Arkansas Reciprocal Agreement
40 Mississippi Administrative Code Part 4 Rule 3.2
The Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks at a meeting in Jackson on June 27, 2000 under authority of Section 25-43-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, make known it's intent to adopt the following regulations under Mississippi Code of 1972 relative to the reciprocal license agreement on the Mississippi River between the State of Mississippi and the State of Arkansas.
Reciprocal License Agreement on the Mississippi River between the state of Arkansas and the state of Mississippi.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks and the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission hereby enter into a cooperative agreement to recognize the resident sport fishing licenses, resident hunting licenses and the resident commercial fishing licenses of the two states on the flowing waters of the Mississippi River and all public waters between the main levees of the Mississippi River of the two states, excluding the St. Francis, White and Arkansas Rivers, this exclusion also includes all oxbow lakes whose entrance requires passage through the mouth of the St. Francis, White and Arkansas Rivers.
The following provisions shall apply:
Resident hunting and resident sport fishing licensees of either state shall abide by all laws and/or regulations pertaining to seasons, daily bag and creel limits, possession limits, size limits, tagging requirements and all other laws and/or regulations of the state in which the hunting or fishing takes place.
A. Resident Sport Fishing (excludes taking frogs) - A sport fishing licensee shall abide by the creel limits, size limits, and shall use trotlines and other fishing equipment in accordance with the laws and regulations (excluding frogs) of the state in which the person is fishing.
B. Resident Commercial Fishing - A resident commercial fishing licensee shall abide by the creel and size limits, and shall use tackle and other fishing equipment in accordance with the laws and regulations of the state in which the gear is being fished.
C. Resident Hunting (Migratory Waterfowl Only) - Migratory waterfowl may be hunted upon the flowing waters of the Mississippi River, waters accessible by boat from the main channel of the Mississippi River, and state line lakes by a licensee of either state during the period when the season is open and coincidental in both states, and according to the laws, bag and possession limits, and all other rules and regulations promulgated by the state issuing the license.
D. Resident Hunting (other than Migratory Waterfowl):
- Current Mississippi resident hunting licenses shall be valid only on Arkansas lands that lie east of the main channel of the Mississippi River and on Mississippi lands that lie on the west side of the main channel of the Mississippi River.
- Current Arkansas resident hunting licenses shall be valid only on Mississippi lands that lie west of the main channel of the Mississippi River and on Arkansas lands that lie east of the main channel of the Mississippi River.
E. Resident licensees of either state shall have unrestricted ingress and egress through the other state for the purpose of hunting and fishing in accordance with the provisions of this agreement.
For the purposes of this agreement, the state line will be that depicted on the U. S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey quadrangle maps.
Nothing herein shall be construed to allow any person to hunt, fish, or go upon the lands of another landowner or entity without their permission for recreational purposes. Floodwater which has overflowed the natural banks of a public waterway in Mississippi is not a part of the public waterway.
This agreement may be canceled by either the Director of the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission or the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks upon sixty days written notice.
This adopted public notice will become effective August 25, 2000.
