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2026-27 digest
Squirrel Hunting in Pennsylvania
Squirrel season opens Sep 12, 2026 for everyone, the same day as the junior hunt, which runs to Sep 27, 2026. From the first opener to the last Sunday, the 2026-27 squirrel rules in one place.
Photo: Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0)
Red, gray, black and fox squirrels count together toward six a day. Squirrels were the most-taken small game in the 2025 survey: 344,414 by 80,769 hunters. Squirrel hunting stays open through the rifle deer season this year, orange required.
Squirrel in brief
- Junior hunt Sept. 12-27; regular Sept. 12-Dec. 24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 28, 2027; 6 daily combined, 18 possession.
Squirrel seasons in Pennsylvania, 2026-27
Dates below are the Game Commission’s for 2026-27, 4 lines in all, with the Sunday count beside each.
| Season | Where | Opens | Closes | Days | Sundays | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior hunt (red, gray, black and fox combined) | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | 16 | 3 | |
| Regular season (red, gray, black and fox combined) | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | 104 | 15 | |
| Regular season (red, gray, black and fox combined) | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 65 | 10 | |
| Falconry | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | 212 | 30 |
PGC notes on these rows
- Eligible junior hunters (with or without required license) and mentored hunters under 17. 6 daily; 18 possession after second day.
- 6 daily, 18 possession. Open during the regular firearms deer season. 250 sq in orange required.
- 6 daily, 18 possession.
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission seasons and bag limits and the 2026-27 digest, checked October 12, 2026.
Squirrel limits for 2026-27
The quick numbers first, then the PGC limit text as printed for 2026-27.
PGC limit: squirrel (combined)
6 daily, 18 possession.
Squirrel public hunting areas
Squirrels appear on 153 public tracts, about 2,659,711 acres between them, sorted here by size.
| Tract | Kind | Counties | Units | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny National Forest | National Forest | Warren, Elk, Forest | 1B/2F/3A | 512,932 |
| Allegheny National Forest, Bradford Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Warren, McKean, Forest | 1B/2F/3A | 262,965 |
| Allegheny National Forest, Marienville Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Elk, Forest, McKean | 2F | 249,968 |
| Bald Eagle State Forest | State Forest | Union, Centre, Mifflin | 4D | 194,602 |
| Tioga State Forest | State Forest | Tioga, Lycoming, Bradford | 2G/3A/3B | 161,890 |
| Loyalsock State Forest | State Forest | Lycoming, Sullivan, Bradford | 3B | 114,552 |
| Tuscarora State Forest | State Forest | Perry, Juniata, Mifflin | 4B | 96,025 |
| Rothrock State Forest | State Forest | Huntingdon, Centre, Mifflin | 4A/4D | 96,000 |
| Michaux State Forest | State Forest | Cumberland, Franklin, Adams | 5A | 85,500 |
| Delaware State Forest | State Forest | Pike, Monroe | 3D | 83,519 |
| Forbes State Forest | State Forest | Somerset, Fayette, Westmoreland | 2C | 59,000 |
| Pinchot State Forest | State Forest | Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe | 3B/3C/3D/4E | 54,000 |
| State Game Lands 211 | State Game Lands | Dauphin, Lebanon, Schuylkill | 4C | 44,479 |
| Weiser State Forest | State Forest | Dauphin, Schuylkill, Columbia | 3D/4C/4E | 30,000 |
| Gallitzin State Forest | State Forest | Somerset, Cambria, Indiana | 2C/4D | 24,370 |
Smaller squirrel tracts
State Game Lands 108 (22,739 ac) · State Game Lands 54 (19,408 ac) · State Game Lands 36 (18,972 ac) · State Game Lands 158 (17,463 ac) · State Game Lands 141 (17,227 ac) · Clear Creek State Forest (16,716 ac) · State Game Lands 86 (14,320 ac) · State Game Lands 37 (13,136 ac) · State Game Lands 166 (12,375 ac) · State Game Lands 295 (12,338 ac) · State Game Lands 210 (11,131 ac) · State Game Lands 39 (10,869 ac) · State Game Lands 111 (10,286 ac) · State Game Lands 106 (9,857 ac) · State Game Lands 29 (9,830 ac) · State Game Lands 214 (9,661 ac) · State Game Lands 170 (9,463 ac) · State Game Lands 159 (9,448 ac) · State Game Lands 84 (9,010 ac) · Erie National Wildlife Refuge (8,959 ac) · State Game Lands 208 (8,833 ac) · State Game Lands 198 (8,688 ac) · State Game Lands 24 (8,585 ac) · State Game Lands 119 (8,375 ac) · State Game Lands 187 (8,157 ac) · State Game Lands 104 (8,138 ac) · State Game Lands 64 (8,100 ac) · State Game Lands 223 (8,063 ac) · State Game Lands 168 (7,814 ac) · State Game Lands 35 (7,772 ac) · State Game Lands 59 (7,023 ac) · State Game Lands 88 (7,005 ac) · State Game Lands 124 (6,847 ac) · State Game Lands 49 (6,437 ac) · State Game Lands 235 (6,271 ac) · State Game Lands 40 (6,200 ac) · State Game Lands 118 (6,133 ac) · State Game Lands 65 (6,000 ac) · State Game Lands 53 (5,958 ac) · State Game Lands 156 (5,894 ac) · State Game Lands 67 (5,770 ac) · State Game Lands 213 (5,646 ac) · State Game Lands 262 (5,476 ac) · State Game Lands 276 (4,775 ac) · State Game Lands 221 (4,684 ac) · State Game Lands 69 (4,476 ac) · State Game Lands 99 (4,471 ac) · State Game Lands 76 (4,297 ac) · State Game Lands 228 (4,226 ac) · State Game Lands 90 (4,157 ac) · State Game Lands 245 (4,043 ac) · State Game Lands 81 (4,037 ac) · State Game Lands 174 (3,958 ac) · State Game Lands 129 (3,705 ac) · State Game Lands 63 (3,553 ac) · State Game Lands 314 (3,550 ac) · State Game Lands 135 (3,540 ac) · State Game Lands 195 (3,460 ac) · State Game Lands 153 (3,059 ac) · State Game Lands 77 (3,038 ac) · 78 others
Top counties for squirrels
- Crawford County11 tracts
- Erie County10 tracts
- Huntingdon County8 tracts
- Warren County8 tracts
- Berks County7 tracts
- Indiana County7 tracts
- Lancaster County7 tracts
- Perry County7 tracts
- Blair County6 tracts
- Clearfield County6 tracts
- Dauphin County6 tracts
- Forest County6 tracts
- Monroe County6 tracts
- Schuylkill County6 tracts
- Somerset County6 tracts
PGC State Game Lands GIS, DCNR forest and park hunting pages and federal managers (PGC layers), retrieved 2026-10-12. Species lists are what each manager names; area rules still apply.
