Arkansas Hunting License 2026: Cost, Deer Tags & NR Trips

Arkansas's hunting license year runs July 1 through June 30. The core adult resident choice is the Resident Sportsman's Hunting license at $25. It includes all game species plus 6 deer tags and 2 turkey tags bundled into that license path. Residents wanting a smaller package can purchase the Wildlife Conservation license for $10.50, which covers small game and 1 deer tag. Seniors 65+ pay $3.50 for the same core Sportsman's privileges. Arkansas also lists a nonexpiring lifetime resident hunting and fishing sportsman's permit at $1,000.

Non-residents pay $410 for an annual hunting license that includes 6 deer tags. Short-stay non-resident licenses are also listed: $225 for 5 days with 2 deer tags, $175 for 3 days with 1 deer tag, or $100 for a single day with 1 deer tag. Those short-term options matter for out-of-state deer or duck trips because the lower price also changes the included tag count. Arkansas lists a nonresident private-land elk permit at $300, while public elk opportunity remains limited and should be checked hunt-by-hunt.

Hunter education is required for hunters born on or after January 1, 1969. The free online course includes a mandatory in-person skills session. Youth under 16 must be accompanied by a licensed adult on public land. Arkansas offers a Youth Mentored Hunting Program allowing unsupervised hunting at 16 with completed education. Disabled veterans with service-connected disability receive free licenses. Bear hunting still sits inside the broader Arkansas license and permit rules, so confirm the current species page before treating any add-on as included.

Arkansas deer limits and tag counts depend on license type and deer zone. The resident Sportsman's license includes the standard six-deer tag package, while short-term nonresident deer licenses include fewer tags. Antler restrictions also vary by zone and WMA. The archery season opens September 27, followed by muzzleloader and modern gun seasons, with additional late antlerless opportunities in some zones.

Chronic Wasting Disease management in Arkansas involves CWD zones and county-specific rules. Sampling requirements, carcass movement restrictions, and antler-rule changes can differ by zone and season. Hunters planning to pursue deer in CWD-listed counties should review the current AGFC CWD map and transport rules before the season rather than relying on a fixed county list.

The Arkansas delta, Mississippi River bottomlands, Ozark National Forest, Ouachita National Forest, and AGFC Wildlife Management Areas all provide different deer-hunting access patterns. Private-land access, WMA permit rules, flood conditions, and deer-zone regulations can change the practical opportunity from one area to another. Elk hunting in the Buffalo National River corridor remains a separate limited-draw opportunity and should not be treated as a routine deer-license add-on.

Arkansas is widely known as the duck hunting capital of the world — Stuttgart, Arkansas has held this designation for generations. The Grand Prairie rice farming region of eastern Arkansas provides ideal waste-grain habitat that attracts millions of mallards during the winter migration. Arkansas lies at the heart of the Mississippi Flyway, the most heavily traveled waterfowl migration corridor in North America. The White River National Wildlife Refuge, Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area, and Cache River NWR collectively manage hundreds of thousands of acres of bottomland hardwood and flooded timber — among the most productive public duck hunting in the country.

Waterfowl hunters need the Federal Duck Stamp ($25), HIP certification, the Arkansas hunting license, and the Arkansas Waterfowl Stamp where required. The state waterfowl stamp is listed separately for residents and nonresidents, so duck hunters should price the license and stamp together rather than treating the base license as the full checkout cost. The primary duck season runs from late November through late January, typically structured as two zones (North and South) with slightly different dates to accommodate migration patterns. Mallards dominate the harvest, but pintail, teal, gadwall, wigeon, and wood duck all contribute significantly to the state's waterfowl harvest. An early teal season in September provides additional opportunity.

Dove hunting is equally prominent in Arkansas, with the state's agricultural fields — corn, sunflower, milo, and rice stubble — drawing large September dove concentrations. The dove season opens September 1 and runs in three splits through January 15. Arkansas residents hunt dove year-round on private fields managed under specific AGFC dove field regulations. Quail hunting, while in decline statewide due to habitat loss, remains viable in the southwest Arkansas pine hills and select management areas where bobwhite quail habitat is actively managed. Turkey hunting (2 spring tags included in Sportsman's license) provides excellent opportunity in both the Ozark Mountains and the delta bottoms.