New Jersey Has a Squirrel Hunting Season, but Damaged Property Lets Owners Control Squirrels Year-Round
November 13, 2026
Can you kill squirrels in New Jersey? Yes, but only in two situations: during the open hunting season for gray squirrels, or when squirrels are damaging your property. Outside those two paths, the state’s baseline rule is that wild mammals cannot be killed, trapped, or pursued.
That baseline is written into the state’s wildlife rules, which bar killing or trapping wild mammals unless an open season has been declared. The rest of this article walks through what the property damage exemption covers, what the 2026-27 season allows, and where poison, relocation, and city rules change the answer.
Can You Kill Squirrels in New Jersey?
You can kill squirrels in New Jersey if you are hunting gray squirrels in season with a valid license, or if squirrels are damaging your property and you act under the nuisance wildlife rule. Killing a squirrel for any other reason, such as annoyance or because it is eating from your bird feeder, falls outside both.
The governing rule is N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.21, which lets owners and occupants control squirrels that are damaging a dwelling. Both paths are “subject to State law and local ordinances,” so your town’s rules still apply on top.
| Situation | Allowed? | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting gray squirrels in season | Yes, with a license | Game Code small game season |
| Squirrels damaging your home or outbuildings | Yes, by lawful means | N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.21 |
| Squirrels destroying farm crops or poultry | Yes, for farmers or their agents | N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.21 |
| Killing a squirrel out of season with no damage | No | General ban on taking wild mammals |
Are Squirrels Protected in New Jersey?
Squirrels are not endangered, but they are covered by the state’s general protection of wild mammals. The Administrative Code prohibits possessing, killing, hunting, or trapping any wild mammal unless an open season has been declared, and then only during that season. The exceptions are written separately, which is why the property damage rule matters so much.
Gray squirrels are a regulated game species with a defined season. Other squirrels, such as red squirrels and southern flying squirrels, are listed among nongame wildlife in the state’s possession regulations, so they are not hunted under the gray squirrel season.
Which Squirrel Species Can You Kill in New Jersey?
The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is the only squirrel with a dedicated hunting season. It is the common squirrel in New Jersey yards, and it is the species the small game rules are written around.
The damage rule is broader. N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.21 refers to “squirrel” using the genus Sciurus and does not limit the exemption to gray squirrels alone. Flying squirrels and red squirrels are different cases: they are not game animals, so there is no hunting season for them, and you should treat them with extra caution before taking any action.
Pro Tip: If you cannot tell which squirrel is in your attic, identify it before acting. A licensed wildlife control operator can confirm the species and tell you which rule applies.
Squirrel Hunting Season and Limits in New Jersey 2026-27
The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife changed the squirrel rules for 2026-27. According to the NJDEP summary of 2026-2027 Game Code changes, there is no longer a separate muzzleloader squirrel season or management zones. Squirrels are now taken during the general small game mammal season, which runs September 26, 2026 through February 20, 2027, with closures on December 7-12 and December 16, 2026.
The New Jersey eRegulations small game page lists Sunday hunting as prohibited for gray squirrel and sets no season limit. A daily bag limit of five gray squirrels appears in the 2025-26 digest and in eRegulations-based summaries for 2026-27, so check the current digest before you head out.
- Season: September 26, 2026 to February 20, 2027, closed December 7-12 and 16, 2026
- Sundays: Closed for squirrel hunting
- Muzzleloaders: .36 caliber and smaller now allowed statewide for squirrel
- Air guns: .177 to .25 caliber now legal for gray squirrel
Do You Need a License to Kill Squirrels in New Jersey?
To hunt gray squirrels in season, you need a valid hunting license for your weapon: a firearm hunting license for shotgun, muzzleloader, or air gun, or an archery license for bow hunting. The Division’s digest also lists a farmer license exemption, which lets qualifying farmers take small game on their own land without buying a license.
The property damage rule works differently. N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.21 allows owners and occupants of dwellings, or agents they designate in writing, to control damaging squirrels without a hunting license or depredation permit. If you hire someone, put the authorization in writing.
Can You Kill Squirrels Damaging Your Property in New Jersey?
Yes, but “damage” has to be real. The rule applies to owners and occupants of dwellings suffering damage from squirrels, and they may control the animals by lawful procedures at any time. Chewed fascia, a hole in the roof, nests in the attic, and gnawed wiring are the kinds of problems it was written for.
