Small Game Seasons & Hunting Regulations, General:

A current and valid hunting license (Bow and Arrow, Firearm or All-around Sportsmen) is required to pursue any small game species.

The use of dogs, unless specifically stated otherwise, is permitted to pursue any small game species except wild turkey.

Hunting for Small game, raccoon, crow, opossum and fox is prohibited during the statewide Six-day Firearm (deer) Season, and on the Wednesday of the Permit Shotgun (deer) Season which immediately follows the Six-day Firearm Season. See exceptions for fox and coyote hunting, deer regulations, semi-wild and commercial shooting preserves.

Hunting with firearms is prohibited on State Wildlife Management Areas designated as pheasant and quail stamp areas on November 10, 2006 except in tidal marshes open to an ongoing waterfowl season. (See Pheasant link below)

General Small Game Hunting Methods:
Properly licensed hunters may hunt small game with shotguns, bow and arrow and limited hunting with a .22 caliber rifle (see each section of the small game regs for details).

Unless specifically stated otherwise, shotguns for small game hunting may be no larger than 10 gauge or smaller than .410 caliber an capable of holding no more than three shells. Unless specifically stated otherwise, shot size for small game may be no larger than #4 fine shot.

Compound bow and all other bows must meet the requirements specified in the section on general hunting regulations.

For limited small game rifle hunting, see below for Coyote and Fox,Raccoon and Opossum, Squirrel and Woodchuck sections for restrictions.

Property owners or their agents, and occupants of dwellings that are suffering damage from opossum, racoon, skunk, squirrel, weasel or woodchuck may control them by lawful means at any time subject to local ordinances.

Semi-Wild and Commercial Preserve Hunting
         Young hunters (in possession of a valid Youth Hunting License and accompanied by a licensed, non-shooting adult) will be permitted to hunt pheasant, quail and/or chukkar partridge on licensed semi-wild or commercial preserves on Saturday, November 4, 2006, the Youth Pheasant Hunting Day.
          Hunting for certain species of game birds is allowed from Nov. 11, 2006 to March 15, 2007 on semi-wild and Sept. 1, 2006 through May 1, 2007 on commercial shooting preserve lands that are properly licensed for the taking of such species. These species of game may be hunted on Sunday only on semi-wild or commercial shooting preserve lands.
         All game taken on a semi-wild or commercial shooting preserve must be properly tagged before transport.
         A person may legally hunt on a semi-wild or commercial preserves for game species under license during the deer season, but no shot larger than #4 fine may be used. Pheasants of either-sex may be taken. There are no daily bag or seasonal limits for pheasant, quail, chukar or mallard taken on commercial preserves. There are no daily bag limits for pheasant quail or chukar taken on semi-wild properties. Seasonal harvets on semi-wild properties may not exceed the number of birds to be stocked as indicated on the semi-wild permit application.

Small Game Seasons & Hunting Regulations, Specific:
          Fox and Coyote updated 9/2/06
          Falconry pending 9/2/06
          Migratory Bird Regulations updated 9/1/06
          Pheasant updated 9/2/06
          Raccoon/Opossum added 9/2/06
          Squirrel updated 9/2/06
          Trapping updated 9/2/06
          Turkey updated 9/1/06
          Woodchuck updated 9/2/06