LITTLE ROCK — The printers are rolling full steam ahead and soon 2024-25 Arkansas Waterfowl Hunting Guidebooks will grace the checkout counters of sporting goods stores, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regional offices and AGFC nature centers throughout the state.

GUIDEBOOK
The 2024-25 AGFC Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook will be in stores soon, and a downloadable version is available now at www.agfc.com.

Don’t wait to get the latest ducky details, though; download the guidebook today at www.agfc.com. The guidebook may be downloaded to print at home or kept on your computer or laptop, and even loaded to your mobile device so it’s always available should a question arise in the field.

This season sees quite a few changes to the regulations many hunters have come to know when heading to the woods and waters of The Natural State in the last few years. The most notable change is the reinstatement of spinning-wing and other mechanically operated decoys on AGFC wildlife management areas. These decoys have been allowed on private land for the last few years, and are now allowed on WMAs. Hunters should make note that these decoys are still illegal on national wildlife refuges in the state, however.

Another liberalization for a few duck hunting-focused WMAs is the expansion of the shot shell limit from 15 to 25. To add consistency to AGFC regulations, the Commission decided to have a standard 25-shell limit and a maximum shot size of No. 2 on all WMAs where boating and access timing restrictions called “Common Restriction A” are in place.

Hunters who purchase their federal duck stamp electronically also will be able to use their electronic license as proof of purchase for the entire season, thanks to new legislation passed at the federal level and championed by U.S. Sen.John Boozman and U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas.

*WOOD DUCKS*
*Hunters may harvest up to three wood ducks as part of their six-duck daily limit in Arkansas. Photo by Mike Wintroath.*

Other notable changes include:

Tree hooks no more than 3/8-inch in diameter are now allowed on Commission-owned WMAs but must be removed daily.
Nonmotorized boat access to designated water trails is allowed from 1-6:30 p.m. during regular duck season, all day during duck season splits, and all day Nov. 18-22.
One day (Feb. 9) is available for the Veteran and Active-Duty Military Waterfowl Hunt. The two Special Youth Hunt days take place over one weekend, Feb. 8-9, 2025.
The daily bag limit for greater white-fronted geese (aka specklebellies) has been reduced from 3 to 2 for the 2024-25 season. The possession limit is 6. The greater white-fronted goose season has been reduced to 69 days and will open for nine days on Oct. 26, along with seasons for snow, blue and Ross’s geese.
The annual Resident Guide License price has been increased to $250.
The Nonresident 5-day Waterfowl Hunting Permit has been eliminated; the Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Hunting Permit 3-Day Trip (NW3) is $40, and 10 permits may be purchased by a nonresident. Nonresidents may purchase a 30-day permit ($200) to be used for 30 consecutive hunting days during regular season waterfowl hunting days. Nonresident no-hunting days have been eliminated.
Egyptian geese may be taken at any time.
Petit Jean River WMA east of Arkansas Highway 7 is open to waterfowl hunting only on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday Nov. 23-Jan. 30. All-day hunting is allowed Jan. 31.
Camp Robinson Special Use Area, except Lake Conway Nursery Pond, is open to waterfowl hunting.
Camp Robinson WMA is open to waterfowl hunting only on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday Nov. 23-Jan. 30. All-day hunting is allowed Jan. 31.
Dove hunting is allowed on J. Perry Mikles Special Use Area while field trials are being conducted.
Only boat motors with factory-installed exhaust systems may be used on the following NWRs: Cache River, Dale Bumpers White River, Felsenthal and Overflow.
Common Restriction A applies within the greentree reservoir/special regulatory area of Nimrod Lloyd Millwood WMA.
Scouting for waterfowl after 1 p.m. is prohibited on Cache River and Dale Bumpers White River NWRs.

Visit www.agfc.com to download a copy of the 2024-25 Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook.

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Code of Regulations saw more than 150 changes during the 2024 regulations process, which took place from March through July to help manage Arkansas’s game and nongame wildlife. While most of the changes were simple clarifications and tweaks to existing hunting and fishing regulations, a few major changes rewrote some of the ways in which hunters can harvest game in The Natural State.

You don’t have to wait for the printed versions to arrive at your local hunting and fishing license vendor to see all the changes; a downloadable version of the guidebook is available now at agfc.com to download and save to your phone. The current version of the guidebook also is available through the AGFC app in the Apple Store and Google Play Store.

