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AZGFD daylight rule, worked out for every county
Arizona Legal Shooting Hours by County
Arizona lets most game be taken in daylight hours, sunrise to sunset, and migratory birds from half an hour before sunrise; raccoon and, in listed units, coyote have daylong seasons. This page sets out those rules and works out sunrise, sunset and legal hours with the NOAA solar formula for the centre of all 15 counties on 9 key dates of the 2026-27 seasons. Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time all year, so none of the times shift in November or March.
Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture (Public domain)
Hours by game group across Arizona
A.R.S. 17-301 limits the taking of wildlife to daylight hours unless the Commission sets other hours. The Commission sets two: half an hour before sunrise for migratory birds, and the 24-hour daylong seasons for raccoon and, in some units, coyote.
- Most gameDaylight hours (see the sunrise-sunset chart) or as prescribed by Commission Order; taking wildlife by moonlight or artificial light is illegal except raccoons, reptiles and other mammals under R12-4-304 (A.R.S. 17-301(A)).
- Migratory birdsWaterfowl, snipe, doves, band-tailed pigeon and sandhill cranes: one-half hour before sunrise until sunset.
- Daylong seasonsSome seasons have daylong hours (the 24 hours midnight to midnight): raccoon August 1, 2026-March 31, 2027 statewide outside the metro units and refuges, and coyote December 1, 2026-May 31, 2027 in listed units. Artificial light may be used for raccoon, and for coyote and mountain lion during daylong seasons, if it is not attached to or operated from a vehicle or boat (R12-4-304).
- TrappingWildlife may be trapped day or night.
- The statuteDaylight hours unless the Commission prescribes otherwise; no jacklights or artificial light except as the Commission allows (A.R.S. 17-301(A)). Migratory birds: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
Sources: 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations, PDF p. 23; A.R.S. 17-301; A.R.S. Title 17. Checked: cited pages gone over again November 7, 2026.
Phoenix on the key dates
AZGFD prints a Phoenix sunrise and sunset chart in the regulations and notes that sunrise comes up to nine minutes earlier in the east and later in the west. That chart was not copied here; these Phoenix times are worked out with the NOAA solar formula for the same dates.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight hours | Birds open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Archery deer | 5:54 a.m. | 7:09 p.m. | 5:54 a.m. to 7:09 p.m. | 5:24 a.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:02 a.m. | 6:56 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. to 6:56 p.m. | 5:32 a.m. |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Quail opener | 6:33 a.m. | 5:55 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:55 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. |
| Oct 23, 2026 | General deer and waterfowl opener | 6:38 a.m. | 5:47 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. | 6:08 a.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:28 a.m. | 5:24 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. |
| Jan 31, 2027 | Last general duck day | 7:25 a.m. | 5:57 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. |
| Feb 19, 2027 | Spring javelina general hunts | 7:09 a.m. | 6:15 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. |
| Apr 16, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 5:58 a.m. | 6:59 p.m. | 5:58 a.m. to 6:59 p.m. | 5:28 a.m. |
| May 31, 2027 | Last lion day | 5:20 a.m. | 7:31 p.m. | 5:20 a.m. to 7:31 p.m. | 4:50 a.m. |
Phoenix point used: 33.4484 N, 112.0740 W. Mountain Standard Time; times rounded to the minute. Sources: 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations, PDF p. 23; 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations, PDF p. 27. Checked: cited pages gone over again November 7, 2026.
