Idaho › Species › Red Squirrel
Upland game animal
Red Squirrel hunting in Idaho, 2026-27 dates and limits
Red squirrels in Idaho this season: 1 IDFG row, opening with red squirrel on August 30, 2026.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0)
Red Squirrel in Idaho at a glance
The window for red squirrels spans August 30, 2026 to March 31, 2027; red squirrel opens it. The squirrel bag line is: 8 daily, 24 possession.
From Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer 2026 & 2027 brochure (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
What the brochure sets for red squirrels
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates |
|
| Bag | 8 daily, 24 possession |
| Hours rule | No take from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. |
| Shared limit | Cottontail / snowshoe hare / red squirrel: 8 daily, 24 possession |
From upland game animals (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Red Squirrel season dates and areas
Rows are sorted by first day, and the last column compares each squirrel window with today.
| Season | Area | Tag | Dates | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red squirrel | Statewide | – |
| 8 daily, 24 possession |
From Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer 2026 & 2027 brochure (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Idaho squirrel limits, line by line
Each squirrel limit is shown with what it applies to, straight from the IDFG text.
| Kind | Bag line |
|---|---|
| Cottontail / snowshoe hare / red squirrel | 8 daily, 24 possession |
From bag limit and species row source (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Red Squirrel license, tags and permits
Everything a squirrel hunter might need, with residency and price; the Price Lock figure is the reduced resident annual price.
| Purchase | Buyer | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting license | Resident | $15.75 ($12.75 Price Lock) |
| Hunting license | Nonresident | $185.00 (as of Dec. 1, 2024) |
| Junior hunting license | Resident | $8.25 ($7.25 Price Lock) |
| Combination hunting & fishing | Resident | $38.75 ($33.50 Price Lock) |
| Combination hunting & fishing | Nonresident | $264.00 (as of Dec. 1, 2024) |
| Sportsman's Package | Resident | $144.60 ($124.25 Price Lock) |
| Small game hunting license | Nonresident | $141.75 (as of Dec. 1, 2024) |
| 3-day small game license | Nonresident | $71.75 (as of Dec. 1, 2024) |
What squirrel hunters must hold: A hunting license is required to hunt (including predatory and unprotected wildlife); a trapping license to trap gray wolf; a tag for every big game species.
From license and tag fees, nonresident fees and license requirements (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Red Squirrel hunting rules in Idaho
The rule lines below come from the brochures; the source links give the full text.
| Topic | IDFG rule |
|---|---|
| Hours | Squirrel hunters: no take from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. |
| Residency | Squirrel hunters: proof of residency is required to buy resident licenses (brochure page 118). |
| Super Hunt | Squirrel hunters: Super Hunt drawings for a hunt in any open general or controlled hunt; no license needed to enter. |
From Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer brochure p. 17, Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 119 and Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 8 (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Red Squirrel: wildlife areas, refuges and access sites
Where a card names a source, that source lists red squirrels or their group; acreage is the record's figure, and posted rules still apply.
Small game listed at Willow-Oxarango (Access Yes!) (Access Yes! flags).
Rockland (Access Yes!): small game opportunity (Access Yes! flags).
The Access Yes! flags mark Arbon – East Bench (Access Yes!) for small game.
Small game listed at Maclaic Corporation (Access Yes!) (Access Yes! flags).
Kroetch Land & Timber Company: Evans Cr, Willow Cr, and Rosewood Drive (Access Yes!): small game opportunity (Access Yes! flags).
The Access Yes! flags mark Windy Wheat, LLC (Access Yes!) for small game.
From Willow-Oxarango (Access Yes!) (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Legal hours for Idaho red squirrels
The dates are the squirrel openers on this page plus the shortest day of the year.
The rule for red squirrels is "No take from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise." Each time below carries PT or MT.
| Date | Latah County centre (PT) | Bannock County centre (MT) | Blaine County centre (MT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2026 | 5:33 a.m. PT to 8:03 p.m. PT | 6:21 a.m. MT to 8:39 p.m. MT | 6:27 a.m. MT to 8:47 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | 5:53 a.m. PT to 7:31 p.m. PT | 6:37 a.m. MT to 8:11 p.m. MT | 6:44 a.m. MT to 8:18 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | 6:59 a.m. PT to 4:31 p.m. PT | 7:26 a.m. MT to 5:28 p.m. MT | 7:35 a.m. MT to 5:32 p.m. MT |
| Jan 15, 2027 | 6:58 a.m. PT to 4:53 p.m. PT | 7:27 a.m. MT to 5:49 p.m. MT | 7:36 a.m. MT to 5:53 p.m. MT |
Hours rule from Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer brochure p. 17; time zones from 49 CFR 71.9; times worked out with the NOAA solar formula for each county centre; checked November 12, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Idaho squirrel hunting kit
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Open ponderosa pine forest with grassy floor in Custer CountyPhoto: Katja Schulz (CC BY 2.0)
Golden western larch in fall in an Idaho Panhandle forestPhoto: Forest Service Northern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
A snowy forest clearing on the way to Vulcan Hot SpringsPhoto: Brent (CC BY 2.0)
Answers about Idaho red squirrels
When can I hunt red squirrels in Idaho?
From August 30, 2026 to March 31, 2027, depending on the squirrel row and area. Red squirrel: August 30, 2026. Red squirrels are in season on November 12, 2026 under at least one IDFG row.
Is there a bag limit for red squirrels in Idaho?
For red squirrels, the brochure line reads: 8 daily, 24 possession.
What paperwork do Idaho squirrel hunters carry?
A hunting license covers red squirrels ($15.75 resident, $12.75 with Price Lock; $185.00 nonresident as of December 1, 2024); the fee table also lists a nonresident small game license at $141.75.
Is squirrel hunting limited to certain areas?
The squirrel rows name Statewide. Check land status before hunting red squirrels: tribal land is closed.
Can I hunt red squirrels at night in Idaho?
For red squirrels, IDFG says: no take from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. The table above turns that squirrel rule into clock times, county by county.
Who must wear hunter orange when hunting red squirrels?
Idaho recommends orange for red squirrels but does not require it: hunter orange is recommended, required only while hunting pheasants where the Upland Game Bird Permit is required (including IDFG properties and leases) and on sponsored hunts such as organized youth hunts; minimum 36 square inches above the waist.
May I use cellular cameras for red squirrels?
For red squirrels: new restrictions on technology for hunting or scouting big game and game birds August 30-December 31 (not wolves, lions or predators).
What road rules apply to squirrel hunters?
For red squirrels: no discharge of a firearm from or across a public highway; entering private land to hunt, retrieve wildlife, fish or trap requires permission (Idaho Code 36-1603 and 18-7008).
Can a new hunter try squirrel hunting without a course?
For red squirrels: no hunting license may be issued to a person born after January 1, 1975, unless they previously held a hunting license in Idaho or another state or show a hunter education certificate (Idaho Code 36-411); Hunting Passport (8+ junior or adult) lets a person hunt without hunter education when accompanied by an adult license holder within normal conversation range; mentors may not accompany more than two mentored hunters.