The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission heard the first reading of proposed regulation changes for 2026 this week, with the overarching goal of simplifying the rules hunters and anglers must follow across the state.
AGFC Deputy Director Brad Carner said more than 65 regulations were eliminated during an internal review process after being deemed out of date, redundant, or unnecessary. Many had gone years without resulting in a single warning or citation.
On the deer hunting side, the commission is considering consolidating deer into two categories statewide antlered bucks and antlerless deer regardless of chronic wasting disease zone status. Hunters would be allowed two antlered bucks per year, with a statewide seasonal limit of six deer remaining in place. Private land zones would carry a limit of four deer, and each wildlife management area would have a limit of three. The three-day early antlered buck archery hunt is also proposed to move to the last Saturday in August, slightly earlier than last year, to reduce conflicts with dove season and give hunters more opportunities before bucks shed their velvet.
Several changes to waterfowl hunting on wildlife management areas are also under consideration, including nonmotorized boat access only on portions of several WMAs and limited permit hunts on select areas. AGFC Wildlife Management Chief Luke Naylor said the restrictions are aimed at addressing crowding and reduced hunt quality on public duck-hunting areas and would apply only to specific portions of the affected WMAs.
Fishing regulations also saw significant simplification, with more than 30 outdated rules removed. The most notable change for recreational anglers is the consolidation of smallmouth bass harvest limits statewide. Designated blue-ribbon streams including the Buffalo River, Caddo River, Current River, and Crooked Creek would have a daily harvest limit of one fish measuring at least 15 inches. All reservoir smallmouth across the state would carry a standard 13-inch minimum length limit.
The public can comment on all proposed changes through a survey at agfc.com/regssurvey through March 6th. Commissioners will review comments and vote on changes at their April meeting, with all approved changes taking effect July 1st.
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