Arkansas is part of the Mississippi Flyway, one of four major migratory bird corridors in North America. The 2025–2026 waterfowl season runs from September 1 through April 25, 2026, with 28 distinct season segments covering ducks, geese, coots, and other migratory game birds. Season dates and bag limits are set annually by the Game and Fish Commission within frameworks established by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Required Licenses & Stamps
Arkansas hunting license
Federal Migratory Bird (Duck) Stamp — $25
Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration
Arkansas Arkansas Waterfowl Stamp
State waterfowl stamp required in addition to federal
Shooting hours start at sunrise (not 30 min before) · Spinning-wing decoys prohibited on AGFC WMAs/lakes · Max 25 shells on Common Restriction A WMAs · No electronic calls Blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal combined
Light Geese
2025-2026 Arkansas Light Geese hunting season dates, daily bag limits, and possession limits
Segment
Opens
Closes
Daily Bag
Possession
Early Segment
Oct 25
Nov 2
20
–
First Split
Nov 22
Dec 1
20
–
Second Split
Dec 10
Dec 23
20
–
Third Split
Dec 27
Jan 31
20
–
Shooting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise – sunset; 30 minutes before sunrise – noon; 30 minutes before sunrise – noon (sunset on Jan. 31)
Snow, Blue and Ross's Geese; no possession limit
Ducks
2025-2026 Arkansas Ducks hunting season dates, daily bag limits, and possession limits
Segment
Opens
Closes
Daily Bag
Possession
First Split
Nov 22
Dec 1
6
18
Second Split
Dec 10
Dec 23
6
18
Third Split
Dec 27
Jan 31
6
18
Shooting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise – noon (sunset on last day Jan. 31); 30 minutes before sunrise – noon (sunset on Jan. 31)
4 mallards (2 hens max), 1 scaup, 3 wood ducks, 3 pintails, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 2 black ducks, 1 mottled duck; up to 6 of unlisted species including teal
Coots
2025-2026 Arkansas Coots hunting season dates, daily bag limits, and possession limits
Segment
Opens
Closes
Daily Bag
Possession
First Split
Nov 22
Dec 1
15
45
Second Split
Dec 10
Dec 23
15
45
Third Split
Dec 27
Jan 31
15
45
Shooting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise – noon; 30 minutes before sunrise – noon (sunset on Jan. 31)
Mergansers
2025-2026 Arkansas Mergansers hunting season dates, daily bag limits, and possession limits
Segment
Opens
Closes
Daily Bag
Possession
First Split
Nov 22
Dec 1
5
15
Second Split
Dec 10
Dec 23
5
15
Third Split
Dec 27
Jan 31
5
15
Shooting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise – noon; 30 minutes before sunrise – noon (sunset on Jan. 31)
No more than 2 hooded mergansers
Cons. Order
2025-2026 Arkansas Cons. Order hunting season dates, daily bag limits, and possession limits
Segment
Opens
Closes
Daily Bag
Possession
First Segment
Feb 1
Feb 6
–
–
Second Segment
Feb 9
Apr 25
–
–
Snow, Blue and Ross's Geese; no bag limit; see Light Goose Conservation Order page for special regulations
Youth
2025-2026 Arkansas Youth hunting season dates, daily bag limits, and possession limits
Segment
Opens
Closes
Daily Bag
Possession
youth_waterfowl
Feb 7
Feb 8
6
18
Youth & Veterans Weekend
Feb 7
Feb 8
6
18
Shooting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise – sunset
Youths 15 and younger only; must be accompanied by mentor 21+ if no hunter ed; mentors may not hunt but may call; same bag limits as regular duck and goose seasons; WMA General Use Permits not required Youth 15 & under · Mentors 21+ may call but not hunt · Full day hours (no noon cutoff) · Spinning-wing decoys prohibited · WMA permits waived
Veterans
2025-2026 Arkansas Veterans hunting season dates, daily bag limits, and possession limits
Opens
Closes
Daily Bag
Possession
Feb 7
Feb 8
6
18
Shooting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise – sunset
Active duty military (incl. National Guard/Reserves on active duty) and military veterans with honorable discharge; must carry DD214, Veteran Benefit Card, Retired Military I.D., Veteran Hunting License, or Military I.D.; WMA General Use Permits required
Duck Species Sub-Limits
SpeciesDaily Bag
Greater ScaupGreater scaup
1
Redhead
2
Lesser ScaupLesser scaup
1
Mottled Duck
1
Canvasback
2
MallardNo more than 2 hens
4
Wood Duck
3
Black Duck
2
Pintail (Northern)Increased from 1 for 2025-26 per USFWS interim harvest strategy
3
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Season dates and bag limits are verified against official state wildlife agency publications and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Data shown is for the 2025-2026 season. This data was verified on April 16, 2026. Always confirm with your state's official regulations before hunting.