Furbearer
Gray Fox Hunting in Arkansas for 2026-27
Arkansas gray fox dates for 2026-27, from September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027, with limits, methods, licenses and public land.
Photo: Michael McGaha (CC BY 2.0)
Gray Fox hunting by the numbers
Gray foxes get 2 rows in the 2026-27 guidebooks, and the earliest one opens September 1, 2026. Limits that apply to gray foxes: 2 per day (hunting). How the gray fox season is laid out: hunting September 1-February 28 day only; trapping November 21-February 28.
Sources: Guidebook p. 37 and Guidebook p. 38 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
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Gray Fox seasons in the AGFC guidebooks
Rows are sorted by first day, and the status column compares each gray fox window with today.
| Season | Area | Dates | Bag | Now | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting | Statewide | Sep 1–Feb 28 | 2 per day | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Trapping | Statewide | Nov 21–Feb 28 | No limit | Guidebook p. 38 |
- Day hunting only.
- Furbearers other than beaver, coyote and nutria: sunrise November 21-sunset February 28.
Sources: Guidebook p. 37 and Guidebook p. 38 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
How gray fox trapping works in Arkansas
Gray foxes can be hunted and trapped in Arkansas, and the two seasons follow different dates and rules.
Trapping dates for gray foxes are November 21, 2026 to February 28, 2027; allowed gray fox sets: land sets: smooth-jawed foothold jaw spread 7 inches or less (over 5 inches offset or padded), dogproof, body-gripping 6 inches or less, box traps; Water sets: foothold 8.5 inches or less, body-gripping 11 inches or less; Snares November 21-February 28 (not for coyote, beaver, nutria; land snares need deer locks beyond 20 feet of water).
For gray foxes on private land: free online permit: year-round take of bobcat, coyote, gray fox, opossum, raccoon, red fox and striped skunk on private land; coyote at night.
Sources: trapping and Predator Control Permit (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Gray Fox: daily and season limits
Bag rows that name gray foxes, as AGFC printed them for 2026-27.
| Bag row | Limit | From |
|---|---|---|
| Gray fox, red fox, muskrat and mink | 2 per day (Furbearer hunting) | Guidebook p. 37 |
Guns, bows and gear for gray foxes
For gray foxes, AGFC sets methods on the season rows themselves rather than in a weapon group list.
Sources: Guidebook p. 37 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Gray Fox: licenses, tags and stamps
For gray foxes, 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 |
| 3-Day Small Game License | Nonresident | $80 | SG3 |
| Trapper's Permit | Nonresident | $125 | NFT |
Sources: license list and license requirements (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Rules that catch gray fox hunters out
| Topic | As printed |
|---|---|
| Poisons and traps | Applies to gray foxes: no deadfalls, drugs, chemicals, poisons, booby traps or explosives. |
| Dogs | On a gray fox hunt: 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. |
| Permission and posting | When after gray foxes: 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. |
| Roads | Hunting gray foxes: 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. 49, Guidebook p. 52, Guidebook p. 55 and Guidebook p. 48 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Public ground that names gray foxes
Picked for gray foxes: each card quotes the guidebook statement that names them, so you can see the area rule at a glance.
Casey Jones WMA
Area rule for gray foxes: Area Notes: Dogs may be used for coyote, fox and bobcat hunting except during firearms deer season.
Cherokee WMA
Area rule for gray foxes: Area Notes: Dogs may be used for coyote, fox and bobcat hunting when the declared furbearer hunting season is open and firearms deer season is closed.
Poison Springs WMA
Area rule for gray foxes: Area Notes: Horses and mules allowed for legal hunting activities during specific hunting seasons and at night during furbearer season.
Cedar Mountain WMA
Area rule for gray foxes: Area Notes: Dogs may be used for coyote, fox and bobcat hunting when the declared furbearer hunting season is open and firearms deer season is closed.
Big Lake WMA
Area rule for gray foxes: Furbearers: Ditch 28 closed to all trapping.
Camp Robinson WMA
Area rule for gray foxes: Fox, Bobcat and Coyote: May be taken during daylight hours.
Maumelle River WMA
Area rule for gray foxes: Area Notes: Shotguns using legal, nontoxic ammunition are required to take small game, turkey and furbearers.
Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA/Deer Research Area East Unit
Area rule for gray foxes: Area Notes: Horses and mules only allowed for nighttime furbearer hunting on East Unit.
Sources: WMA listings (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
When you may shoot gray foxes
The furbearer day rule covers gray foxes: sunrise to sunset only. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texarkana | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:49 a.m. | 7:43 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Texarkana | Nov 21, 2026 | 6:59 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Texarkana | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:22 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Monticello | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:40 a.m. | 7:35 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 7:35 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Monticello | Nov 21, 2026 | 6:45 a.m. | 4:56 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 4:56 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Monticello | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:08 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Little Rock | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:42 a.m. | 7:38 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 7:38 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Little Rock | Nov 21, 2026 | 6:49 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Little Rock | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:12 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 7:12 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Helena-West Helena | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:35 a.m. | 7:31 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 7:31 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Helena-West Helena | Nov 21, 2026 | 6:38 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 4:49 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Helena-West Helena | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:01 a.m. | 4:51 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. | AGFC table |
Sources: shooting hours and AGFC Little Rock sun table (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Red, orange and green fall foliage on a forested Ouachita Mountains slopePhoto: Tammo2011 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Buffalo National River flowing past a gravel bar under a tall green bluffPhoto: David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Cossatot River rushing over tilted gray rock ledges at Cossatot River State Park-Natural AreaPhoto: MyBiggestFan (CC BY 2.0)
Gray Fox, answered
What are the gray fox trapping dates?
The gray fox trapping window is November 21, 2026 to February 28, 2027.
Which permit covers trapping gray foxes?
A hunting license for residents; nonresidents add the trapper permit.
What source does this gray fox page use?
AGFC guidebooks and season date sheets for 2026-27.
Which days are open for gray foxes in 2026-27?
As printed for 2026-27: hunting September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027; trapping November 21, 2026 to February 28, 2027.
How many gray foxes may one hunter keep?
2 per day (hunting), as printed for 2026-27.
What gear is legal for gray foxes?
For gray foxes: daylight archery or any rifle or shotgun ammunition
Do I need a license for gray foxes?
Yes, from age 16. Residents can buy the Combination Sportsman's License at $35.50 or the Resident Sportsman's License.
Can I hunt gray foxes at night?
AGFC sets Sunrise to sunset for gray foxes; at Little Rock on September 1, 2026 the times were 6:42 a.m. to 7:38 p.m.
Is it legal to hunt gray foxes this week?
Yes; hunting covered gray foxes on November 9, 2026.
Can I hunt gray foxes on WMAs?
WMA dates can differ from statewide ones; Casey Jones WMA, Cherokee WMA and Poison Springs WMA each print a line for gray foxes.