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New York · 2026-27 season year

New York Small Game Season 2026-27

Squirrel: September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027. Grouse: September 20, 2026 to February 28, 2027. Every date below was read from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’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.
October 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027
Pheasant
published
October 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027
Quail
published
September 20, 2026 to February 28, 2027
Grouse
published
October 1, 2026 to March 21, 2027
Rabbit
published
September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027
Squirrel
published
5 zone rows
Zone structure
as the agency draws it
Five seasons, one state

New York small game seasons, 2026-27

“When does small game season open” is five questions wearing one coat. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation dates pheasant, bobwhite quail, ruffed grouse, cottontail rabbit, varying hare, and gray, black and fox squirrel 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 October 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 across all zones.

New York pheasant, as published by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Eastern and northern New York: DEC Region 3, 4, 5 and 6 WMUs plus WMU 7AOctober 1, 2026February 28, 2027The largest area on DEC's pheasant map
Western and central New York: WMUs 7F, 7J, 7M, 7P, 7R, 7S, 8N, 8P, 8R, 8T, 8W, 8X, 8Y, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9M, 9N, 9P, 9R, 9S, 9T, 9W, 9X and 9YOctober 17, 2026February 28, 2027
Northwestern WMUs 9A, 9C, 9F, 8A, 8C, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8J, 8M, 8S and 7HOctober 17, 2026December 31, 2026
Long Island and New York City west of the Shinnecock Canal and Inlet: WMUs 1A, 2A and western 1CNovember 1, 2026December 31, 2026DEC's map footnotes that WMU 2A has no youth hunt
Long Island east of the Shinnecock Canal and Inlet: eastern WMU 1CNovember 1, 2026December 31, 2026

Dates read from Small Game Hunting, 2026-2027 New York Hunting and Trapping Guide, NYSDEC, accessed 2026-09-19.

New York keys pheasant to five map areas. The eastern and northern part of the state opens October 1 and runs to the end of February, western and central New York opens the third Saturday of October, a band of northwestern WMUs along the lakes closes December 31, and Long Island and New York City run November 1 to December 31. Each area has its own youth hunt weekend, recorded under otherSeasons, and the WMU groupings above are transcribed from DEC's colour-coded map.

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

Bobwhite Quail

published

Bobwhite Quail runs October 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 across all zones.

New York bobwhite quail, as published by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Orange and Putnam countiesOctober 1, 2026February 28, 2027
Long Island: Nassau and Suffolk countiesNovember 1, 2026December 31, 2026

Dates read from Small Game Hunting, 2026-2027 New York Hunting and Trapping Guide, NYSDEC, accessed 2026-09-19.

DEC's bobwhite quail map opens only two areas: Orange and Putnam counties from October 1 to the end of February, and Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island from November 1 to December 31. The rest of the state, including New York City, is closed.

Ruffed Grouse

published

Ruffed Grouse runs September 20, 2026 to February 28, 2027 across all zones.

New York ruffed grouse, as published by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Northern Zone WMUs 5A, 5C, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6F, 6G, 6H, 6J, 6K and 6NSeptember 20, 2026February 28, 2027
All other WMUs except Long Island and New York CityOctober 1, 2026February 28, 2027Closed in WMUs 1A, 1C and 2A

Dates read from Small Game Hunting, 2026-2027 New York Hunting and Trapping Guide, NYSDEC, accessed 2026-09-19.

Ruffed grouse opens September 20 in the Northern Zone WMUs and October 1 across the rest of upstate New York, both running to the end of February; Long Island and New York City are closed. DEC reminds Adirondack hunters that the spruce grouse is endangered and not legal to hunt.

Cottontail Rabbit

published

Cottontail Rabbit runs October 1, 2026 to March 21, 2027 across all zones.

New York cottontail rabbit, as published by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Northern Zone WMUs 5A, 5C, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6F, 6G, 6H, 6J, 6K and 6NOctober 1, 2026March 21, 2027
All other upstate WMUsOctober 1, 2026February 28, 2027
Long Island and New York City: WMUs 1A, 1C and 2ANovember 1, 2026February 28, 2027

Dates read from Small Game Hunting, 2026-2027 New York Hunting and Trapping Guide, NYSDEC, accessed 2026-09-19.

Cottontail rabbit opens October 1 upstate and November 1 on Long Island and in New York City. The Northern Zone WMUs stay open to March 21 while everywhere else closes at the end of February. Varying hare is dated separately and recorded under otherSeasons.

Gray, Black & Fox Squirrel

published

Gray, Black & Fox Squirrel runs September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 across all zones.

New York gray, black & fox squirrel, as published by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
All other areas of New York (every WMU except Long Island and New York City)September 1, 2026February 28, 2027
Long Island & NYC: WMUs 1A, 1C and 2ANovember 1, 2026February 28, 2027

Dates read from Small Game Hunting, 2026-2027 New York Hunting and Trapping Guide, NYSDEC, accessed 2026-09-19.

Squirrel is New York's first small game opener at September 1 upstate, with Long Island and New York City opening November 1; both run to the end of February. DEC's tables say red squirrels are unprotected and may be hunted at any time.

All other areas of New York: Sept. 1 – Feb. 28
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 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 York small game seasons the agency names

Beyond the five main species, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 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.

Pheasant Youth Hunt

published

Pheasant Youth Hunt runs September 26, 2026 to October 25, 2026 across all zones.

New York pheasant youth hunt, as published by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Eastern and northern New York (the October 1 opener area)September 26, 2026September 27, 2026
Western and central New York and the northwestern WMUs (the October 17 opener areas)October 10, 2026October 11, 2026
Long Island: WMUs 1A and 1C (no youth hunt in WMU 2A)October 24, 2026October 25, 2026

Dates read from Small Game Hunting, 2026-2027 New York Hunting and Trapping Guide, NYSDEC, accessed 2026-09-19.

DEC pairs each pheasant map area with a youth hunt weekend the week before its regular opener.

Varying Hare

published

Varying Hare runs October 1, 2026 to March 21, 2027 across all zones.

New York varying hare, as published by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Northern Zone WMUs 5A, 5C, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6F, 6G, 6H, 6J, 6K and 6NOctober 1, 2026March 21, 2027
Southern Zone WMUs of DEC Regions 3, 4 and 7 plus 5R, 5S, 5T, 6P, 6R and 6SDecember 14, 2026February 28, 2027
Western WMUs 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9M, 9N, 9P, 9R, 9S, 9T, 9W, 9X, 9Y, 8M, 8N, 8P, 8R, 8S, 8T, 8W, 8X and 8YJanuary 1, 2027January 31, 2027DEC's map shows WMUs 9A, 9C, 9F, 8A, 8C, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8J, 1A, 1C and 2A closed

Dates read from Small Game Hunting, 2026-2027 New York Hunting and Trapping Guide, NYSDEC, accessed 2026-09-19.

New York's varying (snowshoe) hare season runs October 1 to March 21 in the Northern Zone, opens December 14 across the eastern and central Southern Zone, and is a January only season in the western Southern Zone; the lake plain WMUs, Long Island and New York City are closed. WMU groupings are transcribed from DEC's colour-coded map.

Rules

New York 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 York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and its regulations page is linked below.

Current New York regulations

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

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

New York 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 York State Department of Environmental Conservation 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 York State Department of Environmental Conservation, whose page is the final word on the day you hunt. See also the national small game season guide.