Arkansas

Sub-species: Eastern

Tags: Over the counter plus some special permit hunts on WMAs and National Wildlife Refuges. Leftover permits available online Feb 26.

Application Period: Jan 15 – Feb 15

Electronic or Print at Home Fulfillment: YES

Hunter Education Requirement:  YES for anyone born after 1968.  Children under 16 may hunt without hunter education as long as they are under the direct supervision of an adult who is at least 21 years old.

Bag Limit: 2 legal turkeys (no jakes or hens).  One legal turkey for nonresidents. For each zone, no more than one during the first 7 days of regular season.  Bag limit on all WMAs is one.  No jakes with the exception of hunters age 6-15 may kill one jake as part of their 2 bird limit.  Bearded hens are not legal. 

2026 Spring  Season Dates:

Zone 1: April 20-May 10

Zone 1A: April 20-28

Zone 2: April 13 – May 3

Zone 2A: April 13-21

Zone 3: April 6-26

Special Youth Hunt: April 11-12 Zones 1, 1A, 2, and 2A only. (Youth hunters age 6-15 may harvest one legal turkey during the youth hunt).  Jakes allowed.

Special Disabled Hunt: No

Decoys Allowed: Yes

Tagging Requirements: All turkeys harvested in Arkansas must be checked via agfc.com, the AGFC mobile app or by phone within 12 hours of harvest. If they are checked immediately upon harvest, the turkey does not need a physical tag attached to it. If the hunter is unable to immediately check the bird, then they must affix a possession tag indicating the hunter’s name, CID number and the date and time of harvest that must remain with the bird until it is checked.

Noteworthy Restrictions: No harvesting Jakes (except for the youth exception), no harvesting bearded hens, no more than one legal turkey may be taken in the first week of regular season, bag limit in all individual wildlife management areas is one legal turkey. The bag limit for nonresidents is one.  Shooting a turkey from a boat is illegal.  Hunting within 100 feet of the center of a city, county, state or federally maintained road or any open road on a WMA is illegal. Check the area notes of your WMA for exceptions.  Turkeys may not be hunted with the use of traps, snares, nets, hooks, explosives, dogs or live decoys. Hunters may not possess electronic or mechanically powered or driven callers.  Hunters must be at least 6 years old to harvest a wild turkey.  Hunters using firearms within 150 yards of a residence or using archery equipment within 50 yards of a residence must have written permission from the owner or occupant of that residence.  Written permission from the  landowner or leaseholder is required before hunting. Hunters may not possess electronic or mechanically driven calls.

Arkansas Game and Fish

833-345-0325

Purchase License Online

Licenses Needed to Hunt Turkeys