Kentucky Squirrel & Rabbit Season 2026-27: Small Game Dates

Q: When does squirrel season open in Kentucky in 2026-27?

Squirrel-Fall: August 15, 2026 to February 28, 2027. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources publishes it under that name, and the zone table on this page was read from its own page on September 19, 2026.

Q: When is rabbit season in Kentucky?

Rabbit: November 1, 2026 to February 10, 2027, varying by zone across 2 rows in the agency table. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources publishes it under that name, and the zone table on this page was read from its own page on September 19, 2026.

Q: Which small game zone am I in, in Kentucky?

Kentucky sets different dates by zone for at least one species, and the boundaries are the agency's own, drawn along interstates, highways and county lines. Your zone is determined from the agency's own map: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources publishes the official zone map and boundary descriptions, linked from this page.

Q: Where are the bag limits, legal methods and licence rules for Kentucky small game?

At Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, whose regulations page is linked on this page. Those rules are legally binding, change annually and vary by species, by zone and by land ownership. This page carries the season windows themselves, with source and read date attached.

Q: Can these Kentucky small game dates change?

Yes. Agencies amend season orders, add or drop zones, and occasionally correct their own published tables mid season. This page covers the 2026-27 season year with data as of September 19, 2026, says so in the copy, and links the exact Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources page it read on September 19, 2026. Treat the agency page as the final word on the morning you hunt.

This page covers the 2026-27 season year. Dates were read from the agency sources linked below, last checked September 19, 2026. Seasons change annually and agencies correct their own pages; confirm against the linked agency page before you hunt.

No open season

Pheasant

no season

November 1, 2026 to February 10, 2027

Quail

published

November 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027

Grouse

published

November 1, 2026 to February 10, 2027

Rabbit

published

August 15, 2026 to February 28, 2027

Squirrel

published

2 zone rows

Zone structure

as the agency draws it

Five seasons, one state

Kentucky small game seasons, 2026-27

“When does small game season open” is five questions wearing one coat. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources dates squirrel, rabbit, northern bobwhite quail and ruffed grouse separately, so each species is below under the agency’s own name for it, with the zone rows exactly as the agency lists them.

Pheasant

no season

Kentucky has no open pheasant season for 2026-27. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife's season viewer lists no pheasant season among its 49 season entries; Kentucky holds no wild pheasant season. Source: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Quail

published

Quail runs November 1, 2026 to February 10, 2027 across all zones.

Kentucky quail, as published by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Eastern Zone (segment 1)	November 1, 2026	November 13, 2026	Closed Nov 14 and 15, 2026
Eastern Zone (segment 2)	November 16, 2026	January 31, 2027
Western Zone	November 16, 2026	February 10, 2027

Dates read from Seasons, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Season Viewer, KDFWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Kentucky dates northern bobwhite by zone. The Eastern Zone opens Nov 1, pauses for the opening weekend of the November deer season on Nov 14 and 15, and resumes Nov 16 through Jan 31, 2027; the Western Zone runs Nov 16, 2026 through Feb 10, 2027.

Grouse

published

Grouse runs November 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 across all zones.

Kentucky grouse, as published by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Grouse Zone (segment 1)	November 1, 2026	November 13, 2026	Closed Nov 14 and 15, 2026
Grouse Zone (segment 2)	November 16, 2026	February 28, 2027

Dates read from Seasons, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Season Viewer, KDFWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Ruffed grouse is open in the Grouse Zone only, from Nov 1 with a two day pause on Nov 14 and 15 and then through the end of February. The agency adds that grouse hunting is also allowed on Pennyrile State Forest, Tradewater WMA and Ft. Knox during December, except during quota deer hunts.

Rabbit

published

Rabbit runs November 1, 2026 to February 10, 2027 across all zones.

Kentucky rabbit, as published by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Eastern Zone (segment 1)	November 1, 2026	November 13, 2026	Closed Nov 14 and 15, 2026
Eastern Zone (segment 2)	November 16, 2026	January 31, 2027
Western Zone	November 16, 2026	February 10, 2027

Dates read from Seasons, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Season Viewer, KDFWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Rabbit follows the same zone structure as quail: the Eastern Zone opens Nov 1 with a pause on Nov 14 and 15 and closes Jan 31, 2027, and the Western Zone runs Nov 16, 2026 through Feb 10, 2027.

Squirrel-Fall

published

Squirrel-Fall runs August 15, 2026 to February 28, 2027 across all zones.

