Furbearer
Red Fox in Arkansas, 2026-27 Seasons and Rules
Every 2026-27 AGFC row for red foxes, first day September 1, 2026, plus bag limits, legal methods and where to go.
Photo: Noel Pennington (CC BY 2.0)
Where Arkansas red foxes stand this season
The last red fox window of 2026-27 closes February 28, 2027; the first opened September 1, 2026. What a red fox hunter may keep: 2 per day (hunting). The red fox schedule in one line: 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.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Every 2026-27 red fox season row
Each line is one AGFC row for red foxes, earliest first, with its area, dates, limit and the guidebook page.
| Hunt | Where | When | Limit | Status | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Red Fox as an Arkansas furbearer
Arkansas treats red foxes as furbearers with a hunting line and a trapping line; trappers follow their own method rules.
Trapping red foxes is legal November 21, 2026 to February 28, 2027, with these 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).
Landowners with red fox trouble can use this: 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.
The red fox bag table
The red fox limits below come from the 2026-27 bag table, one row per printed limit.
| For | Limit | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Gray fox, red fox, muskrat and mink | 2 per day (Furbearer hunting) | Guidebook p. 37 |
Equipment rules for Arkansas red foxes
The red fox rows carry their own method lines; there is no separate weapon group for red foxes.
Sources: Guidebook p. 37 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Buying the right license for red foxes
Anyone 16 or older needs an Arkansas hunting license for red foxes; licenses run through June 30.
| License | Holder | Cost | 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.
Red Fox: rules beyond the season dates
| Area | Rule |
|---|---|
| Technology | On a red fox hunt: no electronic tracking equipment to locate wildlife and no computer-assisted hunting. |
| Poisons and traps | Hunting red foxes: no deadfalls, drugs, chemicals, poisons, booby traps or explosives. |
| Others' game | Red fox hunters note: wildlife taken by someone else must have a signed statement (name, address, species, date, license number); also applies to camps, processors and taxidermists. |
| Dogs | When after red foxes: 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. |
Sources: Guidebook p. 49, Guidebook p. 48 and Guidebook p. 52 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Public land for red foxes
Public land for red foxes across Arkansas, spread over AGFC regions, with the line from each area entry that applies.
Casey Jones WMA
Guidebook line on red foxes: Area Notes: Dogs may be used for coyote, fox and bobcat hunting except during firearms deer season.
Cherokee WMA
Guidebook line on red 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
Guidebook line on red foxes: Area Notes: Horses and mules allowed for legal hunting activities during specific hunting seasons and at night during furbearer season.
Cedar Mountain WMA
Guidebook line on red 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
Guidebook line on red foxes: Furbearers: Ditch 28 closed to all trapping.
Camp Robinson WMA
Guidebook line on red foxes: Fox, Bobcat and Coyote: May be taken during daylight hours.
Maumelle River WMA
Guidebook line on red 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
Guidebook line on red 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.
Red Fox shooting hours by town
For red foxes, AGFC allows hunting from sunrise to sunset. Dates outside AGFC's table are computed with the NOAA solar formula on Central Time; the last column says which.
| Place | Date | Rise | Set | Legal time | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Home | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:40 a.m. | 7:40 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 7:40 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Mountain Home | Nov 21, 2026 | 6:49 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mountain Home | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:12 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 7:12 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fayetteville | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:48 a.m. | 7:46 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Fayetteville | Nov 21, 2026 | 7:00 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fayetteville | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:23 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fort Smith | Sep 1, 2026 | 6:49 a.m. | 7:47 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:47 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Fort Smith | Nov 21, 2026 | 7:02 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fort Smith | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:25 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | AGFC table |
| 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 |
Sources: shooting hours and AGFC Little Rock sun table (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)
Clark Creek and mossy boulders below a bluff in Lost Valley, Buffalo National RiverPhoto: Sharon Mollerus (CC BY 2.0)
Buffalo National River flowing past a gravel bar under a tall green bluffPhoto: David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Red Fox questions
When was this red fox page checked?
November 9, 2026.
Do I need a trapping license for red foxes?
Residents 16 and older need only a hunting license; nonresidents need a Nonresident Trapper's Permit.
What does AGFC allow per day for red foxes?
Limit for red foxes: 2 per day (hunting).
When does Arkansas red fox season open?
Red foxes may be hunted hunting September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027; trapping November 21, 2026 to February 28, 2027.
What does a red fox hunter need to buy?
A hunting license, from age 16: for example the Combination Sportsman's License at $35.50.
What is the red fox method line?
Daylight archery or any rifle or shotgun ammunition
Is the red fox season open at the moment?
At the check date (November 9, 2026), red foxes could be hunted under hunting.
How early can I shoot red foxes?
Legal time for red foxes is Sunrise to sunset; Little Rock, September 1, 2026: 6:42 a.m. to 7:38 p.m.
When may red foxes be trapped?
From November 21, 2026 to February 28, 2027 for red foxes.
Which public areas name red foxes?
Public ground for red foxes includes Casey Jones WMA, Cherokee WMA and Poison Springs WMA.