Every species, one table
All 106 game species we cover, in one sortable place: what it is, when the seasons generally run, and how it is usually hunted. Every line is generated from the full profile behind it, so the table stays in step with the guides. Not sure where to start? Try the game picker instead, or browse by category.
Season notes are broad-brush: exact dates, bag limits and legal methods are set state by state, every year - always check your state agency via the regulations directory.
| Seasons (typical) | How it's hunted | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 🦌Addax | Big Game | Because the addax is an exotic rather than a native game animal, there is no draw and no c… | Spot-and-stalk across open ranch country is the defining method for addax and a genuinely engaging one. |
| 🦌American Alligator | Big Game | Alligator seasons are typically short and fall in the late summer to early fall warm-water… | Alligator hunting uses specialized, regulated methods that differ from any other big-game hunt. |
| 🦆American Black Duck | Waterfowl | Black duck hunting follows the federal migratory bird framework, with state seasons genera… | Success on black ducks is a study in restraint. |
| 🦆American Wigeon | Waterfowl | Wigeon are hunted during the regular fall and winter duck seasons set within the federal m… | The classic approach is decoying over water: set a spread in shallow feeding areas or along the edge of a loaf… |
| 🦃American Woodcock | Upland Birds | The American woodcock is a migratory game bird managed under the federal Migratory Bird Tr… | The classic and most rewarding method for woodcock is hunting over a pointing dog in young, dense cover. |
| 🦌Aoudad | Big Game | Because the aoudad is a free-range exotic, hunting rules are relaxed compared with native… | - Spot-and-stalk is the premier method and the heart of aoudad hunting. |
| 🦌Axis Deer | Big Game | As a free-range exotic, the axis deer is generally subject to relaxed rules. | - Spot-and-stalk is highly effective in the open oak-savanna and brush country axis deer favor. |
| 🦃Band-tailed Pigeon | Upland Birds | Band-tailed pigeons are migratory game birds, and their seasons are short and tightly regu… | The classic way to hunt band-tailed pigeons is pass-shooting birds as they move along their daily travel lines… |
| 🦌Barasingha | Big Game | Because the barasingha in the United States exists as a ranch-raised exotic outside the st… | Spot-and-stalk is the primary method for barasingha, well suited to their open, grassy habitat: glass to locat… |
| 🦌Bison | Big Game | Wild bison seasons vary widely by state and herd, but generally fall in autumn and into wi… | Bison hunting is primarily a spot-and-stalk pursuit, though it is shaped less by the difficulty of getting clo… |
| 🦌Black Bear | Big Game | Black bear seasons vary widely by state and fall into spring and fall windows. | The legal methods depend entirely on the state. |
| 🐇Black-tailed Jackrabbit | Small Game | In many western states the black-tailed jackrabbit is classified as a nongame or unprotect… | Two approaches dominate. |
| 🦌Blackbuck | Big Game | As a non-native exotic on Texas private land, blackbuck generally may be hunted year-round… | Spot-and-stalk is the defining method for blackbuck and the heart of the hunt's appeal. |
| 🦆Blue-winged Teal | Waterfowl | The blue-wing's early migration is the reason many states hold a special early September t… | Early teal hunting is classic warm-weather waterfowling over shallow water. |
| 🦊Bobcat | Predators & Varmints | Bobcat seasons are set by each state and typically fall in late fall and winter, when pelt… | Two main legal methods dominate where they are permitted. |
| 🦃Bobwhite Quail | Upland Birds | Quail seasons generally run from fall into late winter, often opening in November and exte… | Quail hunting is built around pointing dogs - English pointers, English setters, Brittanys, and German shortha… |
| 🦆Bufflehead | Waterfowl | Buffleheads are hunted during the regular duck season, which is set within the federal mig… | Bufflehead hunting is classic diver hunting on a small scale. |
| 🦃California Quail | Upland Birds | California quail are hunted in the fall and winter under each state's small-game framework… | The classic way to hunt California quail is to walk them up, ideally behind a good bird dog. |
| 🦆Canada Goose | Waterfowl | Canada goose seasons are set within the federal framework and vary by flyway and state, bu… | Field hunting over decoys is the signature method. |
