Arizona › Species › Gunnison's Prairie Dog
Other birds and mammals
Gunnison's Prairie Dog Hunting in Arizona, 2026-27
Where and when Gunnison's prairie dogs may be taken in Arizona, which license or tag covers them and what it costs, straight from AZGFD.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
Where Arizona Gunnison's prairie dogs stand this season
Gunnison's prairie dogs appear in 1 season row of the current AZGFD papers, beginning with shotgun shot other birds & mammals on July 1, 2026. Unit by unit, the rows cover 1 Arizona unit and spill into 1 county.
From 2026-27 hunting regulations (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Gunnison's Prairie Dog limits from the Commission Orders
Each limit for Gunnison's prairie dogs is shown verbatim with its type, straight from the AZGFD text.
| Kind | Text |
|---|---|
| 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.
All dated prairie dog windows in Arizona
Rows are sorted by first day; units link to the unit pages, and the last column compares each prairie dog window with today.
| Hunt | Legal animal | Tag | Dates | Units | Permits or limit | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shotgun shot other birds & mammals | Gunnison's prairie dog | License | Jul 1–Jun 30, 2027 | – |
From 2026-27 hunting regulations (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
How Arizona issues prairie dog tags
| Tag | Rows | Permits | How issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| License | 1 | – | License only |
For Gunnison's prairie dogs Arizona uses the license alone; there is no quota and no application window.
From draw rules, 2026-27 regulations, nonpermit-tag rules and 2026-27 hunting regulations (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
Mapping the prairie dog rows
Use the county list to find nearby towns and offices, and the unit list to decide where Gunnison's prairie dogs may actually be taken.
From unit maps, AZGFD unit layer and 2026-27 hunting regulations (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
How Gunnison's prairie dogs may be taken in Arizona
R12-4-304 is the rule behind these lists; for Gunnison's prairie dogs, the season type printed in each row tells you which list to use.
| Hunt type | Lawful | Unlawful |
|---|---|---|
| Limited weapon-shotgun shooting shot (turkey, small game, predators) |
|
|
Methods printed with the prairie dog rows
| Method as printed | Rows |
|---|---|
| 1 |
From legal methods, 2026-27 regulations and Laws and Rules Book (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
Gunnison's Prairie Dog license, tags and stamps
Everything a prairie dog hunter might buy, with residency and term. License fees include a $3 surcharge except youth and scout licenses.
| Purchase | Buyer | Price | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Gunnison's Prairie Dog hunting rules in Arizona
The rule lines below come from the regulations and A.R.S. Title 17; follow the source links for the full text.
| Topic | AZGFD rule |
|---|---|
| Lead | AZGFD encourages a voluntary switch to lead-free ammunition (lead fragments poison scavengers; effects documented in California condors). |
| Water holes | Unlawful to camp within 1/4 mile of a natural water hole or man-made watering facility containing water where wildlife or stock would be denied the only reasonably available water. |
From tagging and reporting, Laws and Rules Book and common violations (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
Gunnison's Prairie Dog: wildlife areas, forests and BLM land
These places lie in units named by the prairie dog rows. Wildlife areas follow R12-4-802, and national forests and BLM land follow federal rules too.
For Gunnison’s prairie dogs, Arizona State Trust Land covers Unit 11M.
Coconino National Forest: Unit 11M carry prairie dog rows.
From AZGFD and agency land layers (Arizona Game and Fish Department), checked November 7, 2026.
Gunnison's Prairie Dog legal hours by opening day
Clock times for prairie dog openers at three county centres; AZGFD prints a Phoenix chart, and these are computed for each spot.
Gunnison's prairie dogs fall under the daylight rule, sunrise to sunset, unless the Commission Order for a hunt says otherwise.
| 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.
Answers about Arizona Gunnison's prairie dogs
How many units open for Gunnison's prairie dogs?
1 unit in total, from Unit 11M upward; the table on this page has them all.
Which firearms and bows does AZGFD allow for Gunnison's prairie dogs?
Limited weapon-shotgun shooting shot (turkey, small game, predators): Shotguns shooting shot, crossbow, bow and arrow; for small game also pneumatic weapons, slingshots and falconry. Each row also names its own method (archery, HAM, general).
When does shooting light start for Gunnison's prairie dogs?
Sunrise to sunset for Gunnison’s prairie dogs; taking wildlife by moonlight or artificial light is unlawful outside the few listed exceptions.
Any orange rule for Gunnison's prairie dogs?
Orange clothing is optional on a prairie dog hunt; no AZGFD season, rule or statute requires it.
Can a state tag be used for Gunnison's prairie dogs on reservation land?
The tribe decides. Arizona seasons for Gunnison’s prairie dogs do not open reservation land, and trespassing to hunt there is a federal crime.
Does Arizona close Gunnison's prairie dogs on Sundays?
Sundays are open for Gunnison’s prairie dogs; nothing in the regulations or Title 17 limits hunting by day of week.
What are the 2026-27 opening dates for Gunnison's prairie dogs?
The first prairie dog windows in the current booklets are shotgun shot other birds & mammals on July 1, 2026. All 1 row with their closing dates are in the season table above.
How many Gunnison's prairie dogs can I keep?
The limit as printed: 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.
Which permits does an Arizona prairie dog hunter carry?
A hunting or combination license covers it; nothing is drawn for Gunnison’s prairie dogs.
Other photos on this page: Bureau of Land Management Arizona (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Department of Agriculture (Public domain); Bureau of Land Management (CC BY 2.0).