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Species
Arkansas Hunting by Species
All 43 AGFC game, furbearer, migratory bird and protected species for 2026-27, from Ozark elk and Delta mallards to closed weasels.
Photo: OakleyOriginals (CC BY 2.0)
Arkansas game species by AGFC group
This index holds all 43 species pages for Arkansas: 38 with 2026-27 season rows and 5 that explain why there is no season. The pages draw on the 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook, the 2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook and the AGFC season date sheets, which print 97 season rows in all. Deer carry 44 of those rows because each of the 20 private land deer zones has its own alternative firearms and modern gun line. Bear, turkey and alligator seasons run by their own zone maps, elk by permit in Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Searcy counties, and every duck, goose and dove date is statewide. Furbearers each get a hunting row and a trapping row, while badger, spotted skunk and weasel stay closed.
Sources: 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook, 2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook and season date sheet (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Big game (5): seasons and status
White-tailed deer by private land deer zone, elk by permit in the five core counties, black bear by bear zone with quotas, spring turkey by turkey zone and alligator by Alligator Management Zone.
White-tailed Deer
6 per season statewide (2 antlered max); 4 per private land zone; 3 per WMA; ear
Elk
One elk per season.
Black Bear
One bear per season.
Wild Turkey
Two legal turkeys (adult gobblers) per season; 1 in zones 1A and 2A; nonresident
American Alligator
One alligator 4 feet or longer.
Invasive species (1): seasons and status
Feral hogs: no limit and no closed season on private land, and on WMAs only during open bear, deer or elk seasons.
Feral Hog
No limit.
Small game (4): seasons and status
Squirrel, rabbit, quail and crow on statewide seasons; possession limits for small game ended in 2026.
Bullfrog (1): seasons and status
Bullfrog dates from the season date sheet; limits sit in the fishing regulations.
Bullfrog
See fishing regulations.
Furbearer (12): seasons and status
Raccoon, opossum, striped skunk, bobcat, coyote, foxes, mink, muskrat, river otter, beaver and nutria, each with hunting and trapping rows.
Closed furbearer (3): seasons and status
Badger, spotted skunk and weasel: hunting closed for the season, on WMAs too.
Waterfowl (7): seasons and status
Ducks, early teal, mergansers, coots, Canada geese, white-fronted geese and light geese on one statewide calendar.
Ducks
6/day with species limits (4 mallards incl. 2 hens, 3 pintails, 3 wood ducks, 2
Teal
Early teal 6/day, possession 18.
Mergansers
5/day (2 hooded), possession 15.
American Coot
15/day, possession 45.
Canada Goose
Early 5/day (15 poss.); regular 2/day (6 poss.).
White-fronted Goose
2/day, possession 6.
Snow, Blue and Ross's Geese
20/day, no possession limit; conservation order no limits.
Migratory game bird (8): seasons and status
Mourning, white-winged and Eurasian collared doves, snipe, gallinules, Virginia rail, sora and woodcock under the migratory bird rules.
Mourning Dove
15/day with white-winged dove, possession 45.
White-winged Dove
15/day with mourning dove.
Eurasian Collared-Dove
No limit.
Wilson's Snipe
8/day, possession 24.
Common and Purple Gallinules
15/day, possession 45.
Virginia Rail
25/day with sora, possession 75.
Sora
25/day with Virginia rail.
American Woodcock
3/day, possession 9.
Protected (2): seasons and status
Nongame migratory birds and endangered or threatened species: no season of any kind.
Nongame Migratory Birds
No season.
Endangered and Threatened Species
No season.