| 🦆Canvasback | Waterfowl | Canvasbacks are migratory birds managed federally under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and… | Canvasbacks are hunted on big open water, and the classic method is the open-water diver setup: large spreads… |
| 🦌Caribou | Big Game | Caribou seasons in Alaska vary by herd and unit, but generally run from roughly August int… | Caribou hunting blends spot-and-stalk with the art of intercepting a moving herd. |
| 🦌Chamois | Big Game | In New Zealand, chamois may be hunted year-round on public land, but the timing that matte… | Chamois hunting is spot-and-stalk in its purest and most physical form. |
| 🦃Chukar | Upland Birds | Chukars are an introduced upland game bird managed by state wildlife agencies, and seasons… | Chukar hunting is primarily a walk-up hunt over a dog. |
| 🦆Cinnamon Teal | Waterfowl | Because cinnamon teal migrate early, they are a prime target of the special early teal sea… | Hunting cinnamon teal is classic warm-weather western waterfowling over shallow water. |
| 🦌Columbia Blacktail Deer | Big Game | Oregon, Washington, and California manage blacktail deer with a mix of general and limited… | Blacktail hunting demands methods suited to thick cover. |
| 🦆Common Goldeneye | Waterfowl | Goldeneyes are hunted within the general migratory duck season, and they shine in the late… | Goldeneyes are hunted over open water on big lakes and rivers, using a diving-duck decoy rig - often long line… |
| 🦆Common Merganser | Waterfowl | Merganser hunting falls under the federal migratory bird framework, with state seasons set… | Because mergansers decoy less readily than dabblers, hunters most often take them by pass-shooting along river… |
| 🦌Coues Deer | Big Game | Coues deer are hunted through state draw tag systems in Arizona and New Mexico, with both… | Coues deer hunting is, above all, a glassing game - arguably the most glassing-intensive deer hunt in North Am… |
| 🦊Coyote | Predators & Varmints | Coyote regulations vary widely by state. | Calling is the signature coyote-hunting method. |
| 🦌Dall Sheep | Big Game | Dall sheep seasons in Alaska generally run from August 10 through mid-September, one of th… | Dall sheep hunting is classic spot-and-stalk, backpack-style mountain hunting. |
| 🦌Desert Bighorn Sheep | Big Game | Desert bighorn seasons typically run from roughly October into December, with exact dates… | Desert bighorn hunting is glassing-intensive spot-and-stalk, much like mountain sheep hunting but shaped by he… |
| 🦃Dusky Grouse | Upland Birds | Dusky grouse seasons typically open in early fall, often in late August or September, and… | The dominant method is a simple walk-up hunt in good habitat. |
| 🐇Eastern Cottontail | Small Game | Rabbit seasons are generous, typically running from fall through late winter, often into F… | The classic method is hunting behind beagles: the hounds strike a scent trail, jump the rabbit, and run it in… |
| 🦌Eland | Big Game | On African safaris, eland are hunted during the southern-hemisphere hunting season, broadl… | Spot-and-stalk and tracking are the classic eland methods. |
| 🦌Elk | Big Game | Western states manage elk through a mix of draw-only and over-the-counter tags depending o… | Two methods dominate. |
| 🦃Eurasian Collared-Dove | Upland Birds | In many states the Eurasian collared-dove, as a non-native invasive species, has no closed… | Two simple approaches account for most collared-dove hunting: pass-shooting and hunting over decoys. |
| 🦌Fallow Deer | Big Game | As a non-native exotic on Texas private land, fallow deer generally may be hunted year-rou… | Spot-and-stalk and ambush hunting both work well for fallow deer thanks to their use of open and semi-open cou… |
| 🦌Feral Hog | Big Game | Because feral hogs are a non-native, destructive species, most states impose few or no sea… | Hog hunting accommodates many approaches. |
| 🐇Fox Squirrel | Small Game | Squirrel seasons are typically long and generous, often opening in late summer or early fa… | There are two classic methods. |
| 🦆Gadwall | Waterfowl | Gadwall are hunted during the regular waterfowl seasons, which fall within the federal mig… | Gadwall decoy readily, which makes a classic decoy-and-call setup the bread-and-butter method. |
| 🦃Gambel's Quail | Upland Birds | Gambel's quail seasons run from fall into winter, roughly October through February dependi… | Hunting Gambel's quail is a walking, covey-busting pursuit. |
| 🦌Gemsbok | Big Game | In New Mexico, free-ranging gemsbok are managed as a game animal and hunted through a limi… | Spot-and-stalk across open desert is the defining method for gemsbok and a physically demanding one. |
