Public comment survey open for two weeks; final vote expected in August
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has taken the first step toward creating a new permit-only waterfowl hunting area on a stretch of the St. Francis River in Poinsett County, a change that would bring draw-style duck hunting to a portion of the popular St. Francis Sunken Lands Wildlife Management Area beginning with the 2026-27 duck season.
Commissioners heard a first reading of the proposed regulation changes at the commission’s July meeting in Little Rock. No vote was taken, and final action is expected at the commission’s August meeting following a two-week public comment period.
The proposal would establish the St. Francis River Permit Unit along a roughly four-and-a-half-mile section of the lower portion of the WMA in Poinsett County — an area of about 1,000 acres within the roughly 30,000-acre WMA, which spans four counties from Poinsett County north to Clay County.
How the draw would work
Under the proposal, the permit unit would operate like the agency’s 10 other permit-based waterfowl WMAs, with applications run through the AGFC license system:
- A weekly application period would run Thursday through Sunday, beginning the week before duck season opens, with a $5 application fee.
- Hunters would select a first and second choice for a single hunt day. Draws would be run each Monday morning, with automated email notifications sent to both successful and unsuccessful applicants.
- Successful applicants would be randomly assigned a marked hunting location and required to hunt within 150 yards of it.
- Permit holders could bring up to three guests, for a maximum party of four.
- All personal property, including duck blinds, would have to be removed within one hour after the end of the WMA’s daily shooting hours, which end at noon.
Chief of Wildlife Management Brad Carner told commissioners the selection is handled entirely by software within the license system, with no staff involvement in choosing winners. Hunters not drawn would not be entered into a second draw for unfilled locations; those sites would simply go unhunted that day, which Carner said has not been a significant issue on other permit areas.
Commission expanded hunt days from four to seven
Agency staff originally recommended the unit operate on the Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday-Sunday framework used at the commission’s other permit waterfowl areas. During committee discussion, however, commissioners directed staff to expand the proposal to allow permit hunts all seven days of the week during open duck season.
Vice Chairman Tappan said he initially opposed the change out of concern it could put “too much of a stress on the resource,” but said conversations with the director, enforcement and staff about how permits would be allocated across the seven days left him “much, much more comfortable.”
“While I still feel there’s a risk of overhunting the resource,” Tappan said, he supports the regulation package.
The Regulations and Resource Management Committee, chaired by Commissioner Jones, gave the item a due pass but also asked staff to “intentionally engage the public and gather more input” before final action.
Commissioner Caldwell flagged the proposed definition of a duck blind in code 2406 as an item he wants the commission to revisit during the comment period to avoid “unintended consequences” given the unique character of the area.
Other changes in the package
The Sunken Lands proposal is part of a broader miscellaneous regulations package that also received its first reading. Other items include:
- Firearm possession on WMAs: Codes 0605 and 2002 would be updated to clarify that a person may possess any legally possessed firearm — not just a handgun — on WMAs and while archery or crossbow hunting, provided the firearm is not used or intended to be used for hunting unless it is a legal method of take for an active open season. Carner stressed the change does not alter how enforcement staff already handle firearm possession and is intended to make clear the agency is not in conflict with state firearm possession laws.
- Daily bag limits restored to code: When the commission eliminated possession limits for fish, game animals and game birds during its last regulation cycle, code 4001 — which contained both possession limits and daily bag limits for species such as squirrel, rabbit and quail — was eliminated entirely. The package reinstates the daily bag limit language so game wardens can continue enforcing daily limits. Migratory birds retain possession limits under federal requirements.
- Blind and access rules: Related changes to codes 0206, 2006 and 2401 address permitted structures on WMAs, including blind labeling requirements, and clarify that non-hunting, non-fishing boating access on navigable waters of the state remains unrestricted.
How to comment
The agency planned to open a public comment survey immediately following the meeting, with the comment period running two weeks. Summary results will be presented to commissioners before the August meeting, when the commission is expected to vote on the package. A legal notice was to be filed with the Secretary of State’s office and published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for three days.
