Arkansas · Elk · 2026 Edition
Arkansas Elk Season 2026: Archery, Muzzleloader & Rifle Dates
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zone note | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Youth hunt (antlerless only) | Core Elk Management Zone — public land (Buffalo National River, Gene Rush WMA, Richland Valley/Sonny Varnell Elk Conservation Area, Bearcat Hollow WMA) and private land in Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton & Searcy counties | Oct 3 – Oct 4 |
| Regular hunt 1 (either sex, contingent upon quota) | Core Elk Management Zone — same public and private land | Oct 5 – Oct 9 |
| Youth hunt, late (antlerless only) | Core Elk Management Zone — same public and private land | Oct 24 – Oct 25 |
| Regular hunt 2 (antlerless only) | Core Elk Management Zone — same public and private land | Oct 26 – Oct 30 |
Arkansas's entire elk population and legal hunting opportunity sits in the Core Elk Management Zone — Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Searcy counties in the Ozark/Buffalo National River region. Public-land hunting is further restricted to four specific tracts: Buffalo National River, Gene Rush WMA, Richland Valley/Sonny Varnell Elk Conservation Area, and Bearcat Hollow WMA. Outside the Core Zone, AGFC designates the rest of the state a 'Statewide Elk Management Zone' where an incidentally encountered elk may be taken without a permit during the regular deer season using legal deer weapons, with mandatory immediate phone reporting to AGFC (833-356-0824) — this is a bycatch allowance, not a dedicated elk season, and is not reflected in the dates below.
02 — Tags & bag limits
| Per permit | One elk per permit; either-sex permits allow bull, cow, or calf, antlerless-only permits exclude any elk with a visible antler |
|---|---|
| Public-land draw permits | 18 total: 15 through the general online draw (5 either-sex, 10 antlerless) plus 3 drawn on-site at the Buffalo River Elk Festival (1 either-sex, 2 antlerless) |
| Private-land quota permits | 6 either-sex and 12 antlerless quota permits, sold without a draw but subject to AGFC closing each category once its daily-reported harvest quota is met |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (October 3, 2026) 06:36 — 19:20
Rule: Not stated specifically for elk on AGFC's elk pages. Arkansas's regulatory definition of 'night' (30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise) implies legal hunting hours of one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset — the general AGFC big-game default applied elsewhere on this site — confirm with AGFC before hunting. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Arkansas sun times for any other date.
04 — License & tags
Elk hunters in Arkansas need an Arkansas hunting license plus an elk tag. Public-land draw permits are restricted to Arkansas residents holding a Resident Sportsman Hunting License or Lifetime Sportsman's Permit. Private-land quota permits are open to both residents ($5) and nonresidents ($300), each in addition to the underlying hunting license.
Arkansas hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in Arkansas — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — Scouting gear
Scouting a unit before Arkansas's opener usually means glassing basins and running a trail camera through summer.
- Hunting binoculars on Amazon →
- Trail cameras on Amazon →
- Trail camera SD cards — class, capacity & format explained →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category links, not a single named pick — we run no product tests of our own.
06 — FAQ
When does elk season start in Arkansas?
The earliest 2026 opener is October 3, 2026 (Youth hunt (antlerless only)). See the table above for every method.
When does elk season end in Arkansas?
The latest 2026 closing date is October 30, 2026. Individual seasons close earlier — see the table above.
Do I need to enter a draw to hunt elk in Arkansas?
Arkansas elk tags come in two different flavors: an 18-permit resident-only public-land lottery (either-sex or antlerless, tied to fixed hunt dates) inside the Core Elk Management Zone's four public tracts, and a separate non-drawn private-land quota permit (also either-sex or antlerless, capped at 6 and 12 respectively) sold to residents and nonresidents alike for hunting private land within the same five-county zone — both the public-land quota hunt and the private-land permits can close early once AGFC reports their harvest quota is filled.
How many elk can you shoot in Arkansas?
2026 bag limits: Per permit — One elk per permit; either-sex permits allow bull, cow, or calf, antlerless-only permits exclude any elk with a visible antler. Public-land draw permits — 18 total: 15 through the general online draw (5 either-sex, 10 antlerless) plus 3 drawn on-site at the Buffalo River Elk Festival (1 either-sex, 2 antlerless). Private-land quota permits — 6 either-sex and 12 antlerless quota permits, sold without a draw but subject to AGFC closing each category once its daily-reported harvest quota is met. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting elk in Arkansas?
On opening day (October 3, 2026) legal light runs 06:36 to 19:20. The rule is: Not stated specifically for elk on AGFC's elk pages. Arkansas's regulatory definition of 'night' (30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise) implies legal hunting hours of one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset — the general AGFC big-game default applied elsewhere on this site — confirm with AGFC before hunting. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Arkansas sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt elk on my own land in Arkansas without a license?
No — Arkansas's own regulation is unconditional: a resident must carry a hunting license to hunt by any means, with only two listed exceptions (licensed game-bird shooting resorts, and a narrow age-based carve-out) — neither is a landowner exemption. This directly contradicts a claim that circulates on several third-party sites.
Verified · Arkansas Game and Fish Commission · Last verified 2026-08-15
Publisher's note. Season dates and bag limit read directly off AGFC's 'Elk Season Dates and Bag Limits' page; permit-count breakdown (15 public-land draw permits — 5 either-sex, 10 antlerless — plus 3 on-site permits drawn at the Buffalo River Elk Festival — 1 either-sex, 2 antlerless — for a total of 18) and the private-land quota structure (6 either-sex, 12 antlerless, sold without a draw) read from AGFC's main elk hub page (agfc.com/hunting/more-game/elk/) and cross-checked against AGFC's own 'Apply for a 2026 Arkansas Elk Hunting Permit' news release, which confirms the same 15+3=18 figure specifically for the 2026 season and the May 1–June 1, 2026 application window with the draw held at the June 26–27, 2026 Buffalo River Elk Festival. CORRECTION TO PRIOR FRAMING: this is not an '18+18' structure — it is 18 total drawn public-land permits (15 general draw + 3 festival on-site), separate from the non-drawn private-land quota permits (6+12=18 by coincidence of number, which may be the source of the '18+18' framing, but the private-land permits are unlimited-sale/quota-capped, not drawn, so conflating them with the 18 public-land draw permits as a single '18+18 draw' overstates how many permits are actually competitive). Applicant-count context (roughly 6,600 online applicants plus 620 on-site festival applicants) comes from AGFC's own reporting on the prior (2024) draw and is cited here only as an odds indicator, since AGFC had not published a 2026-specific applicant count in the sources checked this round. AGFC's elk pages did not state an elk-specific shooting-hours rule; the value below is the general AGFC big-game default, flagged accordingly.