Duck Hunting Laws in Arkansas: Season Dates, Limits, and What You Need to Know
June 9, 2026
Arkansas is widely recognized as one of the premier duck hunting destinations in North America. The flooded timber of the Mississippi Delta, the vast rice fields of the Grand Prairie, and the sprawling network of bottomland hardwoods funnel millions of mallards and other waterfowl through the state every winter, earning Arkansas the informal title of Duck Hunting Capital of the World.
If you plan to hunt ducks in Arkansas, understanding the state’s duck hunting laws is not optional — it is the foundation of every legal, safe, and successful hunt. From license stacking requirements to WMA shooting-hour cutoffs, the regulations are detailed and change from season to season. This guide covers everything you need to know for the 2025-26 season, sourced directly from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC).
Pro Tip: Always download the official AGFC Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook before each season. Regulations shift annually based on federal frameworks and population surveys, and the guidebook is the authoritative source.
Duck Hunting Season Dates in Arkansas
Arkansas offers multiple duck hunting windows throughout the fall and winter, giving hunters opportunities from early September through late January. Each segment is set annually by the AGFC within federal frameworks established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Mississippi Flyway Council.
For the 2025-26 season, the schedule is as follows:
- Special Early Teal Season: September 20–28, 2025
- Regular Duck, Coot, and Merganser Season — Segment 1: November 22 – December 1, 2025
- Regular Duck, Coot, and Merganser Season — Segment 2: December 10–23, 2025
- Regular Duck, Coot, and Merganser Season — Segment 3: December 27, 2025 – January 31, 2026
- Special Youth, Active-Duty Military, and Veteran Hunt: February 7–8, 2026
The 2025-26 special early teal season runs September 20–28. According to the 2024 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, blue-winged teal population estimates dropped to 4.6 million birds, which triggered a shortened season from 16 days to nine days for teal throughout the flyway.
Regular duck, coot, and merganser seasons for 2025-26 run in three segments: November 22 – December 1, 2025, December 10 – 23, 2025, and December 27, 2025 – January 31, 2026.
Shooting hours on most Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) follow a specific schedule. Waterfowl hunters on WMAs may only shoot from 30 minutes before sunrise until noon from November 22 through January 30. Waterfowl hunting is allowed 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset on January 31, as well as February 7–8 during the Special Youth Hunts and Special Active-Duty Military and Veteran Waterfowl Hunts on WMAs.
Important Note: The AGFC has also set the 2026-27 waterfowl season dates. Duck, Coot, and Merganser seasons for 2026-27 are scheduled for November 21–29, December 10–23, and December 26, 2026 – January 31, 2027. Always verify upcoming season dates on the official AGFC website as they are confirmed annually.
Duck Hunting License and Stamp Requirements in Arkansas
Duck hunting in Arkansas requires more than a basic hunting license. You must stack several state and federal credentials before you legally set foot in a blind. Missing even one document can result in a citation, so build your license checklist well before opening day.
Here is what every resident hunter needs:
- Valid Arkansas hunting license
- Arkansas Waterfowl Stamp (state duck stamp)
- Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Federal Duck Stamp)
- Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration
- General WMA Hunter Use Permit (free, required if hunting on any WMA)
Waterfowl hunters age 16 or older must secure a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Federal Duck Stamp), as required by federal law. Migratory bird hunters in Arkansas 16 or older are also required to carry proof of Arkansas Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration when hunting ducks, geese, doves, coots, woodcock, snipe, rails, or gallinules. HIP registration should be completed when purchasing a license at any AGFC office or online.
In Arkansas, anyone born after 1968 must have completed an approved hunter education course or hunt under a Deferred Hunter Education (DHE) option with a qualified mentor before hunting on their own.
Nonresident hunters face additional requirements. Nonresidents need an Arkansas nonresident hunting license, a valid Arkansas waterfowl stamp ($50), a Federal Duck Stamp, HIP registration, and either a 3-day Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Hunting Permit or a 30-day Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Hunting Permit to hunt waterfowl on all wildlife management areas.
Key Insight: All Arkansas hunting licenses expire on June 30 each year. You must carry your physical license with you while hunting. Digital copies may be acceptable in some cases, but carrying the physical document eliminates any ambiguity in the field.
You can also review the broader hunting laws in Arkansas for a complete picture of how waterfowl regulations fit into the state’s overall licensing framework.
