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Arizona House Sparrow Hunting: 2026-27 Seasons and Limits
3 AZGFD season rows for house sparrows, with bag limits, tag type, units, legal methods and license costs for 2026-27.
Photo: Andrew_Carter786 (CC BY 2.0)
House Sparrow in Arizona at a glance
Read across the Arizona booklets, house sparrows have 3 rows, and the opening dates run falconry-only other birds & mammals on July 1, 2026, general other birds & mammals on July 1, 2026 and shotgun shot other birds & mammals on July 1, 2026. Arizona sets these house sparrow rows statewide, and the only geography to learn is the short list of excluded places in the open-area text.
From 2026-27 hunting regulations (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Limits on house sparrows for 2026-27
These are the house sparrow limits in AZGFD's own words; read the counting period before you plan a second hunt.
| Limit | Exact wording |
|---|---|
| Bag limit | Unlimited, except for coati which is one (1) per calendar year, and black-tailed or antelope jackrabbits, which have a bag limit of 2 per day in the aggregate. House (English) sparrows, European starlings and mammals of the Orders Rodentia (except beaver, black-tailed prairie dog, muskrat, porcupine or tree squirrel) and Insectivora may be taken alive and held in captivity pursuant to R12-4-404. |
| Possession limit | Unlimited, except for coati which is one (1) per calendar year and black-tailed or antelope jackrabbits, which have a possession limit of 6 in the aggregate. |
From bag limit text (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
The full house sparrow calendar for 2026-27
Each line is one Commission Order row for house sparrows, earliest first, with the tag type and the units it covers.
| Season | What is legal | Tag type | Dates | Open area | Permits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falconry-only other birds & mammals | House (English) sparrow, European starling, Northern bobwhite | License | Jul 1–Jun 30, 2027 | Statewide | – | |
| General other birds & mammals | House (English) sparrow, European starling, Northern bobwhite | License | Jul 1–Jun 30, 2027 | Statewide
| – | |
| Shotgun shot other birds & mammals | House (English) sparrow, European starling, Northern bobwhite | License | Jul 1–Jun 30, 2027 | Statewide | – |
From 2026-27 hunting regulations (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
House Sparrow tags: draw, OTC or license
| Tag type | Rows | Permits | How you get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| License | 3 | – | License only |
The only paperwork for house sparrows is the license and, where listed, a stamp; AZGFD caps nothing by permit.
From draw rules, 2026-27 regulations, nonpermit-tag rules and 2026-27 hunting regulations (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
Units and counties for house sparrows
County lines mean little to AZGFD: a house sparrow row is valid in its units, and a unit can straddle two or three counties. The county table counts rows whose units reach each county.
| County | Rows | Draw | OTC tag | Game units | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache | 3 | 0 | 0 | I Pinetop | |
| Cochise | 3 | 0 | 0 | V Tucson | |
| Coconino | 3 | 0 | 0 | II Flagstaff | |
| Gila | 3 | 0 | 0 | VI Mesa | |
| Graham | 3 | 0 | 0 | V Tucson | |
| Greenlee | 3 | 0 | 0 | I Pinetop | |
| La Paz | 3 | 0 | 0 | IV Yuma | |
| Maricopa | 3 | 0 | 0 | IV Yuma | |
| Mohave | 3 | 0 | 0 | III Kingman | |
| Navajo | 3 | 0 | 0 | I Pinetop | |
| Pima | 3 | 0 | 0 | V Tucson | |
| Pinal | 3 | 0 | 0 | V Tucson | |
| Santa Cruz | 3 | 0 | 0 | V Tucson | |
| Yavapai | 3 | 0 | 0 | III Kingman | |
| Yuma | 3 | 0 | 0 | IV Yuma |
From unit maps, AZGFD unit layer and 2026-27 hunting regulations (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
House Sparrow methods of take
Check the season type on your house sparrow row first, then the matching line below.
| Weapon rule | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Limited weapon-shotgun shooting shot (turkey, small game, predators) |
|
|
Row methods for house sparrows
| Method as printed | Rows |
|---|---|
| 1 |
| 1 |
| 1 |
From legal methods, 2026-27 regulations and Laws and Rules Book (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
Arizona house sparrow fees for 2026-27
From the AZGFD fee table: the license comes first, then any tag or stamp the house sparrow rows call for.
