Utah Grouse & Quail Season 2026-27: Small Game Dates

Q: When does grouse season open in Utah in 2026-27?

Dusky and ruffed grouse: September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026. Utah Division of 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 quail season in Utah?

California and Gambel's quail: November 7, 2026 to December 31, 2026. Utah Division of 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: Does Utah have a pheasant season?

Ring-necked pheasant: November 7, 2026 to December 6, 2026. Utah Division of 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: Do small game dates vary by zone in Utah?

Not for the 2026-27 seasons shown here: Utah Division of Wildlife 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 Utah small game?

At Utah Division of 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 Utah 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 Utah Division of 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.

November 7, 2026 to December 6, 2026

Pheasant

published

November 7, 2026 to December 31, 2026

Quail

published

September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026

Grouse

published

September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027

Rabbit

published

No open season

Squirrel

no season

Statewide

Zone structure

as the agency draws it

Five seasons, one state

Utah small game seasons, 2026-27

“When does small game season open” is five questions wearing one coat. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources dates ring-necked pheasant, California and Gambel's quail (scaled quail closed), dusky and ruffed grouse, greater sage-grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, white-tailed ptarmigan, chukar and gray (Hungarian) partridge, cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare and jackrabbit 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 November 7, 2026 to December 6, 2026 across all zones.

Utah ring-necked pheasant, as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide (excludes closed areas and Native American trust lands)	November 7, 2026	December 6, 2026	The Goshen Warm Springs WMA in Utah County is closed to all hunting

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Utah's pheasant season opens the first Saturday of November and runs 30 days statewide. A week long youth pheasant hunt precedes it and is under other seasons, and the guidebook lists a few wildlife management areas closed to the general public on single days for sponsored youth and beginner hunts.

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

California and Gambel's quail

published

California and Gambel's quail runs November 7, 2026 to December 31, 2026 across all zones.

Utah california and gambel's quail, as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide (excludes closed areas and Native American trust lands)	November 7, 2026	December 31, 2026

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

California and Gambel's quail open with pheasant on November 7 and stay open through December 31 statewide. The guidebook lists scaled quail as closed statewide for 2026-27. A three day youth quail hunt at the end of October is under other seasons.

Dusky and ruffed grouse

published

Dusky and ruffed grouse runs September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026 across all zones.

Utah dusky and ruffed grouse, as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide (excludes closed areas and Native American trust lands)	September 1, 2026	December 31, 2026

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Utah dates dusky and ruffed grouse together as forest grouse, open statewide from September 1 through December 31. Greater sage-grouse and sharp-tailed grouse are permit hunts in named areas and are under other seasons.

Cottontail rabbit (desert and mountain)

published

Cottontail rabbit (desert and mountain) runs September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 across all zones.

Utah cottontail rabbit (desert and mountain), as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide (excludes closed areas and Native American trust lands)	September 1, 2026	February 28, 2027

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Cottontail rabbit, both desert and mountain cottontail, is open statewide from September 1 through the end of February. Snowshoe hare and jackrabbit are dated separately and are under other seasons.

Squirrel

no season

Utah has no open squirrel season for 2026-27. Utah sets no squirrel season. The 2026-27 guidebook states that squirrels, chipmunks, marmots and other small mammals are not considered upland game, addressing them only as nuisance species, and it states that pursuit or harvest of the Abert's squirrel is prohibited at all times. Source: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Season dates: Nov. 7–Dec. 6, 2026

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 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 Utah small game seasons the agency names

Beyond the five main species, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources dates 9 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 youth hunt

published

Ring-necked pheasant youth hunt runs October 31, 2026 to November 5, 2026 across all zones.

Utah ring-necked pheasant youth hunt, as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide (excludes closed areas and Native American trust lands)	October 31, 2026	November 5, 2026

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

A six day statewide youth pheasant hunt that ends the day before the general opener.

California and Gambel's quail youth hunt

published

California and Gambel's quail youth hunt runs October 31, 2026 to November 2, 2026 across all zones.

Utah california and gambel's quail youth hunt, as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide (excludes closed areas and Native American trust lands)	October 31, 2026	November 2, 2026

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

A three day statewide youth quail hunt over the weekend before the general quail and pheasant opener.

Chukar and gray (Hungarian) partridge youth hunt

published

Chukar and gray (Hungarian) partridge youth hunt runs September 19, 2026 to September 21, 2026 across all zones.

Utah chukar and gray (hungarian) partridge youth hunt, as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide (excludes closed areas and Native American trust lands)	September 19, 2026	September 21, 2026

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

A three day youth partridge hunt one week ahead of the general chukar and gray partridge opener.

Chukar and gray (Hungarian) partridge

published

Chukar and gray (Hungarian) partridge runs September 26, 2026 to February 15, 2027 across all zones.

Utah chukar and gray (hungarian) partridge, as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide (excludes closed areas and Native American trust lands)	September 26, 2026	February 15, 2027	Antelope Island is closed to all upland game hunting

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Chukar and gray partridge share the longest upland bird season in Utah, from the last Saturday of September through February 15.

Greater sage-grouse

published

Greater sage-grouse runs September 26, 2026 to October 18, 2026 across all zones.

Utah greater sage-grouse, as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Diamond, Blue Mountain (SG1000), Parker Mountain (SG1001), Rich County (SG1002) and West Box Elder County (SG1003)	September 26, 2026	October 18, 2026	A greater sage-grouse permit is required; boundary maps are on the Utah Hunt Planner

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Greater sage-grouse is a permit hunt in four named areas over about three weeks starting the last Saturday of September; permits are issued through the division's drawing.

Sharp-tailed grouse

published

Sharp-tailed grouse runs September 26, 2026 to October 18, 2026 across all zones.

Utah sharp-tailed grouse, as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Northeast Box Elder County (ST1000) and Cache County (ST1001)	September 26, 2026	October 18, 2026	A sharp-tailed grouse permit is required; the areas are all or largely private property

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Sharp-tailed grouse runs on the same dates as sage-grouse in two northern Utah permit areas that are all or largely private land.

White-tailed ptarmigan

published

White-tailed ptarmigan runs September 1, 2026 to October 31, 2026 across all zones.

Utah white-tailed ptarmigan, as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide (excludes closed areas and Native American trust lands)	September 1, 2026	October 31, 2026	A white-tailed ptarmigan permit is required

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

A two month statewide ptarmigan season in September and October that requires a ptarmigan permit for reporting purposes.

Snowshoe hare

published

Snowshoe hare runs September 1, 2026 to March 15, 2027 across all zones.

Utah snowshoe hare, as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide (excludes closed areas and Native American trust lands)	September 1, 2026	March 15, 2027

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

Snowshoe hare opens with cottontail on September 1 and runs two weeks longer, to March 15.

Jackrabbit (black-tailed and white-tailed)

published

Utah jackrabbit (black-tailed and white-tailed), as published by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide (excludes closed areas and Native American trust lands)	Open year-round, per the agency		The guidebook lists the season dates as year round

Dates read from Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook 2026-27, Utah DWR, accessed 2026-09-19.

The guidebook lists the jackrabbit season as year round statewide for both black-tailed and white-tailed jackrabbits.

Rules

Utah 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 Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and its regulations page is linked below.

Current Utah regulations

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

Utah Division of 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 Rockies 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

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

Utah small game season questions

When does grouse season open in Utah in 2026-27?

When is quail season in Utah?

Does Utah have a pheasant season?

Do small game dates vary by zone in Utah?

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

Can these Utah 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 Utah Division of 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 Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, whose page is the final word on the day you hunt. See also the national small game season guide.