Daily Bag Limits and Possession Limits in Arkansas
Arkansas sets species-specific sub-limits within the overall daily duck bag limit. Knowing these numbers cold before you shoot is essential — exceeding a sub-limit on a single species counts as a violation even if your total bag is under six birds.
Regular Duck Season Bag Limits (2025-26)
The duck daily bag limit is 6, which may include no more than: 4 mallards (2 hens), 1 scaup, 3 wood ducks, 3 pintails, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 2 black ducks, and 1 mottled duck. If not listed, up to 6 ducks of a species (including teal) may be taken.
Key Insight: A new harvest strategy for pintails allows hunters to take up to three of this species during the 2025-26 waterfowl season — an increase from the previous one-bird limit. This change reflects updated population modeling by the Mississippi Flyway Council and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Early Teal Season Bag Limits
Early teal season runs September 20–28, 2025. Hunters can take 6 teals daily, species combined, with a possession limit of 18. Blue-winged, green-winged, and cinnamon teal all count toward this combined limit.
Coot and Merganser Limits
The coot daily bag limit is 15. The merganser daily bag limit is 5, which may include no more than 2 hooded mergansers.
Possession Limits
The possession limit for ducks, coots, and mergansers is three times the daily bag limit. That means you may possess up to 18 ducks, 45 coots, and 15 mergansers at any one time. These possession limits apply whether the birds are in the field, in your vehicle, or in cold storage at camp.
| Species | Daily Bag Limit | Possession Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ducks (total) | 6 | 18 |
| Mallards (max hens) | 4 (2 hens) | — |
| Wood Ducks | 3 | — |
| Pintails | 3 | — |
| Redheads | 2 | — |
| Canvasbacks | 2 | — |
| Black Ducks | 2 | — |
| Scaup | 1 | — |
| Mottled Duck | 1 | — |
| Teal (early season, combined) | 6 | 18 |
| Coots | 15 | 45 |
| Mergansers | 5 (max 2 hooded) | 15 |
Legal Hunting Methods and Equipment in Arkansas
Arkansas follows both state and federal rules on legal gear for waterfowl hunting. The most critical equipment rule involves shot type — this is a federal mandate, not just a state preference.
Nontoxic Shot Requirement
Federally approved nontoxic shot is required for ducks, geese, and mergansers statewide. Lead shot is prohibited for waterfowl hunting in Arkansas. Hunters must use non-toxic shot to comply with federal and state regulations protecting waterfowl habitats. Steel, bismuth, tungsten, and other approved alternatives are all legal choices.
Nontoxic shot is required for ALL migratory bird hunting on the following WMAs: Bell Slough, Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita, Big Lake, Camp Robinson, Cut-Off Creek, Cypress Bayou, Dave Donaldson Black River, Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois d’Arc, Earl Buss Bayou DeView, Ed Gordon Point Remove, Frog Bayou, Galla Creek, George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto, Harris Brake, Henry Gray Hurricane Lake, Petit Jean River, Rex Hancock Black Swamp, Seven Devils, Steve N. Wilson Raft Creek Bottoms, Sheffield Nelson Dagmar, Shirey Bay Rainey Brake, and Sulphur River WMAs.
Firearms and Shotgun Rules
Waterfowl hunting in Arkansas is conducted with shotguns. Plugged shotguns are required under federal law — your firearm must be incapable of holding more than three shells total (one in the chamber plus two in the magazine). Unplugged shotguns are a common citation during waterfowl checks.
Blind Rules on WMAs
It is illegal to build, erect, or hunt from a duck blind made from metal, lumber, wire, nylon, or other building materials that is not removed or torn down each day at the end of shooting hours. This applies to all WMAs including river channels within exterior boundaries of WMAs. The exception is blinds provided by the AGFC during Special Waterfowl Permit Hunts.
Tree hooks with screw threads not greater than 3/8-inch in diameter are allowed on Commission-owned WMAs. Natural vegetation and portable blinds you remove at day’s end are the standard approach for most hunters.
Decoys and Calls
Decoys and duck calls are both legal and widely used in Arkansas. Electronic calls are prohibited for migratory waterfowl under federal law — only mouth-operated and manually operated calls are permitted. Spinning-wing decoys are legal during the regular season but check WMA-specific regulations, as some areas impose restrictions on motorized decoy devices.
Common Mistake: It is illegal for waterfowl hunters to be guided for pay or other compensation on wildlife management areas, special use areas, or national wildlife refuges. Both hunters and guides are subject to penalties. If you hire a guide, make sure the hunt takes place on private land or in a legally permitted area.
