New Hampshire Rabbit and Snowshoe Hare Season: Dates, Limits, and Rules by WMU
October 20, 2026
Most hunters assume rabbit hunting in New Hampshire is a cottontail game, but the state’s best rabbit hunting is for snowshoe hares. The rules also change depending on which Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) you’re standing in. A cottontail season that only covers four WMUs and a hare limit that shifts from two to three birds-in-the-bag-style numbers can trip up even experienced hunters.
This guide covers rabbit hunting season in New Hampshire for 2026-27, from opening day to the last day of March. You’ll get dates, limits, license costs, legal methods, shooting hours, and the rules on hunter orange and public land. Always confirm final details with New Hampshire Fish and Game before you head out, because regulations can change.
Rabbit Hunting Season Dates in [State]
New Hampshire’s rabbit and hare seasons both open on October 1, which makes opening day an easy one to remember. The closing dates differ by species, so you get a longer window for snowshoe hare than for cottontail.
According to the New Hampshire small game regulations (last updated August 27, 2026), cottontail rabbit season for hunting and falconry runs October 1, 2026 through March 15, 2027. Snowshoe hare season runs October 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027.
| Species | Season Dates (2026-27) | Where It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| Cottontail Rabbit | Oct. 1, 2026 – Mar. 15, 2027 | WMUs H2, K, L, M (except closed areas) |
| Snowshoe Hare | Oct. 1, 2026 – Mar. 31, 2027 | All WMUs (A through M) |
Important Note: The cottontail season was longer than it used to be. Due to an increase in species population, the season was extended to March 15 with a daily bag limit of 4 rabbits, according to a New Hampshire Fish and Game news release from August 2025. Older articles online still list a January 31 closing date, so check the date on any guide you use.
If you’re planning a trip, the long winter window is the real draw. Late-season hunts mean snow, tracks, and white hares against dark spruce, which is how most northern hunters prefer to do it. Fish and Game’s own small game outlook notes that snowshoe hare season offers hunting opportunity into March.
Which Rabbit and Hare Species You Can Hunt in [State]
You can hunt two species in New Hampshire: the Eastern cottontail and the snowshoe hare. They live in very different places, so your choice of species mostly decides where you hunt.
The snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) is the state’s main rabbit-hunting quarry. Opportunities to hunt snowshoe hare are good in most of the state, but they are most abundant in the northern three counties, where spruce-fir stands with dense understories mix with hardwoods. Hunters tend to find them in young forests, spruce thickets, alder swamps, and brushy cutovers, and they’re most active early morning and late afternoon.
The Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is limited to the southern part of the state. Fish and Game notes that cottontail range remains fragmented and limited, and certain areas are closed to taking cottontails to protect the remnant New England cottontail population.
Common Mistake: Shooting a cottontail in a closed area. The state’s eregulations page says the shaded closure areas are known locations of New England cottontail rabbits, which are endangered in New Hampshire. The two species look alike, so check the closure map before you hunt and know your target.
If you want to compare how other New Hampshire game seasons are structured, the state’s deer hunting season and turkey hunting season also use the WMU system.
Rabbit Hunting Bag and Possession Limits in [State]
Daily limits depend on the species and the WMU. For 2026-27, the eregulations table lists no season limit for either species.
| Species | WMUs | Daily Limit | Season Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottontail Rabbit | H2, K, L, M | 4 | None |
| Snowshoe Hare | A, B, C1, C2, D1, D2, E, F, G, J1 | 3 | None |
| Snowshoe Hare | H1, H2, I1, I2, J2, K, L, M | 2 | None |
These figures come from the 2026-27 small game table on eregulations. The northern units get the higher hare limit of three, while the southern and central units get two.
WMUs H2, K, L, and M show up in both the cottontail and the lower hare rows. If you hunt one of those units, you can pursue both species, but pay attention to each species’ limit separately.
The eregulations table lists no season limit and doesn’t spell out a possession limit for rabbits or hares. Confirm possession rules in the current New Hampshire Hunting Digest or with a Fish and Game conservation officer if you plan to hold game over multiple days.
Licenses and Permits Required to Hunt Rabbits in [State]
You need a valid New Hampshire hunting license to hunt rabbits or hares. According to the hunter education regulations summary, licenses are required for people 16 and older.
StateOutdoors.org reports (as of its 2026 licensing guide) that resident hunters pay $32.00 for a standard hunting license, while non-residents pay $113.00, with a mandatory $2.50 Wildlife Habitat Fee required annually. Fees change, so verify them on the Fish and Game licensing page before you buy.
