Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA/Deer Research Area East Unit

Flood Prone Region

Waterfowl Season Access Restrictions

15-Inch Inside Spread or 18-Inch Main Beam Rule

Valid Hunting or Fishing License or a WMA/Lake Conservation Permit is Required for All Users

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Acres: 9,501

2026-27 Closed Seasons

• Alligator
• Bear

2026-27 Crow

Sept. 3, 2026-Feb. 21, 2027. Open Thursdays through Mondays only. No limit.

2026-27 Deer

Deer Archery: Sept. 26-Feb. 28.
Deer Alternative Firearms (permit required): Dec. 5-9.
Deer Modern Gun (permit required): Dec. 12-16.
Deer Modern Gun Youth Hunt (permit required): Nov. 28-29.
Deer Modern Gun Mobility-Impaired Hunt (permit required): Oct. 24-26.

WMA Deer Bag Limit: Three deer, no more than two antlered bucks (15/18 Rule applies), which may include:

• Two antlered bucks with archery,
• Three antlerless deer with archery,
• One antlered buck and one antlerless deer with alternative firearms permit,
• One antlered buck and one antlerless deer with modern gun permit,
• During youth permit hunt, youths may take two deer, one antlered buck (no antler restrictions) and one antlerless deer with permit,
• During mobility-impaired permit hunt, mobility-impaired hunters may take one antlered buck and one antlerless deer.

Deer Notes:

• 15-inch inside spread or 18-inch main beam rule.
• No dogs.
• Hunters must harvest and check a doe on Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA Deer Research Area prior to harvesting a buck.
• A youth is not required to harvest a doe before harvesting a buck during any hunt.

2026-27 Dove

Sept. 5-Oct. 25, 2026 and Dec. 8, 2026-Jan. 15, 2027

Mourning Dove and White-Winged Dove
Daily Limit – 15, possession Limit – 45

Eurasian Collared-Dove
No daily or possession limit
Eurasian Collared Doves must remain fully feathered in the field and while being transported from the field.

Dove Notes: The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission prepares a few fields each year for the opening weekend of dove season so the public has a place to enjoy this exciting form of wingshooting. Dove fields on WMAs are available on a first-come, first-served basis. WMA acreage put into dove fields is relatively small because most hunters only pursue doves the first few days of the season. However, after opening weekend of dove season, many wildlife species feed in the fields, particularly those that were top sown with winter wheat.

2026-27 Quail

Nov. 1, 2026-Feb. 7, 2027. Daily limit – 6

2026-27 Rabbit

Sept. 1, 2026-Feb. 28, 2027. Daily limit – 8

2026-27 Squirrel

May 15, 2026-Feb. 28, 2027. Dogs allowed. Daily limit – 12

2026 Bear

Bear Archery: Dec. 19-25. Season closes earlier when Bear Zone 5A quota is reached.

2027 Turkey

Firearms Hunt (permit required): April 5-7, April 10-12, April 17-19 and April 23-25. One legal turkey.

2025-26 Waterfowl

• 2025-26 Arkansas Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook
• 2025-26 Statewide Waterfowl Season Dates and Bag Limits
• 2025-26 General WMA Regulations

Waterfowl Notes:

• No airboats during duck season. (excluding the Mississippi River)

Area Notes

• Free georeferenced maps are available for this WMA and others at https://apps.agfc.com/maps/. These maps are frequently updated and include features such as parking, types of road and land boundaries.
• Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA Deer Research Area East Unit closes to deer hunting when the Mississippi River gauge at Arkansas City reaches 31 feet and remains closed until the gauge falls to 29 feet or below.
• Horses and mules are allowed only for nighttime furbearer hunting.

Ownership

AGFC

Phone

833-363-7638