(The following is a press release from the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.)
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission heard the first reading of a proposal to change the 2027 Arkansas turkey hunting season date structure at Thursday’s meeting, held during the second annual Generation Conservation Summit at Hot Springs Convention Center and Bank OZK Arena. The proposed change, if approved, would move turkey season one week earlier for the vast majority of Arkansas turkey hunters.
The change reflects the wishes of the Regulations and Resource Management Committee after robust discussions following a presentation by former commissioners Jim Hinkle and Ken Reeves on Wednesday.
“The thrill of turkey hunting is getting to call at a gobbling turkey; there’s nothing like it,” Reeves said. “When you hit that call and one gobbles right on top of it, that’s what we live for.”
Hinkle reiterated the statement, speaking to the number of changes turkey hunters have endured in the last decade.
“I think this is a minimal change that we are asking for,” Hinkle said. “And certainly, if you came to us a year from now and said, ‘This didn’t work; it hurt our population; Ken and I are going to be for going bac. We’re for the birds.’”
The proposed season dates will be as follows:
Zone 1 — April 12-May 2, 2027
Zone 1A — April 12-20, 2027
Zones 2 and 3 — April 5-25, 2027
Zone 2A — April 5-13, 2027
Youth Turkey Hunt, Zones 1, 1A, 2, 2A and 3 — April 3-4, 2027
No other regulation changes concerning turkey hunting are being considered in the current proposal.
The Commission will gather public comment on the revised season through a survey at the following link: https://agfc1.az1.qualtrics.
They are expected to consider action on the regulation following a 30-day comment period.