County-by-county hours, all 15
On December 21, 2026 the sun comes up first over Cochise County and last over Mohave County, 26 minutes later. Because Arizona keeps Mountain Standard Time all year, the gap between a county and Phoenix stays much the same from August archery deer to the spring turkey opener.
| County | Region | Aug 21: Archery deer | Sep 1: Dove opener | Oct 16: Quail opener | Oct 23: General deer and waterfowl opener | Dec 21: Shortest day | Jan 31: Last general duck day | Feb 19: Spring javelina general hunts | Apr 16: Spring turkey opener | May 31: Last lion day | Birds from, Sep 1 | Birds from, Oct 23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache | I | 5:41-7:02 | 5:50-6:47 | 6:24-5:43 | 6:30-5:34 | 7:23-5:09 | 7:19-5:43 | 7:01-6:03 | 5:45-6:50 | 5:05-7:26 | 5:20 | 6:00 |
| Cochise | V | 5:47-6:58 | 5:54-6:45 | 6:22-5:47 | 6:27-5:39 | 7:15-5:19 | 7:13-5:51 | 6:58-6:08 | 5:50-6:48 | 5:14-7:18 | 5:24 | 5:57 |
| Coconino | II | 5:50-7:11 | 5:58-6:57 | 6:33-5:52 | 6:40-5:43 | 7:33-5:17 | 7:29-5:52 | 7:11-6:11 | 5:54-7:00 | 5:13-7:36 | 5:28 | 6:10 |
| Gila | VI | 5:49-7:05 | 5:56-6:51 | 6:28-5:49 | 6:34-5:41 | 7:24-5:18 | 7:21-5:51 | 7:05-6:10 | 5:52-6:54 | 5:14-7:27 | 5:26 | 6:04 |
| Graham | V | 5:46-7:00 | 5:53-6:46 | 6:23-5:46 | 6:29-5:39 | 7:18-5:17 | 7:16-5:49 | 7:00-6:07 | 5:50-6:49 | 5:12-7:21 | 5:23 | 5:59 |
| Greenlee | I | 5:43-6:58 | 5:51-6:44 | 6:21-5:44 | 6:27-5:36 | 7:16-5:13 | 7:14-5:46 | 6:58-6:04 | 5:47-6:47 | 5:09-7:20 | 5:21 | 5:57 |
| La Paz | IV | 6:02-7:18 | 6:09-7:04 | 6:41-6:02 | 6:46-5:54 | 7:37-5:31 | 7:34-6:04 | 7:18-6:23 | 6:05-7:07 | 5:27-7:40 | 5:39 | 6:16 |
| Maricopa | IV | 5:56-7:11 | 6:04-6:57 | 6:34-5:57 | 6:40-5:49 | 7:30-5:26 | 7:27-5:59 | 7:11-6:17 | 6:00-7:00 | 5:22-7:33 | 5:34 | 6:10 |
| Mohave | III | 5:58-7:19 | 6:06-7:04 | 6:41-6:00 | 6:48-5:51 | 7:41-5:25 | 7:36-6:00 | 7:19-6:20 | 6:02-7:08 | 5:21-7:44 | 5:36 | 6:18 |
| Navajo | I | 5:45-7:05 | 5:53-6:50 | 6:27-5:46 | 6:33-5:38 | 7:26-5:12 | 7:22-5:47 | 7:05-6:06 | 5:49-6:54 | 5:08-7:29 | 5:23 | 6:03 |
| Pima | V | 5:55-7:06 | 6:02-6:53 | 6:30-5:55 | 6:36-5:47 | 7:24-5:26 | 7:22-5:58 | 7:07-6:16 | 5:58-6:56 | 5:22-7:27 | 5:32 | 6:06 |
| Pinal | V | 5:52-7:06 | 5:59-6:52 | 6:29-5:52 | 6:35-5:44 | 7:24-5:23 | 7:22-5:55 | 7:06-6:13 | 5:56-6:55 | 5:18-7:27 | 5:29 | 6:05 |
| Santa Cruz | V | 5:52-7:02 | 5:59-6:49 | 6:26-5:51 | 6:31-5:44 | 7:18-5:24 | 7:17-5:56 | 7:02-6:13 | 5:55-6:52 | 5:19-7:22 | 5:29 | 6:01 |
| Yavapai | III | 5:55-7:13 | 6:03-6:59 | 6:36-5:56 | 6:42-5:47 | 7:33-5:23 | 7:30-5:57 | 7:13-6:16 | 5:59-7:02 | 5:19-7:36 | 5:33 | 6:12 |
| Yuma | IV | 6:03-7:16 | 6:10-7:02 | 6:39-6:03 | 6:45-5:55 | 7:34-5:33 | 7:32-6:06 | 7:16-6:24 | 6:06-7:05 | 5:29-7:37 | 5:40 | 6:15 |
Worked out with the NOAA solar formula for each county’s Census internal point, Mountain Standard Time. A county as large as Coconino or Mohave can differ by several minutes from one end to the other. Sources: 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations, PDF p. 23; 2026-27 waterfowl leaflet, p. 5; 2026-27 dove leaflet, p. 1. Checked: cited pages gone over again November 7, 2026.
