Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules & Regulations
Waterfowl Hunting Regulations
Migratory bird hunters in Arkansas 16 or older are required to carry proof of Arkansas Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration when hunting ducks, geese, doves, coots, woodcock, snipe, rails or gallinules. HIP registration should be completed when purchasing a license at any Arkansas Game and Fish Commission office or online.
Hunting on WMAs Ends at Noon
Shooting is allowed from 30 minutes before sunrise and ends at noon during regular duck season except where noted in WMA-specific details. Waterfowl hunting is allowed 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset on the last day of regular duck season and during the Youth and Special Active Duty Military and Veteran Waterfowl Hunts on all WMAs.
Waterfowl Hunter WMA Access Times
Waterfowl hunters must be off water-inundated areas or natural/man-made water courses by 1 p.m. (by noon on Dave Donaldson Black River WMA and George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto WMA) during regular duck season except where noted in WMA-specific details. Waterfowl hunters must be off water-inundated areas or natural/man-made water courses by 6:30 p.m. on the last day of regular duck season and during the Youth and Special Active Duty Military and Veteran Waterfowl Hunts on all WMAs.
Sept. 20-28, 2025*
Daily Limit – 6 (blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal combined)
Possession Limit – 18
*Shooting hours begin at sunrise
Nov. 22-Dec. 1, 2025
Dec. 10-23, 2025
Dec. 27, 2025-Jan. 31, 2026
Duck daily bag limit – 6, which may include no more than:
4 mallards (2 hens), 1 scaup, 3 wood ducks, 3 pintails, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 2 black ducks, 1 mottled duck. If not listed, up to 6 ducks of a species (including teal) may be taken.
Coot daily bag limit – 15.
Merganser daily bag limit – 5, which may include no more than 2 hooded mergansers.
Possession limit for ducks, coots and mergansers is three times the daily bag limit.
Feb. 7-8, 2026
On these days, youths 15 and younger may harvest ducks, geese, coots and mergansers. Youths who have not completed a hunter education course must be accompanied by a mentor 21 or older. Mentors may not hunt, but may call waterfowl. Shooting hours and bag limits are the same as the regular duck and goose seasons. Youth hunters can hunt on wildlife management areas 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset these two days. WMA General Use Permits are not required for youth hunters.
Feb. 7-8, 2026
On this day members of active duty military and military veterans may harvest ducks, geese, coots and mergansers. Active duty military includes members of the National Guard and Reserves on active duty (other than for training). Veterans must have served in active military, naval, air service or Reserves and National Guard on Title 32 orders in a combat zone and must have been discharged or released under Honorable conditions. Hunters will need to have an active hunting license and stamps and one of the following or copy during the hunt: DD214, Veteran Benefit Card, Retired Military I.D., Veteran Hunting License (VLF, VLH, VLC2 or VLL2) or Military I.D. card. Shooting hours and bag limits are the same as regular duck and goose seasons. Hunters may hunt on wildlife management areas from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset on this day. WMA General Use Permits are required.
Sept. 1-Oct. 15, 2025
Daily bag limit – 5
Possession limit – 15
Nov. 22-Dec. 1, 2025
Dec. 10-23, 2025
Dec. 27, 2025-Jan. 31, 2026
Daily bag limit – 2
Possession limit – 6
Oct. 25-Nov. 2, 2025
Nov. 22-Dec. 1, 2025
Dec. 10-23, 2025
Dec. 27, 2025-Jan. 31, 2026
Daily bag limit – 2
Possession limit – 6
Oct. 25-Nov. 2, 2025
Nov. 22-Dec. 1, 2025
Dec. 10-23, 2025
Dec. 27, 2025-Jan. 31, 2026
Daily bag limit – 20
No possession limit
Feb. 1-6, 2026
Feb. 9-April 25, 2026
Bag Limit – None
Go to Light Goose Conservation Order page for special regulations.
Hunting on Wildlife Management Areas
A free annual WMA General Use Permit is required to hunt or trap on all WMAs. Permits are available online at agfc.com, or by calling 833-345-0325 and most regional offices.
WATERFOWL GUIDES
It is illegal for waterfowl hunters to be guided for pay or other compensation on wildlife management areas, special use areas or national wildlife refuges. Both hunters and guides are subject to penalties.
HUNTING ENDS AT NOON
Except where noted on pages 45-54 of the waterfowl guidebook, waterfowl hunters on WMAs may only shoot from 30 minutes before sunrise until noon from Nov. 22-Jan. 30 (see Page 5 for sunrise-sunset chart). Waterfowl hunting is allowed 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset Jan. 31 as well as Feb. 7-8 (Special Youth Hunts and Special Active-Duty Military and Veteran Waterfowl Hunts) on WMAs.
