Kansas Lets You Shoot Squirrels Only in Season With a Hunting License, but Property Damage Rules Differ for Pest Operators
November 15, 2026
Can you kill squirrels in Kansas? Yes, but the answer depends on the species, the date, the license in your wallet, and where you are standing. Fox and gray squirrels are game animals with an open season, while the southern flying squirrel is fully protected.
This article walks you through the Kansas rules on seasons, licensing, property damage, city limits, legal methods, trapping, relocation, poison, and hiring a permitted operator. Where a rule sits in state regulation, the official source is linked so you can read the text yourself.
Can You Kill Squirrels in Kansas?
You can kill fox squirrels and gray squirrels in Kansas during the open hunting season, using legal equipment and within the daily limit. Outside the season, killing them generally requires a specific legal authorization, such as a nuisance wildlife permit.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) fox and gray squirrel page lists the season as June 1 to February 28, with a daily bag limit of 5 and a possession limit of 20. Shooting hours run from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
Pro Tip: State law is only one layer. Your city or county may ban discharging firearms, traps, or certain devices even when the state season is open.
Are Squirrels Protected in Kansas?
Common tree squirrels are not protected from hunting during the season, but they are still regulated wildlife. That means you cannot take them any way you like or at any time of year without authorization.
Protection depends on the species. Kansas State University extension material states that the southern flying squirrel is fully protected in Kansas, while fox and gray squirrels may be taken as game animals. Local protections can also apply, since some towns treat a squirrel population as a community mascot and restrict harming it.
Which Squirrel Species Can You Kill in Kansas?
Kansas hunters pursue two tree squirrel species. KDWP notes that gray squirrels are limited to the forested regions of far eastern Kansas, while fox squirrels are the more widespread species.
| Species | Legal Status | Where You See It |
|---|---|---|
| Fox squirrel | Game animal, open season | Statewide, including towns |
| Gray squirrel | Game animal, open season | Forests of far eastern Kansas |
| Southern flying squirrel | Fully protected | Wooded areas, often nocturnal |
| Ground squirrels | Taken under a separate rodent rule | Open ground and grassland |
If you cannot tell a flying squirrel from a fox squirrel, do not shoot or trap. A small, nocturnal squirrel found in an attic is the one most likely to be the protected species, so identify it before taking any action.
Squirrel Hunting Season and Limits in Kansas 2026-27
The regular squirrel season in Kansas is a long one, opening June 1 and closing February 28. The KDWP Sportsmen’s Calendar lists it as statewide, with a daily bag limit of 5 and a possession limit of 20.
- Season: June 1 to February 28, statewide
- Daily bag limit: 5
- Possession limit: 20
- Legal hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset
KDWP’s published season page showed dates for the 2025-26 cycle. Because the season has run on the same June 1 to February 28 pattern across years, plan around those dates, and check the KDWP squirrel season page for the 2026-27 listing before you head out.
Do You Need a License to Kill Squirrels in Kansas?
Generally yes. A hunting license is required to take squirrels during the season, with the usual exemptions for Kansas residents hunting on land they own or lease and for certain age groups.
The KDWP squirrel season page directs you to a licensing agent for details. For the exact exemption wording that applies to you, use the KDWP hunting regulations rather than relying on summaries.
A license covers hunting squirrels as game. It does not cover killing squirrels out of season, which falls under the property damage and permit rules covered next.
Can You Kill Squirrels Damaging Your Property in Kansas?
Property damage does not create a blanket right to kill squirrels at any time. In Kansas, lethal control outside the normal season runs through the nuisance wildlife system, and the rules sit in K.A.R. 115-16-5.
That regulation ties control activities to situations where wildlife is destroying or about to destroy property, or creating a public health or safety hazard or other nuisance. KDWP also notes that a landowner may issue permits without cost to designated people who act as control agents, as described on the KDWP Wildlife Damage Control page.
