Arkansas Hunting Laws

What makes land legally posted in Arkansas?

The owner or leaseholder may post land with signs reading 'POSTED' and/or 'NO TRESPASSING' in letters at least 4 inches tall, no more than 100 feet apart and at each road entrance, readily visible to anyone approaching. On cultivated land, orchards, pasture and impoundments, signs may be up to 1,000 feet apart.

Written permission is required on all private property regardless of posting (see written_permission); posting determines whether you must carry it.

Source: Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-11-404, 18-11-405; AGFC Code 05.35 · official source

Does Arkansas have a purple paint law?

Yes. Vertical purple paint marks at least 8 inches long, 3 to 5 feet high, on trees or posts no more than 100 feet apart and at each road entrance count as posting. On cultivated land, orchards, pasture and impoundments the marks may be up to 1,000 feet apart.

Use the purple tree-marking paint prescribed by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture Forestry Division.

Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 18-11-404 · official source

Do you need written permission to hunt private land in Arkansas?

Yes. You need permission from the owner or lessee to hunt, release dogs or retrieve game on private property, and on posted or fenced land you must carry written permission. It must list your name, the landowner's or lessee's signature and phone number, and the start and end dates.

Exception: the owner's or lessee's spouse, parent, child, sibling, aunt, uncle, in-laws, niece, nephew, grandchild or grandparent with actual permission. Class 2 violation.

Source: AGFC Code 05.35 · official source

Can you retrieve a deer or a hunting dog from posted land in Arkansas?

No. It is illegal to retrieve harvested game, release hunting dogs or pursue wildlife with dogs on another person's private property without first getting permission from the owner or lessee.

Radio-tracking collars may be used to locate and retrieve hunting dogs (Code 05.08).

Source: AGFC Code 05.35 · official source

What is the penalty for hunting trespass in Arkansas?

Hunting, releasing dogs or retrieving game on private land without permission is a Class 2 violation of the AGFC Code. AGFC violations can lead to fines and suspension or revocation of hunting privileges.

Fine ranges for each AGFC penalty class and any criminal trespass charges under Ark. Code Title 5 were not confirmed from an official source.

Source: AGFC Code 05.35 · official source

How close to a house can you hunt in Arkansas?

You may not hunt within 150 yards of a residence or occupied building with a firearm, or within 50 yards with archery equipment, without written permission from the owner or occupant.

Doesn't apply to hunters who own or lease the property they're hunting, or on WMAs unless a posted buffer zone exists. Class 1 violation.

Source: AGFC Code 05.15 · official source

Can you hunt from or near a road in Arkansas?

You may not shoot from or across any public road, or hunt within 100 feet of the center of a public road. Pointing or aiming a gun or bow toward wildlife (or a decoy) from the road is presumed to be hunting from the road.

Also applies to the main west levee of the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers in the listed area. Shining lights from a public road to view or locate wildlife is a separate violation (Code 05.03).

Source: AGFC Code 05.05 · official source

What are legal shooting hours in Arkansas?

Hunting is prohibited from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, so deer may be hunted from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset.

Migratory bird shooting hours are in the Waterfowl Guidebook.

Source: AGFC Code 05.02; 2026-27 Hunting Guidebook · official source

What are the blaze orange requirements in Arkansas?

Hunters and anyone with them in areas open to modern gun or muzzleloader deer, bear or elk seasons must wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange, chartreuse or blaze camouflage above the waist, plus a hat or head garment in the same colors.

Not required for migratory bird hunters. Extra rules apply to ground blinds on WMAs.

Source: AGFC 2026-27 Hunting Guidebook · official source

Is night hunting legal in Arkansas?

Night hunting is illegal, and you may not shine lights from a public road or on a WMA to locate wildlife. Exceptions include raccoons, opossums and bobcats treed by dogs. Coyotes, bobcats, foxes and some other predators may be shot day or night only with a free Predator Control Permit on private land with written landowner permission.

Feral hogs may be killed on private land year-round by any method by the landowner or anyone with permission. Night hunting violations are Class 4.

Source: AGFC Codes 05.02, 05.03 · official source

Do you need a hunting license to hunt your own land in Arkansas?

No. Everyone 16 or older needs an Arkansas hunting license, landowners included. The only license exception is for hunting pen-raised birds on a licensed game-bird shooting resort.

Source: AGFC 2026-27 Hunting Guidebook · official source

Who needs hunter education in Arkansas?

Hunters born after 1968 must carry a hunter education card unless 'HE-VERIFIED' is on their license. Hunters under 16 don't need the card if directly supervised by an adult at least 21. Hunters 16 and older can use a free Deferred Hunter Education Code instead.

Nonresidents' home-state hunter education cards are honored.

Source: AGFC 2026-27 Hunting Guidebook · official source

Is Sunday hunting legal in Arkansas?

Sunday hunting is allowed; Arkansas has no day-of-week restriction.

Source: official source

Is it legal to bait deer in Arkansas?

Yes on private land. Arkansas generally allows feeding wildlife and hunting deer over bait on private land, but baiting is banned on wildlife management areas. Inside the CWD Management Zone, deer and elk may be hunted over bait on private land only from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 during an open season.

Wild turkeys, migratory birds, waterfowl and crows may not be hunted over bait; an area stays baited for 10 days after bait is removed. Bear baiting is allowed only on private land in bear zones 1-5A from 30 days before bear season.

Source: AGFC 2026-27 Hunting Guidebook · official source

Can you use a crossbow during archery season in Arkansas?

Yes. Crossbows count as archery equipment in Arkansas and may be used by any hunter during archery season. They need at least a 125-pound pull and a mechanical safety; scopes are allowed.

Big-game hunters must use broadheads at least 7/8 inch wide.

Source: AGFC 2026-27 Hunting Guidebook · official source

Can you use a drone to scout or recover game in Arkansas?

It is illegal to hunt, drive, herd or harass wildlife from or with an aircraft, which applies to drones.

Class 2 violation. The code does not separately mention scouting with drones.

Source: AGFC Code 05.07 · official source

Are trail cameras restricted in Arkansas?

No statewide restrictions on trail cameras. On WMAs, trail cameras may be left out but must be labeled with the owner's identification information.

Source: AGFC 2026-27 Hunting Guidebook · official source

Is a landowner liable if someone gets hurt hunting on their land in Arkansas?

Yes. Under Arkansas's Recreational Use Statute, a landowner owes no duty to keep land safe for people entering for recreational purposes, or to warn them of dangerous conditions, and an owner who lets people use the land for recreation without charge does not make them invitees or licensees. Protection is lost for a malicious (not merely negligent) failure to guard or warn against an ultra-hazardous condition the owner actually knows is dangerous, or if the owner charges a fee for recreational entry (a fee that is consideration for a lease does not count).

Statute text as quoted by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in Allen v. Nature Conservancy, No. 24-2665 (filed Mar. 5, 2026). The Arkansas Code itself could not be read from an official site for this check. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service fact sheet FSPPC119 (uaex.uada.edu/publications/PDF/fsppc119.pdf, July 2013) states that "recreational purpose" in § 18-11-302 includes hunting.

Source: Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-11-304, 18-11-305, 18-11-307 · official source