Arkansas Duck Hunting 2026: Season Dates, WMA Permits, License Costs & Complete Guide

Arkansas duck season in 2026-27 runs in three segments: November 21–29, December 10–23, and December 26, 2026 – January 31, 2027. The veteran, active-duty, and youth hunt is February 6–7, 2027. Nonresidents hunting AGFC wildlife management areas need a $50 state waterfowl stamp plus a 3-day ($40) or 30-day ($200) WMA waterfowl permit. Nonresidents cannot hunt Dave Donaldson Black River WMA during the first segment. Always confirm at AGFC.

• Segment 1: November 21–29, 2026
• Segment 2: December 10–23, 2026
• Segment 3: December 26, 2026 – January 31, 2027
• Youth, veterans, and active duty: February 6–7, 2027
• Nonresidents closed at Black River WMA November 21–29

Quick Facts: Arkansas Duck 2026-27

Season dates above are from the AGFC commission action of April 16, 2026. The public dates page still shows the 2025-26 table in places. WMA maps for the new non-motorized zones were scheduled to post on AGFC.com before the season. Confirm the 2026-27 waterfowl guidebook before you travel.

Why Arkansas for Ducks

Arkansas is the spiritual home of American duck hunting tradition. The Arkansas Delta and Grand Prairie — flooded rice and soybean fields beside green-timber hardwoods — have drawn duck hunters for more than a century. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission manages some of the most storied public waterfowl grounds in the country, including George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto WMA and Dave Donaldson Black River WMA.

The state sits at a pinch point in the Mississippi Flyway where mallards stack up on winter pushes. Flooded pin oak flats holding feeding mallards are still available on public land, which is why these WMAs fill up.

The tradeoff for 2026-27 is access. Overcrowding on the flagship WMAs led AGFC to add non-motorized boat zones, new permit-hunt units, and a first-time nonresident closure at Black River WMA for the opening segment. Read those rules before you book travel.

When Is Arkansas Duck Season in 2026-27?

Arkansas runs one statewide regular duck season in three segments:

The breaks between segments spread pressure and line up with mallard pushes behind northern cold fronts.

Goose Seasons

• Canada Goose: September 1 – October 15, 2026, then November 21–29, December 10–23, and December 26, 2026 – January 31, 2027
• White-fronted Goose: October 31 – November 8, 2026, then the same three duck segments
• Snow, Blue, and Ross's Goose: October 31 – November 8, 2026, then the same three duck segments

Youth, Veteran, and Active-Duty Hunt

February 6–7, 2027. AGFC’s standing rule allows youths 15 and younger, plus active-duty military and veterans, to hunt ducks, geese, coots, and mergansers. Shooting hours and bag limits match the regular seasons. On WMAs that weekend, hunting runs from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset, shot-shell limits are waived, and the nonresident WMA waterfowl permit is not required. Youths who have not completed hunter education need a mentor 21 or older. Mentors may call. They may not hunt ducks, geese, coots, or mergansers.

AGFC also set 2027-28 to follow the same days of the week, with only calendar-creep adjustments. Commissioners described those 2027-28 dates as planning placeholders they may revisit after this season.

What Changed on Arkansas WMAs for 2026-27?

AGFC approved this package in April 2026 to cut crowding and hunter conflict on popular waterfowl WMAs.

Nonresident Restriction at Black River WMA

Nonresidents may not hunt waterfowl at Dave Donaldson Black River WMA during Segment 1 (November 21–29, 2026). Nonresidents can still hunt Black River during Segments 2 and 3 with the normal license stack and WMA permit.

Non-Motorized Boat Zones

• New non-motorized-boat-only areas on portions of George H. Dunklin Bayou Meto WMA, Dave Donaldson Black River WMA, and Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA
• All of Galla Creek WMA is non-motorized boat only

AGFC said maps of those zones would be published on AGFC.com as the season approaches. Use the current-year map, not last year’s.

New Permit Hunt Areas

• Permit waterfowl hunts at Prairie Bayou WMA, Buckingham Flats Greentree Reservoir on Bayou Meto WMA, and the Wiville West Unit of Rex Hancock Black Swamp WMA
• Beginning in 2027-28, permit hunts extend to all moist-soil units on Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA

Light Goose Conservation Order

A valid Arkansas hunting license and state duck stamp are now required for the light goose conservation order.

What Is the Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Hunting Permit?

A nonresident hunting license does not authorize WMA waterfowl hunting by itself. During regular duck season, nonresidents hunting waterfowl on AGFC wildlife management areas also need one of these permits:

• 3-day permit (NW3): $40. Up to 10 permits per season. Valid on open regular-season waterfowl days.
• 30-day permit (NW30): $200. The 30 days must be used consecutively.

The permit is not required on private land. It is also not required for the February 6–7 youth, veteran, and active-duty hunt.

Every hunter on any WMA, resident or nonresident, also needs the free WMA General Use Permit (WMP). Youth hunters are exempt from the WMP on the special youth days.

Off-Water Times

During regular duck season, waterfowl hunters must be off water-inundated areas and natural or man-made watercourses by:

• 1:00 p.m. on most WMAs
• Noon at Dave Donaldson Black River WMA and George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto WMA
• 6:30 p.m. on the last day of the regular season and during the February 6–7 special hunt

Several WMAs, including Bayou Meto, also limit hunters to 15 shotshells of No. 2 or smaller during the regular season. That shell cap is waived on the special youth, veteran, and active-duty hunt. Guiding is prohibited on Commission-owned or controlled WMAs.

