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New Mexico · 2026-27 season year

New Mexico Small Game Season 2026-27

Quail: November 15, 2026 to February 15, 2027. Grouse: September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026. Every date below was read from New Mexico Department of Wildlife’s own published page, linked beside it, on September 19, 2026.

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.
December 10, 2026 to December 13, 2026
Pheasant
published
November 15, 2026 to February 15, 2027
Quail
published
September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026
Grouse
published
No open season
Rabbit
no season
September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026
Squirrel
published
2 zone rows
Zone structure
as the agency draws it
Five seasons, one state

New Mexico small game seasons, 2026-27

“When does small game season open” is five questions wearing one coat. New Mexico Department of Wildlife dates scaled, Gambel's, bobwhite and Montezuma quail, dusky (blue) grouse, ring-necked pheasant, Abert's, red, gray and fox squirrels and Eurasian collared-dove; rabbits are a nongame species in New Mexico 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

published

Pheasant runs December 10, 2026 to December 13, 2026 across all zones.

New Mexico pheasant, as published by New Mexico Department of Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideDecember 10, 2026December 13, 2026

Dates read from 2026-2027 New Mexico Hunting Rules and Information Booklet, Upland Game section, NMDOW, accessed 2026-09-19.

New Mexico's over-the-counter pheasant season is a single four day window in mid December, the same dates statewide. The department also draws permits for youth-only pheasant hunts on Bernardo, Jackson Lake and W.S. Huey WMAs and an open hunt on W.S. Huey, which are under other seasons.

Opening day, the daily limit and the full season calendar are on the New Mexico pheasant season page.

Quail (Scaled, Gambel's, Bobwhite, Montezuma)

published

Quail (Scaled, Gambel's, Bobwhite, Montezuma) runs November 15, 2026 to February 15, 2027 across all zones.

New Mexico quail (scaled, gambel's, bobwhite, montezuma), as published by New Mexico Department of Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideNovember 15, 2026February 15, 2027

Dates read from 2026-2027 New Mexico Hunting Rules and Information Booklet, Upland Game section, NMDOW, accessed 2026-09-19.

The booklet dates all four New Mexico quail species together on one statewide row: scaled, Gambel's, bobwhite and Montezuma (Mearns's) quail open in mid November and run three months into February. Several State Wildlife Commission WMAs are open to upland game hunting only during the quail season, on days the booklet's WMA table sets.

Dusky (Blue) Grouse

published

Dusky (Blue) Grouse runs September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026 across all zones.

New Mexico dusky (blue) grouse, as published by New Mexico Department of Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
NORTH ZONE (North of I-40)September 1, 2026December 31, 2026
SOUTH ZONE (South of I-40)September 1, 2026December 31, 2026

Dates read from 2026-2027 New Mexico Hunting Rules and Information Booklet, Upland Game section, NMDOW, accessed 2026-09-19.

Dusky grouse, which the booklet still calls blue grouse in parentheses, is New Mexico's only grouse season. The department splits the state into a north zone and a south zone along Interstate 40; both zones carry the same September through December dates. New Mexico has no ruffed grouse season.

Rabbits (nongame species)

no season

New Mexico has no open rabbit season for 2026-27. New Mexico does not run a rabbit season. The 2026-2027 booklet lists rabbits among the common nongame species, which carry no set season dates and which New Mexico residents may take without a license. The white-sided jackrabbit of Hidalgo County is protected under the New Mexico Wildlife Conservation Act and may not be hunted. Source: New Mexico Department of Wildlife.

Squirrel (Abert's, Red, Gray and Fox)

published

Squirrel (Abert's, Red, Gray and Fox) runs September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026 across all zones.

New Mexico squirrel (abert's, red, gray and fox), as published by New Mexico Department of Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideSeptember 1, 2026December 31, 2026

Dates read from 2026-2027 New Mexico Hunting Rules and Information Booklet, Upland Game section, NMDOW, accessed 2026-09-19.

New Mexico dates its four tree squirrels, Abert's, red, gray and fox squirrel, together on one statewide row that opens September 1 alongside dusky grouse and closes at the end of December. Rock squirrels are a nongame species and are not part of this season.

Quail (Scaled, Gambel's, Bobwhite, Montezuma) Statewide Nov. 15, '26–Feb. 15, '27
New Mexico Department of Wildlife, read September 19, 2026. Read it at the source
A rooster ring-necked pheasant with a red face, iridescent green head and white neck ring striding through dry pale crop stubble
A rooster in harvested crop stubble in North Dakota. Most pheasant openers land in October and November, once the fields are cut. Photo: Courtney Celley, USFWS. “Ring-necked pheasant (54120901581)”, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Public domain
The rest of the calendar

Other New Mexico small game seasons the agency names

Beyond the five main species, New Mexico Department of Wildlife dates 3 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.

Eurasian Collared-Dove

published

Eurasian Collared-Dove runs April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 across all zones.

New Mexico eurasian collared-dove, as published by New Mexico Department of Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideApril 1, 2026March 31, 2027

Dates read from 2026-2027 New Mexico Hunting Rules and Information Booklet, Upland Game section, NMDOW, accessed 2026-09-19.

The booklet places Eurasian collared-dove on the upland game page with a season that runs the full license year, April 1 through March 31.

Bernardo, Jackson Lake and W.S. Huey WMA Youth-only Pheasant Hunts

published

Bernardo, Jackson Lake and W.S. Huey WMA Youth-only Pheasant Hunts runs October 17, 2026 to December 5, 2026 across all zones.

New Mexico bernardo, jackson lake and w.s. huey wma youth-only pheasant hunts, as published by New Mexico Department of Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Bernardo WMA (hunt code PHE-0-001)October 17, 2026October 17, 2026One day hunt
W.S. Huey WMA (hunt code PHE-0-002)December 5, 2026December 5, 2026One day hunt
Jackson Lake WMA (hunt code PHE-0-004)December 5, 2026December 5, 2026One day hunt

Dates read from 2026-2027 New Mexico Hunting Rules and Information Booklet, Upland Game section, NMDOW, accessed 2026-09-19.

Three one day youth-only pheasant hunts on state wildlife management areas, each filled by drawing. Youth hunters must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult, and applications were due August 12.

W.S. Huey WMA Pheasant Hunt

published

W.S. Huey WMA Pheasant Hunt runs December 12, 2026 to December 12, 2026 across all zones.

New Mexico w.s. huey wma pheasant hunt, as published by New Mexico Department of Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
W.S. Huey WMA (hunt code PHE-0-003)December 12, 2026December 12, 2026One day hunt

Dates read from 2026-2027 New Mexico Hunting Rules and Information Booklet, Upland Game section, NMDOW, accessed 2026-09-19.

A one day draw-permit pheasant hunt on W.S. Huey WMA that is open to both adult and youth applicants, held the Saturday before the statewide over-the-counter pheasant window.

Rules

New Mexico 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 New Mexico Department of Wildlife, and its regulations page is linked below.

Current New Mexico regulations

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

New Mexico Department of Wildlife: 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 Southwest states

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

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

New Mexico small game season questions

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 New Mexico Department of Wildlife 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 New Mexico Department of Wildlife, whose page is the final word on the day you hunt. See also the national small game season guide.