Hunting Game Guide: North America

Every game animal calls for its own tactics, gear and safety habits. This guide covers the major game hunted across North America, from deer, elk, moose and wild sheep to bears, cats and canines, turkeys and upland birds, and ducks and geese. For each one you'll find where it lives, when it's generally in season, and tips and tricks to help you hunt it well and safely.

Seasons here are general, never exact. Dates, methods (archery, muzzleloader or modern firearm), tags and limits change every year and differ by state, province and zone. Always read the current regulations for where you'll hunt.

Find Game by Region

Choose a region on the map to show only the game animals found there, or narrow the list by group. Choose the region again to clear it.

Which states and provinces are in each region?

Alaska & the North: Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and the boreal north of B.C., the Prairie Provinces, Ontario, Quebec and Labrador.
Pacific Coast: Washington, Oregon, California and coastal and southern B.C.
Rockies & Interior West: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, interior B.C. and western Alberta.
Great Plains & Prairies: the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, most of Texas, the eastern plains of Montana, Wyoming and Colorado, and prairie Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Midwest & Great Lakes: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri and southern Ontario.
Northeast & Atlantic Canada: New England, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, southern Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland.
Desert Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas and the deserts of southern California and Nevada.
Southeast & Gulf: Virginia and West Virginia south through the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida, west to Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and east Texas.

The map is a simple schematic, not to scale. Ranges are general; many species are patchy within a region.

Big Game

Deer, elk, moose, caribou, pronghorn, wild sheep and goats, bears, javelina and wild hogs.

White-tailed Deer

The most widely hunted big game animal in North America, from southern Canada to Florida and the desert Southwest (the small Coues deer).

Season: Archery seasons usually start in early fall and can run into winter; firearm seasons are often in November in the North and longer, into winter, in the South. Many areas add muzzleloader seasons.

Scout trails between bedding cover and feeding areas, and hunt them at dawn and dusk.
Look for rubs and scrapes before the season; they mark the routes bucks use as the rut nears.
Always hunt with the wind in your face or crossing; a deer's nose is its best defence.
During the rut, stay on stand longer: bucks move at all hours chasing does.

Safety: Wear a full-body harness and tether in a tree stand, and haul your unloaded firearm or bow up on a rope. In chronic wasting disease (CWD) areas, have your deer tested and follow carcass-transport rules.

Mule Deer & Black-tailed Deer

Mule deer roam the West from the plains to the high desert; black-tailed deer live in the wet coastal forests from California to Alaska.

Season: Archery often opens late summer or early fall; rifle seasons commonly fall in October and November, with some late hunts by draw.

Spot and stalk: glass open slopes at first and last light from a high point with good binoculars.
Mule deer bed in shade and under rimrock in the heat of the day; check those spots carefully.
For black-tails, still-hunt slowly along the edges of clearcuts and thick timber, especially in rain.
Practise shooting at longer ranges and from field positions before the season.

Safety: Country is big and often remote: file a trip plan, carry a map and compass, and plan how you will pack meat out before you shoot.

Elk

Rocky Mountain and Roosevelt elk across the West and western Canada, with smaller restored herds in places like Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Michigan and Arkansas.

Season: Archery seasons often run during the September rut; rifle seasons usually follow in October and November. Many units and all eastern herds are limited-entry draws.

Use bugles and cow calls during the rut, but don't overcall; a few soft cow calls often work better.
Find water, wallows and dark north-facing timber; elk bed there in the heat of the day.
Get in shape months ahead. Elk country is steep and often high, and a bull can be miles from the road.
Have a meat plan: quarter the animal, cool it fast and line up packs, help or a horse.

Safety: Elk range overlaps grizzly country in parts of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho: carry bear spray, hunt with a partner and get meat away from the carcass quickly.

Moose

Throughout Canada and Alaska, plus the northern Rockies, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and North Dakota.

Season: Most seasons are in September and October, around the rut. U.S. moose tags are usually limited draws; many Canadian zones have general or draw seasons.

Call during the rut with cow calls and by raking brush to sound like a bull.
Hunt by canoe or boat along rivers, lakeshores and beaver ponds at dawn and dusk.
Only shoot where you can recover the animal: never in or right beside water.
Bring help and gear. A moose can yield 500 pounds of meat or more.

