Great info, organized by species
It's that time of year to get out for small game and Arizona boasts myriad opportunities to hunt. To help you plan, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) presents the 2026-2027 Small Game Forecast, provided by Larisa Harding, Ph.D., AZGFD's small game program manager.
Let's jump right into the forecast, organized alphabetically by species:
Season Dates: Sept. 25, 2026–Oct. 8, 2026.
Daily Bag Limit: Two (2) per day.
Possession Limit: Six (6), of which no more than two (2) may be taken in any one day.
Where to Hunt: Band-tailed pigeons may be encountered in pine and pine-oak woodlands, and in pinyon-juniper and chaparral habitats throughout Arizona. They are most abundant in the ponderosa pine forests along and below the Colorado Plateau from Flagstaff to the New Mexico border.
Note: All hunters 18 and older must be in possession of a valid Arizona hunting license and Arizona migratory bird stamp while in the field. Youth hunters (10 to 17) only need a youth combination hunt and fish license. Those who are under 10 do not need a hunting license when accompanied by a licensed adult (two children per adult).
Forecast: Pigeons are likely to be ‘locally abundant’ this year, meaning they’ll be concentrated around good food sources. Recent moisture across the state should encourage them to stick around as masting species finally produce enough nuts and berries to hold the birds here. Look for areas with trees holding acorns or pine nuts or with fruiting plants like elderberry or serviceberry.
AZGFD has banded band-tailed pigeons this year in Arizona, and some of those banded birds also have transmitters affixed to them. Hunters who harvest a banded bird are encouraged to report the band. The Department urges hunters to return transmitters to any regional office statewide or contact smallgame@azgfd.gov to return them. Transmitters provide valuable data that the department relies upon in the management of pigeons and help to support hunting opportunities for the gamebirds.
Season Dates: Sept. 1, 2026–Feb. 7, 2027.
Daily Bag Limit: Five (5) per day.
Possession Limit: Fifteen (15), of which no more than five (5) may be taken in any one day.
Where to Hunt: Chukars are primarily found north of the Colorado River in deep canyons on the eastern portion of the Arizona Strip, such as Kanab Creek and its tributaries. They generally are encountered in steep, rocky terrain at elevations between 4,500 and 6,500 feet.
Forecast: Plan on doing a lot of rugged and steep hiking to locate chukars. A wise bird hunter once quipped that folks hunt chukars the first time out of curiosity, then they return out of revenge. Chukars are likely to be found in canyons with a water source. Since they’re adapted to arid lands, they may fare better than our native upland birds in drought conditions. Be warned: Chukars have a reputation for flying to the other side of the canyon and laughing at hunters just as those hunters reach their hiding spots.
Season Dates: Sept. 1, 2026–Sept. 15, 2026. Also, Nov. 20, 2026–Jan. 3, 2027.
Daily Bag Limit: Fifteen (15) per day (mourning and white-winged).
Possession Limit: Forty-five (45), of which no more than fifteen (15) may be taken in any one day. There is no daily bag or possession limit on invasive Eurasian collared-doves.
Where to Hunt: Mourning doves are found statewide. They reach their greatest abundance in desert lands and adjacent agricultural fields. White-winged doves are primarily inhabitants of Arizona’s desert upland and scrub communities. They usually are encountered within flying distance of saguaros, an important food resource.
Notes: All hunters 18 and older must be in possession of a valid Arizona hunting license and Arizona migratory bird stamp while in the field. Youth hunters (10 to 17) only need a youth combination hunt and fish license. Those who are under 10 do not need a hunting license when accompanied by a licensed adult (two children per adult). Hunters who harvest a banded dove are encouraged to report the band.
Forecast: Though dove numbers have been good all summer, recent monsoon storm activity appears to have pushed lots of doves (particularly older white-winged doves) out of the state and into migration. So opening day may be good, but the days after will likely be a little lackluster. Hunters who look for agricultural areas and water with roost trees nearby are likely to find at least a few doves. Late-season hunting can be really nice with fewer hunters, cooler weather, and still usually holds lots of mourning doves.
Season Dates: Sept. 1, 2026–Nov. 8, 2026.
