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Migratory game bird
Virginia Rail in Arkansas, 2026-27 Seasons and Rules
The 2026-27 rail calendar for Arkansas with bags, weapons, hours and public land picks.
Photo: Linda Tanner (flickr user: goingslo) (CC BY 2.0)
Quick read on Arkansas Virginia rails
Arkansas sets 1 season row for Virginia rails this year, beginning September 12, 2026. On limits, the guidebook says this about Virginia rails: 25/day with sora, possession 75. Timing for Virginia rails, as AGFC sums it up: september 12-November 20.
Sources: Waterfowl guide p. 4 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Arkansas rail dates, row by row
One row per printed rail season; the last column links the guidebook page it came from.
| Hunt | Area | Windows | Limit | Now | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rails | Statewide | Sep 12–Nov 20 | 25/day combined, possession 75 | Waterfowl guide p. 4 |
- HIP required.
Sources: Waterfowl guide p. 4 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Virginia Rail: federal and state rules together
Federal migratory bird rules cover Virginia rails: plugged shotguns, nontoxic or small shot and the sunset close.
Bait rules for Virginia rails: no hunting over bait, and an area stays baited for ten days after the bait is gone.
Sources: Waterfowl Guidebook and baiting (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
How many Virginia rails you may take
Check the rail limit before each trip: the rows below cover daily, season and possession limits as printed.
| Row | Bag | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia rail and sora | 25/day combined, possession 75 (Rails) | Waterfowl guide p. 4 |
Legal methods for Virginia rails
Methods for Virginia rails come from two places: the weapon group lists and each season row.
- Waterfowl and migratory birds
Rail hunters following the waterfowl and migratory birds list may use 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. The same list rules out, for Virginia rails, rifles, pistols, traps, live decoys, sink boxes, motorboats under power, bait.
Method notes on the rail rows
- Rail row method: Shotguns.
Sources: Waterfowl guide p. 36 and Waterfowl guide p. 4 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Licenses that cover Virginia rails
An Arkansas resident needs 60 days of primary residence to buy resident licenses for Virginia rails; owning land here does not count.
| Product | For | 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 |
| Annual Hunting License | Nonresident | $410 | NBG |
Sources: license list and license requirements (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Virginia Rail: rules beyond the season dates
For Virginia rails, use a shotgun that holds no more than three shells; rifles and pistols are not legal.
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Near homes | For rail hunters: written permission of the owner or occupant needed to hunt with firearms within 150 yards or archery within 50 yards of a residence (owners and lessees excepted). |
| Vehicles, aircraft | On a rail hunt: no hunting from a moving motorized land vehicle or from an aircraft. |
| Roads | Rail hunters note: 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. |
| Levees | For rail hunters: 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). |
Sources: Guidebook p. 55, Guidebook p. 49 and Guidebook p. 48 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Arkansas public areas for Virginia rails
Where to start looking for Virginia rails on public land, with the area statement that names them.
Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge
Listed here as migratory game birds, the group that holds Virginia rails.
Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge
Listed here as migratory game birds, the group that holds Virginia rails.
Cache River National Wildlife Refuge
Listed here as migratory game birds, the group that holds Virginia rails.
Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge
Listed here as migratory game birds, the group that holds Virginia rails.
Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge
Listed here as migratory game birds, the group that holds Virginia rails.
Overflow National Wildlife Refuge
Listed here as migratory game birds, the group that holds Virginia rails.
Sources: WMA listings (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Virginia Rail: legal time of day
The rail window closes at sunset, which is 30 minutes earlier than the general rule. Times below are worked out for Mena, Jonesboro, El Dorado and Mountain Home from AGFC's Little Rock table with the one-minute-per-nine-miles correction.
| Near | Date | Rise | Set | Hours | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mena | Sep 12, 2026 | 6:57 a.m. | 7:30 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Mena | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:24 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mena | Jan 15, 2027 | 7:28 a.m. | 5:33 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Jonesboro | Sep 12, 2026 | 6:42 a.m. | 7:16 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Jonesboro | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:01 a.m. | 4:51 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Jonesboro | Jan 15, 2027 | 7:05 a.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | AGFC table |
| El Dorado | Sep 12, 2026 | 6:51 a.m. | 7:23 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| El Dorado | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:14 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | AGFC table |
| El Dorado | Jan 15, 2027 | 7:18 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mountain Home | Sep 12, 2026 | 6:49 a.m. | 7:23 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Mountain Home | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:12 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mountain Home | Jan 15, 2027 | 7:16 a.m. | 5:21 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 5:21 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)
Early morning frost on the Boxley Valley fields below wooded ridgesPhoto: Noel Pennington (CC BY 2.0)
Virginia Rail FAQ
How many Virginia rails may one hunter keep?
25/day with sora, possession 75, as printed for 2026-27.
What equipment is legal for rail hunting?
The waterfowl and migratory birds list applies: 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.
What license do I need to hunt Virginia rails?
Hunters 16 and older need a license; residents can use the Combination Sportsman's License ($35.50), Resident Sportsman's License ($25) and Resident Wildlife Conservation License ($10.50).
What are legal shooting hours for Virginia rails?
The rule for Virginia rails is 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset; in Little Rock on September 12, 2026 that meant 6:19 a.m. to 7:22 p.m.
Can I hunt Virginia rails today in Arkansas?
Yes. As of November 9, 2026, rails is open for Virginia rails.
Is there public land for Virginia rails in Arkansas?
Yes. Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge, Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge and Cache River National Wildlife Refuge are among the public areas that print a line for Virginia rails.
Do I need HIP for Virginia rails?
Yes; HIP registration is required.
Where do these rail rules come from?
The 2026-27 AGFC guidebooks and date sheets, checked November 9, 2026.
What dates does AGFC set for Virginia rails?
The rail rows run rails September 12 to November 20, 2026.