Arkansas · Squirrel · 2026–27 Edition
Arkansas Squirrel Season 2026–27: Dates & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Squirrel season | Statewide | May 15 – Feb 28 |
02 — Bag limits
| Daily | 12 |
|---|---|
| Possession | 48 |
| Weapons | No rifle or handgun larger than .22 caliber rimfire and no alternative firearm larger than .40 caliber — unless a modern gun or alternative firearms deer season, a bear season or a coyote season is open, in which case those larger calibers become legal. Shotguns may not use rifled slugs or shot larger than T shot. Dogs are permitted |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (May 15, 2026) 05:35 — 20:36
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. AGFC Code 05.02 makes it 'unlawful to hunt any wildlife at night', and Code 01.00-C defines NIGHT as 'the time period 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise' — the inverse of that window is legal hunting time. agfc.com blocks automated access; read from the Code Book PDF mirrored on AGFC's own S3 bucket (agfc-omnibus.s3.amazonaws.com). Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Arkansas sun times for any other date.
04 — License
Squirrel hunters in Arkansas need an Arkansas hunting license.
Arkansas hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in Arkansas — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does squirrel season start in Arkansas?
The 2026–27 opener is May 15, 2026. See the table above for the full window.
When does squirrel season end in Arkansas?
The 2026–27 closing date is February 28, 2027.
Is there a difference between fox and gray squirrel rules in Arkansas?
See the bag limit table above — most states run one combined limit across both species, but this is worth confirming against Arkansas Game and Fish Commission before you hunt.
How many squirrels can you shoot in Arkansas per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Daily — 12. Possession — 48. Weapons — No rifle or handgun larger than .22 caliber rimfire and no alternative firearm larger than .40 caliber — unless a modern gun or alternative firearms deer season, a bear season or a coyote season is open, in which case those larger calibers become legal. Shotguns may not use rifled slugs or shot larger than T shot. Dogs are permitted. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting squirrel in Arkansas?
On opening day (May 15, 2026) legal light runs 05:35 to 20:36. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. AGFC Code 05.02 makes it 'unlawful to hunt any wildlife at night', and Code 01.00-C defines NIGHT as 'the time period 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise' — the inverse of that window is legal hunting time. agfc.com blocks automated access; read from the Code Book PDF mirrored on AGFC's own S3 bucket (agfc-omnibus.s3.amazonaws.com). Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Arkansas sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt squirrels 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 2026-08-27
Publisher's note. Two official sources, in agreement. The public season page (agfc.com, fetched directly on 2026-08-27 with a browser user agent — the automated-access block recorded in this file's shootingHours rule did not recur) lists '2026-27 Squirrel Season | Statewide: May 15, 2026-Feb. 28, 2027 and May 15, 2027-Feb. 28, 2028', 'Dogs allowed', 'Daily limit — 12', and both weapon restrictions carried in bagLimits. It does NOT state a possession limit. The 48 in this file therefore comes from the codified rule, not from the season page: AGFC Code Book A1.06 'Squirrel Season And Limits' — 'May 15 – February 28 annually statewide. EXCEPTION: In compliance with Addendum C1.07. LIMIT: Daily limit 12, possession limit 48.' — read as PDF from AGFC's own S3 mirror (agfc-omnibus.s3.amazonaws.com/eregs/regulation_pdfs/small/agfc_regulation_A1.06_small.pdf), the same bucket used for the shooting-hours rule. Two things follow from the code text. It is stamped 'As of June 8, 2022' and sets the season 'annually' rather than per license year, which is why AGFC can already publish the 2027-28 window alongside this one — the dates are permanent rule, not an annual proclamation. And its one exception, Addendum C1.07 (Squirrel Season and Limits on WMAs), is deliberately not modeled here: the statewide May 15–end of February window holds on most WMAs, but Camp Robinson WMA runs Sept. 1–end of February, and squirrel on Bald Knob, Big Lake, Cache River, Wapanocca, Felsenthal, Pond Creek, Overflow, Holla Bend (archery only) and both units of Dale Bumpers White River NWR follows U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service dates instead. This file carries the statewide season.