These regulations change yearly and vary depending on where you’re located in the state. Arkansas is divided into several units with different bag limits and season dates. Where you’re hunting is the unit that matters as far as hunting goes – not the unit your address is in. Luckily, hunting in Arkansas is much easier than in other states. Keep reading for more information on licensing, bag limits, and other essential information.
Hunting Licenses and Other Requirements
To hunt in Arkansas, everyone aged 16 or older needs a hunting license. You must carry a printed license, hard card, or electronic license with you when hunting. If asked, you must provide this license to state officials. Hunting without the appropriate license is one of the biggest hunting violations in Arkansas, so be sure you get one. Purchasing a license is pretty straightforward. You can go to the state’s website or purchase a license online. You can set your license to automatically renew each year. This method prevents you from accidentally hunting without a valid license. If you hunt regularly, it is highly recommended. There are resident and non-resident licenses. Ensure that you fit the resident category before hunting with a resident license, as this is against the law. To be a resident, you must have lived in the state for the previous 60 days. Full-time students and residents who are full-time students in another state are eligible. Hunting licenses for disabled individuals are available. You must have proof of 100% disability to qualify, and these licenses are less expensive than others. However, you must still purchase the required permits and stamps.
Hunter Education
You must take a hunter education course if you were born after 1968. Once completed, you’ll receive a hunter education card. Most people need to present this card to get their hunting license. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For instance, hunters under 16 do not need a card as long as they are supervised by an adult aged 21 years or older. This adult must remain close to the minor to ensure safety regulations are followed. You can also receive one Deferred Hunted Education Code, which allows you to get a license without undergoing the hunter education course. You can only use this code for one year. Therefore, you’ll need to take the course for the following year. Those who take this route must be under the direct supervision of a 21-year-old or older hunter. This hunter must have completed the hunter education course or be otherwise exempt. Furthermore, you must not have been convicted for a prior hunter education certificate violation.
Types of Licenses
There are many types of licenses in Arkansas, and they all allow hunters to do slightly different things. Luckily, only a few of them have anything to do with deer hunting. The biggest tag is the Combination Sportsman’s License. Simply put, this license allows the hunter to do almost anything, including hunting deer. Six deer tags are included with this license, as well as two turkey tags. The Resident Sportsman’s License allows hunters to take the total bag limit of deer, as well as hunt other furbearers. Six deer tags are also included with this license. The Resident Wildlife Conservation License is much cheaper than these other two options. However, it only comes with one deer tag. You’ll have to purchase other deer tags separately. Some individuals will also need to pick up the WMA General Use Permit, which is free. This permit allows the holder to hunt on all WMAs. Non-resident options for most of these permits are available. However, they are typically timed and much more expensive. You can also purchase lifetime licenses for most of the above types. Of course, they are considerably more expensive. However, they do not need to be renewed at any point.
Violations and the Point System
Arkansas uses a point system to keep track of violations. Once a certain number of points are reached, the individual’s license will be suspended for a certain period. Different crimes have different point values depending on how they are classified. Minor crimes only add 6 points, while very major crimes add 99. Once the hunter hits 18 points, their license is suspended for a year. 25 points suspends the license for two years. In this way, the point system continues until you reach 99 points. At this point, your license is suspended for 7 years. This is on top of any fines or even jail time that is required, as well. All points stay on the license for five years. At that point, they expire (unless you were suspended due to the point accumulation). Arkansas is a member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. Simply put, they report violators to other states. Therefore, if you lose your ability to hunt in Arkansas, you may also lose your ability to hunt in other states.
Regulations and Hunting Laws
There are laws in Arkansas that affect what you can and cannot do while hunting. These laws have to be followed by all hunters, on top of the species-specific laws we’ll discuss below. However, it’s important to keep these in mind, too, as they also affect deer hunters. Firstly, you cannot use any natural deer urine or lures that contain natural ingredients. This law is due to the possibility of disease transfer in these lures. You may only hunt 30 minutes to sunrise to 30 minutes to sunset. When it is dark outside, you may not pursue or shoot any deer. The only exception is if you have already hit a deer and are tracking the animal. However, keep in mind that having a firearm in the woods may be considered “hunting” no matter your intent. When hunting, you may not shine an artificial light from a road, street, or highway. Spotlighting is illegal. If you have possession of wildlife taken by someone else, you must have a signed note that contains identifying information. If you don’t, it may be assumed that you took the deer illegally. You cannot hunt swimming deer. You can also not drive deer into the water or hunt from a watercraft. Deer may not be baited in normal circumstances. However, you can bait deer in CWD management area on private land and hunt over that bait. It is against the law to waste any portion of edible meat. Therefore, after hunting a deer, you must remove all edible meat from the animal. Furthermore, you must also keep any item that has marketable value. Only deer killed due to nuisance wildlife regulations are exempt from these policies. Before hunting on private land, you must receive permission from the landowner, including pursuing wildlife. Trespassing is still trespassing, even when you are hunting. Written permission is recommended. However, you do not necessarily need written permission if you are related to the landowner. Hunters who own property may hunt on their own property. However, you must obtain permission from anyone living in a dwelling that is 150 yards from where you’re hunting.
Hunting Equipment Regulations
There are also specific regulations for hunting equipment. Only certain weapons and ammunition types are allowed.
