Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 2, February 2024
07.04
MODERN FIREARMS PROHIBITED
DURING MUZZLE-LOADING DEER SEASONS. It shall be unlawful to have in
immediate possession a centerfire or rimfire weapon while participating in
muzzle-loading deer seasons.
EXCEPTION:
(1) Holders of a valid state-issued concealed
handgun license recognized and honored by the State of Arkansas in accordance
with Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 73, Subchapter 3, may possess the handgun
covered by the license, except in places where otherwise prohibited under
federal, state or local law or where disallowed by a landowner in accordance
with applicable law. Nothing in this exception is intended to supersede or
limit the regulations of any federal, state or local authorities that prohibit
the possession of concealed handguns on their property, including, but not
limited to, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service.
PENALTY: $100.00 to
$1,000.00.
08.03
POSSESSION OF FIREARMS WHILE ARCHERY AND CROSSBOW HUNTING
PROHIBITED.
It shall be unlawful to have any firearms in the immediate
possession while hunting bear, deer or turkey with archery tackle.
EXCEPTIONS:
(1) Legal firearms when and where a regular
gun or muzzle-loading deer season is open.
(2) Legal firearms when and where bear season
is open.
(3) Holders of a valid
state-issued concealed handgun license recognized and honored by the State of
Arkansas in accordance with Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 73, Subchapter 3,
may possess the handgun covered by the license, except in places where
otherwise prohibited under federal, state or local law or where disallowed by a
landowner in accordance with applicable law. Nothing in this exception is
intended to supersede or limit the regulations of any federal, state or local
authorities that prohibit the possession of concealed handguns on their
property, including, but not limited to, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the
U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park
Service.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
09.04 CHASE WILDLIFE FOR PLEASURE/DEER DOG
TRAINING RESTRICTIONS.
It shall be unlawful to use dogs to chase wildlife for pleasure
(Ref: 01.00-C Definition of Terms -Chase Wildlife
For Pleasure) other than from May 16 through March 31 or to use
dogs to chase deer for training purposes other than from 30 minutes before
sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset October 1 through December 31 only in
those deer zones where dogs can legally be used for the taking of deer during
the modern gun deer seasons. Possession of a killing device is prohibited when
using dogs to chase wildlife for pleasure or when training/allowing dogs to
chase deer.
EXCEPTIONS:
(1) When
chasing wildlife for pleasure, killing devices may only be possessed in
compliance with declared open seasons for the taking of game or furbearing
animals.
(2) When training/allowing
dogs to chase deer, killing devices may only be possessed during open season in
those deer zones where it is lawful to use dogs to hunt deer during the modern
gun deer season.
(3) Chase for
pleasure is allowed beginning 60 minutes after sunset until 60 minutes before
sunrise from April 1 until May 15.
(4) During any Spring Special Youth Turkey
Hunt the use of dogs to chase game animals is prohibited during 60 minutes
before sunrise until 60 minutes after sunset.
(5) During any muzzleloader deer season dogs
may only be used for chasing fox or coyote from 30 minutes after sunset until
30 minutes before sunrise.
(6)
During any modern gun deer season where dogs are unlawful to run deer, dogs may
only be used to chase fox or coyote from 30 minutes after sunset until 30
minutes before sunrise.
(7) Chasing
fox and/or coyote for pleasure within fox/coyote enclosures permitted day or
night year around.
(8) Deer dog
training is not allowed during the muzzle loading deer seasons.
(9) In compliance with Regulation 22.01 Dog
Restrictions on WMAs.
(10) In
compliance with code 16.06 (Chasing Bear with Dogs Prohibited.
(11) In Compliance with Code 17.07 (Chasing
Elk with Dogs Prohibited.
(12)
Holders of a valid state-issued concealed handgun license recognized and
honored by the State of Arkansas in accordance with Arkansas Code Title 5,
Chapter 73, Subchapter 3, may possess the handgun covered by the license,
except in places where otherwise prohibited under federal, state or local law
or where disallowed by a landowner in accordance with applicable law. Nothing
in this exception is intended to supersede or limit the regulations of any
federal, state or local authorities that prohibit the possession of concealed
handguns on their property, including, but not limited to, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and
the National Park Service.
PENALTY: $500.00 to
$1,000.00.
