When Is Arkansas Duck Season? Here's Your Guide

With over 100 wildlife management areas, a rich duck hunting culture, and various mixed agriculture to hunt, this is a must-visit for all bird hunters.

But before you head out, it's crucial to familiarize yourself with the regulations, season dates, and preparation tips to ensure a safe and successful hunt. 

Arkansas Duck Hunting Season Dates

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) allocates and administers the Arkansas duck hunting regulations, establishing seasons to manage the bird numbers and ecological balance. 

The general duck season typically runs in three stages: late November, December, and late January. However, these are to serve as a guideline, and it's essential always to check the current year dates to ensure compliance and legality when duck hunting. 

The 2024 dates are as follows: 

• Duck, coot, and merganser: November 23 – December 2, December 10 – 23, and December 27 – January 31
   
• Special Youth Waterfowl Hunts: To encourage and promote the sport of hunting, a special youth hunt will take place Feb. 8-9, 2025, in which youth hunters (ages 15 and younger ) can harvest duck, coot, and merganser.
   
• Veteran Hunts: On February 9, 2025, members of active duty military and military veterans may harvest ducks, geese, coots, and mergansers.

During the Youth Hunt, youth who have yet to complete a hunter education course must be accompanied by a mentor who is 21 or older. Mentors are not allowed to hunt during this time. 

Regulations and Requirements 

All hunters hunting during the Arkansas duck season must have a hunting license, which can be purchased at any Arkansas Game and Fish Commission office or online.

Hunters born on or after January 1, 1969, will also need a hunter education certificate before purchasing a license. 

Additionally, hunters will require proof of Arkansas Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration and a wildlife management area (WMA) use permit if hunting one of these zones. Additional stamps, such as a state and federal duck stamp, may be required in some seasons.

Daily Limits and Restrictions

How many ducks can you harvest this season? While enjoying your hunt, pay close attention to bag and possession limits.

Bag Limits 

The bag limits for 2024 are:

• Duck: The daily bag limit is 6, which may include no more than four mallards (2 hens), one scaup, three wood ducks, one pintail, two redheads, two canvasbacks, two black ducks, and one mottled duck. If not listed, up to 6 ducks of a species (including teal) may be taken.
   
• Coot: 15
   
• Merganser: The daily bag limit is 5, which may include no more than two hooded mergansers.

Additionally, the possession limit for ducks, coots, and mergansers is three times the daily bag limit.

Shooting Hours

Shooting hours are generally an hour from sunrise to sunset.

For the 2024 season, shooting is permitted 30 minutes before sunrise and ending at noon during regular duck season (except when specified in WMA-specific regulations). Waterfowl hunting is allowed 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset on the last day of the regular season and during all WMAs' Youth, Active-Duty military, and Veteran Hunt days. 

How to Prepare for a Successful Duck Hunt

With dates and bag limits in mind, you're ready to hunt! Here's what you can do while you wait for opening day.

Start Scouting

Pre-season scouting is essential to preparing for an Arkansas waterfowl hunt, mainly due to the region's popularity and subsequent hunting pressure in popular areas. 

With the HuntWise app, go deep on high-value duck hunting areas focusing on:

• Local vegetation and high vegetative areas
• Bodies of water
• Established migration routes
• Human proximity and activity in the area
• Terrain and topography 

Consider birds' movement throughout the day, mainly when they rest, roost, and feed, and plot these potential zones on your HuntWise map. To find the best times for hunting ducks, use insights such as weather patterning and predictions. 

Gather Your Gear

Waterfowl hunting can be gear and accessory-intensive, but it's good to start with the basics and build from there.

Build a kit that includes decoys, calls, boats, your favorite shotgun, and any other essential gear you need. 

A Successful Arkansas Duck Season Starts With HuntWise 

Staying on top of season dates, regulations, and licensing requirements is fundamental to a safe, legal, and fun hunt. To ensure you're prepared for the Arkansas duck season and ready to tag out on the water, download the HuntWise app.

With animal predictive technology, map layering, scouting, wind and weather insights, and more, you'll be prepared for whatever the season throws your way. It's the best hunting app to make the most of the Arkansas duck season this year.

If you don't have the app, download it now and start scouting. Explore HuntWise – free – for your first week!