Search all 43 species by name or group
| Species | Group | Rows | Today | First and last day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Big game | 44 | Open now | Aug 29–Feb 28 |
| Elk | Big game | 5 | Open now | Aug 29–Feb 28 |
| Black Bear | Big game | 6 | Open now | Sep 9–Dec 25 |
| Wild Turkey | Big game | 6 | Opens Apr 5 | Apr 5–May 9 |
| American Alligator | Big game | 2 | Season over | Sep 18–28 |
| Feral Hog | Invasive species | 2 | Year-round | Year-round |
| Squirrel | Small game | 1 | Open now | May 15–Feb 28 |
| Rabbit | Small game | 1 | Open now | Sep 1–Feb 28 |
| Quail | Small game | 1 | Open now | Nov 1–Feb 7 |
| American Crow | Small game | 1 | Open now | Sep 3–Feb 21 |
| Bullfrog | Bullfrog | 1 | Open now | Jun 1–Dec 31 |
| Raccoon | Furbearer | 2 | Year-round | Nov 21–Feb 28 |
| Opossum | Furbearer | 2 | Year-round | Nov 21–Feb 28 |
| Striped Skunk | Furbearer | 2 | Year-round | Nov 21–Feb 28 |
| Bobcat | Furbearer | 3 | Open now | Sep 1–May 9 |
| Coyote | Furbearer | 2 | Year-round | Aug 1–Mar 31 |
| Gray Fox | Furbearer | 2 | Open now | Sep 1–Feb 28 |
| Red Fox | Furbearer | 2 | Open now | Sep 1–Feb 28 |
| Mink | Furbearer | 2 | Open now | Sep 1–Feb 28 |
| Muskrat | Furbearer | 2 | Open now | Sep 1–Feb 28 |
| River Otter | Furbearer | 2 | Opens Nov 14 | Nov 14–Feb 28 |
| Beaver | Furbearer | 2 | Open now | Sep 1–Mar 31 |
| Nutria | Furbearer | 2 | Open now | Sep 1–Mar 31 |
| Badger | Closed furbearer | 1 | Closed | – |
| Spotted Skunk | Closed furbearer | 1 | Closed | – |
| Weasel | Closed furbearer | 1 | Closed | – |
| Ducks | Waterfowl | 3 | Opens Nov 21 | Nov 21–Feb 7 |
| Teal | Waterfowl | 2 | Opens Nov 21 | Sep 19–Jan 31 |
| Mergansers | Waterfowl | 3 | Opens Nov 21 | Nov 21–Feb 7 |
| American Coot | Waterfowl | 3 | Opens Nov 21 | Nov 21–Feb 7 |
| Canada Goose | Waterfowl | 4 | Opens Nov 21 | Sep 1–Feb 7 |
| White-fronted Goose | Waterfowl | 3 | Opens Nov 21 | Oct 31–Feb 7 |
| Snow, Blue and Ross's Geese | Waterfowl | 4 | Opens Nov 21 | Oct 31–Apr 25 |
| Mourning Dove | Migratory game bird | 1 | Opens Dec 8 | Sep 5–Jan 15 |
| White-winged Dove | Migratory game bird | 1 | Opens Dec 8 | Sep 5–Jan 15 |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | Migratory game bird | 1 | Opens Dec 8 | Sep 5–Jan 15 |
| Wilson's Snipe | Migratory game bird | 1 | Open now | Nov 1–Feb 15 |
| Common and Purple Gallinules | Migratory game bird | 1 | Open now | Sep 1–Nov 9 |
| Virginia Rail | Migratory game bird | 1 | Open now | Sep 12–Nov 20 |
| Sora | Migratory game bird | 1 | Open now | Sep 12–Nov 20 |
| American Woodcock | Migratory game bird | 1 | Open now | Nov 7–Dec 21 |
| Nongame Migratory Birds | Protected | 0 | Protected | – |
| Endangered and Threatened Species | Protected | 0 | Protected | – |
Row counts from the AGFC 2026-27 guidebooks and date sheets, checked November 9, 2026.
More Arkansas season tools
Every season row
Rows by species
Deer zones
Private land zones
Bear zones
Zones and quotas
CWD Management Zone
Tiers and carcass rules
Spring turkey zones
Zones and counties
Alligator zones
Quotas and nights
Elk hunting
Core counties, permits
WMA permit hunts
Parsed WMA hunts
Elk herd with a bull grazing in a field in the Boxley Valley along the Buffalo National RiverPhoto: Noel Pennington (CC BY 2.0)
Bull elk standing at the edge of the woods in the Boxley ValleyPhoto: Noel Pennington (CC BY 2.0)
Bull elk in velvet standing in a green Boxley Valley meadowPhoto: latteda (CC BY 2.0)
Arkansas species questions
How many species pages carry 2026-27 season rows?
38 of the 43 pages carry AGFC season rows; 5 cover closed furbearers or protected groups.
Which five animals does AGFC class as big game?
white-tailed deer, elk, black bear, wild turkey and American alligator. Seasons by zone; elk and alligator by permit (elk also outside the core counties during deer season).
Which hunts need a draw or permit?
All licenses, statewide deer, turkey, small game and migratory seasons and private land bear and elk outside the core zone are over the counter; draws are listed under draw.
How many WMA permit hunts are listed?
142 hunts marked permit required were parsed from the WMA listings; the parse misses some text on a few listings, so read each WMA entry.
How many deer did Arkansas hunters check last season?
185,922 in 2025-26, by AGFC Game Check.
How many spring turkeys and bears were checked?
11,332 spring turkeys in 2025 and 445 black bears in 2025.
When do Arkansas hunters have to wear orange or chartreuse?
Hunters and those accompanying hunters in areas where modern gun or alternative firearms deer, bear or elk seasons are open. At least 400 square inches of hunter orange, chartreuse or blaze camouflage above the waist and a head garment of the same safety colors. Blaze pink is not listed.
Is chronic wasting disease in Arkansas?
CWD first detected in Arkansas in February 2016; detected in or near 32 counties (the CWD Management Zone list). Surveillance in elk since 1998 and deer statewide since 2002.
Why do duck and goose pages not list zones?
Arkansas has one statewide zone for ducks, geese and other migratory birds (one set of dates in the 2026-27 Waterfowl Guidebook).