Farmers have a separate provision. Under the same section, farmers or their agents may control squirrels at any time when they are found destroying livestock, crops, or poultry.
Key Insight: The exemption covers lawful methods only. It does not turn off firearms laws, animal cruelty laws, or town ordinances, and New Jersey’s rules treat an air rifle as a firearm for wildlife control purposes.
Can You Kill Squirrels in Your Yard or City in New Jersey?
State law sets the floor, and your municipality can be stricter. Discharging a firearm is restricted or banned in most densely populated New Jersey towns, so a legal exemption under the Game Code does not mean you can fire a gun, pellet gun, or bow in a residential neighborhood.
Before acting, call your town clerk or police department and ask about ordinances on trapping, firearm discharge, and wildlife. If you live in a rental or HOA community, lease and association rules may limit what you can do as well.
For comparison with a neighboring state’s approach, see our guide to roadkill laws in Pennsylvania and roadkill laws in Delaware.
What Methods Are Legal for Killing Squirrels in New Jersey?
During the hunting season, the Game Code allows shotgun, bow and arrow, muzzleloaders .36 caliber or smaller, and air guns from .177 to .25 caliber for gray squirrels. The Division’s 2025-26 small game digest also specifies shot sizes and pellet types for certain small game hunts, so read the weapon table in the current digest.
For property damage, the rule says “lawful procedures” and does not list them. In practice that means methods that comply with firearms law, local ordinances, and animal cruelty statutes. A humane, quick method matters: an injured or poorly killed animal can create legal exposure on its own.
| Method | In Season | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Shotgun | Allowed with license | Subject to firearm law and local ordinance |
| Bow and arrow | Allowed with archery license | Subject to local ordinance |
| Air gun (.177 to .25) | Allowed with license | Treated as a firearm |
| Muzzleloader (.36 or smaller) | Allowed statewide | Subject to firearm law and local ordinance |
Can You Trap Squirrels in New Jersey?
Yes, when you are controlling squirrels that are damaging property. The nuisance wildlife rule allows control by lawful procedures, and trapping is one of them. Outside that exemption, the Game Code bars trapping wild mammals unless a season is open, and no trapping season exists for squirrels.
The rule also covers trapping done by an agent, such as a pest control company, as long as you designate them in writing. For tips on neighboring wildlife, our article on killing raccoons in North Carolina shows how nuisance rules differ from state to state.
Can You Relocate Squirrels in New Jersey?
You can, but narrowly. The Division’s wildlife release policy says relocation of nuisance wildlife is judged case by case, and it discourages releasing animals away from the capture site. It states that no releases are allowed on federal, state, county, or municipal land, and that release locations should vary so animals are not “dumped” in one place.
The same policy says that if relocation will only move the problem elsewhere, euthanasia of the problem animals should be considered. In spring and summer, search for dependent young before removing an adult, and keep them together if you find them.
Is Poisoning Squirrels Legal in New Jersey?
Poison is not a safe option. The nuisance wildlife rule only authorizes “lawful procedures,” and poison can run into pesticide law, firearms and trapping rules aside, and it risks harming pets, birds of prey, and other wildlife that eat a poisoned animal.
New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection regulates pesticide use, and the Division of Fish and Wildlife does not list poison as a method in the squirrel rules. If a pest control company offers poison for squirrels, ask for the product label and their license number before agreeing.
Common Mistake: Treating the property damage exemption as permission for any method. The rule allows lawful procedures only, so a method that breaks pesticide, firearm, or cruelty law is not covered.
Who Can Remove Squirrels for You in New Jersey?
You can hire a licensed nuisance wildlife control operator, and the rule explicitly allows agents designated in writing to act for you. Ask for proof of a New Jersey license and a written authorization that names the property and the animals.
For questions on the Game Code, the Division of Fish and Wildlife publishes the season rules and can direct you to its law enforcement offices. For related reading, our roadkill laws in Virginia and roadkill laws in South Carolina guides cover how other states handle wildlife on your property.
In short, New Jersey lets you kill squirrels in season with a license and lets you control damaging squirrels at any time by lawful means. Everything else, from poison to relocation to firing a weapon in town, depends on narrower rules you should confirm with the state or your municipality first.