Muzzleloader Hunting Season – To be used for deer hunting, muzzleloading rifles must have a barrel 18 inches or longer and be .40 caliber or larger. Magnifying sights may be used. The use of shot is not legal. Legal muzzleloaders use flint, percussion cap, primer or electronic pulse, must have the bullet loaded through the muzzle and are not capable of firing a cartridge.
Hunters may use muzzleloading handguns with:
barrels 9 inches or longer
.45 caliber or larger if they shoot conical bullets (200 grains or heavier), or
.530 caliber or larger if they shoot round balls.
A hunter may carry a muzzleloading handgun of any caliber as backup to a muzzleloading rifle.
Arkansas Muzzleloader Hunting Season
General Arkansas Muzzleloader Hunting Season:
Muzzleloader Season Opens October 19, 2024
This information is subject to change, for more information visit: http://www.agfc.com/
Click Here to see the specific zones and dates for muzzleloader season in your area.
Arkansas Muzzleloader Hunting Season
General Arkansas Muzzleloader Hunting Season:
General Regulations:
People 16 and older must have a valid license to hunt or fish in Arkansas.
You may hunt wildlife only during an open season for that species.
If a species is not discussed in a current copy of the Arkansas Hunting Guidebooks, there is no open season for that species. (example: It is illegal to shoot a snake, because there is no season listed.)
You may not hunt from a boat at night (except alligator hunters with a valid permit).
You may not hunt from an aircraft.
You may not hunt wildlife that is fleeing from floods or fire.
You may not use deadfalls, drugs, chemicals, poisons, booby traps or explosives to hunt.
You may not hunt from a moving motorized land vehicle.
You may not use electronic tracking or telemetry equipment to locate wildlife.
You may not use computer-assisted hunting equipment.
You may not hunt from or across the main levee of the Mississippi River and Arkansas River from the Louisiana border to the intersection of state Highway 11 (north of Grady in Lincoln County).
You may not refuse an officer’s lawful request to inspect your wildlife, tackle, hunting equipment, devices, license or any item that can contain wildlife.
You may not interfere with an officer performing his duties or flee from an officer.
You may not aid or accompany someone else in a violation.
You may not waste the edible portions of game or fish or waste marketable fur.
It is illegal to buy or sell wildlife (or their parts) except for pelts or carcasses of furbearers, squirrel tails, deer antlers, deer hides or feathers from nonmigratory game birds.
Hunting hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset.
The exceptions to this rule are:
Shooting hours are from sunrise until sunset for the special early teal season.
Shooting hours for other migratory game birds is 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset.
Hunters legally hunting furbearers (raccoon season) may hunt at night.
Trappers checking sets at night may carry a .22-caliber rimfire firearm.
Alligator hunters with a valid permit may hunt only from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.
It is illegal to shoot across or within 100 feet of the centerline of any city, county, state or federally maintained road.
The exceptions to this rule are:
Trappers may use legal firearms to harvest animals caught in legally set foothold and body-gripping traps.
Licensed/permitted falconers may hunt with and trap birds of prey in accordance with state and federal falconry regulations.
It is illegal to shine an artificial light (spotlighting) from a public road, street, highway or on a wildlife management area, except when hunting bullfrogs or furbearers.
You may not hunt or possess a hunting device in state or national parks, except:
