One of the most important things you should know as a hunter is to know when you’re allowed to hunt and when you’re not allowed to hunt.
That’s why there are hunting seasons which refer to a period of time when hunters can freely hunt a certain game, but also when hunters should stay put and don’t hunt.
Since hunting isn’t only a sport as many believe, there are reasons behind hunting seasons that contribute to the animals, but also the society.
And in this post, you’ll find out what hunting season is it, but also learn how to quickly learn what hunting season is it at any given time, so keep on reading!
What is a Hunting Season?
Hunting season is referred to a period of time which is also known as closed season and open season. Closed season means that hunting is off and hunters shouldn’t be hunting.
However, the open season gives hunters the chance to go hunting. Each period has a certain period of time known as a time frame where you can either sit and enjoy doing other things while you prepare for the season, or make the most of the open season while it lasts.
Therefore, it’s all about the restriction of killing animals for a certain period of time, and when these are lifted, you’ll be back to what you enjoy the most which are hunting the prey of your choice.
And of course, if you aren’t following hunting seasons, you risk being fined and even prosecuted if you hunt in the closed (off) season since that’s considered illegal hunting.
But what you should also keep in mind is that there’s not only one hunting season. There are plenty of seasons, almost every game has its season so you should be following your game’s season and not let other seasons confuse you.
Keep on reading to learn how to find out which hunting season it is at any given moment, including even right now!
How to Know Which Hunting Season is Right Now?
Of course, we can only write the post once, and we can post the current hunting season, but it won’t be relevant in a couple of months.
While it is an open hunting season at the time of writing, we better teach you how to know exactly what hunting season is it at any given time.
The easiest way to know which hunting season is it (even right now) is to follow pre-made hunting calendars for each year.
These calendars are based on the months in the year, game, and even specific hunting season periods you should be paying the attention to. On top of that, these hunting seasons are also based on states and countries since there’s always a difference depending on the location.
The easiest way to learn what hunting season is would be by visiting the official government website and checking out their regulations, such as this example for the hunting seasons in Texas (2021-2022).
That’s the best way to find what hunting season it is because each state in the United States has its own hunting season set.
What are Some Standard Hunting Seasons and Periods for Most Common Small & Big Game
If you’ve had a look at a couple of hunting calendars for different states, you could notice that certain states have the same or very similar hunting season dates.
So are there the most common hunting seasons or like an average period where most states have the same or similar hunting seasons?
The answer is yes and the most average hunting seasons in the United States for the following game include:
- Turkey – April 1 to May 1
- Ducks – November 17 to November 24 & December 8 to January 27
- Squirrel – October 1 to March 1 & March 2 – September 30)
- Deer – August 15 to January 1
- Hog – March 7 to March 9 & May 9 to May 11
- Geese – November 17 to November 27 & December 8 to January 27 & February 13 to February 28
- Fox – November 22 to March 1 & March 2 to November 27
However, you shouldn’t solely follow these seasons because they might not be the exact hunting season in your state.
Also, you should pay attention to the hunting method that’s allowed in each hunting season. Sometimes you can use rifles and dogs, but there are also hunting seasons where you can only use dogs, for example.
Is There a Difference Between Small and Big Game Hunting Seasons?
Judging by the hunting seasons from various states, there is a small difference and more of a similar timeframe difference between the small and big game.
There is more than one open hunting season for small game as it seems, but they last shorter. On the other hand, the bigger game has mostly only one open hunting season but it lasts for longer.
There could be plenty of reasons for this. First and foremost is the type of behavior from the game, their common traits, and needs. However, it can also be due to the difference in hunting methods used since the smaller game requires is a bit easier on hunters.
However, you can still hunt for both small and big game and sometimes you will even switch between them so your hunting will last for longer instead of ending your hunting season only when one game is not allowed to hunt anymore.
But there is a lot more that goes into determining the open and closed hunting seasons than just the game type, so you should always check the official government hunting calendar to stay up to date.
Conclusion
Hunting seasons are very important as they help control the hunters but also allow a hunting-free time for animals that are either on the move, are getting food for winter, or are in need to increase the number of their species.
Therefore, checking the hunting season on a regular basis is a must, as well as staying up to date with the government’s official hunting season dates.
But keep in mind that even if the hunting season is closed, you can still prepare for the upcoming open seasons or enjoy fishing or other hunting types.
What do you hunt for and what is your favorite hunting season and why?
