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Squirrel in Louisiana: 2026-27 seasons, limits and where to hunt
Sep 26–May 23; limits, harvest, licenses and places to hunt gray and fox squirrels.
Photo: grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Squirrel at a glance
Louisiana opens gray and fox squirrels on September 26, 2026 and the final squirrel window closes on May 23, 2027, with 3 dated rows in the 2026-27 LDWF tables. Squirrel limit summary: Fall 8/24; spring 3/9; youth 8/16. From the LDWF species notes: 2025-26 survey: 850,900 harvested by 59,700 hunters.
- Methods and dates (squirrel): Fall Oct 3-Feb 28; youth Sept 26-27; spring May 1-23, 2027; rimfire .22 or smaller, shotgun, archery, air rifle.
- Bag (squirrel): Fall 8/24; spring 3/9; youth 8/16.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 29 and LDWF Big and Small Game Harvest Survey 2025-26, checked November 4, 2026.
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Squirrel by parish and land type
Statewide rows cover gray and fox squirrels; WMAs may close days for lottery hunts or deer gun days.
Parish ordinances matter too. A parish governing authority may, with the secretary's consent, close or curtail open seasons for up to one year by ordinance.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 29 and Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 56, checked November 4, 2026.
Squirrel calendar statewide
3 season lines for gray and fox squirrels, opening to closing.
| Hunt | Applies to | Start | End | Days | Open now? | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth (private lands only) | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | 2 | Ended | Daily 8; possession 16. |
| Fall | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 149 | Daily 8; possession 24. | |
| Spring | Statewide | May 1, 2027 | May 23, 2027 | 23 | Daily 3; possession 9. |
Fine print for gray and fox squirrels
- Squirrel note: select WMAs also hold youth squirrel days Sept 26-27.
- Squirrel note: closed on Kisatchie National Forest, some NWRs, Corps of Engineers property and some WMAs.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 29, checked November 4, 2026.
Squirrel harvest and best parishes
LDWF estimates squirrel harvest statewide from an email survey of licensed hunters; there is no parish table, so the best places below come from land listings rather than harvest.
| Species | Hunters | Taken | 95% interval | Prior year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squirrel | 59,700 | 850,900 | 686,900 to 1,014,900 | 725,400 |
From LDWF Big and Small Game Harvest Survey 2025-26, checked November 4, 2026.
Squirrel: limit rows
Bag and possession rules for gray and fox squirrels, first as LDWF sums them up and then any season row with a bag of its own.
| Covers | Bag and possession |
|---|---|
| Squirrel | Fall daily 8, possession 24; spring daily 3, possession 9; youth daily 8, possession 16. |
| Fall | Daily 8; possession 24. |
| Spring | Daily 3; possession 9. |
| Youth (private lands only) | Daily 8; possession 16. |
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 29, checked November 4, 2026.
License costs for gray and fox squirrels
Bona fide resident: lived in Louisiana continuously for 6 months before applying and domiciled here (Louisiana voter registration, driver's license, vehicle registration and state tax return as applicable); resident licenses from another state disqualify. Honorably discharged veterans with a Louisiana driver's license or ID count as residents. Active-duty military, their spouses and dependents pay resident fees.
| License | Residency | Price | Period | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Hunting | Resident | $20 | 365 days from purchase | – |
| Basic Hunting | Nonresident | $200 | 365 days from purchase | – |
| Basic Hunting | Native nonresident, 10 days | $20 | 10 consecutive days | – |
| Basic Hunting | Nonresident, 5 days | $65 | 5 days | – |
| Youth Hunting | All | $5 | 365 days from purchase | – |
| WMA Access Annual Permit | All | $20 | 1 year | Included in Sportsman's Paradise, Senior and lifetime licenses; not required for 17 and un |
| WMA Access 5-Day Permit | All | $5 | 5 consecutive days | – |
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 8, LDWF hunting licenses page and LDWF fee list, checked November 4, 2026.
