Feral hogs by state · AR
Feral hogs and hog hunting in Arkansas
Arkansas lets landowners, and anyone they give permission, kill or trap feral hogs year-round on private land. On wildlife management areas, hog hunting is sharply limited while a statewide task force works to eradicate them.
Feral hogs in Arkansas: where they are
Arkansas feral hogs are a statewide management problem, and the state treats them that way. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) says illegal relocation of hogs for hunting spread them into new areas. That's why Arkansas now bans selling or moving live feral hogs and has pulled back hog hunting on public land.
The response is coordinated through the Arkansas Feral Hog Eradication Task Force, a group of state, federal and private partners. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture keeps a public feral hog dashboard that shows hogs removed by county and by year, so you can see what's happening in your own county instead of guessing.
Much of the heavy lifting is done from the air. USDA APHIS Wildlife Services runs aerial operations with AGFC, and from January 19 through March 31, 2026, several WMAs, including Bayou Meto, Trusten Holder, Seven Devils and Cut-Off Creek, closed for a day or two at a time while crews worked.
The math explains the effort. AGFC cites studies showing that at least 66% of a hog population must be removed every year just to keep it from growing, and it calls large-scale trapping "the most efficient and economical means currently available." A rifle on a deer stand takes one or two hogs. A corral trap can take a sounder.
Our wild boar vs. feral hog guide covers why "wild boar Arkansas" and "wild hog Arkansas" searches describe the same animal.
| Private land | Kill or trap year-round, by the landowner or anyone with permission (AGFC) |
|---|---|
| Hunting license on private land | Check with AGFC |
| WMAs | Only by hunters during open bear, deer or elk seasons, incl. archery (AGFC Code 20.24) |
| Dogs and traps on WMAs | Prohibited |
| Closed areas | Holla Bend NWR, Natural Area WMAs, Hot Springs State Forest WMA |
| Live hogs | Sale and transport of live feral hogs prohibited by state law |
Hog hunting and trapping rules in Arkansas
As of 2026, Arkansas hog rules split cleanly between private land and public land.
Private land
AGFC says feral hogs may be killed or trapped year-round by a landowner or anyone with the landowner's permission. State law (A.C.A. § 2-38-502) builds private-land take around ownership or permission. On public land it also requires a valid Arkansas hunting license, but AGFC's own pages tell hunters to meet "all hunting license and permit requirements." Because those sources aren't worded the same way, check with AGFC on whether you personally need a license for hogs on private ground.
Wildlife management areas
AGFC Code 20.24, effective July 1, 2024, makes it illegal to hunt hogs on WMAs, to use dogs or traps for hogs there, or to possess or release live hogs on a WMA. There are two exceptions: 1. A hunter legally hunting bear, deer or elk during an open season may take a hog with a weapon legal for that season. 2. A legal archery hunter may take hogs during the open bear, deer or elk archery season on that WMA.
Neither exception applies on Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Natural Area WMAs managed with the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, or Hot Springs State Forest WMA. Hogs killed on a WMA can be taken for processing or left where they fell. The 2026–27 general WMA regulations repeat that dogs aren't allowed for hog hunting on WMAs. New Arkansas hunting regulations take effect each July 1, so check AGFC's guidebook every summer.
Live hogs
Arkansas law prohibits the sale and transport of live feral hogs (Acts 723 of 2015 and 697 of 2016). Trapped hogs have to be dispatched at the trap. If you're trapping on your own land, our trapping guide covers corral traps built for whole sounders, and the Department of Agriculture's dashboard shows where removal work is happening near you.
Cooking wild hog, Arkansas style
Arkansas barbecue runs from Hot Springs pit joints to Delta church fundraisers, and plenty of families still roast a whole hog for a reunion or a deer-camp opener. A skin-on whole wild boar is smaller and leaner than a farm pig, so it cooks faster and needs basting. Our whole hog roasting guide covers pit setup, timing and checking for 160°F (71°C) in both the shoulder and the ham.
For a smaller crowd, smoke a shoulder roast over hickory and serve it chopped on a bun with a tomato-vinegar sauce and slaw. That's a plate lunch from Little Rock to Texarkana.
Wild boar meat delivery to Arkansas
We ship wild boar from our plant in Hubbard, Texas to every part of Arkansas — frozen, vacuum sealed and packed with dry ice. Estimated transit: 1–2 days by ground (estimate), including Little Rock, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Springdale, Jonesboro and North Little Rock. Orders over $199.00 ship free; smaller orders ship for a flat $39.95.
Transit is an estimate from Hubbard, TX; southwest Arkansas is the shortest haul.
Feral hogs in Arkansas: FAQ
Can you hunt hogs on WMAs in Arkansas?
Only in limited ways. Under AGFC Code 20.24, hogs may be taken on WMAs only by hunters legally hunting bear, deer or elk during an open season, including archery hunters during those archery seasons. Dogs and traps for hogs are banned on WMAs.
Can I trap hogs on my land in Arkansas?
Yes. AGFC says landowners and anyone with their permission may kill or trap feral hogs year-round on private land. You may not sell or transport the hogs alive.
Why is Arkansas restricting hog hunting?
AGFC says illegal relocation of hogs for hunting spread them into new areas, and it considers large-scale trapping the most efficient way to remove them. Limits on public-land hunting support trapping and aerial work.
Where can I see feral hog removals in my Arkansas county?
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture publishes a feral hog dashboard with removals by county and year.
Sources
- AGFC — Feral hogs
- 002.01.24 Ark. Code R. 068 — 20.24 Feral hog restrictions on WMAs (effective 7/1/2024)
- AGFC — 2026-27 General WMA regulations
- AGFC — Temporary WMA closures for feral hog control measures (2026)
- Arkansas Department of Agriculture — Feral hog survey and removal maps
- A.C.A. § 2-38-502 — Capturing and killing feral hogs
- USDA APHIS — Feral swine distribution maps
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