Kentucky squirrel-fall, as published by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide (segment 1)	August 15, 2026	November 13, 2026	Closed Nov 14 and 15, 2026
Statewide (segment 2)	November 16, 2026	February 28, 2027

Dates read from Seasons, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Season Viewer, KDFWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Fall squirrel opens the third Saturday in August statewide, pauses on Nov 14 and 15 for the November deer opener, and runs through the end of February. The spring squirrel season is listed in otherSeasons.

In Grouse Zone ONLY. Grouse hunting is also allowed on Pennyrile State Forest, Tradewater WMA and Ft. Knox during the month of December, except during quota deer hunts.

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, read September 19, 2026. Read it at the source

A pair of northern bobwhite quail standing together in a carpet of purple violets, the male with a bold white throat and eye stripe, the female buff faced — A bobwhite pair. Quail seasons run from late autumn into winter across the South and Midwest; several western states date scaled, Gambel's and California quail on the same row. Photo: Steve Maslowski, USFWS. “Colinus virginianus USFWS”, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, Public domain

The rest of the calendar

Other Kentucky small game seasons the agency names

Beyond the five main species, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources dates 2 further seasons on the same small game pages. They are reproduced here under the agency’s own names, because a hunter reading a calendar needs to know which window a licence or stamp actually covers.

Youth Small Game

published

Youth Small Game runs December 26, 2026 to January 1, 2027 across all zones.

Kentucky youth small game, as published by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide	December 26, 2026	January 1, 2027

Dates read from Seasons, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Season Viewer, KDFWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

A statewide Youth Small Game week from the day after Christmas through New Year's Day, Dec 26, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027, listed by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife as its own season.

Squirrel-Spring

not yet published

Kentucky squirrel-spring: not yet published as of September 19, 2026

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources had not posted these dates when this page was last checked. The season viewer lists only the May 16 to Jun 21, 2026 spring squirrel season, marked past; a 2027 spring squirrel window was not yet posted as of Sep 19, 2026. They will appear first on the agency page linked below.

Watch for them at Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

Rules

Kentucky small game hunting regulations

Season windows are carried here with their source and read date attached. Everything else a hunter is bound by is set by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, and its regulations page is linked below.

Current Kentucky regulations

Bag and possession limits, legal methods, shooting hours, license and stamp requirements, and youth or special season rules for Kentucky are set by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, are legally binding and change annually. Its current regulations page is linked here.

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources: current regulations

Close view of an eastern cottontail rabbit in green grass, ears up, dark round eye and white chin catching the light — An eastern cottontail. Rabbit is usually the last small game season to close, running into February in most of the East and Midwest. Photo: Grayson Smith, USFWS. “Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (48935527872)”, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Public domain

Small game season dates in other Southeast states

Every state’s pheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel dates are on the national small game season page.

A ruffed grouse standing on snow with its feathers puffed against the cold, crest raised, in front of bare frosted branches — A ruffed grouse in northern Minnesota snow. Grouse seasons open in September or October in the northern forest states and several run through the winter. Photo: Courtney Celley, USFWS. “Ruffed grouse (53480965635)”, USFWS Midwest Region, Public domain

Kentucky deer seasonArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer dates for 2026-27, under the same sourcing rules.Kentucky turkey seasonSpring and fall wild turkey windows for 2026-27, read from the same agency.Kentucky duck seasonDuck and goose season dates by zone and flyway, read from the same agency.Kentucky fall foliagePeak color and the first grouse and squirrel weeks overlap. Plan the same trip.

Kentucky small game season questions

When does squirrel season open in Kentucky in 2026-27?

When is rabbit season in Kentucky?

Does Kentucky have a pheasant season?

Which small game zone am I in, in Kentucky?

Where are the bag limits, legal methods and licence rules for Kentucky small game?

Can these Kentucky small game dates change?

A fox squirrel with a grey back and rust orange belly crouched on a lichen covered branch against bare winter trees and blue sky — A fox squirrel in bare winter woods in Ohio. Squirrel is the earliest small game opener in many states, from mid August or September, and runs to January or February. “Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger vulpinus) (13255025953)” by Andrew C, CC BY 2.0

This page covers the 2026-27 season year with data as of September 19, 2026. Every season window is republished from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources page linked beside it, read on September 19, 2026; windows the agency had not yet published are labelled not yet published. Bag and possession limits, legal methods, shooting hours and licence rules are set by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, whose page is the final word on the day you hunt. See also the national small game season guide.