Arkansas to move duck season opener back to traditional date

son - Oct. 28-Nov. 10, Nov. 18-26, Dec. 9-23, Dec. 27-Jan. 31

• Special Youth Waterfowl Hunt - Dec. 2 and Feb. 3

• Veteran and Active Duty Military Waterfowl Hunt - Feb. 3

Other statewide regulatory changes for 2023 include the creation of a $500 lifetime hunting and fishing license from children under the age of 10. The Commission is also proposing an increase to nonresident license fees. That includes bumping up the cost of a nonresident annual fishing license to $60 and to $500 for a fishing guide license. The annual hunting license for a nonresident would, if approved, raise to $410.

These and other proposed changes will be open for public comment for the next 30 days. The Commission is expected to vote on the proposed changes at its May 18 meeting. Comments may be submitted via email at AskAGFC@agfc.ar.gov/

For a full list of proposals for the 20232024 seasons, visit www.agfc.com/.

By Patrick Massey

Arkansas’ duck season will begin a little earlier this year than in 2022 following a unanimous decision by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission last week.

During the April 20 commission session, the board voted to set the 20232024 duck season to begin Nov. 18.

The decision to move the season back to the traditional opener of the weekend before Thanksgiving was made following public input, according to Commission Chairman Bobby Martin.

“We did get overwhelming [feedback],” Martin said in a statement. “The thing that I see as encouragingly interesting, one of the big reasons that I think the public, particularly waterfowlers, fought to try to hold it before Thanksgiving was the emphasis and priority around family and young hunters. The fact that so many people hang on to that is a signal that [the traditional opening day] is a legacy of a generation that we do not want to let go of in any way at all.”

Specklebelly, Canada and light goose seasons also will change with this modification, as will the Special Youth Waterfowl Hunt and Special Active-Duty Military and Veteran Hunt.

The 2023-24 waterfowl season dates:

• Duck, Coot and Merganser - Nov. 18-26, Dec. 9-23, Dec. 27-Jan. 31

• White-fronted Goose - Oct. 28-Nov. 10, Nov. 18-26, Dec. 9-23, Dec. 27-Jan. 31

• Canada Goose - Sept. 1-Oct. 15, Nov. 18-26, Dec. 9-23, Dec. 27-Jan. 31

• Snow, Blue and Ross’s Goose Sea-