Hunting in Arkansas: Are Safety Courses Required to Hunt in Arkansas? How Do I Pass Classes?

If you have found yourself wondering whether or not you need to take safety courses before you indulge in hunting in Arkansas, the answer is a resounding yes.

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Arkansas requires anyone born after January 1, 1969, to complete a hunter education course and carry a valid hunter education card to hunt in Arkansas.

The one exception is for hunters age 16 or younger as long as they are hunting under the "direct supervision" of someone who is at least 21 years of age.

The classes are far from onerous, though. The state prefers that aspiring hunters take a 10-hour course comprising both classroom instruction and fieldwork, finishing with a test, but online courses are also available, although in that case the final exam must take place at an official testing station.

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There's also a course on CD, which is a little more complicated to get through and, as with the online course, the final exam must be taken at an official test site.

There are small fees attached to be paid as well. The tests require only a sixth-grade level of reading comprehension.

Bowhunters take a separate course devised by the International Bowhunter Education Program and administered by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The bowhunter certification is good for life and accepted in many locations.

The Arkansas Hunter Education Certificate is accepted by the other 49 U.S. states, and other states' cards satisfy Arkansas's requirements. If you don't have any certification, you can, under certain circumstances, obtain what Arkansas refers to as a "Deferred Hunter Education Code," good for one year, which allows you to hunt in the state as long as you have a legal hunting license.

However, remember that attending the course, whether in person or online, and receiving a certificate of completion is not enough. You must pass the test at an official testing site before you may hunt in Arkansas, if you don't already have a similar certificate from another state.

Your hunting license is separate and does not replace the hunter education certificate. As the Log Cabin Democrat notes in regard to elk hunting in Arkansas, you may still need specific permits to hunt certain species.

For more information visit Hunter-ed.com and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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