Choosing the right retriever can make a big difference on Arkansas flooded-timber hunts. Check out this guide to duck hunting dogs to find a breed suited to the demanding conditions of Arkansas waterfowling.
Zones and Split Seasons in Arkansas
Arkansas does not operate a simple statewide open-and-close duck season. Instead, the state uses a split-season structure with multiple segments, and certain WMAs carry their own specific rules that layer on top of statewide regulations.
The Three-Segment Regular Season
The regular duck season is split into three segments to align harvest with peak migration windows. Arkansas divides the state into zones for waterfowl hunting, and season dates may differ slightly between these zones. The three main segments for 2025-26 are November 22 – December 1, December 10–23, and December 27 – January 31.
WMA-Specific Timing Rules
Waterfowl hunters must be off water-inundated areas or natural/man-made water courses by 1 p.m. (by noon on Dave Donaldson Black River WMA and George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto WMA) during regular duck season, except where noted in WMA-specific details.
Waterfowl hunters must be off water-inundated areas or natural/man-made water courses by 6:30 p.m. on the last day of regular duck season and during the Youth and Special Active-Duty Military and Veteran Waterfowl Hunts on all WMAs.
Goose Seasons Running Concurrently
Goose seasons often overlap with duck seasons, giving hunters the opportunity to pursue multiple species on the same outing. The full 2025-26 season structure includes an Early Canada Goose Hunt from September 1 – October 15, 2025; a Regular Canada Goose Season running November 22 – December 1, December 10–23, and December 27, 2025 – January 31, 2026; a White-fronted Goose Season from October 25 – November 2, 2025, plus the same regular-season windows; and Snow, Blue, and Ross’s Goose seasons from October 25 – November 2, 2025, plus the regular-season segments. The Light Goose Conservation Order then extends the season well into spring.
If you hunt in neighboring states, you may also want to review hunting laws in Tennessee and hunting laws in Mississippi since the Mississippi Flyway crosses multiple state lines.
Special and Youth Duck Hunting Seasons in Arkansas
Arkansas provides dedicated hunting windows for youth hunters and military-connected individuals. These seasons are designed to lower barriers to entry, reward service, and build the next generation of waterfowlers.
Youth Waterfowl Hunt
The Special Youth Waterfowl Hunt takes place February 7–8, 2026, in which youth hunters (ages 15 and younger) can harvest duck, coot, and merganser.
Youths who have not completed a hunter education course must be accompanied by a mentor 21 or older. Mentors may not hunt, but may call waterfowl. Shooting hours and bag limits are the same as the regular duck and goose seasons. Youth hunters can hunt on wildlife management areas 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset these two days. WMA General Use Permits are not required for youth hunters.
Active-Duty Military and Veteran Hunt
On February 7–8, 2026, members of active-duty military and military veterans may harvest ducks, geese, coots, and mergansers. Active-duty military includes members of the National Guard and Reserves on active duty (other than for training). Veterans must have served in active military, naval, air service, or Reserves and National Guard on Title 32 orders in a combat zone and must have been discharged or released under honorable conditions.
Hunters will need to have an active hunting license and stamps and one of the following or a copy during the hunt: DD214, Veteran Benefit Card, Retired Military I.D., Veteran Hunting License (VLF, VLH, VLC2, or VLL2), or Military I.D. card.
All participants during these hunts have no shot shell limits on WMAs and may hunt from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset on WMAs. Nonresident Waterfowl WMA permits are not required for this hunt.
Special Early Teal Season
The early teal season gives hunters a chance to target blue-winged, green-winged, and cinnamon teal before the main migration push. The 2025-26 early teal season runs September 20–28, 2025, with a daily limit of 6 (blue-winged, green-winged, and cinnamon teal combined) and a possession limit of 18.
Where You Can Hunt Ducks in Arkansas
Arkansas offers an extensive network of public hunting land, national wildlife refuges, and private agricultural ground. Knowing where you are legally allowed to hunt — and what permits each area requires — keeps you on the right side of the law.
Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs)
A General WMA Hunter Use Permit (free) is required to hunt on these areas, and some WMAs require additional special permits for certain hunts. You can obtain the free General Use Permit online through the AGFC licensing portal or at any license vendor. Before you hunt on any public land, check the specific regulations and maps for that WMA. Each area may have unique rules about methods, seasons, and bag limits.