What Licenses and Stamps Do You Need?

A duck-only nonresident who hunts private land can use the $80 5-day or $110 annual small-game license plus the $50 stamp and Federal Duck Stamp. Add $40 or $200 if the hunt is on an AGFC WMA. The $410 annual license is the one that also covers deer.

Buy licenses at agfc.com or through AGFC license agents. Fees expire June 30.

What Is the Arkansas Duck Bag Limit?

AGFC’s published daily bag is 6 ducks, which may include no more than:

• 4 mallards, no more than 2 hens
• 1 scaup
• 3 wood ducks
• 3 pintails
• 2 redheads
• 2 canvasbacks
• 2 black ducks
• 1 mottled duck
• Other species not listed, including teal: up to 6

Possession limit is three times the daily bag. That bag is what AGFC lists on its waterfowl rules page. The season-date table on that same page had not yet been swapped to 2026-27 when this guide was posted, so recheck the guidebook before opening day.

Where to Hunt Arkansas Ducks

Bayou Meto WMA (George H. Dunklin Jr.)

The largest and most crowded public duck WMA in Arkansas. Flooded green timber and moist-soil units define it. New non-motorized zones cover portions of the area, and Buckingham Flats Greentree Reservoir is a permit hunt for 2026-27. Hunters must be off the water by noon. Opening days can draw well over a thousand hunters. Read the current zone map before you launch.

Dave Donaldson Black River WMA

Premier flooded timber in northeast Arkansas. Closed to nonresidents November 21–29, 2026. Nonresidents may hunt it in Segments 2 and 3. Off-water time is noon, and parts of the WMA are non-motorized only.

Grand Prairie

Rice and soybean country around Stuttgart, which calls itself the Duck Capital of the World, mixes flooded fields with reservoirs and greentree hunting. Private leases and guides sit next to public WMAs. The WMA permit does not apply on private land.

Rex Hancock Black Swamp and Shirey Bay Rainey Brake

More flooded timber and swamp. Shirey Bay Rainey Brake has new non-motorized access on portions of the area for 2026-27. The Wiville West Unit of Rex Hancock Black Swamp is a new permit hunt.

How Do You Hunt Ducks in Arkansas as a Nonresident?

What nonresidents need:

• Hunting license: $80 for 5 days of small game, $110 for the annual small-game license, or $410 if the trip includes deer
• Arkansas Waterfowl Stamp: $50
• HIP: free, completed in Arkansas
• Federal Duck Stamp: $25 physical or $30 electronic, age 16+
• WMA waterfowl permit: $40 for 3 days or $200 for 30 consecutive days, only if you hunt an AGFC WMA during regular duck season
• WMA General Use Permit: free, on any WMA

Plan around the new rules:

1. Skip Black River WMA for November 21–29 if you are a nonresident. Use Segment 2 or 3, or hunt elsewhere for the opener.
2. Check whether your WMA unit is non-motorized before you trailer a motor.
3. Buy NW3 or NW30 for any regular-season WMA duck hunt. Private-land hunts do not need it.
4. Use the 30-day permit only if you can hunt consecutive days. It does not let you skip days inside the window.
5. Budget the noon off-water time at Bayou Meto and Black River. A full-day hunt is not legal there.

Private Grand Prairie and Delta hunts avoid the WMA permit, the nonresident segment closure, and the boat-zone rules. Guides cannot take clients on Commission-owned WMAs.

Key Resources

• AGFC waterfowl dates and rules: agfc.com/hunting/waterfowl/waterfowl-dates-rules-regulations
• 2026-27 date announcement: agfc.com/news/agfc-adjusts-fishing-and-hunting-regulations-sets-waterfowl-season-dates
• What you need to hunt waterfowl: agfc.com/hunting/waterfowl
• License fees: agfc.com/resources/licensing/hunting-license-descriptions-and-fees
• Federal Duck Stamp: fws.gov/service/duck-stamps

For more waterfowl guides by state, visit The Inside Spread State Guides. See the Arkansas hunting guide, Texas duck hunting 2026, and Louisiana duck hunting 2026.

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Sources

1. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. "AGFC Adjusts Fishing and Hunting Regulations, Sets Waterfowl Season Dates." AGFC, agfc.com/news/agfc-adjusts-fishing-and-hunting-regulations-sets-waterfowl-season-dates. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.
2. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. "Waterfowl." AGFC, agfc.com/hunting/waterfowl. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.
3. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. "Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules & Regulations." AGFC, agfc.com/hunting/waterfowl/waterfowl-dates-rules-regulations. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.
4. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. "Hunting License Descriptions and Fees." AGFC, agfc.com/resources/licensing/hunting-license-descriptions-and-fees. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.
5. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. "New This Year." AGFC, agfc.com/regulations/new-this-year. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.
6. Unsplash. "Mallard Drake Swimming." Unsplash, unsplash.com/photos/vssGYH9oIag. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.
7. Unsplash. "Mallard Drake on Water." Unsplash, unsplash.com/photos/uTizgtoJZtk. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.