Public land for gray and fox squirrels in Louisiana
Public land for gray and fox squirrels: 62 WMAs, refuges and federal areas, sorted by acres.
| Area | Category | Parishes | Acreage | Lottery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kisatchie NF | Nat. forest | Grant, Natchitoches +5 | 607,483 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Calcasieu District | Forest district | Rapides, Vernon | 183,020 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Winn District | Forest district | Winn, Natchitoches +1 | 166,792 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Catahoula District | Forest district | Grant, Rapides | 122,860 | – |
| Maurepas Swamp WMA | WMA | Ascension, Livingston +2 | 112,615 | – |
| Fort Polk-Vernon WMA | WMA | Vernon | 105,545 | Yes |
| Kisatchie NF, Kisatchie District | Forest district | Natchitoches | 102,489 | – |
| Tensas River NWR | Refuge | Madison, Tensas | 80,904 | Yes |
| Fort Polk North WMA | WMA | Natchitoches, Sabine +1 | 74,309 | Yes |
| Richard K. Yancey WMA | WMA | Concordia | 70,872 | Yes |
| Dewey W. Wills WMA | WMA | Catahoula, LaSalle +1 | 63,984 | Yes |
| West Bay WMA | WMA | Allen | 59,189 | Yes |
| Upper Ouachita NWR | Refuge | Morehouse, Union | 56,553 | – |
| Clear Creek WMA | WMA | Vernon | 52,559 | Yes |
| Boeuf WMA | WMA | Caldwell, Catahoula | 51,110 | – |
From this site’s public land records (LDWF area pages, the 2026-27 WMA schedules and federal rules), checked November 4, 2026.
Weapons and field rules for gray and fox squirrels
| Weapons row | Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Small game and resident game birds | Squirrel: Archery; shotgun 10 ga or smaller from the shoulder (3 shells); rifles/handguns (except turkey); air rifles for squirrel, rabbit, raccoon, opossum and outlaw quadrupeds; falconry by permit. | Not for squirrel: squirrel/rabbit with centerfire rifles, breech-loaded rifles/handguns over .22 or muzzleloaders over .36; shotguns over 10 ga or holding more than 3 shells. |
- Dogs (squirrel): Deer may be hunted with dogs only in designated "with or without dogs" segments; archery and primitive seasons and still-hunt areas are dog-free; One leashed/GPS-collared tracking dog may trail wounded deer on private land; Coyote running with dogs banned in turkey areas during turkey season.
- Roads and rights-of-way (squirrel): No hunting, standing, loitering or shooting game from a public road or right-of-way, across a road, or on/across LMV roads; no spotlighting from public roads.
- WMA rules (squirrel): WMA Access Permit and self-clearing permit; no bait, drones, permanent stands, tree spikes, organized deer drives; still hunting only for deer; stands removed within a day of the WMA deer season close; no firearms during closed seasons except ranges/transport.
Suppressors are legal for gray and fox squirrels with ATF registration, unless the hunter has a recent class four or higher violation.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30, 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 27, 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 31 and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 49, checked November 4, 2026.
Squirrel: orange, tags and transport
- Squirrel and hunter orange: Louisiana requires 400 square inches of hunter orange or blaze pink during open firearm deer seasons for anyone carrying buckshot, slugs, a primitive or a centerfire firearm; On privately owned land a hunter orange or blaze pink cap or hat may be worn instead; not required in elevated stands on private land (but required walking to and from stands where firearms are allowed) or for archers where the landowner bars firearm hunting.
- After the shot: gray and fox squirrels: Hunters report nothing for gray and fox squirrels, apart from the WMA Self-Clearing Permit on state land.
- Course requirement: Anyone born on or after Sept 1, 1969 must complete an LDWF-approved hunter education course before hunting, unless under direct supervision (voice and sight) of a licensed hunter born before Sept 1, 1969 or an 18+ adult with proof of hunter education.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 26, 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 24 and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 12, checked November 4, 2026.
Squirrel shooting light on key dates
These squirrel hours use parish-centre sun times from the NOAA solar formula; check your own spot near a parish line.
