Idaho › Species › Snowshoe Hare
Upland game animal
Snowshoe Hare hunting in Idaho, 2026-27 dates and limits
Snowshoe hares in Idaho this season: 1 IDFG row, opening with snowshoe hare on August 30, 2026.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Idaho (CC BY 2.0)
Where Idaho snowshoe hares stand this season
The window for snowshoe hares spans August 30, 2026 to March 31, 2027; snowshoe hare opens it. The hare 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.
Snowshoe Hare rules in brief
| 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 and upland game animal hours (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Snowshoe Hare season dates and areas
Rows are sorted by first day, and the last column compares each hare window with today.
| Season | Area | Tag | Dates | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowshoe hare | 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.
Snowshoe Hare limits from the IDFG brochures
Each hare 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 (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Snowshoe Hare license, tags and permits
Everything a hare 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 hare 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.
Snowshoe Hare hunting rules in Idaho
The rule lines below come from the brochures; the source links give the full text.
| Topic | IDFG rule |
|---|---|
| Hours | Hare hunters: no take from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. |
| Hunter education | Hare hunters: 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 | Hare hunters: 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. |
From Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer brochure p. 17, Idaho Code 36-411 and Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 122 (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Snowshoe Hare: wildlife areas, refuges and access sites
Where a card names a source, that source lists snowshoe hares 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.
Snowshoe Hare legal hours by date
The dates are the hare openers on this page plus the shortest day of the year.
The rule for snowshoe hares is "No take from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise." Each time below carries PT or MT.
| Date | Boundary County centre (PT) | Elmore County centre (MT) | Twin Falls County centre (MT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2026 | 5:29 a.m. PT to 8:05 p.m. PT | 6:33 a.m. MT to 8:53 p.m. MT | 6:31 a.m. MT to 8:49 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | 5:51 a.m. PT to 7:32 p.m. PT | 6:50 a.m. MT to 8:25 p.m. MT | 6:47 a.m. MT to 8:21 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | 7:06 a.m. PT to 4:22 p.m. PT | 7:41 a.m. MT to 5:38 p.m. MT | 7:34 a.m. MT to 5:39 p.m. MT |
| Jan 15, 2027 | 7:04 a.m. PT to 4:45 p.m. PT | 7:42 a.m. MT to 5:59 p.m. MT | 7:35 a.m. MT to 5:59 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 hare hunting kit
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Yellow wildflowers on a green ridge in the White Knob Mountains with peaks behindPhoto: Bureau of Land Management Idaho (CC BY 2.0)
Schaeffer Butte and the foothills north of Boise above green treesPhoto: Kenneth Freeman (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Yellow rabbitbrush on a slope with Sawtooth peaks on the horizonPhoto: Stephen Hanafin (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Answers about Idaho snowshoe hares
May I use cellular cameras for snowshoe hares?
For snowshoe hares: 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 hare hunters?
For snowshoe hares: 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 hare hunting without a course?
For snowshoe hares: 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.
What are the 2026-27 Idaho hare dates?
From August 30, 2026 to March 31, 2027, depending on the hare row and area. Snowshoe hare: August 30, 2026. Snowshoe hares are in season on November 12, 2026 under at least one IDFG row.
Is there a bag limit for snowshoe hares in Idaho?
For snowshoe hares, the brochure line reads: 8 daily, 24 possession.
Do I need a tag for snowshoe hares in Idaho?
A hunting license covers snowshoe hares ($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 hare hunting limited to certain areas?
The hare rows name Statewide. Check land status before hunting snowshoe hares: tribal land is closed.
Can I hunt snowshoe hares at night in Idaho?
For snowshoe hares, IDFG says: no take from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. The table above turns that hare rule into clock times, county by county.
Who must wear hunter orange when hunting snowshoe hares?
Idaho recommends orange for snowshoe hares 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.