Ouachita National Forest
One bear zone
Poteau Ranger District, Ouachita National Forest
One bear zone
Womble Ranger District, Ouachita National Forest
One bear zone
Caddo Ranger District, Ouachita National Forest
One bear zone
Muddy Creek WMA
One bear zone
Winona WMA
One bear zone
Fourche Ranger District, Ouachita National Forest
One bear zone
Land bear zones from each land page’s sources and the AGFC bear zone layer; checked November 9, 2026.
Around Bear Zone 2
Towns in Bear Zone 2 counties include Little Rock, Fort Smith, Conway and North Little Rock.
- Little RockPulaski
- Fort SmithSebastian
- ConwayFaulkner
- North Little RockPulaski
- BentonSaline
- Hot SpringsGarland
- SherwoodPulaski
- RussellvillePope
- JacksonvillePulaski
- Van BurenCrawford
- MaumellePulaski
- MalvernHot Spring
Neighbouring bear zones, most shared counties first:
| Zone | Shared counties | Status | Quota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Conway Crawford Faulkner Franklin +3 more | Open | By method |
| Zone 3 | Clark Howard Pike Sevier | Open | 5 |
| Zone 4 | Clark Hot Spring Pulaski Saline | Open | 25 |
| Zone 6 | Pulaski | Closed | Closed |
| Zone 7 | Pulaski | Closed | Closed |
Towns from Census places in the zone counties; neighbours by shared county on the AGFC bear zone layer; checked November 9, 2026.
Bear Zone 2 sun table for opening days
Arkansas hunting hours run from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, and the times below are figured for Bear Zone 2 itself.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | General hours | Migratory birds | Sun times from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Early buck archery | 6:44 a.m. | 7:46 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 8:16 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Sep 9, 2026 | Bear Zone 2 opens | 6:52 a.m. | 7:31 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 8:01 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 7:31 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:03 a.m. | 7:06 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 7:36 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 7:06 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Youth gun weekend | 6:42 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Duck season opens | 6:56 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Bear Zone 2 closes | 7:02 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:19 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Apr 12, 2027 | Turkey Zone 2 opens | 6:48 a.m. | 7:45 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 7:45 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.
Pink sunset over blue ridges seen from Mount Magazine, Logan CountyPhoto: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0)
View from Mount Magazine over forested slopes to the Arkansas River Valley under puffy cloudsPhoto: Ginny Keller (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Orange sunrise over the hazy valley from Mount MagazinePhoto: robert thigpen (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Questions about Bear Zone 2
How do I know if Bear Zone 2 is still open?
Call 833-345-0398 the evening before hunting.
When does bear season close in Bear Zone 2?
November 30.
Do CWD rules affect bear bait in Bear Zone 2?
Yes, before September 1 in CWD counties.
How does Bear Zone 2 compare for bear harvest?
126 of 445 statewide.
Where can I check a bear near Bear Zone 2?
Bears are checked through Game Check within 12 hours, by phone, app or online.
Which WMAs sit inside Bear Zone 2?
Among them: Muddy Creek WMA, Winona WMA and Mount Magazine WMA.
Do I need hunter orange for bear in Bear Zone 2?
Yes, where modern gun or alternative firearms bear seasons are open.
Which bear zones border Bear Zone 2?
By shared county: Zone 1, Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 6 and Zone 7.
How many counties does Bear Zone 2 cover?
21.
Answers from the AGFC sources cited on this page; checked November 9, 2026.