18.05
TAKING WILDLIFE AT NIGHT FROM A BOAT PROHIBITED. It shall be
unlawful to take or attempt to take or locate any wildlife from a boat during
the hours of darkness, or to transport any firearms in a boat at night without
said firearms being unloaded and cased.
EXCEPTIONS:
(1) Taking
of frogs, fish or turtles by legal methods during the open season.
(2) In compliance with Commission Code 18.09
(Depredation Permit).
(3) In
compliance with Commission Code 02.23 (Alligator Hunting Season) and 26.02
(Restrictions on Method of Taking Alligator).
(4) Holders of a valid state-issued concealed
handgun license recognized and honored by the State of Arkansas in accordance
with Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 73, Subchapter 3, may possess the handgun
covered by the license, except in places where otherwise prohibited under
federal, state or local law or where disallowed by a landowner in accordance
with applicable law. Nothing in this exception is intended to supersede or
limit the regulations of any federal, state or local authorities that prohibit
the possession of concealed handguns on their property, including, but not
limited to, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service.
PENALTY: $500.00 to
$1,000.00.
20.01
KILLING AND CAPTURE DEVICES PROHIBITED IN WMAs.
It shall be unlawful to hunt, trap, or possess a killing device
in any wildlife management area.
EXCEPTIONS:
(1) During
open seasons for wildlife on said areas.
(2) Conibear traps and/or snares for taking
beaver, muskrat and nutria.
(3)
Ozark National Forest WMA.
(4)
Sanctioned Shoot-to-Kill Walking Trials.
(5) For activities permitted by the
Commission.
(6) For Commission
employees in the performance of their official job duties.
(7) Holders of a valid state-issued concealed
handgun license recognized and honored by the State of Arkansas in accordance
with Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 73, Subchapter 3, may possess the handgun
covered by the license, except in places where otherwise prohibited under
federal, state or local law or where disallowed by a landowner in accordance
with applicable law. Nothing in this exception is intended to supersede or
limit the regulations of any federal, state or local authorities that prohibit
the possession of concealed handguns on their property, including, but not
limited to, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
20.02
FIREARM RESTRICTIONS
ON WMAs. It shall be unlawful to possess any buckshot; rifled slugs,
center fire firearms, muzzleloaders larger than .40 caliber,
center fire firearms or rim fire firearms larger than .22 caliber on any
wildlife management area other than during any open modern gun deer, bear or
elk seasons. (Ref. 06.02, Guns and Ammunition Prohibited During Modern Gun Deer
Seasons; and 16.02, Killing Device Restrictions for Bear Hunting and 17.02,
Weapon Restrictions for Taking Elk).
(A) Big Lake, Brushy Creek, St. Francis
Sunken Lands, U of A Pine Tree Experimental Station, W. E. Brewer Scatter Creek
and Wedington WMAs - only shotguns (.410 or larger), with slugs (no buckshot
allowed), or muzzleloading rifles (in compliance with Commission Code 07.02)
shooting a single projectile only during modern gun season.
(B) Beaver Lake WMA (islands only), Greers
Ferry WMA and that part of Trusten Holder including all Corps lands, lying
north and east of the center line of the Arkansas River which fall within the
area that lies east of the Pendleton Bridge to just south of Dam #2 and those
lands west of Tichnor Blacktop and Nady Road - no rifles (including
muzzleloading rifles) for any season.
(C) Big Lake WMA - it shall be unlawful to
transport firearms in that portion of Ditch 28 within the
Big Lake WMA without said firearms having been dismantled or
encased.
(D) Harris Brake
WMA - shotguns only.
(E) Lafayette
County WMA - no buckshot of any size.
(F) Bell Slough WMA - shotguns or rimfire
rifles only.
(G) The Farm Unit
within Bald Knob NWR, Johnson County WRA within Dardanelle WMA and
Wapanocca NWR - muzzleloaders shooting a single projectile only
or shotguns with slugs.
(H)
Trusten Holder WMA - within the delineated boundaries of the Arkansas Post
National Park buffer zone discharge of any firearm is prohibited.
EXCEPTIONS:
(1) Private
landowners within boundaries of WMAs where they maintain a bona fide residence,
within their homes or on their own land where normal agricultural
activity is conducted.
(2)
Law enforcement officers and Game and Fish Commission employees in performance
of their official job duties.
