Hunting Seasons

Arkansas Duck Season is always a special time of the year. Whether you are planning on waiting patiently in a duck blind or knee deep in the marsh hoping to bag a limit of mallards. Being able to take advantage of all the hunting seasons is why The Waterfowl Hunter has put together the hunting dates for Arkansas.

These dates serve as a general guide for more specific hunting visit Arkansas Game and Fish. 

Deer

Hunt Type Earliest Opening Date Latest Closing Date
Archery Sep. 23,2017 Feb. 28,2018
Private Land Antlerless Only Modern Gun Deer Hunt Oct. 14,2017 Oct. 18,2017
Muzzleloader Oct. 21,2017 Oct. 29,2017
Dec. 9,2017 Dec. 11,2017
Special Youth Modern Gun Deer Hunt Nov. 4,2017 Nov. 5,2017
Jan. 6,2018 Jan. 7,2018
Modern Gun Nov. 11,2017 Oct. 3,2017
Dec. 26,2017 Dec. 28,2017


Elk

Hunt Type Earliest Opening Dates Latest Closing Date
Youth Hunt Sep. 30,2017 Oct. 1,2017
Oct. 28,2017 Oct. 29,2017
Regular Elk Hunt Oct. 2,2017 Oct. 6,2017
Oct. 30,2017 Nov. 3,2017

Bear (Zone 1&2)

Hunt Type Earliest Opening Dates Latest Closing Date
Archery Sep. 23,2017 Nov. 30,2017
Muzzleloader Oct. 21,2017 Oct. 29,2017
Special Youth Modern Gun Bear Hunt Nov. 4,2017 Nov. 5,2017
Modern Gun Nov. 11,2017 Nov. 30,2017

Alligator (Zone 1&3)

Earliest Opening Dates Latest Closing Date
Sep. 15,2017 Sep. 18,2017
Sep. 22,2017 Sep. 25,2017

Small Game

Hunt Type Earliest Opening Dates Latest Closing Date
Rabbit Sep. 1,2017 Feb. 28,2018
Squirrel March 15,2017 Feb. 28,2018
Northern Bobwhite Nov. 1,2017 Feb. 4,2017

Waterfowl

Hunt Type Earliest Opening Dates Latest Closing Date
Duck, Coot and Merganser Nov. 18,2017 Nov. 26,2017
Dec. 7,2017 Dec. 23,2017
Dec. 26,2017 Jan. 28,2018
Special Youth Waterfowl Hunt Dec. 2,2017 Feb. 3,2018
White-fronted Goose Nov. 15,2017 Dec. 1,2017
Dec. 3,2017 Jan. 28,2018
Canada Goose Nov. 15,2017 Dec. 1,2017
Dec. 3,2017 Jan. 28,2018
Snow, Blue and Ross’s Goose Nov. 15,2017 Dec. 1,2017
Dec. 3,2017 Jan. 28,2018
Light Goose Conservation Order Oct. 7,2017 Nov. 14,2017
Jan. 29,2018 Feb. 2,2018
Feb. 4,2018 April 25,2018

Mourning, White-Winged and Eurasian Collared-Dove

Earliest Opening Dates Latest Closing Date
Sep. 2,2017 Oct. 22,2017
Dec. 8,2017 Jan. 15,2018

Early Migratory/Waterfowl

Hunt Type Earliest Opening Dates Latest Closing Date
Teal Sep. 15,2017 Sep. 30,2017
Canada Goose Sep. 1,2017 Sep. 30,2017
Virginia Rail and Sora Sep. 9,2017 Nov. 17,2017
Common Gallinule and Purple Gallinule Sep. 1,2017 Nov. 9,2017
Snipe Nov. 1,2017 Feb. 15,2018
Woodcock Nov. 4,2017 Dec. 18,2017

Crow

Earliest Opening Date Latest Closing Date
Sep. 1,2017 Feb. 19,2018

Turkey

Zones Earliest Opening Date Latest Closing Date
1, 1A, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 4B,5, 5A, 5B, 6, 7, 7A, 8, 9, 9A, 10, 17 (Youth Hunt) April 8,2018 April 9,2018
1, 2, 3, 4B,5, 5B, 6, 7, 7A, 8, 9, 10, 17 April 10,2018 April 25,2018
1A, 2, 3, 4B, 5A April 10,2018 April 18,2018

Furbearer Hunting and Trapping

Hunt Type Earliest Opening Date Latest Closing Date
Bobcat Sep. 1,2017 Feb. 28,2018
Coyote (Hunting) July 1,2017 Feb. 28,2018
Gray Fox, Red Fox, Mink, Striped Skunk Sept. 1,2017 Feb. 28,2018
Opossum Sept. 1,2017 Feb. 28,2018
River Otter Nov. 11,2017 Feb. 28,2018
Raccoon (Night Hunt) July 1,2017 August 31,2017
Raccoon (Day or Night Hunt) Sep. 1,2017 March 31,2018
Beaver, Muskrat, Nutria (Hunting) Sep. 1,2017 March 31,2018
Beaver, Muskrat and Nutria (Trapping) Nov. 11,2017 Feb. 28,2018
Coyote (Trapping) Aug. 1,2017 March 31,2018