Arkansas WMA Duck Permit Draws, Explained (2026-27)

Most Arkansas WMA duck hunting is still walk-in and freelance. You buy the right license and stamps, read the area's rules, and go. But every year a few more areas move to a drawn-permit system, and for 2026-27 the list of permit-only spots grew again. If you don't know how the weekly draw works, you can drive three hours to a WMA you can't legally hunt that day.

This guide covers how the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) runs its waterfowl permit draws for 2026-27, which areas use them, and what you need in your pocket. Every rule comes from AGFC's own pages and the 2026-27 guidebook, linked below. Arkansas duck season opens Nov 21, 2026 (AGFC, checked Oct 22, 2026).

The one rule to remember: Thursday 3 p.m. to Sunday midnight

For every AGFC waterfowl permit hunt, applications are taken online from 3 p.m. Thursday through midnight Sunday of the weekend right before the hunt period. Winners are drawn and notified by email on the Monday before the hunt (AGFC Special Waterfowl Permit Hunts, checked Oct 22, 2026).

So for a hunt during the week of the opener, you apply the weekend before. For the next week's hunts, you apply again the following weekend. Each hunt period is a separate application. There's no season-long application to remember, but there's also no way to apply once and forget about it.

You apply through AGFC's license system: go to agfc.com and choose "Get a License," then find the permit hunt you want. One detail that trips up parents: youth permit applications only show up if you're logged in under the youth hunter's own Customer ID (AGFC).

The 2026-27 regular duck season runs Nov 21–29, Dec 10–23 and Dec 26, 2026–Jan 31, 2027, with youth and veterans/active military days on Feb 6–7, 2027 (AGFC). Permit hunts run inside those dates.

Which WMAs use permit draws

AGFC's permit page lists these WMA waterfowl permit opportunities for 2026-27 (AGFC, checked Oct 22, 2026):

The 2026-27 guidebook also names the St. Francis River Permit Unit as a new permit-only area (AGFC Guidebook p. 4). Its final rules and map were not on AGFC's permit page when we checked. Not confirmed Not confirmed (check the official source).

Rules shared by almost every permit area

These show up again and again on AGFC's page (AGFC):

• Parties of up to four. No more than four people per party, and everyone hunts in immediate proximity of each other.
• Hunting ends at noon. On the last day of the regular season, hunting runs until sunset.
• Permits aren't required on the Feb 6–7 youth and veterans/active military days, except on the youth-only units.
• Youth units need at least one adult mentor per party and no more than one adult mentor per youth hunter. Everyone in the party may hunt.
• Self-serve days at Cypress Bayou, Prairie Bayou, Wiville and Raft Creek use a two-part daily use permit: fill out the top and drop it in the box before you hunt, carry the bottom, then complete it and drop it off when you leave.

Raft Creek has one more twist: weekend online drawings are suspended when the White River at Georgetown reaches 19 feet and start again when it falls to 17.5 feet. The WMA stays open during that time. Hunters with a permit must stay within 150 yards of their designated location (AGFC). You can watch White River gauges on our migration map.

WRICE fields: private land, public draw

AGFC also leases private rice fields for waterfowl under its WRICE program. These are drawn the same way (AGFC):

• Hunts are full weekends (Saturday and Sunday) during regular duck season, plus the Feb 6–7, 2027 youth hunt.
• Each weekend is a separate application, taken 3 p.m. Thursday to midnight Sunday the weekend before.
• Winners may bring up to three guests, for a party of four.
• You may not go onto the property except on your hunt days. AGFC recommends scouting from the road with binoculars.
• Shooting hours are a half hour before sunrise until sunset.

Treat these fields like a neighbor's farm, because that's what they are. One bad weekend of litter or rutted levees can end a lease.

Freelance areas still have rules that act like permits

Even where there's no draw, Arkansas WMAs have restrictions that work like a gate. A few of the big ones from the 2026-27 guidebook:

• Noon closing: on WMAs from Nov 21 to Jan 30, shooting ends at noon unless the area's rules say otherwise. You must be off flooded areas by 1 p.m. (noon at Dave Donaldson Black River and Bayou Meto) (AGFC Guidebook p. 41).
• No-boat days on Common Restriction A WMAs: Nov 14–20, Nov 30–Dec 9, Dec 24–25 and Feb 1–5, and from Jan 31 until the Feb 6–7 hunts (AGFC Guidebook pp. 4, 44).
• Black River and Bayou Meto: no boats from noon to 4 a.m. (AGFC Guidebook p. 44).
• Rest areas are closed to all access Nov 1–Feb 15 (AGFC Guidebook p. 44).

Our Arkansas laws page has the full list, with every rule linked to its source.

Nonresidents: the extra permit

Nonresidents need a Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Hunting Permit to hunt ducks on any Arkansas WMA, on top of the license and stamps. The 3-day permit is $40 and you can buy up to 10; the 30-day permit is $200 and its days run back to back. These permits aren't needed on the Feb 6–7 youth and veterans days. Nonresidents also may not hunt waterfowl on Dave Donaldson Black River WMA during the first segment, Nov 21–29 (AGFC Guidebook pp. 4, 14, 42, checked Oct 22, 2026).

Everyone 16 and older also needs, in hand: a Federal Duck Stamp, proof of Arkansas HIP registration, an Arkansas Waterfowl Stamp ($7 resident, $50 nonresident) and a hunting license (AGFC Guidebook p. 14).

One open question: the guidebook says the free WMA General Use Permit "has been eliminated," but AGFC's web page still says all hunters need it. We follow the guidebook. Not confirmed Whether the web page is simply out of date is Not confirmed (check the official source). If you want to be safe, it was free, so getting one costs nothing.

A weekly routine that works

Tips from hunters who play the draw every week:

1. Thursday afternoon: check the weather and water for the next week. Decide which areas are worth it. If a front is coming, the weekend draws will be crowded.
2. Friday or Saturday: apply. Don't wait for Sunday night; the system can be slow near the deadline.
3. Monday: check your email, including spam. Print or save your permit.
4. Before the hunt: read the area's map and permit sheet again. Designated locations are often numbered, and you need to know exactly where yours is in the dark.
5. No luck? Have a freelance WMA picked out, and check that it isn't a no-boat day.

Small gear that helps on permit hunts

On a designated-location hunt you'll be walking or paddling to one exact spot in the dark. A phone mapping app with public-land layers and the ability to drop your own waypoints, such as onX Hunt, takes the guesswork out of it. Many of these areas are walk-in or small-boat water, so a comfortable pair of breathable chest waders and a wading staff matter more than a big spread. Sitka's Delta waders are among the best-reviewed in that category, and Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops carry several well-reviewed lower-priced options. Keep the permit in a zip bag on your wader strap so it stays dry and handy for an officer.

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