Safety: Rutting bulls and cows with calves can charge. On water hunts, wear a life jacket: cold water is the biggest danger.

Caribou

Alaska and northern Canada. Many herds have declined, and several are closed or limited to Indigenous harvest.

Season: Mostly late summer and fall, timed with migrations. Check current herd status before planning a hunt.

Hunt migration routes and river crossings; caribou move in waves, so patience pays.
Most hunts are fly-in: pack light, plan for weather delays and bring extra food.
Good optics and a flat-shooting rifle help on open tundra.

Safety: Remote fly-in country: carry a satellite communicator and leave a detailed trip plan with your return date.

Pronghorn

The open sagebrush and grasslands of the West and Plains, from Alberta and Saskatchewan to Arizona and New Mexico; Wyoming has the most.

Season: Archery often in late summer; rifle seasons commonly in early to mid fall. Many areas are draw-only.

Pronghorn have remarkable eyesight: use every dip, wash and ridge to stay hidden on a stalk.
In hot weather, archers do well sitting over waterholes in a blind.
Practise at longer ranges and know your effective distance.

Safety: Heat and long walks: carry plenty of water, and field dress and cool meat quickly in warm weather.

Bighorn Sheep (Rams)

Rocky Mountain bighorns in the Rockies, Alberta and B.C.; desert bighorns in the Southwest. Hunts are almost all limited draws.

Season: Typically late summer into fall, varying by unit and subspecies.

Apply every year: tags are rare and many states use preference or bonus points.
Learn to judge legal rams. Many areas set a minimum horn curl.
Train hard. Sheep live in steep, rocky terrain at high elevation.

Safety: Steep, loose terrain: watch your footing, never hunt alone, and turn back if the weather turns.

Dall's & Stone's Sheep

The thinhorn sheep of Alaska, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and northern B.C.

Season: Usually August into September.

Most hunts are remote backpack or fly-in trips. Pack light and test your gear at home.
Rams must meet age or horn-curl rules; study photos before you go.
Non-residents usually need a licensed guide for sheep in Alaska and Canada.

Safety: Weather can pin you down for days: carry extra food, a satellite communicator and a good shelter.

Mountain Goat

Alpine cliffs of Alaska, B.C., Alberta and the northern Rockies and Cascades; tags are scarce outside the North.

Season: Usually late summer through fall.

Take billies, not nannies: females are key to herd recovery. Learn the differences in horn shape and behaviour.
Think before you shoot: a goat that falls off a cliff may be lost or ruined.
Glass from across the valley and plan a stalk from above.

Safety: Cliffs, snow and sudden weather: stay within your climbing ability and check avalanche conditions late in the season.

Black Bear

Forests and mountains across Canada, Alaska and much of the U.S., from Maine to Florida and the Southwest.

Season: Fall seasons are common; some states and provinces also have spring seasons. Baiting and hounds are legal in some places and banned in others.

In spring, glass green slopes and avalanche chutes where bears graze new growth.
In fall, find food: berry patches, oak and beech nuts, and orchards.
Judge size carefully. Small ears and a long, lean belly often mean a young bear.
Many areas protect sows with cubs. Watch a lone bear for a while before you shoot.

Safety: Cook bear meat thoroughly to at least 160°F (71°C) to kill trichinella parasites. Where grizzlies also live, be certain which species you are looking at.

Grizzly & Brown Bear

Hunted only in Alaska, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Closed in B.C., Alberta and the lower 48 states.

Season: Spring and fall in open areas, by permit in many places.

Non-residents generally must hire a licensed guide.
Shot placement matters: take only a clear shot and be ready for a follow-up.
Hunt where you can see a long way: river bars, tundra slopes and salmon streams in season.

Safety: Every hunter in brown bear country should carry bear spray, stay alert, and handle meat and food carefully. See Bear Safety.

Javelina (Collared Peccary)

Desert scrub and canyon country of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Season: Mostly winter and early spring; draw-only in Arizona and New Mexico.