(3)
Trusten Holder WMA mobility impaired muzzleloader deer hunters may use shotguns
with slugs.
(4) Holders of a valid
state-issued concealed handgun license recognized and honored by the
State of Arkansas in accordance with Arkansas Code Title 5,
Chapter 73, Subchapter 3, may possess the handgun covered by the license,
except in places where otherwise prohibited under federal, state or local law
or where disallowed by a landowner in accordance with applicable law. Nothing
in this exception is intended to supersede or limit the regulations of any
federal, state or local authorities that prohibit the possession of concealed
handguns on their property, including, but not limited to, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and
the National Park Service.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
20.03
LOADED FIREARMS
PROHIBITED IN CAMPING AREAS ON ALL WMAs, SUAs
AND WDAs.
It shall be unlawful to possess a loaded firearm in any camping
area on any wildlife management area, special use area, wildlife demonstration
area or in any fishing or boating access area. (Ref: Section
01.00 -C, Loaded
Firearms).
EXCEPTION:
(1) Holders of a valid state-issued concealed
handgun license recognized and honored by the State of Arkansas in accordance
with Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 73, Subchapter 3, may possess the handgun
covered by the license, except in places where otherwise prohibited under
federal, state or local law or where disallowed by a landowner in accordance
with applicable law. Nothing in this exception is intended to supersede or
limit the regulations of any federal, state or local authorities that prohibit
the possession of concealed handguns on their property, including, but not
limited to, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service.
PENALTY: $100.00 to
$1,000.00.
26.02
RESTRICTIONS ON METHODS OF TAKING ALLIGATOR. It shall be unlawful to take,
attempt to take, or possess an alligator other than during the open alligator
season or by any method other than permitted herein:
(A) Alligator must be captured alive and
securely restrained using handheld snares or harpoons prior to dispatching.
Hand-held snares must be constructed of steel cable with a sliding locking
device and harpoon heads must be attached to a steel cable leader.
(B) Firearms may only be used to dispatch a
securely restrained alligator. Firearms used for dispatching an alligator are
restricted to shotguns or shotgun caliber bangsticks using shot size no larger
than #4 shot.
(C) All shotguns and
bangsticks must be cased and unloaded at all times until an alligator has been
securely restrained. No other firearms or ammunition may be in possession of
the permittee or hunting assistant.
(D) No firearm or bangstick may be discharged
within 150 yards of any residence, building, boat ramp or occupied
campsite.
(E) All harvested
alligator must be validated at a designated check station(s) on the day of
harvest. The permittee's Temporary Alligator Possession Tag must be attached to
the alligator immediately upon harvest and prior to moving. Upon validation at
the check station by a Commission employee, a USFWS CITES tag will be attached
to the alligator.
(F) Legal hunting
hours during the declared open alligator season will be from one-half hour
after sunset until one-half hour before sunrise. The use of artificial lights
is permitted during legal hunting hours.
(G) All harvested alligators must be at least
four (4) feet in length as measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the
tail.
EXCEPTION :
(1) In
compliance with Commission Code Section
40.00 - Alligator Farmer
Requirements.
PENALTY: $500.00 to $1000.00.
33.01
FIREARMS RESTRICTED
ON COMMISSION OWNED LAKES AND ACCESS AREAS.
It shall be unlawful to possess any firearms on lakes owned or
controlled by the Commission, or to possess firearms in any fishing or boating
access area.
EXCEPTIONS:
(1) While
legally hunting waterfowl on lakes open to waterfowl hunting.
(2) Firearms unloaded and cased may be
transported by boat on Game and Fish lakes and access areas during an open
hunting season.
(3) While legally
hunting alligators compliant with Commission Code 02.23 (Alligator Hunting
Season) and 26.02 (Restrictions on Methods of Taking Alligator).
(4) Holders of a valid state-issued concealed
handgun license recognized and honored by the State of Arkansas in accordance
with Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 73, Subchapter 3, may possess the handgun
covered by the license, except in places where otherwise prohibited under
federal, state or local law or where disallowed by a landowner in accordance
with applicable law. Nothing in this exception is intended to supersede or
limit the regulations of any federal, state or local authorities that prohibit
the possession of concealed handguns on their property, including, but not
limited to, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service.
PENALTY: $100.00 to
$1,000.00.
