Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – Applications for the 2026 Arkansas alligator hunting season are available online until midnight July 31.
Anyone interested in pursuing alligators on public land in Arkansas must apply for one of the nine hunting locations within Arkansas’s three open Alligator Management Zones.
The following locations have been allotted public hunting permits for the 2026 alligator hunting season (Sept. 18-21 and Sept. 25-28):
Alligator Management Zone 1
- Millwood Lake — 13 permits available (harvest quota of nine alligators)
- Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois D’Arc Lake — Five permits available
- Little River WMA — Two permits available
- Lake Erling — One permit available
Alligator Management Zone 2
- Bragg Lake — One permit available
- Lake Columbia — Two permits available
Alligator Management Zone 3
- Lower Arkansas River Wetland Complex (Arkansas River backwaters near Arkansas Post) — 11 permits available
- Yellow Lake (Pine Bluff Arsenal) — Two permits available
- Delta Wetland Complex — Five permits available (Lake Wallace, Lake Enterprise, Lake Chicot, Grand Lake and Wilson Brake Reservoir)
Millwood Lake again will have a harvest quota instituted in addition to a permit draw.
“We are allowing more permits on Millwood, so more people have an opportunity to hunt, but as soon as the quota of nine alligators is reached, the hunt will end,” AGFC Herpetologist Amanda Bryant said. “We are hoping people will be more incentivized to harvest their alligator instead of waiting too long and wasting the tag. Most cases of unfilled tags aren’t that the hunter didn’t have opportunities at legal alligators, but that they held out for something bigger until it was too late and the hunt ended.”
Each permit authorizes the harvest of one alligator, which must be at least 4 feet long. Alligator hunting is allowed 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise during the approved alligator hunting season dates: Sept. 18-21 and Sept. 25-28. Each permit holder may have up to three assistants with them on the hunt, but only the permit holder is allowed to snare, harpoon and dispatch the alligator.
Applicants must be at least 16 years of age the day the hunt begins, and only Arkansas residents may apply. Applicants with 18 or more AGFC violation points are ineligible to apply. Alligator-hunt applicants must pay a $5 nonrefundable processing fee at the time of their application.
Hunters on private land will be able to enjoy a much-requested addition to their legal method of take this year. The alligator must still be dispatched using a shotgun or shotgun shell-equipped bangstick with size 4 or smaller shot, but the alligator may be initially restrained using either a snare, harpoon or an arrow shot from a bow with at least 35-pound draw weight. The arrowhead must be able to detach from the shaft and have at least 50 feet of 300-pound break-strength line and a minimum 5-inch diameter float attached to the line.
“This request has been received from the public for a while, and we want to offer it as an option during the private land hunts,” AGFC Herpetologist Amanda Bryant said. “We will evaluate results closely during the next year or two.”
Anyone with access to private land in Alligator Zones 1, 2 or 3 may purchase a private land alligator tag in addition to their big-game hunting license and be able to hunt during alligator season until the quota is met for their zone.
Each private land hunter must call the wildlife hotline (833-345-0398) or click here every night before hunting to see if the quota has been met. If the quota is reached, the hunt ends early.
Successful applicants and private land hunters must also complete an online hunt orientation before going to the field. The orientation lays out the most important details and frequently asked questions about the hunt.
Click here to apply for an alligator hunting permit.