| 🦊Gray Fox | Predators & Varmints | Gray fox hunting is primarily a fall-and-winter pursuit, timed to prime fur and cold-weath… | Calling is the dominant method, and the gray fox's habits make it a thrilling one. |
| 🦃Gray Partridge | Upland Birds | Gray partridge are an introduced upland game bird managed by state wildlife agencies, and… | Gray partridge are hunted as a classic walk-up upland bird, and a dog is a major asset. |
| 🐇Gray Squirrel | Small Game | Squirrel seasons are among the longest and most generous of any game animal, often opening… | There are two classic methods. |
| 🦌Greater Kudu | Big Game | Because greater kudu are an introduced exotic on private land in Texas, they may generally… | Free-range spot-and-stalk in thick cover is the classic and most rewarding way to hunt greater kudu, and it is… |
| 🦃Greater Prairie-Chicken | Upland Birds | This is the most important point about the greater prairie-chicken: because it is declinin… | Where legal, the greater prairie-chicken is hunted primarily by walking up birds across native prairie and by… |
| 🦃Greater Sage-Grouse | Upland Birds | This is the most important section to read honestly. | Where a legal season exists, the standard method is walking large blocks of sagebrush, often near water source… |
| 🦆Greater White-fronted Goose | Waterfowl | White-fronted goose hunting follows the federal migratory bird framework, with state seaso… | The classic approach is field hunting over decoys. |
| 🦆Green-winged Teal | Waterfowl | Because the green-winged teal lingers into and through the regular season, most hunters ta… | Green-winged teal hunting is small-water work over a modest decoy spread. |
| 🦌Grizzly Bear | Big Game | Where legal in Alaska, grizzly seasons fall in spring (roughly April-May, when bears emerg… | - Spot-and-stalk is the primary fair-chase method. |
| 🦌Himalayan Tahr | Big Game | In New Zealand, tahr are managed as an introduced species and can be hunted year-round on… | Tahr hunting is spot-and-stalk mountain hunting in its purest, most demanding form. |
| 🦌Hog Deer | Big Game | Where hog deer are hunted as wild game - most notably Victoria, Australia - the season is… | The dominant methods are glassing and spot-and-stalk along the edges of feeding lanes, and patient ambush from… |
| 🦆Hooded Merganser | Waterfowl | The hooded merganser is hunted under the regular duck season in most states, though mergan… | There are two classic ways to hunt hoodies, and both suit small water. |
| 🦌Ibex | Big Game | Ibex seasons are set by each host country and region and vary widely by species, so there… | Ibex hunting is spot-and-stalk mountain hunting at its most classic. |
| 🦌Impala | Big Game | On safari, impala can be hunted year-round in many areas, but the southern-hemisphere wint… | Spot-and-stalk is the classic impala method. |
| 🦌Javelina | Big Game | Javelina seasons vary by state and weapon. | - Spot-and-stalk is the classic and most effective method. |
| 🦆Lesser Scaup | Waterfowl | Scaup are hunted during the regular duck season, which runs in fall and winter under the f… | Scaup hunting is big-water hunting, and the signature method is a long-line diver spread. |
| 🦆Mallard | Waterfowl | Duck seasons are set within a federal framework, so dates and limits vary by flyway and st… | The standard approach is hunting over decoys from a blind or layout. |
| 🦌Moose | Big Game | Moose hunting in the United States is tightly controlled. | Calling is the signature moose method during the rut, and it is a thrilling one: the hunter imitates the long,… |
| 🦆Mottled Duck | Waterfowl | Mottled duck seasons fall within the general duck framework but are managed conservatively… | The classic approach is a small decoy spread over shallow, grassy marsh water, worked from a well-hidden blind… |
| 🦌Mouflon | Big Game | As an exotic in Texas, the mouflon is not regulated by a state-set season, and on private… | Spot-and-stalk is the classic and most rewarding method for mouflon, and it plays out like a scaled-down versi… |
| 🦌Mountain Goat | Big Game | Mountain goat seasons generally run from roughly September through November, varying by st… | Mountain goat hunting is spot-and-stalk, but the defining challenge is not finding goats - their white bodies… |
| 🦌Mountain Lion | Big Game | Mountain lion seasons are set by each western state and most commonly run through the late… | The dominant and most effective method of mountain lion hunting is hunting with trained hounds. |
