Game mammal
Illinois Squirrel Hunting Rules, 2026-27
Every IDNR season line for gray and fox squirrel, opening Aug 1, 2026 and closing Feb 15, 2027.
Photo: DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Illinois gray and fox squirrel: the short version
IDNR prints 1 season row for gray and fox squirrel in the 2026-27 Digest, and the earliest opens Aug 1, 2026 while the latest closes Feb 15, 2027. Check the bag line before you go: 5 daily, 10 possession (species combined).
Gray and fox squirrels share one bag of 5 a day, 10 in possession; the season runs August 1, 2026 to February 15, 2027 but closes November 20-22 and December 3-6, 2026 in counties open to firearm deer. Public-land options: 155 sites list gray and fox squirrel and 155 have their own page here.
From 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Squirrel seasons as the IDNR prints them
Read across: season, area, permit, dates, bag and whether it is open now.
| Hunt | Applies to | Permit or stamp | Season | Daily limit | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squirrel | Statewide | License |
| 5 daily, 10 possession |
From 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Daily limits and lawful methods for gray and fox squirrel
| Line | Rule |
|---|---|
| squirrel | 5 daily, 10 possession |
The summary line for gray and fox squirrel reads shotgun or other legal small-game methods.
From Digest season tables and Digest equipment pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Squirrel: paperwork and prices
| What to buy | Residency | Printed price | Price with fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Hunting | Resident | $12.00 | $12.50 |
| Nonresident Hunting | Nonresident | $57.00 | $57.75 |
| State Habitat Stamp | Either | $5.00 | $5.50 |
The Digest prints base prices and the IDNR fee table adds the vendor fee, so the last column is usually a little higher; hunting licenses go on sale March 1 and run through March 31 of the next year.
From Digest license pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Rules to know before hunting gray and fox squirrel
| Rule | Details |
|---|---|
| Windshield cards | Free windshield cards are required at many Illinois public hunting sites; hunters return to record harvest before February 15. |
| Sale of wildlife | May not buy, sell or offer to sell or barter game birds, migratory game birds or parts (including feathers, nests, eggs and wild turkey parts) or the edible parts of game mammals except under specific permits. |
| Landowner permission | It is unlawful to take or attempt to take wildlife, or let a dog hunt, on land or waters of another, or knowingly shoot a gun or bow at wildlife on or flying over another person's property, without permission from the owner or the owner's designee (written authorization with notarized signature). Purple paint on trees or posts marks no-trespassing land. Illinois law does not grant a right of trespass to retrieve wounded wildlife. |
Treat the table as a reminder and the Digest as the authority for gray and fox squirrel; site rules can be tighter.
From Digest general rules and Digest hunter orange page (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Where to hunt gray and fox squirrel on IDNR sites
Gray and fox squirrel are allowed at 155 IDNR sites, including 45 state fish and wildlife areas, 35 state parks and 18 state natural areas; the table shows the largest with pages.
| Area | Type | County | Acreage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crab Orchard | Wildlife refuge | Williamson and Union | 44,415 |
| Illinois Recreational Access Program | Hunting Access Program | Bond and Christian | 27,000 |
| Cypress Creek | Wildlife refuge | Pulaski and Union | 16,758 |
| Jim Edgar Panther Creek | Fish and wildlife area | Cass | 16,400 |
| Cache River | Natural area | Johnson and Pulaski | 15,425 |
| Kaskaskia River | Fish and wildlife area | St. Clair and Randolph | 14,000 |
| Horseshoe Lake | Fish and wildlife area | Alexander | 11,690 |
| Mississippi River Pool 24 | Fish and wildlife area | Pike and Calhoun | 10,211 |
Before a trip, open the site page for permits and seasons; the acreage comes from IDNR fact sheets.
From IDNR site records (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Clock times for gray and fox squirrel hunters
Legal hours for gray and fox squirrel are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset; sunrise, sunset and the legal window on each date below are worked out for Springfield with the NOAA solar formula.
| When | Event | First light | Last light | Shooting hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2026 | Squirrel opens | 5:57 a.m. | 8:14 p.m. | 5:27 a.m. to 8:44 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Early November | 6:33 a.m. | 4:52 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. |
| Feb 15, 2027 | Squirrel closes | 6:52 a.m. | 5:33 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 6:03 p.m. |
Central Time covers the whole state, with the clocks falling back November 1, 2026 and springing forward March 14, 2027; each county has its own times on the hours page.
Hours rules from the 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources); sunrise and sunset worked out with the NOAA solar formula on Central Time; checked November 13, 2026. Central Time with daylight time from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November; times worked out with the NOAA solar formula.
Squirrel hunting kit
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Fox squirrel on a tree trunkPhoto: Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0)
Fox squirrel foragingPhoto: grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Eastern gray squirrel on the groundPhoto: PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0)
Questions on gray and fox squirrel in Illinois
When can I hunt gray and fox squirrel in Illinois this season?
IDNR prints these lines for gray and fox squirrel: squirrel statewide: August 1, 2026 to February 15, 2027.
How many gray and fox squirrel can I take?
Limit rule: 5 daily, 10 possession (species combined).
What do I have to buy before hunting gray and fox squirrel?
The checklist is a hunting license ($12.00 resident, $57.00 nonresident, Digest base prices before vendor fees) and the State Habitat Stamp ($5.00).
Which weapons can I use on gray and fox squirrel in Illinois?
The Digest allows shotgun or other legal small-game methods.
Are there deer-season closures for gray and fox squirrel?
Expect closures on November 20 to 22 and December 3 to 6, 2026 for squirrel in firearm counties.
Do Sundays change the gray and fox squirrel season?
The sources we read, the 2026-27 Digest and IDNR pages, state no Sunday rule at all, so we do not say Sunday hunting is allowed or banned; ask IDNR or your site office before you go.
Do I need hunter safety education to hunt gray and fox squirrel?
Course or past license: that is the test for anyone born on or after January 1, 1980. Apprentice hunters are exempt from the course and must stay with a licensed hunter of 21 or older.
Does public land in Illinois allow gray and fox squirrel?
The site records show 155 public areas where gray and fox squirrel are allowed, and 155 pages give the details.
Other photos on this page: Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0); PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0).