Arkansas
The Natural State. World-class flooded timber duck hunting, Ozark deer, and over 100 public WMAs.
Native Species in Arkansas
Official Regulatory Authority
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC)
American Alligator
One of the best-known native creatures in Arkansas is the American alligator. In Arkansas, alligators live in wetlands like those found at Cache River National Wildlife Refuge near Stuttgart, Millwood Lake, and across the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. Through dedicated conservation management, there are now over 30,000 alligators residing in Arkansas.
Whitetail Deer
The deer in Arkansas is the Whitetail Deer. In Arkansas, they are the primary native cervid, distributed across every county. Bucks carry upright antler racks, utilizing their iconic white undertail flag as an alarm signal when bounding through oak-hickory timber.
Rocky Mountain Elk
Elk in Arkansas are found along the Buffalo National River and within the Ozark National Forest. Originally reintroduced in the 1980s, these magnificent ungulates graze lush river pastures and oak bluffs, providing limited draw hunting opportunities.
American Black Bear
Bears are abundant in the Ozark and Ouachita mountains and the White River basin hills of Arkansas. Once heavily depleted, Arkansas's black bear restoration is celebrated as one of the most successful large-carnivore recovery programs in North American history.
Eastern Cottontail & Swamp Rabbit
Arkansas is home to thriving populations of Eastern cottontails in upland brush and agricultural borders, alongside large 'swamp rabbits' (cane-cutters) inhabiting flooded bottomland timber and sloughs.
Northern Bobwhite Quail
Found in the wooded, brushy, and savanna areas of the state. Coveys forage in native warm-season grasses and brambles, with active habitat restoration ongoing in the Ouachita National Forest.
Eastern Wild Turkey
Highly prized game bird found throughout the Ozarks, Ouachitas, and bottomland hardwoods. Arkansas's spring turkey season is a celebrated tradition among hunters listening for dawn gobbling.
Bobcat
Secretive, adaptable native predator found throughout the mountain bluffs, river bottoms, and timbered forests of Arkansas. Weighing 15 to 30 lbs, bobcats hunt rabbits and small rodents under cover of darkness.
Coyote
Widespread across all 75 Arkansas counties, inhabiting pasture borders, timber cuts, and delta levee systems as an adaptable predator.