Arkansas Hunting License: Cost & NR Trips (2026)

Arkansas's hunting license year runs July 1 through June 30. The cornerstone of Arkansas licensing is the Resident Sportsman's Hunting license at $25 — one of the most affordable full-privilege licenses in the South. It includes all game species plus 6 deer tags and 2 turkey tags bundled at no additional cost. Residents wanting a simpler option can purchase the Wildlife Conservation license ($10.50) which covers small game and 1 deer tag. Seniors 65+ pay just $3.50 for the same Sportsman's privileges. A Resident Lifetime Sportsman's license is available for a one-time $500 payment.

Non-residents pay $410 for an annual license (includes 6 deer tags) or can opt for short-stay licenses: $225 for 5 days (2 deer tags), $175 for 3 days (1 deer tag), or $100 for a single day (1 deer tag). These short-term NR options make Arkansas attractive for out-of-state deer and duck hunters who want a focused multi-day trip without committing to a full annual license. Arkansas elk tags cost $15 resident / $500 NR through a very limited draw in the Buffalo River area — one of the few elk herds in the mid-South.

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 is included with the resident Sportsman's license at no extra cost; NR bear permits cost $15. Arkansas's $25 resident all-inclusive license makes it one of the highest-value state licenses in the country relative to included species and tags.

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 (free), and Arkansas licenses. Arkansas does not charge a separate state waterfowl stamp — all waterfowl hunting is covered by the standard hunting license. 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.