SPRINGDALE, Ark. — This week the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC) voted and approved new hunting regulations and set dates for the 2024-2025 hunting seasons.
In February AGFC made public regulations they were considering and solicited feedback from the public. The agency reports that more than 36,000 individuals provided over 100,000 comments on the proposed regulation changes.
A full list of changes can be found here.
Among the more notable changes hunters will notice is the allowance of motorized duck decoys on AGFC-owned wildlife management areas (WMAs). These spinning-wing decoys simulate wing movement have been subject to debate for the last two decades. The commission banned their use statewide in 2004, before lifting the ban after four duck seasons. In 2015 the agency banned their use again on two of their WMAs, before reinstating the ban to all WMAs in 2016.
Duck hunters on all waterfowl-focused WMAs will now be subject to a 25 shotshell limit. Prior to this regulation, limits varied by WMA. AGFC says this regulation is "intended to reduce the amount of borderline shots at waterfowl, reducing the number of unrecovered birds as well as the amount of disturbance from excessive shooting."
The commission did not approve a proposed change that would limit duck hunters to one hen mallard per day, though said they wanted to wait until data from this year's Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey are available from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service came in before making a decision on bag limit reductions.
As a result of a growing bear population in Northwest Arkansas the agency also increased the archery quota for black bears in "Zone 1" from 400 to 450.
Another proposal that was not approved would have required all hunting dogs be equipped with GPS collars capable of "remote correction." The idea came after numerous complaints of hunting dogs following deer and other game animals onto private property.
The commission also set hunting season dates. They are as follow:
Deer
Early Buck Archery Hunt Sept. 7-9
Archery Deer Sept. 28-Feb. 28
Alternative Firearms (formerly muzzleloader season)
Zones 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 — Oct. 19-27 and Dec. 14-16
Zones 4A, 5A, 14 and 15 — Oct. 19-27 and Dec. 21-23
Zones 9, 12, 13, 16, 16A and 17: Oct. 19-27
Modern Gun
Zones 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11: Nov. 9-Dec. 1 and Dec. 26-28
Zones 4A, 5A, 14 and 15: Nov. 9-Dec. 8 and Dec. 26-28
Zones 4 and 5: Nov. 9-17 and Dec. 26-28
Zones 9, 12 and 13: Nov. 9-Dec. 15 and Dec. 26-28
Zones 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 9-Dec. 28
Youth Modern Gun Deer
Nov. 2-3 and Jan. 4-5
Bear
Archery (Zones 1 and 2 only)
Sept. 18-Nov. 30
Alternative Firearms (formerly muzzleloader season) (Zones 1 and 2 only)
Oct. 19-27
Special Youth Modern Gun Bear Hunt (Zones 1 and 2 only)
Nov. 2-3
Modern Gun
Bear Zones 1 and 2 — Nov. 9-30
Bear Zone 3, 4, 5, and 5A — Dec. 21-27
Waterfowl
Special Early Teal Season — Sept. 15-30
Duck, Coot and Merganser — Nov. 23-Dec. 2, Dec. 10-23 and Dec. 27, 2024-Jan. 31, 2025
Special Youth Waterfowl Hunt — Feb. 8-9, 2025
Special Active-Duty Military and Veteran Hunt — Feb. 9, 2025
White-fronted, Snow, Blue and Ross’s Goose — Oct. 26-Nov. 3, Nov. 23-Dec. 2, Dec. 10-23 and Dec. 27-Jan. 31
Canada Goose — Sept. 1-Oct. 15, Nov. 23-Dec. 2, Dec. 10-23 and Dec. 27-Jan. 31
Light Goose Conservation Order (Snow, Blue and Ross’s Goose) — Feb. 1-7, Feb. 10-April 25
Early Migratory Birds
Dove (Mourning, White-winged and Eurasian collared-dove) — Sept. 7-Oct. 27 and Dec. 8-Jan. 15
Virginia Rail and Sora — Sept. 14-Nov. 22
Common and Purple Gallinule — Sept. 1-Nov. 9
Wilson’s Snipe — Nov. 1-Feb. 15
Woodcock — Nov. 2-Dec. 16
Small Game
Quail — Nov. 1-Feb. 1
Rabbit — Sept. 1-Feb. 28
Squirrel — May 15-Feb. 28
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