Daily Bag Limit: Three (3) per day.
Possession Limit: Nine (9), of which no more than three (3) may be taken in any one day.
Where to Hunt: Dusky grouse are confined almost entirely to spruce-fir forest habitats above 8,500 feet elevation in the White Mountains, Kaibab Plateau and San Francisco Peaks.
Forecast: Drought conditions during the winter and spring likely impacted grouse. Low snow levels during the winter likely helped grouse survival, but drier conditions caused by low snowpack in the spring may have decreased breeding and nesting success. After a very dry summer last year and two large, late-summer wildfires, the White Sage and Dragon Bravo, across much of the better grouse habitat on the North Rim, grouse numbers may be below average on the Kaibab Plateau. The White Mountains experienced a severely dry summer in 2025 and saw only slightly improved conditions last winter and this past spring. Recent precipitation has helped green the landscape, but grouse numbers may still be below average, with rains arriving post-reproductive season for the birds. The San Francisco Peaks have been less dry during this past year than the other prime locations, but grouse numbers tend to generally be lower on the Peaks.
Game and Fish has initiated a grouse wing collection effort with wing barrels located several places in the Pinetop and Flagstaff regions. See page 60 in the 2026–2027 Arizona Hunting Regulations for locations. We’re asking all hunters to utilize these barrels to fill out and share harvest information and hunter effort. Envelopes are available at each barrel with questionnaires. Hunters who successfully harvest grouse can also use these envelopes to deposit wings. This information is important to our grouse management and we appreciate hunters taking the time to share.
Season Dates: Sept. 1, 2026–Sept. 15, 2026 (only in unit 40B).
Daily Bag Limit: Two (2) roosters per day.
Possession Limit: Six (6) roosters, of which no more than two (2) may be taken in any one day.
Where to Hunt: Pheasants were widely introduced into Arizona between 1913 and the 1970s, but most of those introductions fared poorly. The only wild population that is open to hunting with firearms is in the agricultural areas south of Yuma, Ariz.
Forecast: Hunters may find an occasional pheasant in the far southwestern corner of Arizona, but numbers have not been high for several years with clean farming practices being enforced on agricultural activities in the area. Be sure to obtain any landowner access permissions before pursuing pheasants.
Season Dates: Oct. 16, 2026–Feb. 7, 2027 (Gambel’s, scaled, California). Also, Dec. 4, 2026–Feb. 7, 2027 (Montezuma, or Mearns’).
Daily Bag Limit: Fifteen (15) per day in the aggregate, of which no more than eight (8) may be Mearns’ quail once the Mearns’ quail season opens.
Possession Limit: Forty-five (45) in the aggregate after opening day, of which no more than fifteen (15) Gambel’s, scaled or California quail in the aggregate may be taken in any one day. After Mearns’ season opens, the forty-five (45) possession limit may include twenty-four (24) Mearns’ quail, of which no more than eight (8) may be taken in any one day.
Where to Hunt: Gambel’s quail inhabit deserts, low-elevation grasslands, and scrublands, typically below 5,500 feet elevation. Scaled quail are primarily found in southeastern Arizona’s Chihuahuan Desert grasslands. California quail were introduced along the Little Colorado River in the 1960s and remain in this general area in very low numbers today. Montezuma, or Mearns’, quail mostly can be found in the oak and mesquite grassland-woodlands of the southern and southeastern parts of the state.
Forecast: We had a very rough quail season all around last fall and winter, so quail numbers were below average for desert birds carrying over into this spring and extremely low for Mearns' quail on the landscape to carry over into breeding season this year. We got a little spring rain spotting across bits of Arizona, and our spring call counts for Gambel's quail came up a little from last year's low, but most of the state was HOT (over 100 degrees in March!) and DRY this spring coming into summer. That trend has continued until just the last several weeks, so expect our desert bird numbers to be below average for the state. We still have had very hot temperatures, but at least there's been rain in the desert the past few weeks. There were coveys this spring, but not nearly the number of coveys or chicks per covey as in better years. So Gambel's and scaled quail numbers will be below average.