Pro Tip: Before any lethal step, look for the entry point. Sealing gaps, trimming branches that touch the roof, and installing chimney caps solves most squirrel damage without a legal question.
Can You Kill Squirrels in Your Yard or City in Kansas?
State law may allow a squirrel to be taken in season, but your city decides whether you can do it in your yard. Most Kansas cities restrict firearm discharge inside city limits, and some restrict traps or air guns as well.
Ordinances differ between cities and counties, and a city can be stricter than the state. Read your municipal code or call the city clerk or police non-emergency line before using any weapon near homes, roads, or neighbors.
If you live on rural land you own, the state season rules and your license are the main limits. Even there, shooting toward roads, buildings, or property lines creates safety and trespass problems.
What Methods Are Legal for Killing Squirrels in Kansas?
Kansas sets legal equipment and taking methods for squirrels in K.A.R. 115-3-2, which covers rabbits, hares, and squirrels. The regulation also sets legal hours as one-half hour before sunrise to sunset during established seasons.
KDWP notes that both squirrel species are usually hunted with small-bore shotguns or .22 rifles. Those are common choices, but the regulation controls what is legal, so check its list of permitted equipment before you choose a method.
- Confirm the season is open and you hold the required license.
- Confirm your location allows the weapon you plan to use.
- Hunt only within legal hours.
- Stay within 5 per day and 20 in possession.
Can You Trap Squirrels in Kansas?
Trapping is possible, but the rules depend on whether you are using live traps or lethal traps, and on whether you are a homeowner or a paid operator. Paid operators must hold a Nuisance Wildlife Damage Control (NWDC) permit.
One summary of Kansas rules, published by Emergency Animal Removal, says traps must be checked at least once every calendar day and labeled with the permittee’s ID. Treat that as general context and confirm trap-specific requirements in KDWP regulations before you set anything.
City ordinances can add their own trap rules. A lethal trap in a residential neighborhood can also catch pets or protected species, so many homeowners choose a professional instead.
Can You Relocate Squirrels in Kansas?
Relocation is allowed for NWDC permit holders under certain guidelines, but it is discouraged. Emergency Animal Removal reports that KDWP advises relocation is often inhumane because of low survival rates and disease risks.
Moving a squirrel also tends to fail on practical grounds. Relocated squirrels often die in unfamiliar territory, and vacant territory at your home is quickly claimed by another squirrel unless you fix the entry point.
If you trap a squirrel and are unsure of the rules for releasing it, stop and call a permitted operator or your KDWP regional office.
Is Poisoning Squirrels Legal in Kansas?
Poisoning squirrels is a bad idea and, for most people, not a lawful option. Poison can kill pets, birds of prey, and other wildlife that eat the poisoned animal, and the state wildlife control framework relies on trapping and shooting rather than baiting with toxicants.
Pesticide use is also governed by product labels, and using a product against a pest it is not labeled for can violate state and federal law. The 2024 K-State wildlife damage control training materials do not point homeowners toward poison for tree squirrels.
Pro Tip: If you are tempted to use poison for an attic squirrel, know that a dead animal inside a wall or ceiling creates odor and insect problems that cost more to fix than the original damage.
Who Can Remove Squirrels for You in Kansas?
Hire a holder of a Nuisance Wildlife Damage Control permit. KDWP publishes lists of NWDC permit holders, and applicants must complete training and pass an exam. According to Animal of Things, Kansas nuisance wildlife rules require a minimum exam score of 80%.
A permit holder must make the permit available for inspection on request, so ask to see it before work starts. Research on Kansas wildlife damage control found that these private operators handled most squirrel damage complaints, mainly in urban counties, as reported in a Utah State University conference paper.
For related state rules on other animals, see this article on killing raccoons in Iowa and this one on raccoon rules in Texas. Neighboring-state comparisons are also available in the South Dakota roadkill laws and Louisiana roadkill laws articles.