Find tips on Hunting, Firearm News, Reviews, & Training
An essential part of hunting ethically and responsibly while also avoiding fines and poaching charges is becoming familiar with (and only hunting during) the confines of hunting seasons set by state and federal legislators.
The following compilation of links and general hunting season dates will provide a starting point for hunters to begin familiarizing themselves with each state’s hunting seasons for popular big game and upland (non-migratory) small game species.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The information below is only a basic overview of general time periods in which various hunting seasons throughout the United States occur. Like most other laws and regulations, the details of hunting seasons are sprawling and complex and cannot be efficiently summarized. For every general hunting season date range, there might be dozens of exceptions and modifications. For example, a state’s combined deer seasons might run from September to December, but it will only be legal to hunt with a modern firearm during a limited portion of that date range. Some regions of a state may have deer seasons at different times of the year and for different durations, and there might even be different seasons for public and private land. To learn about the detailed specifics of the nation’s hunting seasons, click on each state to navigate to the corresponding department of fish and game website.
Alabama
Deer: October - February
Dove: September - January
Turkey: March – April and November – January
Quail: November – February
Rabbit/Squirrel: September –March
Alaska
Most big game seasons occur between August and February.
Small game seasons occur between August and April.
Arizona
Deer: August – January
Bear: August – December and March – June
Elk: August – November
Antelope: August – September
Turkey: October and April/May
Small game Birds: September - February
Arkansas
Deer: September – February
Bear: September – December
Elk: October
Turkey: April
Quail/Rabbit: September – February
Squirrel: May – February
Feral Hog: No closed season
California
Deer: August – November
Bear: August – December
Pronghorn: August – September
Elk: August – December
Bighorn Sheep: December – February
Turkey: March – May and November – December
Game birds: August – February
Rabbit: July – January
Squirrel: September –January
Colorado
Deer/Elk: August – December
Moose: September – October
Pronghorn: September – October
Bear: September – November
Game Birds: September – January
Rabbit: October – February
Connecticut
Deer: September – December
Turkey: April – May and September – January
Pheasant: January – February and October - December
Grouse/Quail: October – November
Rabbit/Hare: October – December and January – February
Delaware
Deer: September – January
Pheasant: November – February
Quail: November – January
Rabbit: November – February
Florida
Deer: July – February
Turkey: February – April and July – January
Quail: July – March
Rabbit: No closed season
Georgia
Bear: September – January
Dove: September – January
Grouse: October – February
Squirrel: August – February
Hawaii
Feral hog and goat: February – May or no closed seasons in some areas
Game birds: November – January
Turkey: March - April
Idaho
Deer: August – October
Pronghorn: August – December
Black Bear: august – November and April – July
Moose: August – December
Bighorn sheep: August – October
Mountain goat: August – November
Game birds: August – January
Turkey: April – May and September – December
Rabbit/Hare: August – March
Illinois
Deer: October – December
Turkey: March – May and October – January
Upland game birds: November – January
Indiana
Squirrel: August – January
Rabbit and upland game birds: November – February
Iowa
Deer: September – Jan
Turkey: April – May
Upland Game Birds: October – January
Rabbit: September - February
Kansas
Deer: January
Pronghorn: October
Elk: September – December
Turkey: April –May and October – November
Upland Game Birds: November – January
Kentucky
Turkey: September – December and April – May
Grouse/Quail/Rabbit: November – February
Louisiana
Deer: October – January
Feral Hog: No closed seasons
Turkey: April - May
Rabbit/Squirrel: October – February
Quail/Pheasant: November – February
Maine
Bear: August – November
Moose: September – November
Turkey: April –May and October –November
Upland game birds: October – December
Hare: October - March
Maryland
Turkey: January, April –May, November
Upland game birds: October – January
Massachusetts
Black bear: September – November
Upland game birds: October – November
Rabbit/Hare: October – February
Michigan
Black bear: September - October
Turkey: April –May and September - December
Rabbit/Hare: September – March
Upland Game Birds: September – December
Minnesota
Bear: September – October
Turkey: April – May and September – October
Upland game birds: September – January
Mississippi
Turkey: March – May and October – November
Quail: November – March
Rabbit: October - February
Missouri
Turkey: April – May and September – November
Quail/Pheasant: November – January
Montana
Pronghorn: August – November
Bighorn sheep: September – November
Bison: November – February
Black Bear: April – June and September – November
Deer/Elk: September – November
Mountain Goat: September – November
Nebraska
Pronghorn: August – January
Bighorn Sheep: November – December
Turkey: March –May and September –January
Nevada
Elk: August – January
Deer: August – December
Bighorn Sheep: October – December
Turkey: March – May and October
Upland game birds: September – February
New Hampshire
Black Bear: September – December
Turkey: May and September – October
Rabbit: October – December
New Jersey
Black Bear: October
Turkey: April – May and October – November
Rabbit: September – February
New Mexico
Elk: September – January
Pronghorn: August – October
Bighorn Sheep: August –March
Black bear: August - October
Turkey: April – May and November
New York
Black bear: September – December
Turkey: April - May and October – December
Upland game birds: October – February
North Carolina
Bear: October – January
North Dakota
Bighorn Sheep: September – December
Pronghorn: September - October
Ohio
Oklahoma
Elk: October- January
Black bear: October – November
Rabbit: October – March
Oregon
Elk: August - December
Turkey: April – May and October – December
Pennsylvania
Black bear: October – December
Rhode Island
Turkey: April – May and October
Rabbit: October –February
South Carolina
Turkey: March – May
Quail: September – March
Rabbit: September - March
South Dakota
Mountain Goat: September – December
Buffalo: October – November
Turkey: April – May and November – January
Rabbit: September – February’
Tennessee
Black bear: September - December
Turkey: March – May and September – November
Rabbit: November - February
Texas
Utah
Bighorn sheep, Mountain Goat, Bison: September – December
Black bear: March – August and November
Vermont
Upland game birds: September – December
Rabbit/Hare: September - March
Virginia
Deer: October – April
Black bear: October – January
Turkey: April – May and October – January
Washington
Black bear: August – November
Rabbit: September – March
West Virginia
Bear: September - December
Upland game birds: November – February
Wisconsin
Black bear: September – October
Upland game birds: September – March
Wyoming
Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat: August – December
Turkey: April – May and September to December