The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission heard the first reading of proposed regulation changes for 2026 this week, with the overarching goal of simplifying the rules hunters and anglers must follow across the state.
AGFC Deputy Director Brad Carner said more than 65 regulations were eliminated during an internal review process after being deemed out of date, redundant, or unnecessary. Many had gone years without resulting in a single warning or citation.
On the deer hunting side, the commission is considering consolidating deer into two categories statewide antlered bucks and antlerless deer regardless of chronic wasting disease zone status. Hunters would be allowed two antlered bucks per year, with a statewide seasonal limit of six deer remaining in place. Private land zones would carry a limit of four deer, and each wildlife management area would have a limit of three. The three-day early antlered buck archery hunt is also proposed to move to the last Saturday in August, slightly earlier than last year, to reduce conflicts with dove season and give hunters more opportunities before bucks shed their velvet…