As for Montezuma quail, the recent rains bode well for helping their numbers, but we started with LOW broodstock on the ground, so we have a long way to climb before we reach 'below average'. If the monsoon rains continue, and we don't get another series of sweltering heat waves between now and November, Montezuma quail numbers will improve, but it's not going to be a banner year, even with good reproduction, because we're starting so low with carryover numbers from last season. So Montezuma quail numbers will likely still be poor to well below average. Expect to see young birds on the ground because we're getting some much needed rain, but if it gets hot and dry again, it'll be a very low year. Despite better bird numbers anticipated, Game and Fish encourages hunters to voluntarily exercise restraint this season — in other words, harvest fewer birds than the limits allow — particularly when pursuing Montezuma quail.
Season Dates: July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027 (cottontail rabbits, black-tailed or antelope jackrabbit).
Daily Bag Limit: Five (5) cottontail rabbits per day. Two (2) jackrabbits per day in the aggregate.
Possession Limit: Fifteen (15) cottontail rabbits, of which no more than five (5) may be taken in any one day. Six (6) jackrabbits in the aggregate, of which no more than two (2) may be taken in any one day.
Where to Hunt: The most prevalent of cottontail rabbits in Arizona is the desert variety, which is found throughout the state, with the mountain cottontail at higher elevations across the Mogollon Rim and in the White Mountains. Black-tailed jackrabbits are statewide in distribution, largely found from desert scrub to conifer woodlands. Antelope jackrabbits typically are found below 3,800 feet elevation in south-central Arizona, inhabiting open country from grasslands to desert flats.
Forecast: Cottontail numbers appear to be increasing slowly. Drought conditions have made recovery from the rabbit hemorrhagic virus (RHDV2) slow for both cottontails and jackrabbits, but there are some areas where cottontail numbers appear to be rebounding — though not yet to pre-RHDV2 levels. For jackrabbits, black-tailed jackrabbit numbers appear to be below average, but relatively stable, while antelope jackrabbit numbers still appear to be depressed. Due to their more social behaviors, antelope jackrabbits saw higher mortality from RHDV2. Add in significant drought impacting both their food and cover resources, and this species just hasn’t rebounded. Expect them to be few and far between on the landscape.
Season Dates: Twenty-one (21) separate three-day hunts are scheduled to begin between Nov. 13, 2026 and Jan. 25, 2027.
Daily Bag Limit: Three (3) per three-day hunt in a season.
Possession Limit: Six (6) per calendar year, with no more than three (3) taken in any three-day hunt in a season.
Where to Hunt: Sandhill cranes primarily winter in three localities in Arizona: 1) the Sulphur Springs Valley and along the Gila River between Safford and Duncan, 2) along the Gila River near Arlington, Ariz., and 3) along the Colorado River from south of Bullhead City, Ariz., to the general vicinity of Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. Only the first area currently has legal crane hunts, however.
Note: Only hunters who were issued hunt permit-tags through the annual application and random draw process in June are permitted to hunt sandhill cranes. This year is a mandatory check station year (R12-4-308) for all harvested cranes taken in the general sandhill crane hunts (i.e. hunt numbers 9001–9016 and 9501–9503).These check stations, and the harvest metrics we collect on the cranes, enable the Department to comply with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations and allow us to offer crane hunts. Help us maintain our crane hunting opportunities in Arizona by participating in the check stations with your harvested birds!
Successful hunters need to bring in their harvested bird(s) to the indicated check station(s). We will hold check stations at the Willcox Playa Wildlife Area south of Willcox and at the Greenlee County Fairgrounds near Duncan, AZ. Hunters may check harvested birds at either station. Emails with check station locations, times, and directions will be sent to successful general permit-tag holders. ALL hunters, including those who do not harvest birds or choose not to hunt, are also requested to complete a hunter harvest questionnaire.
