Laws To Trap And Hunt Squirrels In Arkansas [Read Laws Here]

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Squirrels are related to mice and rats and can do similar damage. A squirrel can chew wires and structural materials in Arkansas homes and businesses. If you live in Arkansas and want to get rid of squirrels, you should find out the laws to trap and hunt squirrels in Arkansas.

Arkansas allows squirrel hunting and trapping without a permit. AGFC says you can trap any wild animal that damages your property throughout the day. You need a depredation permit if you want to kill a squirrel.

A Depredation Permit is needed to trap nuisance game animals outside of trapping season. You need a Depredation Permit to shoot wildlife at night. This page has a lot of details about squirrel hunting in Arkansas.

Squirrel Types Found In Arkansas

There are two types of squirrels mostly found in Arkansas

Fox Squirrels

Fox squirrels have a wide range of environmental tolerances. Most of their time is spent in isolated pockets of deciduous forest. Nuts from various trees are their preferred diet. Most Fox Squirrels have the same coloration: a brownish-gray fur coat with orange hair on the belly and tail tip. However, these squirrels’ coat colors vary greatly according to their habitat.

Among the eastern states is Delaware, home to the Delmarva Fox Squirrel, which is grey on top but has a white belly, white feet, and a white-frosted grey tail. The southeast is home to Sherman’s Fox Squirrels, a subspecies of the red fox squirrel. Their fur is a variable shade of grey and black, but their heads, noses, and ears are all black.

Grey Squirrels

One of the most popular types of squirrels to combat at backyard bird feeders is the Eastern Gray Squirrel, which is widespread throughout Arkansas. While these rodents will consume just about anything, nuts like acorns, walnuts, and hazelnuts are among their favorites.

In preparation for the colder months, Eastern Gray Squirrels store food in various hiding places. A lot of the additional seeds they bury will germinate and become new trees, so it’s not like they’re going hungry.

According to the state’s Arkansas Game and Fish Commission:

  • Depending on the type of squirrel, you can hunt them in Arkansas at different times of the year.
  • In Arkansas, the biggest gray squirrel is the most common species.
  • During the fall hunting season, it’s legal to hunt gray squirrels.
  • During spring, hunters can hunt grey and red squirrels, giving them a wider variety of games to choose from.
  • The bag limit for both hunting seasons is six squirrels each day.

Squirrels Hunting Season In Arkansas

The state’s Arkansas Game and Fish Commission set rules for squirrel hunting in Arkansas:

  • The Game and Fish Commission of the state of Arkansas does allow hunting on some private land.
  • Six locations in the middle and southern parts of the state are fixed for hunting. However, getting a permit for each of these areas is necessary to do so.
  • The season for shooting squirrels begins in May and continues through February.
  • There are different bag limits, special seasons, and rules for hunting in Arkansas during different hunting seasons depending on the species and the time of year.
  • Hunting with dogs is prohibited throughout many of the hunting seasons.
    Visit the website of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for further details regarding the acquisition of licenses, permits, and rules.

Laws Governing The Hunting Of Squirrels In  Arkansas

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission say that hunting squirrels in the state is governed by many rules. Here are just a few:

  • The state of Arkansas offers its residents a choice between two different types of hunting licenses. 
  • You can hunt squirrels if you purchase a Resident Wildlife Conservation License, which costs $10 and grants you the right to hunt squirrels.
  • It’s legal to hunt squirrels both during the day and at night. however, you will need a dog if you intend to hunt them at night.
  • In Arkansas, there are six daily limits for squirrel hunting.
  • Between May and February, the entire state is open to squirrel hunting.
  • To hunt a squirrel in Arkansas, you must have a current hunting license if you are over 16 and hunting furbearers.
  • In addition, you are not permitted to use a shot size that is larger than no.T when hunting squirrels during the night.
  • You do not need a hunting license to hunt squirrels during the daytime if your goal is to safeguard your domesticated animals by shooting or hunting squirrels.

Laws Governing The Trapping and Relocating Squirrels In  Arkansas

According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, there are different rules for trapping and relocating squirrels.

  • In Arkansas, you can only trap squirrels if you have a valid or non-resident trapping license. 
  • AGFC says you can set a live trap without a depredation permit if you want to relocate a squirrel instead of killing it. Keep the following things in mind when you trap or relocate a squirrel.
  • If you live in Arkansas and are over 16 years old, you need a valid resident trapping license.
  • To trap a squirrel in Arkansas, if you are not a resident, you need a non-resident trapping license.
  • A furbearer hunter needs a furbearer hunting or trapping license to trap squirrels.
  • Outside of the city, squirrels can be released without harm after 24 hours.
  • During the squirrel hunting season, you can also catch them at sunrise and sunset.

How Can You Shoot And Hunt Squirrels In  Arkansas?

 Arkansas Game and Fish Commission say that hunters can only shoot squirrels with the following:

  • As long as you have a valid hunting or shooting license, you can shoot squirrels at any time of the day.
  • According to the AGFC predator control permit, you do not need a permit to shoot squirrels to protect your pets.
  • But it would help if you had a depredation permit to shoot squirrels at night to protect livestock.
  • If you have a depredation permit, you can hunt squirrels or shoot them at night.
  • Do not shoot squirrels with a rimfire or shotgun larger than 0.22 caliber.
  • Dogs can be used to hunt squirrels at night.
  • If a squirrel is bothering you because it eats the eggs of birds or other domestic animals, you can hunt or shoot it without a permit.
  • If squirrels hurt your property, you can shoot or hunt them without a hunting license.
  • First and foremost, if you’re a professional hunter, you can make money off the squirrels’ furs.

No, it is against the law to shoot a squirrel with a pellet gun, a BB gun, rifled slugs, or a shot larger than No. T shot, a rifle or pistol with a caliber larger than.22 rimfire, or a muzzleloading gun. To buy a BB gun, air gun, air rifle, or pellet gun in Arkansas, you must be at least 18 years old.

During the open muzzleloader bear and deer seasons, you can use a gun with a bigger barrel. 40 caliber to kill a squirrel. During squirrel season, you can catch squirrels with box traps no bigger than 8 inches wide and 10 inches tall on the inside, and no more than 8 traps per person.

It is against the law to shoot squirrels on private and public property. There are times when it is legal to hunt grey squirrels on public land in Arkansas. Squirrels are protected games, and you can hunt them at a set time of year. Only a licensed hunter or landowner is allowed to fire firearms, and hunters must adhere to all local, and state. 

It is against the law for homeowners to trap or shoot wildlife outside of the right seasons unless the animal is actively causing damage to the homeowner’s property or is a clear threat to public safety.

Conclusion

Squirrels are cute creatures until they start wreaking havoc in your home or in your gardens and crops. There are a variety of strategies for catching squirrels in traps or hunting them, but the only strategy that can be adapted to get rid of them is legal.

When it comes to hunting or trapping squirrels in Arkansas, there are no hard and fast rules, but you are expected to abide by them. This article will tell you everything you need to know to keep squirrels away from your property in a legal way.