New This Year
New This Year 2024-25
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission passed nearly 150 new regulations or changes to established regulations at its May 2024 meeting. The following are many of the changes that will most affect hunters in 2024-25. For changes that affect the 2024-25 waterfowl season, those will be included in the AGFC’s 2024-25 Waterfowl Guidebook.
What Do I Need to Hunt?
- Resident Adult (16 years or older): Resident hunting license excluding HNT.
- If you are on public land, the customer needs to enter the alligator draw.
- Private Land hunting requires a PLA in addition to a hunting license (PLA includes tags).
- Non-resident Adult: NBG and NRG licenses.
- No Youth can hunt for alligators.
- Resident Adult: Resident hunting license excluding HNT, and an RBT to tag their bear.
- Resident Youth: YBT to tag their bear.
- Non-resident Adult: NBG and NRB licenses.
- Non-resident Youth: YBTN to tag their bear.
- Resident Adult: Resident hunting license.
- Resident Youth: YDT to tag their deer.
- Non-resident Adult: NBG, AG5, AG3, or AG1 licenses.
- Non-resident Youth: YDTN to tag their deer.
- Resident Adult: Resident hunting license excluding HNT.
- If you are on public land, the customer needs to enter the elk draw.
- Private Land hunting requires a PLE in addition to a hunting license (PLE includes tags).
- Resident Adult and Youth: EDA to tag their draw elk.
- Resident Adult and Youth: PLE to tag their private land elk.
- Non-resident Adult: NBG and NRE licenses.
- Non-resident Youth: YETN to tag their elk.
- Resident Adult: Resident hunting license excluding HNT, and an RTT to tag their turkey.
- Resident Youth: YTT to tag their turkey.
- Non-resident Adult: NRTT license.
- Non-resident Youth: YTTN to tag their turkey.
New This Season
- Non-semiautomatic centerfire firearms (including handguns with barrels 4 inches or longer) that fire a straight-wall cartridge .30 caliber or larger and large bore air rifles (Page 50) are now allowed during alternative firearms seasons (formerly termed muzzleloader season). Lever-action rifles, singleshot
rifles, pump-action rifles and bolt-action rifles (including semiautomatic rifles that have been converted to bolt-action) are allowed. Note that shotguns with slugs are not allowed during alternative firearms season. - In Deer Zones 4 and 5, non-semiautomatic rifles chambered specifically for straight-wall centerfire cartridge cases that fire .30 caliber or larger are now allowed during modern gun deer season.
- Early buck archery hunt is established for the first Saturday-Monday in September (Sept. 7-9, 2024), on private land and on AGFC-owned or leased land WMAs (Page 68). Limit during early archery season is one buck.
- Residents must have possession of a valid Private Land Alligator Tag, Private Land Elk Tag, Resident Bear or Turkey Tag when hunting these species.
- Nonresidents may hunt deer with dogs on private and public land where it is allowed only during the final nine days of the regular modern gun deer season (not including Dec. 26-28). Nonresidents may take only one deer per year with the use of deer dogs.
- The archery quota for Bear Zone 1 has been increased to 450 bears.
- Taking a radio-collared bear is illegal.
- The quota for alligators has been increased to 67 in Zone 1 and to 89 in Zone 3.
- Tree hooks with screw threads not greater than three-eights-inch in diameter are allowed on AGFC-owned WMAs.
- Trail cameras on WMAs must have the owner’s name and address or CID visible and permanently affixed via paint, tag or permanent marker.
- Portable hunting blinds, stands or associated equipment on WMAs must be moved at least 200 yards after 14 consecutive days. Stands and blinds may not be placed on a WMA more than 14 days before deer archery season and must be removed within 14 days after the close of deer archery season.
- Dogs may not run loose on Blanchard Springs Recreation Area.
- It is unlawful to provide hunting assistance without possession of a valid hunting license (i.e., youth hunts with mentors).
- Hunters harvesting an alligator may check the alligator online rather than calling AGFC Radio Dispatch after harvest and before moving it. A U.S. Fish and Wildife Service CITES tag will be mailed to the hunter upon verification of online checking.
- Resident turkey hunters must obtain a free Resident Turkey Tag (RTT) in addition to a Resident Sportsman’s License.
- Nonresidents must possess one of the following to turkey hunt:
– A Nonresident Annual Hunting License ($410) and a Nonresident Turkey Tag ($100), or
– A Nonresident Annual Turkey License ($325), which includes a single turkey tag. - Nonresidents may only hunt elk or alligators on private land with the owner’s written consent.
- Bull elk harvest is limited to one legal bull per landowner property on private lands.
- The annual bullfrog season opening day has moved to June 1.
- Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, anyone guiding, aiding or assisting another person, for pay or other considerations, in the taking of any species of wildlife by any means in Arkansas, must have proof of at least $100,000 general liability insurance in addition to the appropriate guide license.
- All resident fishing and hunting guide license fees have increased from $25 to $250 annually (note: nonresident guide license fees increased to $500 last year).
- It is unlawful to hunt, drive, herd or harass wildlife by unmanned aerial vehicle (drone).
- Egyptian geese may be taken at any time.
- It is unlawful to hunt wildlife from a vessel, with the exception of waterfowl or alligator, and in taking frogs, fish or turtles by legal methods during open seasons.
- In addition to weapons legal for the hunting season (see pages 50-51), wounded big game may be dispatched with a legally possessed handgun no larger than .45 caliber with a barrel no longer than 6 inches.
- Cleburne, Craighead, Mississippi and Sharp counties have been added to the CWD Management Zone.
- Archery equipment that is legal for hunting now includes spears.