Small game species covered under the standard license include snowshoe hare, cottontail rabbits, and gray squirrel. That means you don’t need a separate rabbit stamp or special permit to hunt them.
Pro Tip: Visiting from out of state and only after rabbits? Non-residents who only want to pursue small game can buy a Non-Resident Small Game License for $53.00 annually or a 3-Day Small Game License for $25.00. A weekend hare trip costs far less that way than a full non-resident license.
You can buy a license at any New Hampshire license agent, and Fish and Game also encourages hunters to pick up the NH Hunting Digest to learn the rules. If you hunt other species in the state, our guide to bear hunting season in New Hampshire covers the add-on permits that apply there.
Legal Hunting Methods and Weapons for Rabbits in [State]
Most New Hampshire rabbit and hare hunters use a shotgun. Common choices are loads in No. 6 or No. 7.5 shot, and some hunters use small-caliber rifles where it’s safe and legal, according to Dive Bomb Industries’ snowshoe basics guide.
One third-party summary lists small game weapons as shotgun, bow, crossbow, and legal air rifle. That source is a secondary guide rather than the state’s own rulebook, so treat it as a starting point and check the current Hunting Digest for exact gauge, caliber, and air rifle specifications.
Dogs are a big part of hare hunting culture here. Project Upland describes a healthy culture of hounds tracking snowshoe hare throughout the state’s northern reaches. If you plan to run beagles or hare hounds, check the regulations on dog use and training periods before the season starts.
- Pick your weapon: a 12- or 20-gauge shotgun is the usual choice for both species.
- Check that your shot, rifle, or bow setup fits current NH rules.
- Keep your gun unloaded until you’re ready to hunt. Fish and Game says to only load your gun when you’re ready to hunt, and unload it immediately after.
- Know what’s behind your target. Even small bullets can travel a long way.
Shooting Hours and Sunday Hunting Rules for Rabbit Hunting in [State]
Sunday hunting is legal in New Hampshire. AskHunting’s 2026-27 guide answers the question directly: “Yes. Sunday hunting is legal.” That’s a real advantage if you work during the week, since you can use both weekend days across a season that stretches into spring.
The sources I found didn’t give a clear, current statement of statewide shooting hours for rabbits and hares. Federal rules for the Great Bay-style refuge lands do prohibit night hunting. Under 50 CFR 32.48, hunting is prohibited from half an hour after legal sunset until half an hour before legal sunrise on the refuge.
Important Note: That half-hour rule applies to the national wildlife refuge in the federal regulation, not necessarily to all state land. Check the current NH Hunting Digest for the statewide shooting hours that apply to small game, and don’t assume refuge rules and state rules are the same.
A practical habit is to plan your hunt around legal daylight, since hares are most active at dawn and dusk. Start early and plan to be out of the cover before light fades.
Hunter Orange and Public Land Rules for Rabbit Hunting in [State]
New Hampshire does not legally require hunter orange, but officials strongly recommend it. According to Hunter-Ed.com’s state-by-state review, New Hampshire is one of six states with no statewide blaze orange requirement.
The recommendation is written into state law. RSA 207:38-b says people hunting with a firearm or bow, other than waterfowl hunters, should wear a hat, vest, or other orange clothing visible from all sides at 200 feet.
Rabbit and hare hunters work thick cover where visibility is poor, so orange makes sense. A hat plus a vest covers you from every direction.
Hunting on State Land
New Hampshire’s Fish and Game Department says that each state-owned forest land is open to hunting unless otherwise posted. Its public land FAQ also names wearing hunter orange as the most important precaution when sharing public land with other users.
Some federal and state lands layer their own rules on top. National wildlife refuge rules, for example, may require a lottery permit for certain hunts, and small game access can be limited to designated areas. The White Mountain National Forest and many state forests are popular for hare hunting, so scout your spot and read the posted rules at the trailhead.
Pro Tip: Before you commit to a trip, pull up the WMU map and the cottontail closure map together. The unit decides your daily limit, and the closure map decides whether you can shoot a cottontail at all.
For hunters branching out beyond rabbits, our Rhode Island deer season guide and New York deer season guide cover neighboring Northeast states with similar small-state, unit-based rules. New Hampshire rabbit season rewards hunters who read the unit map first, wear orange, and take advantage of the long winter window.