General Waterfowl Hunting Regulations
Captive Mallards and Live Decoys
It is illegal to hunt migratory waterfowl over captive-reared mallards (live decoys) at any time. It is illegal in Arkansas to release captive-reared mallards unless:
- The owner is operating and the hunter is shooting at a Commission-licensed game bird shooting resort.
- The owner has a valid shoot-to-kill retrieving dog training permit. Permits are available through any AGFC regional office or wildlife officer.
Transferring Wildlife
It is illegal to possess wildlife taken by someone else, unless accompanied by a signed statement from the taker, stating name, address, species, date taken and license number. A driver’s license number with state of origin may be substituted for the hunting license number. A hunter education card number or date of birth may be substituted for the hunting license number for hunters under 16 years of age.
Click here to download a printable document for transferring wildlife.
Legal Hunting Equipment
Legal Shot
While waterfowl hunting, the only type of shot that may be in the hunter’s possession are: steel, tungsten-iron (Hevi-Steel), tungsten-polymer, tungsten-matrix, tungsten-iron-nickel-tin (TINT), tungsten-nickel-iron (Hevi-Shot), tungsten-bronze-iron (TBI), tungsten-tin-bismuth (TTB) or bismuth-tin or such shot approved as nontoxic by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Legal size for shot is size T (.2 inches in diameter) or smaller for shooting waterfowl or lead shot size BB (.18 inches in diameter) or smaller for shooting migratory game birds other than waterfowl.
Baiting Laws
Complete information about baiting is available from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site: http://www.fws.gov/le/HuntFish/waterfowl_baiting.htm.
Who is responsible?
Hunters, guides and landowners are responsible for understanding and obeying regulations about baiting and knowing the conditions of the area to be hunted.
What is a baited area?
A baited area is where salt, grain or other feed has been placed, exposed, deposited, distributed or scattered in such a way to lure or attract ducks or doves to, on or over any areas where hunters are attempting to take them.
For how long?
An area is considered to be baited for 10 days following the complete removal of salt, grain or other feed.
What are the penalties for baiting?
Baiting migratory game birds is a criminal offense with fines up to $200,000 and a one-year prison term. Hunting over a known baited area can result in fines up to $15,000.
What is the liability standard?
Federal rules prohibit the taking of migratory game birds by the aid of baiting or over any baited area, if the person knows or reasonably should know, that the area is baited.
Example: If a hunter hires a guide who has spread corn throughout the hunting area, but the corn is underwater where the hunter cannot detect it and reasonably had no knowledge that the bait was present, the hunter would not be guilty of hunting over bait. Hunters should ask guides or landowners if the area has been baited.
What is the difference between baiting doves and waterfowl?
The rules maintain the distinction between what is legal for dove hunting as compared to waterfowl hunting. Agricultural crops may be manipulated for doves, but not for waterfowl and coots.
Example: A dove hunter may legally hunt over a field of sunflowers that has been cut or mowed but may not hunt waterfowl in the same field.
What about normal agricultural operations?
Normal agricultural operations are those that have been conducted in accordance with official recommendations of state cooperative extension specialists.
State extension specialists will be relied upon to give expert advice if questions arise over what are considered normal agricultural operations. Questions about normal agricultural operations for a specific area of the state will be directed to extension service specialists.
Example: Questions about normal rice production will be directed to the state extension specialist on rice.
What about top-sown seeds?
Migratory game bird hunting is allowed over lands planted by means of top sowing or aerial seeding, if seeds are present solely as the result of a normal agricultural planting or a normal agricultural soil stabilization practice.
Top sowing is a commonly used practice for both agricultural and soil conservation purposes. Top sowing can be used to quickly convert plowed and harvested fields to pastures, reduce wind and water erosion and prevent the transfer of nutrients to adjacent wetlands from farmlands.
What is considered natural vegetation?
Migratory game birds may be hunted over manipulated natural vegetation.
Example: Thinning brush from overgrown, privately owned wetlands to improve habitat for wintering waterfowl is considered manipulating natural vegetation.
Is planted millet considered a crop?
Planted millet is treated like an agricultural crop and may not be manipulated if you intend to hunt waterfowl. Millet that grows on its own in subsequent years (sometimes called "volunteer") is considered natural vegetation and may be manipulated at any time without restriction.