Some notable changes that are highlighted in this year’s guidebook include:

Non-semiautomatic centerfire firearms (including handguns with barrels 4 inches or longer) that fire a straight-wall cartridge .30 caliber or larger and large bore air rifles are now allowed during alternative firearms seasons (formerly termed muzzleloader season). Note that shotguns with slugs are not allowed during alternative firearms season.
In Deer Zones 4 and 5, non-semiautomatic rifles chambered specifically for straight-wall centerfire cartridge cases that fire .30 caliber or larger are now allowed during modern gun deer season. Shotguns with slugs are allowed in Deer Zones 4 and 5 during the modern gun deer season.
An early buck archery hunt is established for the first Saturday-Monday in September (Sept. 7-9, 2024), on private land and on AGFC-owned or leased land WMAs (Page 68). The Limit during early archery season is one buck.
The Private Land Antlerless Only Modern Gun Hunt was eliminated statewide.
Nonresidents may hunt deer with dogs on private and public land where it is allowed only during the final nine days of the regular modern gun deer season (not including Dec. 26-28). Nonresidents may take only one deer per year with the use of deer dogs.
Cleburne, Craighead, Mississippi and Sharp counties have been added to the CWD Management Zone.
Archery equipment that is legal for hunting now includes spears.
In addition to weapons legal for the hunting season, wounded big game may be dispatched with a legally possessed handgun no larger than .45 caliber with a barrel no longer than 6 inches.
The archery quota for Bear Zone 1 has been increased to 450 bears.
Taking a radio-collared bear is illegal.
Tree hooks with screw threads not greater than three-eights-inch in diameter are now allowed on AGFC-owned WMAs.
Trail cameras on WMAs must have the owner’s name and address or CID visible and permanently affixed via paint, tag or permanent marker.
Portable hunting blinds, stands or associated equipment on WMAs must be moved at least 200 yards after 14 consecutive days. Stands and blinds may not be placed on a WMA more than 14 days before deer archery season and must be removed within 14 days after the close of deer archery season.
It is unlawful to provide hunting assistance without possession of a valid hunting license (i.e., youth hunts with mentors).
Hunters harvesting an alligator may check the alligator online rather than calling AGFC Radio Dispatch after harvest and before moving it. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service CITES tag will be mailed to the hunter upon verification of online checking.
Resident turkey hunters must obtain a free Resident Turkey Tag (RTT) in addition to a Resident Sportsman’s License.
Nonresidents must possess one of the following to turkey hunt:
- A Nonresident Annual Hunting License ($410) and a Nonresident Turkey Tag ($100), or
- A Nonresident Annual Turkey License ($325), which includes a single turkey tag.
Anyone guiding, aiding or assisting another person, for pay or other considerations, in the taking of any species of wildlife by any means in Arkansas, must have proof of at least $100,000 general liability insurance in addition to the appropriate guide license.
All resident fishing and hunting guide license fees have increased from $25 to $250 annually (note: nonresident guide license fees increased to $500 last year).
It is unlawful to hunt, drive, herd or harass wildlife by unmanned aerial vehicle (drone).
Egyptian geese may be taken at any time.
It is unlawful to hunt wildlife from a vessel, with the exception of waterfowl or alligator, and in taking frogs, fish or turtles by legal methods during open seasons.

Additional changes were made to that impact waterfowl hunters, which will be highlighted in the 2024-25 Waterfowl Hunting Guidebook available this fall, the most notable of which is the reinstatement of spinning-wing decoys on AGFC-owned and managed wildlife management areas. Spinning-wing decoys still are not allowed on Federal Wildlife Refuges for the 2024-25 Arkansas waterfowl season.

Statewide 2024 Deer Season Opening Days:

Early Buck Archery Season (private land and some WMAs) — Sept. 7-9
Regular Archery Season — Sept. 28
Alternative Firearms (formerly Muzzleloader) Season — Oct. 19
Modern Gun Season — Nov. 9
Special Youth Modern Gun Hunts — Nov. 2-3 and Jan. 4-5
Private Land Antlerless-only Modern Gun Hunt — CLOSED

Visit www.agfc.com/guidebooks for downloadable versions of all AGFC hunting and fishing regulations guidebooks.

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