Furbearer
Nutria Hunting in Arkansas, 2026-27
Arkansas nutria dates for 2026-27, from September 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, with limits, methods, licenses and public land.
Photo: Linda Tanner (flickr user: goingslo) (CC BY 2.0)
Where Arkansas nutria stand this season
Nutria get 2 rows in the 2026-27 guidebooks, and the earliest one opens September 1, 2026. Limits that apply to nutria: no limit. How the nutria season is laid out: hunting September 1-March 31 day only; trapping November 21-March 31.
Sources: Guidebook p. 37 and Guidebook p. 38 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
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Every 2026-27 nutria season row
Rows are sorted by first day, and the status column compares each nutria window with today.
| Season | Area | Dates | Bag | Now | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting | Statewide | Sep 1–Mar 31 | No limit | Guidebook p. 37 | |
| Trapping | Statewide | Nov 21–Mar 31 | No limit | Guidebook p. 38 |
- Day hunting only.
- Sunrise November 21-sunset March 31.
Sources: Guidebook p. 37 and Guidebook p. 38 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
How nutria trapping works in Arkansas
Nutria can be hunted and trapped in Arkansas, and the two seasons follow different dates and rules.
Trapping dates for nutria are November 21, 2026 to March 31, 2027; allowed nutria 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).
Sources: trapping and Predator Control Permit (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
What you may use on nutria
For nutria, 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.
Nutria: licenses, tags and stamps
For nutria, 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.
Before you hunt nutria
| Topic | As printed |
|---|---|
| Sale of wildlife | When after nutria: no buying or selling wildlife or parts except furbearer pelts/carcasses, squirrel tails and pelts, rabbit pelts, turkey bones, deer and elk antlers and hides, and unprotected feathers. |
| Lights | When after nutria: no shining an artificial light from a public road or within a WMA. |
| Roads | Hunting nutria: 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. |
| Others' game | When after nutria: wildlife taken by someone else must have a signed statement (name, address, species, date, license number); also applies to camps, processors and taxidermists. |
Sources: Guidebook p. 48 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Public ground that names nutria
Picked for nutria: each card quotes the guidebook statement that names them, so you can see the area rule at a glance.
Sylamore WMA
Area rule for nutria: Area Notes: Dogs, hunting or trapping equipment are not allowed in Blanchard Springs Recreation Area.
Buffalo National River WMA
Area rule for nutria: Area Notes: No trapping allowed on Buffalo National River.
Dardanelle WMA
Area rule for nutria: Area Notes: Dogs, hunting or trapping equipment not allowed on Johnson County WRA, except as noted above.
Cherokee WMA
Area rule for nutria: 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 nutria: 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 nutria: 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 nutria: Furbearers: Ditch 28 closed to all trapping.
Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA/Deer Research Area East Unit
Area rule for nutria: 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 nutria
The furbearer day rule covers nutria: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Mena | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:49 a.m. | 7:45 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Mena | Nov 21, 2026 | 7:01 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mena | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:24 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Jonesboro | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:34 a.m. | 7:32 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 7:32 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Jonesboro | Nov 21, 2026 | 6:38 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 4:49 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Jonesboro | 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.
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)
Cossatot River rushing over tilted gray rock ledges at Cossatot River State Park-Natural AreaPhoto: MyBiggestFan (CC BY 2.0)
Nutria questions
Do I need a license for nutria?
Yes, from age 16. Residents can buy the Combination Sportsman's License at $35.50 or the Resident Sportsman's License.
What time can I start hunting nutria?
Sunrise to sunset. On September 1, 2026 at Little Rock, the nutria window ran 6:42 a.m. to 7:38 p.m.
Is it legal to hunt nutria this week?
Yes; hunting covered nutria on November 9, 2026.
Which public areas name nutria?
Public ground for nutria includes Sylamore WMA, Buffalo National River WMA and Dardanelle WMA.
What are the nutria trapping dates?
The nutria trapping window is November 21, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
Which permit covers trapping nutria?
A hunting license for residents; nonresidents add the trapper permit.
What source does this nutria page use?
AGFC guidebooks and season date sheets for 2026-27.
What are the 2026-27 nutria dates in Arkansas?
The 2026-27 dates for nutria: hunting September 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027; trapping November 21, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
What is the bag limit for nutria in Arkansas?
No limit.
What methods are legal for nutria?
Method line for nutria: daylight: archery or any rifle or shotgun ammunition. At night (raccoon, opossum, bobcat): no slugs or shot larger than T; rimfire .22 or smaller only.