Can I put up a blind?
Hunters may conceal a blind using vegetation from agricultural crops or natural vegetation as long as it does not result in the exposing, depositing or scattering of grain.
Hunting from a Boat
Anyone born after 1985 and of legal age to operate a motorboat must have successfully completed an approved AGFC boating education course and carry proof of completion while operating any motorboat on Arkansas waters. 
A motorboat is defined as any vessel operated upon water propelled by sail or machinery, whether or not the machinery is the principal source of propulsion.
The boating education course teaches the fundamentals of safe and responsible boating and is written on a sixth-grade reading level.
The AGFC offers the following options for taking the boating education course:
- The classroom course is a minimum six hours of instruction including the examination. This option is free.
- The internet course is available online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students study the material and take the examination online. There is a $15 charge.
- The home study course is sent to the student by mail and includes a student manual, video and examination. There is a $24.95 charge. After successful completion of one of these options, the student will be mailed a Boating Education Card.
Information and class schedules are available online by clicking here or by calling (501) 223-6377 (Little Rock) or (877) 493-6424 (toll-free).
Private Property and Residences
Hunting Near a Residence
To hunt within 150 yards of a residence, hunters using firearms must have written permission from the owner or occupant.
Written permission is not required of the landowner or members of their family on the landowner’s own property.
Hunting on Private Property
Find out who owns the land or water and get verbal or written permission from the landowner or leaseholder before hunting, fi shing, trapping or releasing hunting dogs or pursuing wildlife with dogs on private property.
If the property is not posted, verbal permission is required. If posted, each person must carry written permission.
Written permission is not required if the person hunting is a relative of the landowner or lessee.
Federal Regulations Overview
In addition to state regulations, the following federal rules apply to the taking, possession, shipping, transporting and storing of migratory game birds.
Caution:
The following material is a summary. Each hunter should also consult the federal regulations found in Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 20.
More restrictive regulations may apply to national wildlife refuges and state wildlife management areas.
Illegal Hunting Methods
You may not hunt migratory waterfowl:
- With a trap, snare, net, rifle, pistol, swivel gun, shotgun larger than 10 gauge, punt gun, battery gun, machine gun, fish hook, poison, drug, explosive or stupefying substance.
- From a sink box or any other low fl oating device that conceals you beneath the surface of the water.
- From a motorboat or sailboat, unless you shut the motor off or furl the sail and the vessel is no longer in motion.
- Using live birds as decoys.
- Using recorded or electrically amplified bird calls or sounds.
- While possessing any shot other than approved nontoxic shot.
- With a shotgun that can hold more than three shells, unless you plug it with a one piece fi ller that cannot be removed without disassembling the gun.
- From or by means, aid or use of any motorized vehicle or aircraft. If you are a paraplegic or are missing one or both legs, you may hunt from a stationary motorized land vehicle.
Wanton Waste
You must make a reasonable eff ort to retrieve and keep all migratory game birds you kill or cripple while in the fi eld. You must immediately kill any wounded birds you retrieve and count those birds toward your daily bag limit. You may not give your birds to another person in the fi eld, regardless of whether or not they are properly tagged.
Tagging
You may not leave migratory game birds in the custody of another person unless you tag the birds with your signature, address, number of birds identifi ed by species and the date you killed them.
Rallying
You may not hunt migratory game birds that have been concentrated, driven, rallied or stirred up with a motorized vehicle or sailboat.
Dressing
You may not completely field-dress waterfowl before taking them from the field. The head or one fully feathered wing must remain attached to the birds while you transport them to your home or processor.
Dual Violation
A violation of a state migratory game bird regulation is also a violation of federal regulations.
Duck Stamp
If you are 16 or older, you must carry an unexpired federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. You must validate your duck stamp by signing it in ink across the face before hunting.
Protected Birds
Federal law prohibits the killing of nongame migratory birds.
Banded Birds
Waterfowl hunters are encouraged to report banded birds to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service toll-free bird band report hotline at (800) 327-2263 or at http://www.reportband.gov.
For More Information
If you have additional questions about waterfowl hunting, contact Division of Law Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Room 81, Post Office Building, Little Rock, AR 72201. Telephone: (501) 324-5643, or contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1500 Museum Road, Suite 105, Conway, AR 72032. Telephone: (501) 513-4474.