Some of the most productive public duck hunting in the state occurs at Bayou Meto WMA, Dave Donaldson Black River WMA, Henry Gray Hurricane Lake WMA, and Sheffield Nelson Dagmar WMA. Hunt Bayou Meto WMA in Arkansas County for some of the best public-land mallard hunting in North America — flooded timber and moist-soil units hold birds all season long.
National Wildlife Refuges
Cache River National Wildlife Refuge is an expansive sanctuary with unique waterfowl offerings like ducks, geese, and other migrating birds. You can find public hunting grounds and specified blinds. White River National Wildlife Refuge features flooded forests, twisting lakes, and rice fields, making it a top spot for different duck breeds.
Federal refuges operate under their own permit systems. At Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge, a signed refuge hunting permit (FWS Form 3-2439) is required. Anyone on the refuge in possession of hunting equipment must sign and possess the permit at all times.
Private Land
You must have written permission from the landowner to hunt on private property. Keep this permission with you while hunting. Some private lands may have different rules than surrounding public areas, but you still need to follow state bag limits and season dates.
Pro Tip: New “non-motorized boat only” access areas will be established on portions of George H. Dunklin Bayou Meto WMA, Dave Donaldson Black River WMA, and Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA for the 2026-27 season. All of Galla Creek WMA will become “non-motorized boat only” access. Plan your equipment accordingly if you hunt these areas.
Hunters who also pursue other species should check the bow hunting laws in Arkansas for archery-specific rules that may apply on shared public land. If you hunt in other states along the flyway, resources like hunting laws in Kansas, hunting laws in Indiana, and hunting laws in Ohio can help you stay compliant across state lines.
Duck Hunting Penalties in Arkansas
Violations of Arkansas duck hunting laws carry real consequences. The AGFC and federal agents actively patrol WMAs, refuges, and waterways throughout the season, and penalties have been updated in recent years to reflect the seriousness of wildlife law violations.
Common Violations and Their Consequences
Standard hunting violations — such as exceeding bag limits, hunting without a license, using lead shot, or hunting outside legal hours — can result in fines, license revocation, and even criminal charges depending on severity. Hunting over a baited field is a federal violation that can result in federal prosecution separate from any state charges.
Updated Fine Levels for WMA Violations
The fine level for reckless operation of a motorboat or vessel (intentional hazardous operation) on any WMA or National Wildlife Refuge was raised to $750–$7,500, and violators may be sentenced up to 180 days in jail, will be prohibited from accessing any WMA for one year from the date of conviction, and will lose hunting and fishing privileges statewide for a minimum of one year from the date of conviction.
Obstruction or harassment of hunting, fishing, or trapping activities and public disorder (non-physical) fines were raised to $500–$5,000, and violators may be sentenced up to 90 days in jail. Public disorder (physical with injury) fines increased to $750–$7,500, and violators may be sentenced up to 180 days in jail and will lose hunting and fishing privileges statewide for a minimum of one year from the date of conviction.
Guided Hunt Violations
It is illegal for waterfowl hunters to be guided for pay or other compensation on wildlife management areas, special use areas, or national wildlife refuges. Both hunters and guides are subject to penalties. This rule is strictly enforced, and both parties can face fines and license suspension.
| Violation Type | Fine Range | Additional Consequences |
|---|---|---|
| Reckless motorboat operation on WMA/NWR | $750 – $7,500 | Up to 180 days jail; 1-year WMA ban; loss of hunting/fishing privileges |
| Hunting/fishing obstruction or harassment (non-physical) | $500 – $5,000 | Up to 90 days jail |
| Public disorder (physical with injury) | $750 – $7,500 | Up to 180 days jail; loss of hunting/fishing privileges statewide (min. 1 year) |
| Guided hunt on WMA/NWR for compensation | Varies | Fines and license suspension for both hunter and guide |
Important Note: Federal violations — such as using lead shot for waterfowl, hunting over bait, or exceeding federal bag limits — are prosecuted separately under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and can carry significantly higher penalties than state-level fines, including federal criminal charges.
Understanding the penalty structure in Arkansas is just as important as knowing the season dates. The same principle applies in other states — hunters in neighboring states can review resources like hunting laws in Virginia, hunting laws in South Carolina, and hunting laws in Minnesota to stay informed across the flyway.
Duck hunting in Arkansas rewards those who do their homework. The state’s combination of flooded timber, agricultural fields, and managed wetlands makes it one of the most productive waterfowl destinations in the country — but only hunters who understand and follow the rules get to enjoy it season after season. Review the official AGFC waterfowl regulations page each fall before you head out, and carry all required licenses and stamps every time you hunt.