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Mergansers Hunting in Arkansas, 2026-27
Arkansas merganser dates for 2026-27, from November 21, 2026 to February 7, 2027, with limits, methods, licenses and public land.
Photo: USFWS/Southeast (Public domain)
Where Arkansas mergansers stand this season
Mergansers get 3 rows in the 2026-27 guidebooks, and the earliest one opens November 21, 2026. Limits that apply to mergansers: 5/day (2 hooded), possession 15. How the merganser season is laid out: with duck season.
Sources: Waterfowl guide p. 3 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
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All merganser windows in Arkansas
Rows are sorted by first day, and the status column compares each merganser window with today.
| Season | Area | Dates | Bag | Now | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merganser | Statewide | Nov 21–29 Dec 10–23 Dec 26–Jan 31 | 5/day (max 2 hooded), possession 15 (max 6 hooded) | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Statewide | Feb 6–7 | Regular season limits | Waterfowl guide p. 3 | |
| Veteran and military | Statewide | Feb 6–7 | Regular season limits | Waterfowl guide p. 3 |
- Shooting hours 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset; on WMAs waterfowl hunting ends at noon November 21-January 30 (to sunset January 31 and February 6-7). HIP, federal duck stamp and Arkansas waterfowl stamp required (16+). Single statewide zone.
- Youths 15 and younger; youth without hunter education accompanied by a licensed hunter 21+ who may call but not hunt (veteran mentors excepted). WMA hours to sunset.
- Veterans and active-duty military; mentors may call but not hunt. WMA hours to sunset; nonresident WMA waterfowl permits not required.
Sources: Waterfowl guide p. 3 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Public ground rules for mergansers
The statewide waterfowl zone covers mergansers; public ground then layers on morning-only hours and draw areas.
WMA hours for mergansers: on WMAs waterfowl hunting runs 30 minutes before sunrise until noon November 21-January 30; to sunset on January 31 and February 6-7. Hunters must leave flooded areas by 1 p.m. (noon on Dave Donaldson Black River and George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto WMAs).
The weekly draw schedule: weekly: 3 p.m. Thursday to midnight Sunday before the hunt date at agfc.com/licenses; drawn and notified each Monday.
The Waterfowl Guidebook lists every WMA waterfowl rule; use it for rest areas and greentree reservoir draws.
Sources: Waterfowl Guidebook, shooting hours and draws (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Mergansers: daily and season limits
Bag rows that name mergansers, as AGFC printed them for 2026-27.
| Bag row | Limit | From |
|---|---|---|
| Ducks | 6 ducks/day: max 4 mallards (2 hens), 3 pintails, 1 mottled duck, 1 scaup, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 black ducks, 2 canvasbacks; possession 3x daily (Regular duck season (with coots and mergansers)) | Waterfowl guide p. 3 |
| Mergansers | 5/day (max 2 hooded), possession 15 (max 6 hooded) (Merganser) | Waterfowl guide p. 3 |
Legal methods for mergansers
Legal methods for mergansers depend on the season row; the weapon groups below are the guidebook lists that apply.
- Waterfowl and migratory birds
Mergansers 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 mergansers: rifles, pistols, traps, live decoys, sink boxes, motorboats under power, bait.
Method lines for mergansers
- Merganser method line: Shotguns 10 gauge or smaller plugged to 3 shells; federally approved nontoxic shot size T or smaller for waterfowl and coots; no live decoys; no bait.
Sources: Waterfowl guide p. 36 and Waterfowl guide p. 3 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Mergansers: licenses, tags and stamps
For mergansers, start with one of the resident or nonresident licenses below; all of them end on June 30. Waterfowl hunters 16 and older also need the federal duck stamp and an Arkansas waterfowl stamp, plus HIP registration, for mergansers.
| 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 |
| Federal duck stamp (paper) | Anyone | $25 | DFS |
| Federal duck stamp (e-stamp) | Anyone | $30 | FDE |
| Arkansas Waterfowl Stamp | Resident | $7 | DSR |
| Arkansas Waterfowl Stamp | Nonresident | $50 | DSN |
| 3-Day WMA Waterfowl Permit | Nonresident | $40 | NW3 |
| 30-Day WMA Waterfowl Permit | Nonresident | $200 | NW30 |
Sources: license list and license requirements (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Before you hunt mergansers
Plugged shotguns only for mergansers; nontoxic shot T or smaller for waterfowl and coots.
