Rabbit Hunting Season in Maryland: Dates, Limits, and Rules for Cottontail Hunters
October 16, 2026
Rabbit hunting season in Maryland runs almost four months, but it opens later than squirrel season and closes the same day. For 2026-2027, rabbit season begins on Saturday, November 7 with a bag limit of four per day. That makes it one of the longest, most generous small game seasons on the calendar.
This article covers what you need to hunt cottontails legally in the Old Line State: dates, species, limits, licenses, methods, shooting hours, Sunday access, and blaze orange rules. Maryland’s regulations change from year to year, so check the current Guide to Hunting and Trapping before you head out.
If you also hunt other game in the state, our guides to deer hunting season in Maryland and turkey hunting season in Maryland will help you plan the rest of your fall.
Rabbit Hunting Season Dates in Maryland
Mark November 7, 2026 on your calendar. Maryland’s proposed regulations for 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 list Nov 7 – Feb 28 as the rabbit season window for 2026-2027. The state’s eRegulations summary, last updated June 22, 2026, lists the same dates for eastern cottontail rabbit in all counties: Nov. 7 to Feb. 28.
The season opening date shifts a few days each year because it is tied to the calendar. For comparison, the 2025 season began on November 1, and the 2024 season began on November 2. Always confirm the opener rather than assuming last year’s date still applies.
| Season Year | Opening Date | Closing Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | November 2, 2024 | February 28, 2025 |
| 2025-2026 | November 1, 2025 | February 28, 2026 |
| 2026-2027 | November 7, 2026 | February 28, 2027 |
Falconers get a longer window. The same proposal document lists a separate falconry season for eastern cottontail rabbit of Nov 1 – Mar 31 for 2026-2027 and 2027-2028.
Pro Tip: Late-season hunts often pay off. HuntWise notes that later in the season, many deciduous plants and trees shed their leaves, reducing cover for rabbits and making them easier to spot and flush.
Which Rabbit and Hare Species You Can Hunt in Maryland
For practical purposes, you are hunting one animal: the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). Maryland’s small game table lists Eastern Cottontail Rabbit as the huntable rabbit species. It lives statewide, and the Eastern cottontail loves habitats like woodlands, meadows, marshes, and even urban areas.
Snowshoe hares are a different story. The Maryland DNR species list shows Snowshoe Hare with NO OPEN SEASON, so any hare you encounter in the western mountains is off limits. Some older online guides suggest otherwise, so trust the DNR list over third-party blogs.
Where do you find cottontails? DNR’s advice is simple: hunting brushy, weedy field edges and hedgerows can provide excellent opportunities. Overgrown fields, fence rows, and briar tangles along farm edges are the classic spots.
Rabbit Hunting Bag and Possession Limits in Maryland
The daily limit is four rabbits per hunter, and you can hold up to eight at a time. The eRegulations table lists 4 per day with a possession limit of 8 for all counties. HuntWise’s bag limit chart agrees: cottontail rabbit, 4 per day (8 in possession).
The possession limit matters on multi-day trips. If you hunt two days in a row and take a full limit each day, you cannot carry more than eight rabbits, including any in your freezer or cooler that you have not yet processed for the table. Check the current guide for how Maryland defines possession in that situation.
Rabbits are not the only small game on the schedule. Squirrel hunters can take more per day, as the table below shows.
| Species | Season (2026-2027) | Daily Limit | Possession Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Cottontail Rabbit | Nov. 7 – Feb. 28 | 4 | 8 |
| Squirrel (Gray, Red, Eastern Fox) | Sept. 5 – Feb. 28 | 6 | 12 |
Those figures come from Maryland’s 2026-2027 small game seasons and limits table. Exceeding a bag limit can bring serious consequences. One summary lists fines per violation, license revocation, and confiscation of game as possible penalties.
Licenses and Permits Required to Hunt Rabbits in Maryland
You need a valid Maryland hunting license to take rabbits, and nothing beyond it for the rabbit itself. A 2026-2027 overview lists the permit for rabbit as a hunting license. Unlike deer, bear, or waterfowl, there is no species-specific stamp or tag for cottontails.