| License or stamp | Who | 2026 price | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| General hunting license | Resident | $37 | 365 days from purchase |
| Combination hunt and fish | Resident | $57 | 365 days from purchase |
| Combination hunt and fish | Nonresident | $160 | 365 days from purchase |
| Youth combination (10-17) | Either | $5 | 365 days from purchase |
| Short-term combination | Resident | $15 per day | Days chosen at purchase |
| Short-term combination | Nonresident | $20 per day | Days chosen at purchase |
From 2026 fee table (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
Field rules that matter for house sparrows
Read these before a house sparrow hunt; violations are class 2 misdemeanors unless a heavier penalty applies.
| Area | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Sunday | No Sunday restriction: seasons run every day; neither the regulations, the Commission rules nor A.R.S. Title 17 limit hunting by day of week. |
| Trail cameras | No trail camera images or data, satellite images or audio location devices to take or locate wildlife; no aircraft to take, pursue or locate wildlife for take. |
From tagging and reporting, Laws and Rules Book and common violations (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
Public land in the house sparrow units
Big blocks of public ground inside the house sparrow units: national forest, BLM land, wildlife areas and State Trust Land. Open each page for access rules.
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests overlaps Unit 1, Unit 3A and Unit 3B on the house sparrow list.
BLM Yuma Field Office lies in Unit 39, Unit 40B and Unit 41 of the house sparrow rows.
For house sparrows, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument covers Unit 12A and Unit 12B.
Unit 43B of the house sparrow rows reach Mittry Lake Wildlife Area.
Unit 5B of the house sparrow rows reach Raymond Wildlife Area.
Agua Fria National Monument: Unit 21 carry house sparrow rows.
Unit 37A of the house sparrow rows reach Ironwood Forest National Monument.
Coconino National Forest overlaps Unit 5A, Unit 5B and Unit 6A on the house sparrow list.
From AZGFD and agency land layers (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
When light allows house sparrow hunting
Shooting windows for the house sparrow dates above, calculated rather than copied, for central Maricopa, Coconino and Pima counties.
Daylight hours govern house sparrows; the table shows when sunrise and sunset fall on the opening days.
| Date | Maricopa County centre | Coconino County centre | Pima County centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2026 | 5:23 a.m.–7:43 p.m. | 5:14 a.m.–7:47 p.m. | 5:24 a.m.–7:37 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | 7:30 a.m.–5:26 p.m. | 7:33 a.m.–5:17 p.m. | 7:24 a.m.–5:26 p.m. |
Hours rule from the 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations; times worked out with the NOAA solar formula (Mountain Standard Time); AZGFD sunrise-sunset chart; checked November 7, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
House Sparrow FAQ
What hours apply to house sparrows?
The daylight rule covers house sparrows: no shooting before sunrise or after sunset, Mountain Standard Time all year.
What gear is lawful for house sparrows?
For limited weapon-shotgun shooting shot (turkey, small game, predators), AZGFD allows shotguns shooting shot, crossbow, bow and arrow; for small game also pneumatic weapons, slingshots and falconry. The method column of each row narrows it.
Can I hunt house sparrows on tribal land?
A state license does not open tribal land to house sparrow hunting. Tribal permits, where offered, come from the tribe.
Is hunter orange required for house sparrows in Arizona?
Arizona leaves clothing color to house sparrow hunters. No blaze or orange requirement exists anywhere in the AZGFD rules.
When can I start hunting house sparrows in Arizona?
Going by first day: falconry-only other birds & mammals on July 1, 2026, general other birds & mammals on July 1, 2026 and shotgun shot other birds & mammals on July 1, 2026. The table on this page lists every row with its units and closing date.
Sunday hunting for house sparrows?
No weekday limits apply to house sparrows. A season open on Saturday is open on Sunday too.
Is a tag required for house sparrows?
No tag: a hunting or combination license is enough for these rows. Resident hunting is $37, resident combination $57, nonresident combination $160.
What limit applies to house sparrows this season?
From the Commission Order text: Unlimited, except for coati which is one (1) per calendar year, and black-tailed or antelope jackrabbits, which have a bag limit of 2 per day in the aggregate. House (English) sparrows, European starlings and mammals of the Orders Rodentia (except beaver, black-tailed prairie dog, muskrat, porcupine or tree squirrel) and Insectivora may be taken alive and held in captivity pursuant to R12-4-404.
Is the house sparrow season statewide?
The key row covers “Open areas Statewide (excluding National Wildlife Refuges, Units 11M, 25M, 26M, 38M, and portions of Units 20B and 42)”. Check private land posting before entering.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Department of Agriculture (Public domain); Bureau of Land Management Arizona (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Bureau of Land Management (CC BY 2.0).