Small game
Rabbit Hunting in Arkansas (2026-27)
When and how to hunt rabbits in Arkansas this season, from the September 1 opener to February 28, 2027.
Photo: Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0)
Rabbit season snapshot for 2026-27
The 2026-27 rabbit calendar in Arkansas starts September 1, 2026 and ends February 28, 2027, across 1 printed row. Bag line for rabbits: 8 per day. In brief, the rabbit rules run like this: september 1-February 28; up to eight box traps. The data adds this for rabbits: the guidebook does not name rabbit species.
Sources: Guidebook p. 36 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
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Every 2026-27 rabbit season row
Sorted by opening day; a rabbit row with several date lines has breaks between its windows.
| Season | Zone or area | Date range | Bag | Open? | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabbit | Statewide | Sep 1–Feb 28 | 8 per day | Guidebook p. 36 |
- No possession limit (removed 2026).
Sources: Guidebook p. 36 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Small game rules for rabbits
Statewide rabbit hunting comes with a daily limit only; the possession limit is gone.
Possession limits for rabbits: possession limits eliminated for small game animals and game birds in 2026; possession limits remain for all migratory birds (federal).
Sources: Guidebook p. 36 and New this year (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Rabbit bag limits
Limits for rabbits come straight from the 2026-27 bag table; where a limit is shared with another species it says so.
| Applies to | Limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rabbit | 8 per day (Rabbit) | Guidebook p. 36 |
Equipment rules for Arkansas rabbits
The weapons table names what the guidebook allows for rabbits and what it bans outright.
- Small game, squirrel, rabbit, crow
The small game, squirrel, rabbit, crow rules let rabbit hunters use air rifles; rimfire .22 or smaller; muzzleloaders .40 or smaller; shotguns with shot no larger than T (larger allowed when a deer, bear or coyote firearms season is open). The same list rules out, for rabbits, rifled slugs; quail with rifles, handguns or shot larger than No. 2.
How rabbits may be taken, per row
- Row text for rabbits: Rimfire .22 or smaller, muzzleloaders .40 or smaller, shotguns (no slugs, shot no larger than T) unless a modern gun or alternative firearms deer, bear or coyote season is open; archery; air rifles; Up to eight box traps (8 x 10 inches).
Sources: Guidebook p. 36 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Paperwork for rabbits
Hunters 16 and up need a license before going after rabbits; the list below holds the AGFC products that cover them.
| License | Who | 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 |
Sources: license list and license requirements (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
What else applies to rabbits
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Sale of wildlife | Hunting rabbits: 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. |
| Dogs | Applies to rabbits: 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. |
| Roads | When after rabbits: 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. |
| Wanton waste | When after rabbits: 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. |
Sources: Guidebook p. 48, Guidebook p. 52 and Guidebook p. 54 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Rabbit on WMAs and other public ground
A short list of public ground for rabbits; the land pages carry the full entry, permit hunts and closures.
Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita WMA
Entry line for rabbits: Area Notes: Only nontoxic shot may be possessed and used while hunting small game with shotguns.
Maumelle River WMA
Entry line for rabbits: Area Notes: Shotguns using legal, nontoxic ammunition are required to take small game, turkey and furbearers.
Rex Hancock Black Swamp WMA
Entry line for rabbits: Area Notes: Only nontoxic shot may be possessed and used while hunting small game with shotguns.
Hot Springs State Forest WMA
Entry line for rabbits: Area Notes: Shotguns and rimfire rifles using legal ammunition may be used to take crow, furbearers, quail, rabbit and squirrel on areas designated on the public use map as open for firearms.
Brewer Lake/Cypress Creek WMA
Entry line for rabbits: Quail, Rabbit and Squirrel: See Page 34 for regulations.
Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
This area's species list names small game; rabbits fall under it.
Bayou Ranger District, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
This area's species list names small game; rabbits fall under it.
Buffalo Ranger District, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
This area's species list names small game; rabbits fall under it.
Sources: WMA listings (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
The rabbit clock in Arkansas
For rabbits, hunting ends 30 minutes after sunset and may not start earlier than 30 minutes before sunrise. Clocks fall back November 1, 2026 and spring forward March 14, 2027, which shifts the listed times by an hour.
| Town | On | Sunrise | Sunset | Legal | Worked from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Home | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:40 a.m. | 7:40 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 8:10 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Mountain Home | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:12 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mountain Home | Jan 15, 2027 | 7:16 a.m. | 5:21 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 5:51 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fayetteville | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:48 a.m. | 7:46 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 8:16 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Fayetteville | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:23 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fayetteville | Jan 15, 2027 | 7:27 a.m. | 5:32 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fort Smith | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:49 a.m. | 7:47 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 8:17 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Fort Smith | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:25 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fort Smith | Jan 15, 2027 | 7:29 a.m. | 5:34 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 6:04 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Texarkana | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:49 a.m. | 7:43 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 8:13 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Texarkana | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:22 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Texarkana | Jan 15, 2027 | 7:26 a.m. | 5:31 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 6:01 p.m. | AGFC table |
Sources: shooting hours and AGFC Little Rock sun table (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Cottontail rabbit sitting alert in green grassPhoto: Grace Zhang (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Eastern cottontail rabbit sitting in green grassPhoto: Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0)
Eastern cottontail rabbit on alertPhoto: btrentler (CC BY 2.0)
Questions about rabbits in Arkansas
Is there a cap on rabbits in possession?
No.
Which public areas name rabbits?
Public ground for rabbits includes Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita WMA, Maumelle River WMA and Rex Hancock Black Swamp WMA.
When does Arkansas rabbit season open?
Rabbits may be hunted rabbit September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027.
Can I trust these rabbit dates?
They match the AGFC books as of November 9, 2026; each row links its page.
Which guns or bows can I use on rabbits?
For rabbits (small game, squirrel, rabbit, crow rules): air rifles; rimfire .22 or smaller; muzzleloaders .40 or smaller; shotguns with shot no larger than T (larger allowed when a deer, bear or coyote firearms season is open).
How many rabbits can I take in Arkansas?
The limit summary reads: 8 per day.
What time can I start hunting rabbits?
30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. On September 1, 2026 at Little Rock, the rabbit window ran 6:12 a.m. to 8:08 p.m.
Is a license required for rabbits?
Yes, for anyone 16 or older; the license table on this page lists every product for rabbits.
Is rabbit season open right now?
Rabbits were open on November 9, 2026 under rabbit.