Duck season officially kicks off Saturday in Arkansas, and that includes hunters in the Twin Lakes area who are preparing for early morning pushes into flooded fields and river timber.
According to the AGFC, the first split of regular duck, coot and merganser season runs from Saturday through Dec. 1. After a break, it resumes Dec. 10-23 and then Dec. 27, 2025 through Jan. 31, 2026.
In the Twin Lakes region, including Baxter and Marion counties, hunters will be watching local water levels, weather fronts and migration cues closely. Because Arkansas is a key stop along the Mississippi Flyway, early season next-weekend could offer action in backwaters and farm ponds before the heavier flights arrive.
Hunters should note:
Shooting hours begin 30 minutes before sunrise each day. On regular WMAs, hunting time ends at noon, though on the final day of the segment shooting runs until sunset.
The standard daily duck bag limit is 6 ducks, with species-specific restrictions (no more than 4 mallards, max 1 scaup, etc.). Possession limit is three times the daily bag.
Hunters 16 or older must register in the Harvest Information Program (HIP) and carry proof; they also need a valid Arkansas hunting license, the state waterfowl stamp, plus the federal duck stamp.
For Twin Lakes area hunters, opening weekend will be about getting behind the gun, but also reading the terrain: flooded timber, sloughs off Bull Shoals Lake, and rice-field “duck flats” will be key locations. If a cold front arrives and pushes birds south, hunters might be rewarded with early mallard flights. AGFC biologists say migration is not yet at peak for the region, so expectations should be tempered.
Duck season is more than just the start of a hunting stretch in the Twin Lakes, it’s the return of fall tradition, connecting families and communities to the landscape. Early morning decoy sets and calls in the crisp air mark a time for hunters to reconnect with the wild side of the region.
Hunters can find the full dates and bag limits on the AGFC website here: AGFC Waterfowl Season Dates
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