Colorado abert's squirrel season 2026-27: dates, units and bag limits

Abert's squirrel is open in Colorado from November 15, 2026 to January 15, 2027, statewide. This page has the 2026-27 dates, the daily bag and possession limits, the licences you need and the rules that apply, read from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife brochure.

2026-27 season dates and limits

Season	Dates	Where	Daily bag	Possession
Abert's squirrel season	November 15, 2026 to January 15, 2027	statewide	2	4

Shooting hours: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset.

Licences and stamps

Colorado small game licence
Colorado Habitat Stamp
Harvest Information Program (HIP) number for this season

Rules for abert's squirrel

Any rifle or handgun, a shotgun holding no more than three shells, bow, crossbow, air gun or slingshot.
West of I-25 during the regular rifle deer and elk seasons, no centerfire rifle larger than .23 calibre for small game unless you hold an unfilled deer or elk licence for that season.
No dogs for this animal while a regular deer, elk, pronghorn or moose season is open on that land.
Do not shoot from, on or across a public road. No rifle, handgun or bow within 50 feet of the road centre line.
Orange or pink is not required for small game, but big game seasons are open around you. Wear it.

Do not mistake these for abert's squirrel

Pine squirrel (different season or permit): Half the size, reddish grey, no ear tufts, and it scolds. Its own limit of 5.
Fox squirrel (different season or permit): Rusty with a bushy orange-edged tail and no ear tufts, in cottonwoods and towns. Its own limit of 5.
Chipmunks and golden-mantled ground squirrel (protected or closed: never shoot): Small and striped. Not small game.

How to hunt abert's squirrel

Walk mature ponderosa slowly, look for clipped twigs under the trees, then sit and watch the crowns.
Shots are upward into trees. A shotgun is the safe choice near trails, roads and houses.

Where to walk for abert's squirrel in your unit

FilledTag finds the patches of the right habitat for your date on public land in the unit you choose, each with legal parking and the walk from the truck.

Check my hunt See a sample plan

What a map cannot tell you

Walk-In Access parcels and private land are not in the planner.

Source

CPW regulations chapter W-3, Furbearers and Small Game (07/16/2026, effective 1 Sept 2026); 2026 Colorado Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, pages 3 to 5 and 9: https://cpw.widen.net/s/kmpdszcx6j/ch03. Read October 2, 2026. Rules change every year, and corrections are issued during the season: read the current brochure before you hunt.