| 🦃Mountain Quail | Upland Birds | Mountain quail seasons generally open in the fall and can run into winter where regulation… | Hunting mountain quail is a walk-up affair on steep ground, and locating birds by their call is often the key. |
| 🦃Mourning Dove | Upland Birds | Dove season is set within the federal migratory-bird framework, with most states opening o… | The standard method is the field shoot: hunters position themselves around a harvested grain field, sunflower… |
| 🦌Mule Deer | Big Game | Western states set mule deer seasons through a draw-based tag system in most units, with s… | Spot-and-stalk is the signature mule deer method and the one most worth mastering. |
| 🦌Muskox | Big Game | Muskox in Alaska are managed under a tightly controlled, draw-based permit system, with a… | Spot-and-stalk across open tundra is the defining method for muskox, though the stalk is short and the challen… |
| 🦌Nilgai | Big Game | Because nilgai are a non-native exotic species in Texas, they are not protected by a state… | Spot-and-stalk is the classic and most rewarding method for nilgai. |
| 🦆Northern Pintail | Waterfowl | Northern pintails are migratory birds managed federally under the Migratory Bird Treaty Ac… | Pintails are hunted primarily over decoy spreads on open shallow water and in flooded fields. |
| 🦆Northern Shoveler | Waterfowl | Shovelers are hunted within the general migratory duck season under the standard flyway fr… | Decoying over shallow, marshy water is the go-to method. |
| 🦌Pronghorn | Big Game | Western states manage pronghorn through draw-based tag systems, and in many units the draw… | Spot-and-stalk is the defining pronghorn method and a true challenge in such open country. |
| 🦊Raccoon | Predators & Varmints | Raccoon seasons are set by each state and are often long, frequently running through fall… | The traditional and dominant method is night hunting with trained coonhounds - breeds such as the Black and Ta… |
| 🦊Red Fox | Predators & Varmints | Red fox seasons vary widely by state, with many opening in fall and running through winter… | The signature method is calling. |
| 🦌Red Stag | Big Game | Because red stag are classified as an exotic in Texas and most states, they may generally… | Spot-and-stalk and calling during the roar are the classic methods for red stag, and the rut makes both especi… |
| 🦆Redhead | Waterfowl | Redheads are hunted during the regular duck season, with dates and bag limits set annually… | Redhead hunting is big-water diver hunting. |
| 🦆Ring-necked Duck | Waterfowl | Ring-necked ducks are hunted during the regular duck season under each state's framework,… | Hunting ringbills is small-water diver hunting that borrows heavily from puddle-duck tactics. |
| 🦃Ring-necked Pheasant | Upland Birds | Pheasant seasons run through fall and into winter, typically from a mid-to-late October op… | The classic method is walking cover behind a flushing or pointing dog. |
| 🦌Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep | Big Game | Bighorn seasons vary widely by state and hunt unit but generally fall between late August… | Bighorn hunting is overwhelmingly a spot-and-stalk pursuit built on glassing. |
| 🦌Roe Deer | Big Game | Roe seasons are set by each European country and region and differ for bucks and does, so… | Two methods dominate roe hunting. |
| 🦌Roosevelt Elk | Big Game | Seasons are set by state and unit and typically include an archery season in September (ov… | - Still-hunting thick timber - moving a few quiet steps at a time, into the wind, glassing every opening. |
| 🦆Ruddy Duck | Waterfowl | Ruddy ducks are migratory waterfowl, hunted within the federally framed duck seasons each… | Ruddies are taken with the standard open-water diver approach: a spread of decoys, often a long line or raft o… |
| 🦃Ruffed Grouse | Upland Birds | Grouse seasons typically open in September or early October and run into winter, with dail… | Most grouse hunting is done by walking thick cover, with or without a dog. |
| 🦌Rusa Deer | Big Game | On US exotic ranches, rusa deer can generally be hunted year-round because exotics fall ou… | Spot-and-stalk is the classic rusa method: glass open hillsides and ridgetops at dawn and dusk, locate feeding… |
| 🦌Sable Antelope | Big Game | On African safaris, sable are hunted through the southern-hemisphere season, broadly April… | Spot-and-stalk is the primary method for sable. |
| 🦌Sambar Deer | Big Game | As a non-native exotic on Texas private land, sambar generally may be hunted year-round wi… | Because sambar bed in heavy cover and move mostly at night, the most effective approach is to hunt the edges o… |