Forecast: A sandhill crane count in January 2026 estimated that more than 20,000 birds were wintering in the Gila River-Sulphur Springs Valley areas in southeastern Arizona. This was down from the average of 25,000 cranes, but it still represented a robust winter population of cranes. For hunters who were fortunate enough to receive hunt permit-tags this fall, plan on doing some legwork prior to the hunt to obtain landowner access permissions (query “Landowner access” in the search bar on the AZGFD webpage), call local farmers, or go down a day or two in advance of a hunt to pattern where birds are going to feed. A hunter who just shows up, hoping to find birds on the first day of the hunt, is likely to be disappointed. Invest the time necessary to make that hunting experience a successful one.
Season Dates: Oct. 2, 2026–Jan. 31, 2027.
Daily Bag Limit: Five (5) per day.
Possession Limit: Fifteen (15), of which no more than five (5) may be taken in any one day.
Where to Hunt: Arizona’s four species of tree squirrels prefer habitats with mature trees that are tall and have interlocking crowns. These habitats allow tree squirrels to travel and forage without exposing themselves to terrestrial dangers. Large trees not only allow for safe travel, but also offer nesting sites.
Forecast: Tree squirrel numbers were average last year, so there should have been reasonable numbers going into winter 2025. Arizona’s winter conditions were fairly mild, without many storms leaving deep or persistent snows, so squirrels should have fared well through the winter. On the other hand, relatively dry winter and spring conditions coupled with late arrival of summer monsoon moisture across most of the state may have delayed production of fungi and seed cones that the squirrels rely on most of the year. Poor nutrition leads to poor reproduction, so it remains to be seen what squirrel numbers will look like this fall. Expect some areas to hold squirrels from last year, and in some locations, we expect young squirrels on the ground, but overall numbers will likely be pretty average this year.
Season Dates: Oct. 23, 2026–Jan. 31, 2027. Also, Nov. 7, 2026–Jan. 31, 2027 (for scaup).
View the current AZGFD Hunting Regulations for Daily Bag and Possession Limit.
Where to Hunt: Ducks are found in all appropriate habitats across the state. They may be encountered on almost any wetland habitat, including stock ponds, marshes, flooded areas, lakes, rivers, canals, etc. While not renowned for its goose hunting, many of Arizona’s wildlife refuges along the Colorado River are well-known goose-hunting areas. Geese also may be encountered on almost any wetland habitat that’s suitable for feeding or loafing.
Note: All hunters 18 and older must be in possession of a valid Arizona hunting license, Arizona migratory bird stamp, and a Federal Waterfowl stamp while in the field. Youth hunters (10 to 17) need a youth combination hunt and fish license (includes the Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp) and, if over 16, a Federal Waterfowl Stamp. Game and Fish has banded ducks and Canada geese this year in Arizona. Hunters who harvest a banded bird are encouraged to report the band.
Forecast: Our northern partners report that duck numbers are still lower than the long-term average up in the Prairie Potholes Region of Canada, an area known for its duck production. While numbers are still lower than average, improved habitat conditions this year suggest better duck production and an improved fall flight from the north. Recent moisture in Arizona has helped relieve some of the ongoing drought conditions that have led to fewer natural ponds and tanks containing water, but waterfowl might still be confined to only the largest of reservoirs and rivers in Arizona. Ducks start arriving in Arizona once states to the north begin to see freezing conditions. So, until states like Utah or Idaho see their first cold snap, Arizona may not have ducks in any large numbers. For goose hunters, some Canada geese in the White Mountains may be more “resident” birds than their migratory cousins, so there may be additional opportunities to harvest them prior to the first big cold snap up north.
Federal waterfowl stamps may be purchased online or at any AZGFD office.
OTHER HELPFUL LINKS
- Get your license and Arizona migratory bird stamp. A youth combination hunt and fish license (ages 10 to 17) is only $5 and includes the privileges associated with the Arizona migratory bird stamp.
- View the current AZGFD Hunting Regulations.
- Check out the Arizona Small Game Challenge, which consists of four series recognizing the diverse landscapes and hunting opportunities throughout the state.
SMALL GAME HUNTING TIPS
For hunters of all skill levels, author, biologist, and small game hunting enthusiast Randall D. Babb offers helpful tips. Babb is the author of “An Introduction to Hunting Arizona’s Small Game.” Visit the AZGFD Publications Page and download an order form to get your copy today.