Closed furbearer
Why Badger Hunting Is Closed in Arkansas
The furbearer table lists badgers as closed; here is that line, plus the open seasons for related animals.
Photo: Noel Pennington (CC BY 2.0)
Status of badgers for 2026-27
The 2026-27 furbearer table prints one line for badgers, spotted skunks and weasels together, and that line says hunting is closed; badgers are covered by it.
| Group | Rule as printed | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| All species without an open season | There are no open seasons for any species not discussed in an AGFC regulations guidebook. | Guidebook p. 49 |
| Badger, spotted skunk and weasel | Hunting closed (also closed on WMAs). | Guidebook p. 37 |
| Furbearer season row | Hunting closed. | Guidebook p. 37 |
Lawful game beside badgers
Open seasons that sit closest to badgers, each linked to its own page with dates and limits.
| Species | Today | First day | Last day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raccoon | Year-round | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
| Opossum | Year-round | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
| Striped Skunk | Year-round | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
| Bobcat | Open now | Sep 1, 2026 | May 9, 2027 |
| Coyote | Year-round | Aug 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 |
| Gray Fox | Open now | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
| Red Fox | Open now | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
| Mink | Open now | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
| Muskrat | Open now | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
| River Otter | Opens Nov 14 | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
| Beaver | Open now | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 |
| Nutria | Open now | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 |
The protected list beside badgers
The full protected list from the guidebooks; the badger line is one of 7.
| Species or group | Rule |
|---|---|
| All species without an open season | There are no open seasons for any species not discussed in an AGFC regulations guidebook. |
| Badger, spotted skunk and weasel | Hunting closed (also closed on WMAs). |
| Hen turkeys (including bearded hens) and jakes | Illegal to harvest hens; jakes legal only for hunters 6-15 (one jake). |
| Deer (live), cervids and black bears in rehabilitation | Illegal to catch, trap or possess deer of any age; rehabilitation of deer, elk or black bears prohibited. |
| Endangered and threatened species | See agfc.com/endangered; nuisance rules exclude bats, migratory birds and endangered species. |
| Nongame migratory birds | Federal law prohibits killing nongame migratory birds; feathers protected by 50 CFR 20 may not be sold. |
| Bears with cubs or telemetry collars | AGFC asks hunters not to shoot them (request, not a rule). |
Sources: Guidebook p. 49, Guidebook p. 37, Guidebook p. 31, Guidebook p. 53, Waterfowl guide p. 39 and Guidebook p. 29 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Legal game versus badgers
The legal groups below hold every animal with an Arkansas season, which is why badgers are not in any of them.
| Group | Species | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Big game | white-tailed deer, elk, black bear, wild turkey, American alligator | Seasons by zone; elk and alligator by permit (elk also outside the core counties during deer season). |
| Small game | squirrel, rabbit, quail, American crow | Statewide seasons; possession limits removed in 2026. |
| Furbearers | beaver, nutria, bobcat, coyote, opossum, raccoon, striped skunk, gray fox, red fox, mink, muskrat, river otter | Hunting and trapping seasons; badger, spotted skunk and weasel closed. |
| Migratory game birds | ducks, mergansers, American coot, Canada goose, white-fronted goose, snow, blue and Ross's geese, mourning dove, white-winged dove, Eurasian collared-dove, Wilson's snipe, common and purple gallinule, Virginia rail, sora, American woodcock | Federal frameworks; HIP required. |
| Invasive | feral hog | Private land year-round any method; on WMAs only incidental to open bear, deer or elk seasons. |
Sources: Guidebook p. 3, Guidebook p. 36, Guidebook p. 37, Waterfowl guide p. 3 and Guidebook p. 40 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Badger and the points system
Arkansas tracks wildlife convictions with violation points; a case involving badgers would count like any other.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Violation points | Convictions add points by offense class: Class 1 6, Class 2 12, Class 3 18, Class 4 30, Class 5 99, unclassified 0. 18-24 points = 1-year suspension, 25-48 = 2 years, 49-72 = 3 years, 73-98 = 5 years, 99+ = 7 years. Suspended hunters may not apply for permit hunts. |
| Suspension trigger | AGFC suspends hunting and fishing privileges of anyone with 18 or more violation points within a 5-year period (the table header reads "points over three years"). |
| Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact | Violations and suspensions in member states can add points or bar hunting in Arkansas and vice versa. |
Sources: Guidebook p. 56 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Other rules near badgers
| Area | Rule |
|---|---|
| Live animals | Beside the badger rule: no importing wildlife without permits, no releasing wildlife, no possessing deer of any age; no releasing domestic turkeys or capturing wild turkeys/eggs. |
| Dogs | Even with badgers closed: collar with owner name, phone and address; GPS tracking/behavior collars for dogs pursuing deer, fox or coyote on public land; chasing wildlife banned April 1-May 15 except at night (60 min after sunset to 60 min before sunrise), enclosures and field trials; deer chasing October 1-December 31 only in dog zones; no dogs for bear. |
| Poisons and traps | Beside the badger rule: no deadfalls, drugs, chemicals, poisons, booby traps or explosives. |
| Permission and posting | Beside the badger rule: 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. |
Sources: Guidebook p. 53, Guidebook p. 52, Guidebook p. 49 and Guidebook p. 55 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Late afternoon light on the golden Boxley Valley hills and a rail fencePhoto: Noel Pennington (CC BY 2.0)
Fall-colored Ozark hills behind a farm pasture between Batesville and Mountain ViewPhoto: Michael McGaha (CC BY 2.0)
Red, orange and green fall foliage on a forested Ouachita Mountains slopePhoto: Tammo2011 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Badger, answered
Which page covers badgers?
The furbearer table prints badger, spotted skunk and weasel hunting as closed.
Can I hunt badgers in Arkansas?
No.
Does a badger case add violation points?
Yes, by offense class.
Can I hunt a species with no listed season?
There are no open seasons for any species not discussed in an AGFC regulations guidebook.
Which furbearers are open?
Beaver, nutria, bobcat, coyote, opossum, raccoon, striped skunk, gray fox, red fox, mink, muskrat and river otter.
What can I hunt in Arkansas?
Big game, small game, furbearers, migratory game birds and invasive feral hogs.
When was this checked?
The 2026-27 AGFC guidebooks, checked November 9, 2026.
Can I take badgers on public land?
No.