| Topic | As printed |
|---|---|
| Levees | When after mergansers: no hunting from or across the main levee of the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers from Louisiana to state Highway 11 north of Grady (Lincoln County). |
| Waterfowl guiding | Applies to mergansers: no guiding waterfowl hunters for pay on WMAs or NWRs. |
| Alcohol on WMAs | Applies to mergansers: no alcoholic beverages on Commission-controlled WMAs except on inholdings, in vehicles on public roads or boats on navigable water within the law. |
| Vehicles, aircraft | Merganser hunters note: no hunting from a moving motorized land vehicle or from an aircraft. |
Sources: Guidebook p. 49, Waterfowl guide p. 43 and Guidebook p. 63 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Public ground that names mergansers
Picked for mergansers: each card quotes the guidebook statement that names them, so you can see the area rule at a glance.
Winona WMA
Area rule for mergansers: Area Notes: 28 for wintering waterfowl.
Dardanelle WMA
Area rule for mergansers: Johnson County Waterfowl Rest Area: August 29-31 (one antlered buck only); September 26-October 31 and February 16-28.
St. Francis Sunken Lands WMA
Area rule for mergansers: Area Notes: All waterfowl rest areas except for Snowden Field WRA closed to access Nov.
Dave Donaldson Black River WMA
Area rule for mergansers: Area Notes: Slough boats may be left overnight at select locations during duck season.
Sulphur River WMA
Area rule for mergansers: Area Notes: The Henry Moore Waterfowl Rest Area closed to access Nov.
Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois D'Arc WMA
Area rule for mergansers: Area Notes: Red Slough Waterfowl Rest Area closes to access Nov.
Sheffield Nelson Dagmar WMA
Area rule for mergansers: Area Notes: Conway George Tract open only to waterfowl permit holders after deer permit hunt.
Camp Robinson WMA
Area rule for mergansers: Area Notes: For access restrictions that affect all users during waterfowl season, check the waterfowl guidebook or visit www.agfc.com/camprobinsonwma.
Sources: WMA listings (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
When you may shoot mergansers
Migratory bird hours apply to mergansers: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mena | Nov 21, 2026 | 7:01 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mena | Dec 26, 2026 | 7:26 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mena | Feb 6, 2027 | 7:15 a.m. | 5:55 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:55 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Jonesboro | Nov 21, 2026 | 6:38 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 6:08 a.m. to 4:49 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Jonesboro | Dec 26, 2026 | 7:03 a.m. | 4:53 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 4:53 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Jonesboro | Feb 6, 2027 | 6:52 a.m. | 5:32 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. | AGFC table |
| El Dorado | Nov 21, 2026 | 6:51 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | AGFC table |
| El Dorado | Dec 26, 2026 | 7:16 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | AGFC table |
| El Dorado | Feb 6, 2027 | 7:05 a.m. | 5:45 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mountain Home | Nov 21, 2026 | 6:49 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mountain Home | Dec 26, 2026 | 7:14 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mountain Home | Feb 6, 2027 | 7:03 a.m. | 5:43 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | AGFC table |
Sources: shooting hours and AGFC Little Rock sun table (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Snow geese in flightPhoto: Birding for Climate (Public domain)
Mallard drake swimming on golden waterPhoto: hedera.baltica (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Canada geese flying low over a marshPhoto: Yellowstone National Park (Public domain)
Answers about Arkansas mergansers
What source does this merganser page use?
AGFC guidebooks and season date sheets for 2026-27.
What dates does AGFC set for mergansers?
The merganser rows run merganser November 21 to 29, 2026, December 10 to 23, 2026 and December 26, 2026 to January 31, 2027; youth waterfowl February 6 to 7, 2027; veteran and military February 6 to 7, 2027.
Is there a daily limit on mergansers?
Per the guidebook: 5/day (2 hooded), possession 15.
What does the guidebook allow for mergansers?
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.
Do I need a license for mergansers?
Yes, from age 16. Residents can buy the Combination Sportsman's License at $35.50 or the Resident Sportsman's License.
Can I hunt mergansers at night?
AGFC sets 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset for mergansers; at Little Rock on November 21, 2026 the times were 6:19 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Is it legal to hunt mergansers this week?
Not on November 9, 2026. The next merganser window opens November 21, 2026.
Which WMAs are good for mergansers?
Areas such as Winona WMA, Dardanelle WMA and St. Francis Sunken Lands WMA name mergansers in their guidebook entries.
What extra permits do mergansers need?
Stamps and HIP; nonresidents on WMAs also need a WMA waterfowl permit.
How late can I hunt mergansers on a WMA?
Noon on most days; sunset on January 31 and February 6 and 7.