After dark in Arizona
Two Arizona seasons run all night: raccoon statewide outside metro units and refuges, and coyote in the listed units from December 1. Every other animal stops at sunset, and night vision or thermal devices stay illegal while taking wildlife.
Raccoon, around the clock
The raccoon season runs August 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 with daylong hours statewide outside the metro units and refuges.
Coyote, daylong in listed units
Coyote has daylong hours from December 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027 in 26 units:Unit 4A, Unit 4B, Unit 5A, Unit 5B, Unit 8, Unit 10, Unit 12A, Unit 12B, Unit 13A, Unit 13B, Unit 15A, Unit 15B, Unit 15C, Unit 15D, Unit 16A, Unit 17A, Unit 17B, Unit 18A, Unit 18B, Unit 19A, Unit 19B, Unit 20A, Unit 31, Unit 32, Unit 42, Unit 44A.
Lights
Artificial light may be used for raccoon, and for coyote and mountain lion during daylong seasons, only if it is not attached to or operated from a vehicle or boat (R12-4-304).
Night vision and thermal
Fully automatic firearms, tracer or armor-piercing ammunition, smart devices and self-guided projectiles; full-jacketed non-expanding bullets for big game; poisoned or explosive projectiles; night vision, thermal or visible-laser devices.
Sources: 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations, PDF p. 23; 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations, PDF p. 57; AZGFD Laws and Rules Book, PDF p. 176. Checked: cited pages gone over again November 7, 2026.
Arizona shooting hours questions
When does dove and duck shooting start in Arizona?
Waterfowl, snipe, doves, band-tailed pigeon and sandhill cranes: one-half hour before sunrise until sunset.
What time may an Arizona deer hunter take the first shot?
At sunrise. Big game, small game, upland birds and predators may be taken in daylight hours, which AZGFD ties to its sunrise and sunset chart.
Does Arizona change its clocks for daylight saving time?
No. Arizona keeps Mountain Standard Time all year, so the times on this page do not jump in November or March.
Does Arizona allow hunting after sunset?
Only in the daylong seasons: raccoon statewide outside metro units and refuges, and coyote from December 1 in listed units. Trapping may be done day or night.
Is sunrise much later in western Arizona than in the east?
On December 21, 2026 the gap between county centres is 26 minutes: sunrise reaches Cochise County first and Mohave County last.
What are the Phoenix hunting hours on December 21, 2026?
Sunrise 7:28 a.m. to sunset 5:24 p.m. for big game and other daylight hunting; doves and waterfowl from half an hour before sunrise.
Can I use a light to hunt coyotes at night in Arizona?
During a daylong coyote season, yes, if the light is not attached to or operated from a vehicle or boat (R12-4-304).
Does AZGFD print its own Arizona sunrise and sunset chart?
In the regulations booklet, as a Phoenix chart (page 27 of the PDF), with the note that sunrise comes up to nine minutes earlier in the east and later in the west; the waterfowl and dove leaflets add eastern, central and western tables. The county times here are worked out with the NOAA solar formula instead.
Arizona rules at the source
Every fee, date and count here was read from an AZGFD booklet, the Laws and Rules Book, an AZGFD harvest summary or an azleg.gov statute, and checked again on November 7, 2026.
Other photos on this page: ilouque (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mountain-Prairie Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Geological Survey (CC0 1.0); btrentler (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0).