Hour rule (gray and fox squirrels): one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
| Date | Point | Parish | Sunrise | Sunset | Legal window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Opening | Caddo Parish | 7:05 a.m. | 7:08 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 7:38 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Opening | Ouachita Parish | 6:58 a.m. | 7:01 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 7:31 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Opening | Rapides Parish | 7:00 a.m. | 7:03 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 7:33 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Opening | Calcasieu Parish | 7:03 a.m. | 7:06 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 7:36 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Opening | St. Tammany Parish | 6:49 a.m. | 6:53 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. |
| May 23, 2027 | Last day | Caddo Parish | 6:13 a.m. | 8:11 p.m. | 5:43 a.m. to 8:41 p.m. |
| May 23, 2027 | Last day | Ouachita Parish | 6:06 a.m. | 8:04 p.m. | 5:36 a.m. to 8:34 p.m. |
| May 23, 2027 | Last day | Rapides Parish | 6:10 a.m. | 8:03 p.m. | 5:40 a.m. to 8:33 p.m. |
| May 23, 2027 | Last day | Calcasieu Parish | 6:15 a.m. | 8:04 p.m. | 5:45 a.m. to 8:34 p.m. |
| May 23, 2027 | Last day | St. Tammany Parish | 6:01 a.m. | 7:51 p.m. | 5:31 a.m. to 8:21 p.m. |
Rules from the 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations and La. R.S. 56:116.1; sunrise and sunset worked out with the NOAA solar formula (Central Time); checked November 4, 2026. Legal hours for all 64 parishes.
Eastern gray squirrel sitting up on green grass. Photo: Miguel Discart & Kiri Karma (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Eastern gray squirrel. Photo: DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Fox squirrel climbing in a bare winter tree. Photo: Benny Mazur (CC BY 2.0)
Squirrel, answered
Do I have to report gray and fox squirrels I take?
Hunters report nothing for gray and fox squirrels, apart from the WMA Self-Clearing Permit on state land.
What is legal light for gray and fox squirrels in Louisiana?
The squirrel day lasts one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Sun times on this page use the NOAA solar formula: 6:54 a.m. sunrise, 6:57 p.m. sunset in East Baton Rouge Parish on September 26, 2026.
Does LDWF publish squirrel harvest numbers?
Squirrel 2025-26: about 850,900 taken by 59,700 hunters (survey estimate, 95% interval plus or minus 164,000).
Does Louisiana restrict Sunday squirrel hunting?
Louisiana has no statewide Sunday ban, so private-land squirrel rows run every day; WMA schedules can name specific days.
How many gray and fox squirrels can I take in Louisiana?
Fall daily 8, possession 24; spring daily 3, possession 9; youth daily 8, possession 16.
When can I hunt gray and fox squirrels in Louisiana?
September 26, 2026 to May 23, 2027, in 3 dated rows. The next opener after November 4, 2026 is May 1, 2027.
What weapons are legal for gray and fox squirrels?
Small game and resident game birds rules for gray and fox squirrels: Archery; shotgun 10 ga or smaller from the shoulder (3 shells); rifles/handguns (except turkey); air rifles for squirrel, rabbit, raccoon, opossum and outlaw quadrupeds; falconry by permit.
Which licenses cover gray and fox squirrels?
Costs for gray and fox squirrels: Basic Hunting $20 resident, $200 nonresident; Youth Hunting $5; WMA Access Annual Permit $20; WMA Access 5-Day Permit $5. Carry the squirrel license, or its number, with a photo ID.
Which public places are best for gray and fox squirrels?
Kisatchie NF, Kisatchie NF, Calcasieu District and Kisatchie NF, Winn District lead a list of 62 WMAs, refuges and federal lands. Each WMA keeps its own schedule.
Is hunter orange needed for gray and fox squirrels on a WMA?
Louisiana requires 400 square inches of hunter orange or blaze pink during open firearm deer seasons for anyone carrying buckshot, slugs, a primitive or a centerfire firearm. On privately owned land a hunter orange or blaze pink cap or hat may be worn instead; not required in elevated stands on private land (but required walking to and from stands where firearms are allowed) or for archers where the landowner bars firearm hunting.
Other photos on this page: Miguel Discart & Kiri Karma (CC BY-SA 2.0); DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0); Benny Mazur (CC BY 2.0).