South Carolina Squirrel & Rabbit Season 2026-27: Small Game Dates

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

Squirrel (Gray & Fox): October 1, 2026 to March 1, 2027. South Carolina Department of Natural 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 South Carolina?

Rabbit: November 26, 2026 to March 1, 2027. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources publishes it under that name, and the zone table on this page was read from its own page on September 19, 2026.

Q: Do small game dates vary by zone in South Carolina?

Not for the 2026-27 seasons shown here: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources publishes these windows statewide rather than splitting the state into zones with different openers, so the dates in the tables above apply as listed. Which county or public area you hunt can still change what is open there, and the agency's regulations page linked below is where that lives.

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

At South Carolina Department of Natural 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina Department of Natural 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 23, 2026 to March 1, 2027

Quail

published

November 26, 2026 to March 1, 2027

Grouse

published

November 26, 2026 to March 1, 2027

Rabbit

published

October 1, 2026 to March 1, 2027

Squirrel

published

Statewide

Zone structure

as the agency draws it

Five seasons, one state

South Carolina small game seasons, 2026-27

“When does small game season open” is five questions wearing one coat. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources dates quail, rabbit, gray and fox squirrel, and grouse in Game Zone 1 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

South Carolina has no open pheasant season for 2026-27. SCDNR's small game seasons table lists no pheasant season. South Carolina's small game rows are quail, rabbit, squirrel, grouse, fox, raccoon and opossum. Source: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

Quail

published

Quail runs November 23, 2026 to March 1, 2027 across all zones.

South Carolina quail, as published by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
All Game Zones	November 23, 2026	March 1, 2027	Private land and WMA harvest windows are the same; check individual WMAs for additional restrictions

Dates read from Small Game Seasons, 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting and Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide, SCDNR, accessed 2026-09-19.

South Carolina's quail harvest season opens the Monday before Thanksgiving and runs to Mar 1, 2027 in all Game Zones. The same row also prints an earlier pursuit-only period without harvest; only the harvest window is republished here. A statewide youth quail day on private land falls on Nov 21, 2026.

Grouse

published

Grouse runs November 26, 2026 to March 1, 2027 across all zones.

South Carolina grouse, as published by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Game Zone 1 only	November 26, 2026	March 1, 2027	Private land and WMA windows are the same

Dates read from Small Game Seasons, 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting and Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide, SCDNR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Ruffed grouse is hunted only in Game Zone 1, the mountain counties, opening on Thanksgiving Day and running to Mar 1, 2027.

Rabbit

published

Rabbit runs November 26, 2026 to March 1, 2027 across all zones.

South Carolina rabbit, as published by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
All Game Zones	November 26, 2026	March 1, 2027	Private land and WMA harvest windows are the same; check individual WMAs for additional restrictions

Dates read from Small Game Seasons, 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting and Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide, SCDNR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Rabbit harvest season opens on Thanksgiving Day and runs to Mar 1, 2027 in all Game Zones; the row also prints an earlier pursuit-only period that is not a harvest season. A statewide youth rabbit day on private land falls on Mar 6, 2027.

Squirrel (Gray & Fox)

published

Squirrel (Gray & Fox) runs October 1, 2026 to March 1, 2027 across all zones.

South Carolina squirrel (gray & fox), as published by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
All Game Zones	October 1, 2026	March 1, 2027	Private land and WMA harvest windows are the same; check individual WMAs for additional restrictions

Dates read from Small Game Seasons, 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting and Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide, SCDNR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Gray and fox squirrel harvest season runs Oct 1, 2026 to Mar 1, 2027 in all Game Zones, the longest of the state's small game windows. A statewide youth squirrel day on private land falls on Sep 26, 2026.

Grouse Game Zone 1 only Nov. 26-Mar. 1

South Carolina Department of Natural 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 South Carolina small game seasons the agency names

Beyond the five main species, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources 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.

Youth Days on Private Land: Squirrel

published

Youth Days on Private Land: Squirrel runs September 26, 2026 to September 26, 2026 across all zones.

South Carolina youth days on private land: squirrel, as published by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide, All Game Zones	September 26, 2026	September 26, 2026

Dates read from Small Game Seasons, 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting and Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide, SCDNR, accessed 2026-09-19.

A single statewide youth squirrel day on private land, the Saturday before the general squirrel opener.

Youth Days on Private Land: Quail

published

Youth Days on Private Land: Quail runs November 21, 2026 to November 21, 2026 across all zones.

South Carolina youth days on private land: quail, as published by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide, All Game Zones	November 21, 2026	November 21, 2026

Dates read from Small Game Seasons, 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting and Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide, SCDNR, accessed 2026-09-19.

A single statewide youth quail day on private land, the Saturday before the general quail opener.

Youth Days on Private Land: Rabbit

published

Youth Days on Private Land: Rabbit runs March 6, 2027 to March 6, 2027 across all zones.

South Carolina youth days on private land: rabbit, as published by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide, All Game Zones	March 6, 2027	March 6, 2027

Dates read from Small Game Seasons, 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting and Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide, SCDNR, accessed 2026-09-19.

A single statewide youth rabbit day on private land, the Saturday after the general rabbit season closes.

Rules

South Carolina 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 South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and its regulations page is linked below.

Current South Carolina regulations

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

South Carolina Department of Natural 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

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

South Carolina small game season questions

When does squirrel season open in South Carolina in 2026-27?

When is rabbit season in South Carolina?

Does South Carolina have a pheasant season?

Do small game dates vary by zone in South Carolina?

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

Can these South Carolina 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 South Carolina Department of Natural 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 South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, whose page is the final word on the day you hunt. See also the national small game season guide.