WATERFOWL HUNTER WMA ACCESS TIMES
Waterfowl hunters must be off water-inundated areas or natural/man-made water courses by 1 p.m. (by noon on Dave Donaldson Black River WMA and George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto WMA) from Nov. 22-Jan. 30. Waterfowl hunters must be off water-inundated areas or natural/man-made water courses by 6:30 p.m. Jan. 31 and Feb. 7-8.
NO EQUIPMENT LEFT OVERNIGHT
Waterfowl decoys, dog stands and platforms may not be left overnight on WMAs, SUAs or wildlife demonstration areas, including river channels within exterior boundaries of WMAs. Boats in staging areas must be occupied, except slough boats at Dave Donaldson Black River WMA, which may be left at slough boat access points.
VEGETATION DESTRUCTION PROHIBITED
On Commission-owned WMAs, it is illegal to use or posses chemical defoliants, chainsaws, handsaws, hatchets, axes, weed trimmers or other cutting devices. Exceptions include hunting knives, pocketknives and pocket saws; campers in designated camping areas; and trappers using hatchets during trapping season.
PERMANENT DUCK BLINDS
It is illegal to build, erect or hunt from a duck blind (any structure fabricated from metal, lumber, wire, nylon or other building materials) which is not removed or torn down each day at the end of shooting hours. This applies to all WMAs including river channels within exterior boundaries of WMAs.
Exception: Blinds provided by the AGFC during Special Waterfowl Permit Hunts.
TREE HOOKS ALLOWED
Tree hooks with screw threads not greater than 3/8-inch in diameter are allowed on Commission-owned WMAs.
SPECIAL YOUTH, ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY AND VETERAN HUNTS
Hunting is allowed for only youths 15 and under as well as members of active-duty military and military veterans Feb. 7-8, 2026. All participants during these hunts have no shot shell limits on
WMAs and may hunt from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset on WMAs. Nonresident Waterfowl WMA permits are not required for this hunt.
NONTOXIC SHOT REQUIRED
Federally approved nontoxic shot is required for ducks, geese and mergansers statewide. It is required for ALL migratory bird hunting on the following WMAs: Bell Slough, Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita, Big Lake, Camp Robinson, Cut-Off Creek, Cypress Bayou, Dave Donaldson Black River, Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois d’Arc, Earl Buss Bayou DeView, Ed Gordon Point Remove, Frog Bayou, Galla Creek, George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto, Harris Brake, Henry Gray Hurricane Lake,
Petit Jean River, Rex Hancock Black Swamp, Seven Devils, Steve N. Wilson Raft Creek Bottoms, Sheffield Nelson Dagmar, Shirey Bay Rainey Brake, and Sulphur River WMAs.
Nonresidents need a Arkansas nonresident hunting license, a valid Arkansas waterfowl stamp ($50, DSN), a Federal Duck Stamp, HIP registration and either a 3-day Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Hunting Permit (NW3) or 30-day Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Hunting Permit (NW30) to hunt waterfowl on all wildlife management areas.
The 3-day permit costs $40 (with purchase up to 10 permits allowed), the 30-day permit costs $200, and both are valid on all open regular season waterfowl hunt days. The 30-day permit must be used consecutively. ALL HUNTERS will also need a free WMA General Use permit (WMP) when hunting on any WMA.
It is unlawful to operate a boat in any manner that is hazardous to persons or property on any part of a WMA or NWR including ramps, structures, boat lanes or other areas.
Examples of illegal boating practices include:
- Weaving through congested vessel traffic.
- Jumping the wake of another vessel too close to such other vessel.
- Operating a vessel when visibility is obstructed.
- Moving at a speed that exceeds the safe and reasonable limits under the circumstances or that creates a hazardous wash or wake upon approaching or passing vessels.
- Inattentive operation.
- Failure to keep a proper lookout.
- Failure to observe navigation rules.
- Swerving at the last possible moment to avoid collision where correction reasonably could
have been made earlier. - Operating while intoxicated or under the influence of any narcotic drug, barbiturate, or marijuana or while under any physical or mental disability so as to be incapable of operating safely under the circumstances.
- Colliding with, striking or bumping another vessel, object or person.
- Otherwise operating a vessel in a manner that endangers life, limb or property.
- Impeding the normal and reasonable movement of boating traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with regulations.
- With the exception of meeting oncoming boats, all boating traffic must proceed in single-file with no passing allowed, exception when boats have exited the current direction of travel or are no longer under power.
- All boating traffic on a WMA or NWR must maintain a minimum distance of 100 feet (approximately 6-boat lengths) between boats.
Any person found guilty of negligent operation (unintentional hazardous operation) may be fined $250 to $2,500, may be sentenced up to 60 days in jail and will be prohibited from accessing any WMA for one year from date of conviction.
Any person found guilty of reckless operation (intentional hazardous operation) may be fined $750 to $7,500, may be sentenced up to 180 days in jail, will be prohibited from accessing any WMA or NWR for one year from date of conviction and lose hunting and fishing privileges statewide for a minimum of one year from the date of conviction.