First-time hunters should plan ahead. According to Fish & Hunt Maryland, a hunter must purchase a hunting license and must have a picture ID along with the DNR safety courses. In practice, that means completing hunter education before you can buy a license, so do not wait until November to start.
Private land adds one more requirement. Written permission is required when hunting on private property unless the owner or lessee is in the hunting party. Get it in writing and carry it with you.
Important Note: License fees, residency categories, and exemptions change over time, and I did not find a verified current fee schedule in my research. Check the Maryland DNR licensing page for exact prices and any exemptions that apply to you.
Legal Hunting Methods and Weapons for Rabbits in Maryland
Rabbits are small game, and Maryland allows the usual small game tools: shotguns, rimfire rifles, bows, and falconry. One 2026-2027 summary lists the weapon for rabbit as legal small-game arms, though it does not spell out the specific gauges, calibers, or restrictions. Read the Weapons section of the DNR guide for exact specifications before you buy ammunition.
Many Maryland rabbit hunters use beagles. Dogs push cottontails out of thick cover and circle them back toward the shooter, which makes for what one hunter calls fast almost non stop action of dogs chasing and rabbits running. The same source warns hunters to never travel or cross roads with a loaded gun.
Walking is the other common approach. Rabbit hunting requires lots of walking unlike other hunting sports where you can sit still, so wear sturdy boots and briar-resistant pants. You will spend most of your day kicking brush piles and working field edges.
- With dogs: Best in thick cover; keep track of where other hunters are posted.
- Walking up: Works well along hedgerows and field borders with a partner or two.
- Falconry: Has its own extended season through March 31.
Shooting Hours and Sunday Hunting Rules for Rabbit Hunting in Maryland
Sunday hunting is limited to specific counties and land types. The eRegulations page for 2026-2027 states that eastern cottontail rabbits, along with several other small game species, may be hunted on Sundays during open seasons with county and location restrictions. Shooting hours on those days vary by county.
The clearest example is the first group of counties on the list: Allegany, Cecil, Garrett, St. Mary’s and Washington, on private and designated public lands, with shooting hours the same as Monday through Saturday. Other counties have different rules or no Sunday small game hunting at all.
Local reporting backs up how uneven this is across the state. The Southern Maryland Chronicle notes that Sunday hunting is where Charles, St. Mary’s, and Calvert counties part ways. Before a Sunday trip, check the county, the land type, and the posted hours.
Common Mistake: Assuming that because Sunday hunting is open in one county, it is open in the next one over. Verify the county-by-county list before you go.
On regular days, many hunters follow the clock rather than the legal minimum. One Maryland rabbit hunter prefers to hunt from about sunrise to 9 am, about when the dew or frost burns off. Check the DNR guide for the official shooting hour rules for small game.
Hunter Orange and Public Land Rules for Rabbit Hunting in Maryland
Blaze orange is standard practice, and hunters should treat it as non-negotiable. Fish & Hunt Maryland states that hunters must wear blaze orange to maximize visibility to other hunters and should know where other hunters are located. The exact legal requirement for small game depends on the season and weapon, so confirm it in the current regulations guide.
Public land gives you plenty of options. In Southern Maryland, Myrtle Grove Wildlife Management Area, about 5,190 acres near La Plata, is open for all legal game. The same report says St. Mary’s River State Park has roughly 2,200 acres of general hunting where rabbit and squirrel are listed as huntable.
Not every well-known tract allows small game, though. As that article puts it, public ground is the main question for many Southern Maryland hunters, and not every well-known tract allows small game. At Calvert Cliffs State Park, hunters must sign in at the hunter parking area. Call ahead or check the area page for current rules.
One quail rule can affect your plans if you are mixing species. DNR says the bobwhite quail season remains closed on public lands east of the Susquehanna, so do not count on a mixed bag of rabbit and quail on those tracts.
Planning more hunts this season? Our guides to dove hunting season in Maryland and goose hunting season in Maryland cover the other Maryland seasons that overlap with small game. If you hunt across state lines, compare with turkey hunting season in Pennsylvania or deer hunting season in New Jersey.
For the official word on dates and limits, start with the Maryland DNR small game announcement and the Maryland small game seasons and limits table. The DNR regulation proposals document lists the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 rabbit dates.