New Mexico · Squirrel · 2026–27 Edition
New Mexico Squirrel Season 2026–27: Dates & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Squirrel (Abert's, Red, Gray & Fox) — general season | Statewide | Sep 1 – Dec 31 |
| Squirrel — falconry only | Statewide | Sep 1 – Feb 28 |
02 — Bag limits
| General season — daily | 8 (singly or in aggregate of Abert's, Red, Gray & Fox squirrel) |
|---|---|
| General season — possession | 16 |
| Falconry only — daily | 3 (singly or in aggregate) |
| Falconry only — possession | 16 |
| Ground squirrel & rock squirrel (separate nongame species) | Nongame — no closed season, no bag limit; not covered by this file |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 1, 2026) 06:08 — 19:59
Rule: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset for upland game, which includes squirrel — except reduced hours (one-half hour before sunrise to 1:00 p.m.) on the Bernardo, Casa Colorada, La Joya and W.S. Huey WMAs. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local New Mexico sun times for any other date.
04 — License
Squirrel hunters in New Mexico need a New Mexico hunting license — Squirrel (Abert's, Red, Gray & Fox) is a protected upland-game species requiring a Game-Hunting License plus Habitat Management and Access Validation (and a Habitat Stamp on BLM/USFS land) — unlike rabbit, which is nongame and license-free for New Mexico residents. Legal sporting arms: shotguns firing shot, muzzle-loading shotguns, rim-fire and muzzle-loading firearms, bows, crossbows, and compressed air guns firing a pellet .177 caliber or larger.
New Mexico hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in New Mexico — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does squirrel season start in New Mexico?
The 2026–27 opener is September 1, 2026. See the table above for the full window.
When does squirrel season end in New Mexico?
The 2026–27 closing date is February 28, 2027.
Is there a difference between fox and gray squirrel rules in New Mexico?
See the bag limit table above — most states run one combined limit across both species, but this is worth confirming against New Mexico Department of Game and Fish before you hunt.
How many squirrels can you shoot in New Mexico per day?
2026–27 bag limits: General season — daily — 8 (singly or in aggregate of Abert's, Red, Gray & Fox squirrel). General season — possession — 16. Falconry only — daily — 3 (singly or in aggregate). Falconry only — possession — 16. Ground squirrel & rock squirrel (separate nongame species) — Nongame — no closed season, no bag limit; not covered by this file. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting squirrel in New Mexico?
On opening day (September 1, 2026) legal light runs 06:08 to 19:59. The rule is: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset for upland game, which includes squirrel — except reduced hours (one-half hour before sunrise to 1:00 p.m.) on the Bernardo, Casa Colorada, La Joya and W.S. Huey WMAs. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local New Mexico sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt squirrels on my own land in New Mexico without a license?
No — New Mexico requires a license for every game species regardless of land ownership. What's sometimes called a 'landowner' program is a separate elk-tag authorization system granted through the landowner, not a license waiver.
Verified · New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDOW) · Last verified 2026-08-14
Publisher's note. Official '2026-2027 New Mexico Hunting Rules and Info' booklet PDF (file HNT_RIB_2026-27_ENGLISH_online_ElkHunt081126.pdf, downloaded directly from the linked NMDOW download page and read with pdftotext since the file is too large for a single fetch), Upland Game chapter, p.141-144. Unlike rabbit, squirrel in New Mexico runs on the regulated-game track, not nongame: the booklet's own glossary states 'Protected species for hunting purposes include all big game, turkey, squirrels and game birds,' and the over-the-counter Upland Game season table lists 'Squirrel (Abert's, Red, Gray and Fox) — Statewide — Sept. 1-Dec. 31 — 8 per day singly or in aggregate/16 in possession,' requiring a Game-Hunting License the way rabbit does not. A separate statewide falconry-only upland-game season extends squirrel through Sept. 1-Feb. 28, 2027 at 3 singly or in aggregate per day/16 in possession. Ground squirrels and rock squirrels are explicitly called out elsewhere in the same booklet as nongame ('Nongame species include prairie dogs, ground squirrels, Himalayan tahr, porcupine, rabbits, coyotes and skunks,' p.33) with no closed season or bag limit — a genuinely different regulatory track from the four protected tree-squirrel species and not covered by this file. Legal shooting hours for upland game (stated directly under the same Upland Game season table) are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, except reduced hours (one-half hour before sunrise to 1:00 p.m.) on the Bernardo, Casa Colorada, La Joya and W.S. Huey wildlife management areas.