LITTLE ROCK — Upland hunters are always looking for a new area to test their dogs’ skill and enjoy a few birds on the wing, but finding a public quail-hunting area can be challenging. Although a few good open habitats hold decent numbers of northern bobwhites, too much pressure can decimate coveys if the word gets out and the areas become “loved to death,” especially on smaller parcels of land. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has two good hunting opportunities at two of these smaller wildlife management areas, but hunters will need to apply and draw a special hunting permit Dec. 1-7 at www.agfc.com to participate.
Stone Prairie WMA in Faulkner County and Little Bayou WMA in Ashley County will each have managed quail hunts Dec. 13-14, 2025 and Jan. 10-11, 2026 to allow a few lucky hunters the chance at a good-quality hunt while protecting the growing coveys for future hunters.
“We’re conducting the draw like the agency’s popular dove field hunts and waterfowl draw hunts, except we’re giving quail hunters a little more time to apply and get ready,” Clint Johnson, Quail Program coordinator for the AGFC, said. “Applications will be open two weeks before the hunt dates and will be open for seven days. We’ll notify hunters the Monday before the hunt.”
Johnson said the goal of these hunts is to provide a high-quailty experience. Up to four hunters can participate in each permit hunt, but no more than two of whom may be 16 or older.
“We really want to get some kids out there enjoying this hunt with the adults,” Johnson said. “These sorts of hunts on public land are rare, and we want to give that next generation of hunters out there a chance to enjoy it, too.”
Applications for the two hunts on each WMA will be available through the AGFC’s license systemunder the Special Hunt Permits section for $5. The application dates are Dec. 1-7 for the Dec. 13-14 hunt period and Dec. 29-Jan. 4 for the Jan. 110-11 hunt. Successful applicants will be notified the day after the application for each hunt period closes. Dog handlers who are not actively hunting do not count toward the total hunting party limit of four. The bag limit on each hunt is four quail per person.
The addition of these draw opportunities is a milestone for northern bobwhite management in The Natural State. As some of the public land managed for upland game begins to produce healthy populations of quail, the AGFC is keeping a close eye on hunting pressure to ensure the rebounding population isn’t squelched midstream.
“Last year was the first for these two areas to be open to quail hunting in modern history, and the hunting experience was very good for the hunters during one hunt,” Johnson said. “The second hunt of the year fell during a snowstorm, otherwise I imagine that success would have been duplicated.”
