Arkansas hunting and fishing laws

Anyone born after 1968 must be hunter education certified in Arkansas. Children under 16 who have not completed hunter education may hunt under the direct supervision of a licensed hunter at least 21 years old. A free Deferred Hunter Education code covers those 16 and older who hunt under direct supervision of a licensed hunter 21 or older who is certified or born on or before Dec. 31, 1968.

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AGFC publishes no minimum hunting age, and a hunting license is required at age 16 and older. Anyone born after 1968 must be hunter education certified, but children under 16 who have not completed hunter education may hunt under the direct supervision of a licensed hunter at least 21 years old.

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Applies to: Big game

Code 05.20 requires an outer garment above the waistline of daylight fluorescent blaze orange totaling at least 400 square inches, plus a hunter orange or hunter safety green hat worn on the head and visible. The deer page states at least 400 square inches of hunter orange, chartreuse or blaze camouflage above the waist and a head garment.

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Applies to: Big game

The requirement applies in areas where modern gun or alternative firearms deer, bear or elk seasons are open, so it catches archers when those seasons are open. Orange must stay visible including when inside a hunting blind. No blaze pink provision was found, and chartreuse or safety green is the alternative.

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Arkansas has no statewide Sunday hunting restriction. Seasons run seven days a week, and AGFC schedules some hunts on Sundays, such as the youth deer and turkey weekends.

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Hunting wildlife at night is prohibited, and the AGFC Code defines night as 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, so general hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Migratory birds follow their own hours, such as sunrise for early teal and a noon close for ducks on WMAs.

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Applies to: Deer

Code 20.05 makes it unlawful to possess, place, deposit, or scatter any grain or other feed so as to constitute a lure, attraction, or enticement of wildlife, or to take wildlife using bait on any WMA or NWR. In the CWD Management Zone placing feed is unlawful, except that deer and elk may be hunted over bait there on private land only, during an open season within a defined window.

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Applies to: Deer

Hunters may bait and feed deer on private land outside the CWD Management Zone. Inside the CWD Management Zone, bait may be used to hunt deer and elk on private land only from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31. Baiting or hunting over bait is prohibited on all WMAs.

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Applies to: Bear

In the CWD Management Zone bear baiting is allowed on private land from 30 days before the opening day of the first bear season until the last day of the last bear season.

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Code 05.02 makes it unlawful to hunt any wildlife at night. Exceptions include raccoon, bobcat and opossum treed by dogs during open seasons, and aquatic wildlife, bullfrogs and alligators. Code 05.03 makes it unlawful to shine artificial lights from any public road, or on any wildlife management area, for viewing or locating wildlife.

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Applies to: Furbearers

Night hunting is prohibited except for listed cases such as bobcat, raccoon and opossum treed by dogs in open season. A Predator Control Permit lets landowners, lessees or people with written permission take bobcat, coyote, foxes, opossum, raccoon and striped skunk day or night, with artificial light (never from a public road), on private land outside town limits. Feral hogs may be killed year-round on private land by the landowner or anyone with permission; AGFC does not address night hog hunting on its hog page.

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Applies to: Deer

Immediately upon taking a deer, and before moving it, fill out the appropriate deer tag from your license legibly and in ink. Check your deer within 12 hours of harvest by phone, web or app. Evidence of the animal's sex must remain until it is checked, and the original tag stays attached until final storage.

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You must have the owner's or lessee's permission to hunt, trap, run dogs or retrieve game on another's private land, and written permission (name, landowner signature and phone, and dates) is required on posted or fenced land. Land may be posted with signs or vertical purple paint marks at least 8 inches long, 3 to 5 feet off the ground.

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