Skip to content
Pennsylvania · 2026-27 season year

Pennsylvania Small Game Season 2026-27

Squirrel: September 12, 2026 to February 28, 2027. Pheasant: October 24, 2026 to February 28, 2027. Every date below was read from Pennsylvania Game Commission’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 24, 2026 to February 28, 2027
Pheasant
published
September 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
Quail
published
October 17, 2026 to December 24, 2026
Grouse
published
October 17, 2026 to February 28, 2027
Rabbit
published
September 12, 2026 to February 28, 2027
Squirrel
published
Statewide
Zone structure
as the agency draws it
Five seasons, one state

Pennsylvania small game seasons, 2026-27

“When does small game season open” is five questions wearing one coat. Pennsylvania Game Commission dates ring-necked pheasant, bobwhite quail, ruffed grouse, cottontail rabbit, snowshoe (varying) hare, and red, gray, black and fox squirrels dated together separately, so each species is below under the agency’s own name for it, with the zone rows exactly as the agency lists them.

Ring-necked Pheasant

published

Ring-necked Pheasant runs October 24, 2026 to February 28, 2027 across all zones.

Pennsylvania ring-necked pheasant, as published by Pennsylvania Game Commission
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Statewide (segment 1)October 24, 2026December 24, 2026The Commission's table says there is no open season in Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas except as authorized by executive order
Statewide (segment 2)December 26, 2026February 28, 2027

Dates read from Seasons and Bag Limits, Pennsylvania Game Commission, accessed 2026-09-19.

Pennsylvania's regular pheasant season opens the fourth Saturday of October and, after a one day Christmas break, runs to the end of February in all WMUs. A separate special season for junior and mentored hunters runs the week before the opener and is recorded under otherSeasons.

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

Bobwhite Quail

published

Bobwhite Quail runs September 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 across all zones.

Pennsylvania bobwhite quail, as published by Pennsylvania Game Commission
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Statewide (segment 1)September 1, 2026December 24, 2026The Commission's table says there is no open season in the Letterkenny Army Depot Bobwhite Quail Recovery Area
Statewide (segment 2)December 26, 2026March 31, 2027

Dates read from Seasons and Bag Limits, Pennsylvania Game Commission, accessed 2026-09-19.

Pennsylvania dates bobwhite quail from September 1 through the end of March with the same Christmas Day break as its other small game seasons. The Letterkenny Army Depot Bobwhite Quail Recovery Area is closed to quail hunting.

Ruffed Grouse

published

Ruffed Grouse runs October 17, 2026 to December 24, 2026 across all zones.

Pennsylvania ruffed grouse, as published by Pennsylvania Game Commission
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideOctober 17, 2026December 24, 2026

Dates read from Seasons and Bag Limits, Pennsylvania Game Commission, accessed 2026-09-19.

Ruffed grouse opens with cottontail rabbit on the third Saturday of October and closes December 24, with no late season segment in the Commission's 2026-27 table.

Rabbit (Cottontail)

published

Rabbit (Cottontail) runs October 17, 2026 to February 28, 2027 across all zones.

Pennsylvania rabbit (cottontail), as published by Pennsylvania Game Commission
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Statewide (segment 1)October 17, 2026December 24, 2026
Statewide (segment 2)December 26, 2026February 28, 2027

Dates read from Seasons and Bag Limits, Pennsylvania Game Commission, accessed 2026-09-19.

Cottontail rabbit opens the third Saturday of October and, after the Christmas Day break, runs to the end of February statewide. A special junior season two weeks before the opener is recorded under otherSeasons.

Squirrels, Red, Gray, Black and Fox (Combined)

published

Squirrels, Red, Gray, Black and Fox (Combined) runs September 12, 2026 to February 28, 2027 across all zones.

Pennsylvania squirrels, red, gray, black and fox (combined), as published by Pennsylvania Game Commission
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Statewide (segment 1)September 12, 2026December 24, 2026
Statewide (segment 2)December 26, 2026February 28, 2027

Dates read from Seasons and Bag Limits, Pennsylvania Game Commission, accessed 2026-09-19.

The Commission dates red, gray, black and fox squirrels together in one combined season that opens the second Saturday of September and, after the Christmas Day break, runs to the end of February. The junior squirrel season shares the September opener and is recorded under otherSeasons.

Oct. 24-Dec. 24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 28, 2027
Pennsylvania Game Commission, 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 Pennsylvania small game seasons the agency names

Beyond the five main species, Pennsylvania Game Commission dates 5 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.

Ring-necked Pheasant, special season for junior and mentored hunters

published

Ring-necked Pheasant, special season for junior and mentored hunters runs October 10, 2026 to October 18, 2026 across all zones.

Pennsylvania ring-necked pheasant, special season for junior and mentored hunters, as published by Pennsylvania Game Commission
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideOctober 10, 2026October 18, 2026

Dates read from Seasons and Bag Limits, Pennsylvania Game Commission, accessed 2026-09-19.

A nine day pheasant window for junior hunters and mentored hunters ahead of the regular October 24 opener.

Rabbit (Cottontail), special season for junior hunters

published

Rabbit (Cottontail), special season for junior hunters runs October 3, 2026 to October 18, 2026 across all zones.

Pennsylvania rabbit (cottontail), special season for junior hunters, as published by Pennsylvania Game Commission
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideOctober 3, 2026October 18, 2026

Dates read from Seasons and Bag Limits, Pennsylvania Game Commission, accessed 2026-09-19.

A junior only cottontail season that opens two weeks before the regular October 17 opener.

Squirrels, special season for junior hunters

published

Squirrels, special season for junior hunters runs September 12, 2026 to September 27, 2026 across all zones.

Pennsylvania squirrels, special season for junior hunters, as published by Pennsylvania Game Commission
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideSeptember 12, 2026September 27, 2026

Dates read from Seasons and Bag Limits, Pennsylvania Game Commission, accessed 2026-09-19.

A junior squirrel season that shares the September 12 opener with the regular combined squirrel season.

Hares (Snowshoe Rabbits) or Varying Hares

published

Hares (Snowshoe Rabbits) or Varying Hares runs December 26, 2026 to December 31, 2026 across all zones.

Pennsylvania hares (snowshoe rabbits) or varying hares, as published by Pennsylvania Game Commission
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideDecember 26, 2026December 31, 2026

Dates read from Seasons and Bag Limits, Pennsylvania Game Commission, accessed 2026-09-19.

Pennsylvania's snowshoe hare season is a six day window between Christmas and New Year's Day, statewide.

Woodcock

published

Woodcock runs October 17, 2026 to December 8, 2026 across all zones.

Pennsylvania woodcock, as published by Pennsylvania Game Commission
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideOctober 17, 2026December 8, 2026

Dates read from Seasons and Bag Limits, Pennsylvania Game Commission, accessed 2026-09-19.

Woodcock sits in the migratory game bird section of the same agency seasons page and opens on the grouse and rabbit opener.

Rules

Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Game Commission, and its regulations page is linked below.

Current Pennsylvania regulations

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

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

Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Game Commission 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 Pennsylvania Game Commission, whose page is the final word on the day you hunt. See also the national small game season guide.