2009-10 Wildlife Regulations
You may not hunt wildlife:
There are no open seasons for any species not discussed in this or any other Arkansas Game and Fish regulations guidebook.
Feeding and Baiting Wildlife
Baiting is defined as the direct or indirect placing, exposing, depositing, distributing, or scattering of salt, grain, or other feed that could serve as a lure or attraction for wildlife to, on or over any areas where hunters are attempting to take them. It is legal to feed wildlife, with these exceptions:
- Bears may not be fed or baited for any reason, including photography or viewing, unless it is 30 days before bear season through the end of bear season on private land in bear zones 1, 2, 5 and 5A. See Bears.
- Baiting is not allowed on wildlife management areas.
- Migratory birds, wild turkeys, waterfowl or crows may not be hunted over bait if the hunter knows, or should reasonably know, the area is baited.
- An area is considered baited for 10 days following removal of the bait.
- Hunting deer over bait is prohibited Feb. 1-28.
- Alligators may not be hunted over bait.
Possession of Game Taken Outside Arkansas
Carcasses of game animals legally taken in other states (except cervid carcasses) may be possessed in Arkansas with documentation of their origin. However, taking game illegally in another state and then transporting it across state lines is a violation of the federal Lacey Act. More information concerning carcass importation.
Importing Wildlife
It is illegal to import native or exotic wildlife into Arkansas without an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Wildlife Importation Permit. Permits will not be issued to import the following wildlife:
Members of the cervid family, including white-tailed deer, black-tailed deer, mule deer or elk; raccoons; bats; skunks; coyotes that originate or have lived in Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming or Canada; gray and red foxes that originate or have lived in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming or Canada; and rodents captured in the wild from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah or Wyoming.
Captive Wildlife and Importation Permits
Regulations concerning hunting captive wildlife, breeding and importing of wildlife or permit requirements are available from the Wildlife Management Division at (800) 364-4263, extension 6359; or any of the AGFC offices.
Owners of mountain lions in Arkansas must have obtained a Wildlife Breeder/Dealer permit by June 30, 2006. Owners of lions, tigers and bears must possess a permit from their county sheriff or AGFC unless exempt by state law. No new permits will be issued for ownership of mountain lions, African lions, bears or tigers in Arkansas.
Wildlife Rehabilitators
Individuals or organizations who have in their care sick, injured, orphaned or impaired native wildlife (other than migratory birds) must first obtain a Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit from the AGFC. Rehabilitators handling migratory birds must obtain a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service migratory bird permit. Further information about this permit is available from the Wildlife Management Division at (800) 364-4263, extension 6359 or click here.
Wildlife Pets
Wildlife species make poor pets. However, up to six individual bobcats, coyotes, deer, gray foxes, red foxes, opossums, quail, rabbits, raccoons or squirrels may be kept per household if taken by hand from the wild in Arkansas. Up to six individuals of a species that is neither hunted nor trapped may be kept per household if taken by hand from the wild so long as they are not birds (such as songbirds, hawks and owls), bats, ornate box turtles, alligator snapping turtles, hellbenders, cave-dwelling creatures or endangered species. Once taken, the animal must remain in the owner’s custody, except pets other than white-tailed deer may be turned over to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator for release back into the wild. When game animals are kept as pets, individuals of different sexes must be kept in separate pens or the males must be neutered to prevent reproduction. All wildlife kept as pets must be kept in cages that keep them from escaping and keep other wildlife from entering.
Adult deer originally caught in the wild must be kept in pens that are at least eight feet in height and meet minimum cage size requirements. These animals may not be sold or transferred to a different owner and may only be taken from the state with the permission of the Chief of Wildlife Management.
Individuals may purchase and own up to six per household of captive-born, commercially-obtained native wildlife species, except for cervids such as deer or elk, from permitted Wildlife Breeder/Dealers and keep them as personal pets. Owners must have proof of legal purchase. If the number of animals possessed exceeds six, the owner must obtain a Wildlife Breeder/Dealer permit. Those who purchased deer or elk as pets prior to June 30, 2005 may keep them in any number provided they have proof of legal ownership and are registered with the Commission by June 30, 2008. Such animals may not be hunted, sold, otherwise distributed or allowed to breed.
Release of Animals Into the Wild
Wildlife may not be released into the wild without prior approval of the AGFC with these exceptions:
- A licensed Gamebird Shooting Resort may release captive-raised quail, pheasant, chukar or mallards in accordance with the terms of their permit.
- A licensed wildlife rehabilitator may release native wildlife other than mountain lions.
- Raccoons, foxes, coyotes or pen-raised quail used for AKC, UKC and ACHA-sanctioned field trials may be released with the approval of the Chief of Wildlife Management.
- Pen-raised quail and pheasants may be taken by holders of a Shoot-to-kill Bird Dog Field Training Permit or a Shoot-to-kill Bird Dog Field Trial Permit.
- Landowners and nuisance wildlife control operators may livetrap nuisance wildlife outside the legal harvest season and release to the wild. Traps must be marked with the user’s identification. More information about nuisance wildlife trapping.
Endangered Species
State and federal laws prohibit the importing, transporting, possessing, disturbing or taking of threatened and endangered species or destruction of their habitat. Fines can range up to $100,000. More information about Arkansas’s threatened and endangered species.The threatened and endangered species of Arkansas:
MAMMALS: gray bat (Myotis grisescens), Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens)
BIRDS:ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis), least tern (Sterna antillarum), Bachman’s warbler (Vermivora bachmanii), red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis)
REPTILES: American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
FISHES: Ozark cavefish (Amblyopsis rosae), leopard darter (Percina pantherina), pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhyncus albus)
MOLLUSKS: Curtis’ pearly mussel (Epioblasma florentina curtisi), fat pocketbook pearly mussel (Potamilus capax), pink mucket mussel (Lampsilis abrupta), turgid blossom mussel (Epioblasma turgidula), speckled pocketbook mussel (Lampsilis streckeri), Arkansas fatmucket mussel (Lampsilis powelli), Ouachita rock pocketbook mussel (Arkansia wheeleri), winged mapleleaf mussel (Quadrula fragosa), scaleshell mussel (Leptodea leptodon) and Magazine Mountain shagreen land snail (Inflectarius magazinensis)
ARTHROPODS: cave crayfish (Cambarus zophonastes) and (Cambarus aculabrum), American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus)
PLANTS: Geocarpon minimum (no common name), pondberry (Lindera melissifolia), Missouri Bladderpod (Lesquerella filiformis), harperella (Ptilimnium nodosum), eastern prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera leucophaea) and running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum).