New York · Squirrel · 2026–27 Edition
New York Squirrel Season 2026–27: Dates & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Gray, black & fox squirrel season | Statewide except Long Island & NYC (WMU 2A: falconry only) | Sep 1 – Feb 28 |
| Gray, black & fox squirrel season | Long Island & NYC | Nov 1 – Feb 28 |
02 — Bag limits
| Daily (statewide) | 6 total per day — gray, black, and fox squirrel combined |
|---|---|
| Possession | Not published — the 2026-27 Pull-out Summary gives only a daily bag limit for squirrel, no separate possession figure |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 1, 2026) 06:27 — 19:36
Rule: Sunrise to sunset — stated specifically on the Gray, Black & Fox Squirrel Hunting panel of NYSDEC's 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Seasons Pull-out Summary. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local New York sun times for any other date.
04 — License
Squirrel hunters in New York need a New York hunting license.
New York hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in New York — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does squirrel season start in New York?
The 2026–27 opener is September 1, 2026. See the table above for the full window.
When does squirrel season end in New York?
The 2026–27 closing date is February 28, 2027.
Is there a difference between fox and gray squirrel rules in New York?
See the bag limit table above — most states run one combined limit across both species, but this is worth confirming against New York State Department of Environmental Conservation before you hunt.
How many squirrels can you shoot in New York per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Daily (statewide) — 6 total per day — gray, black, and fox squirrel combined. Possession — Not published — the 2026-27 Pull-out Summary gives only a daily bag limit for squirrel, no separate possession figure. 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 York?
On opening day (September 1, 2026) legal light runs 06:27 to 19:36. The rule is: Sunrise to sunset — stated specifically on the Gray, Black & Fox Squirrel Hunting panel of NYSDEC's 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Seasons Pull-out Summary. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local New York sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt squirrels on my own land in New York without a license?
New York resident owners, lessees, and their immediate family — while actually occupying and farming that land — may hunt it without a license. Deer and bear are explicitly excluded.
Verified · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) · Last verified 2026-08-14
Publisher's note. Read directly from NYSDEC's official '2026-2027 Hunting & Trapping Seasons Pull-out Summary' PDF (the file path still carries a 2024-07 upload date, but the document's own header reads '2026-2027 Hunting & Trapping Seasons Pull-out Summary' and 'Most regulations are in effect Sept. 1, 2026 through Aug. 31, 2027', confirming it is the current-year document, just republished at the same URL). The 'Gray, Black & Fox Squirrel Hunting' panel gives Hunting Hours: Sunrise to sunset (stated specifically on the squirrel map, distinct from the general small-game text), two season rows — 'Long Island & NYC*: Nov. 1 – Feb. 28' and 'All other areas of New York: Sept. 1 – Feb. 28' — a single statewide daily bag limit of '6 total, regardless of species' (gray/black/fox combined), and the footnote '*In WMU 2A hunting is by falconry only'. No possession limit is printed anywhere on this panel or elsewhere in the pull-out summary, so it is flagged rather than guessed. The two zone rows are modeled as separate methods entries since they carry different opening dates (their closing dates are identical). A first attempt to read NYSDEC's 'Small Game Seasons' HTML landing page (dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/hunting/small-game/seasons) failed because the season data there is rendered as an image, not text — the pull-out summary PDF was used instead per the research fallback order.