Archery
All recurve, longbows, and compound bows must have a draw weight of at least 35 pounds. You can use mechanical spring releases, scopes, and string locks. When hunting deer, the arrowhead must be at least 7/8″ wide. These arrowheads may not contain ammunition or poison. Crossbows may be used, as well. They must have a 125-pound pound at least and a mechanical safety. You can use a scope, as well. The same arrow requirements apply as with other bow types. You cannot use arrows moved by a compressed air system, explosives, or combustion.
Muzzleloaders
When used for deer hunting, muzzleloader rifles must have an 18″ barrel and be .40 caliber at a minimum. You may use magnifying sights. The buckshot utilized must be larger than size four. Muzzleloading handguns may also be used. They must have a barrel of at least 9″ and be .45 caliber if they shoot conical bullets. The handgun must be at least .530 caliber if round bullets are used. All muzzleloading weapons must meet the definition of a muzzleloader. In other words, it must use a percussion cap, primer, electronic pulse, or flint. The bullet must be loaded through the muzzle, and the weapon must not fire a cartridge.
Modern Guns
Practically all modern guns can be utilized for deer hunting. However, there are a few exceptions. You may not use these firearms:
buckshot smaller than size 4buckshot utilized in a .410 shotgunfull-metal jacketed, military, or rimfire cartridgeshandguns with barrels shorter than 4″centerfire rifles or handguns smaller than .22 caliber
Season-Specific Weapon Regulations
Only certain weapons can be utilized during certain seasons. Therefore, you must be aware of which season you are hunting in and which weapon you can utilize during that season. Practically all weapons that meet the above requirements can be used during the modern gun season. This includes archery equipment. You may only use muzzleloaders and archery equipment during muzzleloader seasons. During archery season, only archery equipment can be utilized.
Hunter Orange Clothing Requirements
During the modern gun and muzzleloading season, hunters must wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange, blaze, or chartreuse. These colors must be above the waist, and a head garment must be included.
Deer Bag Limits
Arkansas has a statewide bag limit of six deer, of which only two can be antlered. You can fulfill this bag limit in various ways in different seasons. However, you must abide by season-specific bag limits, as well. You can take up to your bag limit in any combination of zones or methods. You can also hunt in multiple zones in each season, as long as each zone-specific bag limit for that season is not exceeded. Antler point restrictions on any bag limits do not apply to youth hunters between 6 and 15.
Checking and Tagging a Deer
You have to report any deer you kill as soon as it is harvested. This must occur before the deer is moved. You can report the deer using the state’s website, via the phone, or through the mobile app. This option is the easiest and most straightforward, so it is the one we recommend. However, you can also tag your deer in a traditional manner. To do this, fill out the deer tag on your license. The tag must be filled out legibly and in ink. You can use a plain piece of paper to make a tag, as well. Once all the information is filled out, you’ll need to fasten the tag to the antler or ear of the deer. Until the deer is at its point of final storage, this information must stay with the deer. At any point, the deer may be separated into multiple pieces. However, you must make a new tag to stay with each part of the deer at all times. You can then use the mobile app, phone line, or website to check the deer within 12 hours. Be sure to record the number on your game tag. You must not remove evidence of the animal’s sex. Deer can be quartered, but the head must remain with the other portions of the deer.
Chronic Wasting Disease in Arkansas
CWD is a serious and fatal condition affecting all deer and elk family members. This disease affects the brain and is similar to “mad cow disease” in cattle, so the animals will have similar symptoms. This illness is caused by damaged proteins that build up in the brain. Because they are damaged, the body cannot get rid of them as usual. These proteins accumulate throughout the whole animal. However, they are particularly concentrated in the nervous system, such as the brain and spinal cords. Heavy concentrations are also found in the lymph nodes. It takes a while for the damaged proteins to build up. The animal can act normally for a year or so after being infected. However, the disease always progresses and is fatal. Animals often die soon after symptoms begin to exhibit. Often, the deer will act abnormally, have no fear, and have motor difficulties. CWD cannot spread to humans, pets, or livestock currently. However, it is not unheard of for diseases to jump species barriers after mutating. Therefore, consuming infected meat isn’t recommended. You should also use gloves and PPE when handling deer. Avoid handling parts of the nervous system, as proteins often build up in this area. Remember, infected deer will act normally for a long time after infection. Therefore, most deer that appear infected don’t look sick. CWD has been found throughout Arkansas, despite only first being detected in 2016. Diseased deer being transported into healthy areas is a major reason for its spread. The proteins can survive a long time in the ground. Therefore, once the disease is in an area, it is nearly impossible to remove. For this reason, controlling CWD involves preventing its spread. To do this, the transportation of carcasses is restricted, baiting is banned, and steps are taken to reduce deer densities. Of course, getting deer checked for CWD is a vital part of controlling the disease. For this reason, the state recommends that all deer hunters get their carcasses checked for the disease before eating any of the meat. In some cases, testing may be a requirement. There are many ways to take part in testing. You can drop off deer at one of the several refrigerated containers throughout the CWD area. Deer submitted at these locations are tested for free. Many taxidermists also test deer for free if you use their other services. Many ADFC offices have the ability to test deer. You should call ahead to ensure that there is a biologist in the office that can collect the sample. You can also have a local vet test the carcass for CWD. However, this usually comes with a fee.
