New This Year
New This Year 2025-26
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission passed several new regulations or changes to established regulations since the 2024-25 hunting season. The following are the changes that will most affect hunters in 2025-26. Changes that affect the 2025-26 waterfowl season will be included in the AGFC’s 2025-26 Waterfowl Guidebook.
- Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA will have an early buck archery season Sept. 6-8 (antlered bucks only). Hunters on Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA no longer have to take a doe before harvesting a buck.
- Turkey zones have been increased from two to five for Arkansas’s 2026 season. Zone 1 will open Monday, April 20, and will run for 21 days (closing May 10); Zone 1A opens Monday, April 20, and runs for 9 days (closing April 28); Zone 2 opens Monday, April 13, to run for 21 days (closing May 3); Zone 2A opens Monday, April 13, to run for 9 days (closing April 21); Zone 3 opens the Monday,
April 6, to run for 21 days (closing April 26). Special youth turkey hunt for zones 1, 1A, 2 and 2A will fall on April 11-12. Zone 3 will have no youth hunt.
- A combination hunting-fishing guide license is available for Arkansas guides, $350, in place of guides needing separate hunting and fishing guide licenses. The license expires annually June 30 (see Page 42).
- The state’s early teal season has been reduced to 9 days (Sept. 20-28). An additional day has been restored to the veterans and active duty military waterfowl hunt after the close of regular waterfowl season, Feb. 7-8 (see the 2025-26 Arkansas Waterfowl Guidebook in the fall for more waterfowl regulations).
- Conway County was added to Tier 2 of the CWD Management Zone. There are no antler restrictions in WMAs within Conway County.
- The use of deer scents, lures or other items containing natural deer urine or other biofluids taken from deer is no longer prohibited.
- Portions of Hot Springs State Forest WMA are now open to public access (see Page 83). The AGFC’s North Central Office has been relocated from Calico Rock to Mountain Home. The address is 424 Natural Resources Drive, 72653. The phone is 870-455-1558.