Squirrel harvest trend
How many squirrels Pennsylvania hunters reported taking, year by year.
| Year | Harvest | Hunters | Hunter days | Per 100 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 344,414 | 80,769 | 358,117 | 96.17 |
| 2024 | 330,421 | 79,006 | 382,521 | 86.38 |
| 2023 | 308,795 | 78,007 | 373,324 | 82.72 |
| 2022 | 219,891 | 67,993 | 342,086 | 64.28 |
| 2021 | 287,271 | 79,658 | 386,856 | 74.26 |
| 2020 | 381,536 | 92,947 | 461,273 | 82.71 |
| 2019 | 376,000 | 89,383 | 457,229 | 82.23 |
| 2018 | 298,040 | 79,164 | 396,995 | 75.07 |
Harvest data: harvest, hunters, hunter days. Estimates as published by the PGC.
Squirrel regulations beyond the limit
Rules for squirrels, with prices as listed on October 12, 2026.
License list
What squirrel hunters buy, at PGC prices for 2026-27.
Hours
For squirrels, the legal day starts thirty minutes ahead of sunrise and ends thirty minutes past sunset.
Wearing orange
Squirrel hunters wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange on head, chest and back, visible from all sides.
Hunting on Sunday
The new rule opens every Sunday inside the squirrel season. More on Sundays
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission 2026-27 digest, license types and harvest reporting, checked October 12, 2026. Pennsylvania hunting laws · License guide.
Legal sporting arms for squirrels
Legal and prohibited arms for squirrels, season by season.
| Season or group | Legal | Not legal |
|---|---|---|
| Small game | Manual and semiautomatic shotguns 10 gauge or less, 3-shell capacity; manual and semiautomatic rifles and manual handguns .22 rimfire or less; air guns .177-.22 (woodchucks at least .22) with single projectile; muzzleloading rifles/handguns .40 or less and shotguns 10 gauge or less; bows and crossbows. No magazine limit on semiautomatic rifles. | BB ammunition; shot larger than No. 4 lead/No. 2 steel. Rifle/handgun caliber limits (except air guns) do not apply to woodchucks. |
| Air guns | Air or gas rifles and manual air handguns .177-.22 for small game; at least .22 for woodchucks and furbearers. | Big game; BB ammunition. |
Method rules for squirrel hunters
Field possession limits
Opening day: no more than the daily limit; afterward no more than three days' limit.
Hunting parties
Max 25 for deer, elk or bears; max 6 for small game (not waterfowl/dove hunters in blinds or stationary).
2026-27 digest, sporting arms and unlawful acts pages, checked October 12, 2026.
Asked about squirrels
Which squirrels can be hunted in Pennsylvania?
Red, gray, black and fox squirrels, six a day combined.
What guns are legal for squirrels?
Small game: Manual and semiautomatic shotguns 10 gauge or less, 3-shell capacity; manual and semiautomatic rifles and manual handguns .22 rimfire or less; air guns .177-.22 (woodchucks at least .22) with single projectile; muzzleloading rifles/handguns .40 or less and shotguns 10 gauge or less; bows and crossbows. No magazine limit on semiautomatic rifles.
What are the 2026-27 dates for squirrels?
For squirrels: junior hunt (red, gray, black and fox combined) Sep 12 to Sep 27, 2026; regular season (red, gray, black and fox combined) Sep 12 to Dec 24, 2026; regular season (red, gray, black and fox combined) Dec 26, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027.
What is the possession limit for squirrels?
6 daily, 18 possession.
What does it cost to hunt squirrels in Pennsylvania?
Buy, as applies to squirrels: Resident Adult Hunting License ($20.97); Resident Junior Hunting License ($6.97); Resident Mentored Youth Permit ($2.97); Nonresident 7-Day Small Game License ($31.97).
Is there public land for squirrels in Pennsylvania?
Allegheny National Forest, Allegheny National Forest, Bradford Ranger District and Allegheny National Forest, Marienville Ranger District lead a list of 153.
How late can I hunt squirrels?
For squirrels, the legal day starts thirty minutes ahead of sunrise and ends thirty minutes past sunset.
Must I wear orange for squirrels?
Squirrel hunters wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange on head, chest and back, visible from all sides.
Are Sundays open for squirrels?
The new rule opens every Sunday inside the squirrel season.
Squirrel country gear checklist
Matched to the species on this page, with live listings.
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Heading out after squirrels
Dates and limits here match the 2026-27 digest as of October 12, 2026; the PGC can amend them, so check the season page before a squirrel hunt.
Other photos on this page: TheTurducken (CC BY 2.0); Sarah Stierch (CC0 1.0); Shenandoah National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0).