| 🦆Sandhill Crane | Waterfowl | Sandhill crane seasons fall within the federal migratory bird framework and are set state… | The dominant method is decoying cranes in feeding fields, similar to goose hunting. |
| 🦃Scaled Quail | Upland Birds | Scaled quail hunting generally runs from fall into winter, with seasons opening roughly in… | Hunting scaled quail is a fast, ground-covering walking pursuit, and the running habit shapes everything. |
| 🦌Scimitar-horned Oryx | Big Game | Because the scimitar-horned oryx is an exotic on private land in Texas, it is not governed… | Free-range spot-and-stalk across open and semi-open ranch country is the defining and most rewarding method fo… |
| 🦃Sharp-tailed Grouse | Upland Birds | Sharp-tailed grouse seasons typically open in mid-September and run into late December or… | The classic method is walking native prairie and brushy edges behind a pointing or flushing dog. |
| 🦌Sika Deer | Big Game | In Maryland, sika share the deer season framework with whitetails, spanning archery, muzzl… | Ambush hunting from a blind or stand over marsh trails, crossings, and the edges between water and higher grou… |
| 🦌Sitka Blacktail Deer | Big Game | Seasons vary by Game Management Unit but generally run from early August through December,… | Alpine glassing: The classic early-season approach. |
| 🦆Snow Goose | Waterfowl | Snow geese are migratory birds protected and managed federally under the Migratory Bird Tr… | The dominant method is hunting over a large decoy spread. |
| 🐇Snowshoe Hare | Small Game | Snowshoe hare seasons are generally long and generous, typically opening in early fall and… | The traditional and most popular method is hunting with beagles or other small hounds. |
| 🦆Sora | Waterfowl | Rail seasons, including the season for sora, open early - typically in September - under t… | The classic method for hunting sora is poling, or push-poling, a small flat boat through a stand of wild rice… |
| 🦃Spruce Grouse | Upland Birds | Spruce grouse, where they may be hunted, are generally an upland bird taken in the fall, a… | This is a walk-up hunt, plain and simple. |
| 🦌Stone Sheep | Big Game | Stone sheep seasons in British Columbia and the Yukon generally run from early August into… | - Spot-and-stalk is the only practical method. |
| 🦆Teal | Waterfowl | Teal are migratory birds managed federally under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. | Teal hunting is refreshingly simple, which is part of its appeal. |
| 🦌Tule Elk | Big Game | Tule elk hunts in California run roughly from August into autumn, with specific seasons an… | - Spot-and-stalk is the primary method. |
| 🦊Virginia Opossum | Predators & Varmints | Opossum is generally classified as a furbearer or nuisance species, and many states allow… | The classic method is night hunting with hounds, the same tradition as raccoon hunting. |
| 🦌Whitetail Deer | Big Game | Whitetail seasons are set state by state and typically span September through January, div… | Treestand and ground-blind hunting over funnels, food sources, and trail intersections is the dominant method,… |
| 🦃Wild Turkey | Upland Birds | Most turkey hunting occurs in spring, timed to the breeding season, with seasons running r… | The signature method is run-and-gun calling: locate a gobbling tom, move within 100-150 yards, set up against… |
| 🦌Wildebeest | Big Game | On African plains-game safaris, wildebeest are typically hunted during the local hunting s… | Spot-and-stalk is the classic wildebeest method: glass the open plains to locate a herd and the bull worth tak… |
| 🦃Wilson's Snipe | Upland Birds | Wilson's snipe are hunted under the federal migratory bird framework, so seasons generally… | Snipe hunting is a walking, jump-shooting pursuit. |
| 🦆Wood Duck | Waterfowl | Wood ducks are migratory birds managed federally under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, with… | Wood duck hunting is typically a close-range, small-water affair. |
| 🐇Woodchuck | Small Game | Groundhogs are typically classified as unprotected nuisance or nongame animals, and many s… | Groundhog hunting is fundamentally long-range varmint shooting with a rifle. |
Each species links to its full profile: identification, range and habitat, sign, season timing, methods, gear, shot placement and field care, and eating quality. For meat comparisons see the wild game nutrition table; for deer specifics start with the Advanced Whitetail Track.
Free to cite with a link back. Season and method notes are editorial summaries, not legal information.