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Migratory game bird
American Woodcock Hunting in Arkansas for 2026-27
Arkansas woodcock dates for 2026-27, from November 7, 2026 to December 21, 2026, with limits, methods, licenses and public land.
Photo: Rhododendrites (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where Arkansas woodcock stand this season
Woodcock get 1 row in the 2026-27 guidebooks, and the earliest one opens November 7, 2026. Limits that apply to woodcock: 3/day, possession 9. How the woodcock season is laid out: november 7-December 21.
Sources: Waterfowl guide p. 4 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
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The woodcock calendar for 2026-27
Rows are sorted by first day, and the status column compares each woodcock window with today.
| Season | Area | Dates | Bag | Now | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodcock | Statewide | Nov 7–Dec 21 | 3/day, possession 9 | Waterfowl guide p. 4 |
- HIP required.
Sources: Waterfowl guide p. 4 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
What applies to every woodcock hunt
Statewide dates, HIP registration and federal shot rules frame every woodcock hunt in Arkansas.
The ten-day rule applies to woodcock: a baited area stays off limits for ten days after cleanup.
Sources: Waterfowl Guidebook and baiting (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
The woodcock bag table
Bag rows that name woodcock, as AGFC printed them for 2026-27.
| Bag row | Limit | From |
|---|---|---|
| American woodcock | 3/day, possession 9 (Woodcock) | Waterfowl guide p. 4 |
Equipment rules for Arkansas woodcock
Legal methods for woodcock depend on the season row; the weapon groups below are the guidebook lists that apply.
- Waterfowl and migratory birds
Woodcock may be taken under the waterfowl and migratory birds list with shotguns 10 gauge or smaller holding no more than three shells; nontoxic shot T or smaller for waterfowl and coots; other migratory birds nontoxic T or smaller or lead BB or smaller. Off limits for woodcock: rifles, pistols, traps, live decoys, sink boxes, motorboats under power, bait.
Method lines for woodcock
- Method for woodcock: Shotguns.
Sources: Waterfowl guide p. 36 and Waterfowl guide p. 4 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
American Woodcock: licenses, tags and stamps
For woodcock, start with one of the resident or nonresident licenses below; all of them end on June 30.
| Item | Who buys | Price | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combination Sportsman's License | Resident | $35.50 | CS |
| Sportsman's License | Resident | $25 | RS |
| Wildlife Conservation License | Resident | $10.50 | HNT |
| Annual Small Game License | Nonresident | $110 | NRH |
| Annual Hunting License | Nonresident | $410 | NBG |
Sources: license list and license requirements (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Before you hunt woodcock
Plugged shotguns only for woodcock; nontoxic shot T or smaller for waterfowl and coots.
| Topic | As printed |
|---|---|
| Near homes | When after woodcock: written permission of the owner or occupant needed to hunt with firearms within 150 yards or archery within 50 yards of a residence (owners and lessees excepted). |
| Permission and posting | When after woodcock: written permission (relatives excepted) required to hunt, trap or run dogs on private land; Posting: signs or 8-inch purple paint marks at most 100 feet apart (1,000 feet on cultivated land, pasture etc.) and at road entrances. |
| Wanton waste | Hunting woodcock: edible portions must not be wasted (game mammals: quarters, loins, tenderloins; birds: breasts; alligators: tail, legs, flanks, loins); no carcass disposal in cemeteries, waters or within 50 yards of a public road centerline. |
| Roads | Hunting woodcock: no pointing, aiming, hunting or shooting a firearm or bow across, from or within 100 feet of the centerline of a city, county, state or federally maintained road (trappers dispatching trapped animals and falconers excepted); on WMAs within 100 feet of any public or privately maintained road. |
Sources: Guidebook p. 55, Guidebook p. 54 and Guidebook p. 48 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
American Woodcock on WMAs and other public ground
Picked for woodcock: each card quotes the guidebook statement that names them, so you can see the area rule at a glance.
Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge
Species group on the record: migratory game birds, covering woodcock.
Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge
Species group on the record: migratory game birds, covering woodcock.
Cache River National Wildlife Refuge
Species group on the record: migratory game birds, covering woodcock.
Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge
Species group on the record: migratory game birds, covering woodcock.
Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge
Species group on the record: migratory game birds, covering woodcock.
Overflow National Wildlife Refuge
Species group on the record: migratory game birds, covering woodcock.
Sources: WMA listings (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
American Woodcock: legal time of day
Migratory bird hours apply to woodcock: a half hour before sunrise until sunset, not after. Each town gets its own times; AGFC's Little Rock table covers most dates, and the NOAA formula fills the rest.
| Town | Day | Sun up | Sun down | Hunting window | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville | Nov 7, 2026 | 6:46 a.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fayetteville | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:23 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fayetteville | Jan 15, 2027 | 7:27 a.m. | 5:32 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fort Smith | Nov 7, 2026 | 6:48 a.m. | 5:22 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fort Smith | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:25 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fort Smith | Jan 15, 2027 | 7:29 a.m. | 5:34 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Texarkana | Nov 7, 2026 | 6:45 a.m. | 5:19 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Texarkana | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:22 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Texarkana | Jan 15, 2027 | 7:26 a.m. | 5:31 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Monticello | Nov 7, 2026 | 6:31 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Monticello | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:08 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Monticello | Jan 15, 2027 | 7:12 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | AGFC table |
Sources: shooting hours and AGFC Little Rock sun table (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Bald cypress trunks standing in green water along the White RiverPhoto: Linda Tanner (flickr user: goingslo) (CC BY 2.0)
Orange sunset over flat open fields in the Arkansas DeltaPhoto: pfly (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Farmstead with silos and a barn across a flat plowed field in eastern ArkansasPhoto: peggydavis66 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Answers about Arkansas woodcock
What license do I need to hunt woodcock?
Hunters 16 and older need a license; residents can use the Combination Sportsman's License ($35.50), Resident Sportsman's License ($25) and Resident Wildlife Conservation License ($10.50).
Can I hunt woodcock at night?
AGFC sets 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset for woodcock; at Little Rock on November 7, 2026 the times were 6:05 a.m. to 5:09 p.m.
Is it legal to hunt woodcock this week?
Yes; woodcock covered woodcock on November 9, 2026.
Is there public land for woodcock in Arkansas?
Yes. Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge, Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge and Cache River National Wildlife Refuge are among the public areas that print a line for woodcock.
What registration do woodcock hunters need?
HIP, along with the hunting license.
What source does this woodcock page use?
AGFC guidebooks and season date sheets for 2026-27.
What dates does AGFC set for woodcock?
The woodcock rows run woodcock November 7 to December 21, 2026.
What is the bag limit for woodcock in Arkansas?
3/day, possession 9.
What does the guidebook allow for woodcock?
AGFC allows shotguns 10 gauge or smaller holding no more than three shells; nontoxic shot T or smaller for waterfowl and coots; other migratory birds nontoxic T or smaller or lead BB or smaller.