Glass sunny hillsides early; herds feed together and bed in thick brush midday.
Their eyesight is poor but their noses are excellent: keep the wind in your favour and you can get close.
A popular archery hunt because of how close you can stalk.

Safety: Desert hazards: carry water, watch for rattlesnakes and cactus, and tell someone your route.

Wild Hogs (Feral Swine)

An invasive pest across much of the South, Texas and California, and in pockets elsewhere.

Season: Often year-round with few limits, especially on private land; some states restrict or ban hog hunting on public land to support trapping and eradication, and California requires tags.

Hunt near water, mud wallows and fresh rooting at dawn and dusk; hogs often go nocturnal under pressure.
Night hunting with lights or thermal optics is legal in some states; check first.
Aim for the shoulder area. Mature boars have a thick shield over the vitals.

Safety: Hogs can carry brucellosis and other diseases: wear gloves when field dressing and cook the meat thoroughly. Wounded hogs can charge.

Predators & Furbearers

The cats and canines: cougar, bobcat and lynx, coyote, wolf and fox, plus raccoon.

Cougar (Mountain Lion)

Western mountains, foothills and canyons from B.C. and Alberta to Arizona, New Mexico and Texas; small populations in the western Dakotas.

Season: Mostly fall through winter, often with zone quotas. Hunting is banned in California; Florida panthers are protected.

Where legal, hunting with hounds is the most common method; some states ban hounds.
Fresh snow makes tracking possible: look for tracks crossing roads at first light.
Predator calls (prey distress) can bring a cat in, but slowly: wait at least 30 to 45 minutes.

Safety: Be sure of your target and what lies behind it: cats often appear suddenly and close.

Bobcat & Lynx

Bobcats live across most of southern Canada and the U.S.; lynx live in the boreal North, where they follow snowshoe hare numbers.

Season: Winter furbearer seasons when pelts are prime. Lynx are protected in the lower 48 states; bobcat hunting is banned in California.

Call with rabbit or bird distress sounds and give it time: cats approach slowly and often stop to watch.
A feather or motion decoy holds a cat's attention away from you.
Set up with good visibility and the wind in your favour.

Safety: Furbearer rules often include pelt tagging and harvest reporting: check them before your hunt.

Coyote

Found nearly everywhere in North America, from cities to the Arctic edge.

Season: Often open year-round with no limit, though some places have seasons; night hunting rules vary widely.

Call with rabbit distress or howls, and set up with the wind in your face: coyotes circle downwind.
Use terrain and shadows; sit still against cover rather than on the skyline.
Move a mile or more between calling stands.

Safety: Positive identification: never shoot at movement. Coyotes can be confused with dogs and, in some areas, wolves. At night, know your backstop.

Gray Wolf

Hunted in Alaska, much of Canada and parts of the northern Rockies (Idaho, Montana and Wyoming); protected in most other states.

Season: Usually fall through winter, with quotas, check-in and reporting rules.

Wolves cover huge territories: scout for fresh tracks on roads and frozen rivers.
Howls and prey-distress calls can work, but wolves are wary. Call less and wait longer.
Many hunters take wolves opportunistically while hunting elk or deer: carry the right tag.

Safety: Check-in and reporting are usually required within days of a harvest.

Red & Gray Fox

Red foxes live across most of the continent; gray foxes favour brushy and wooded country in the U.S.

Season: Usually fall and winter furbearer seasons.

Mouse squeaks and rabbit distress calls work well, especially at dawn and dusk.
Foxes come in fast: be ready within the first few minutes of calling.

Safety: Wear gloves when skinning; foxes can carry mange and other diseases.

Raccoon

Woods, farms and river bottoms across the U.S. and southern Canada.

Season: Fall and winter, often with night seasons; hunting with hounds is a long tradition.

Run hounds along creeks, corn fields and wooded river bottoms on calm nights.
Scout for tracks along muddy creek banks.

Safety: Night hunts: carry good lights, know the ground and where property lines are, and confirm night-hunting rules.

Small Game

Rabbits, hares and squirrels: great first hunts and great practice.

Rabbits & Hares

Cottontails almost everywhere, snowshoe hares in the North and the mountains, and jackrabbits in the West and the Plains.

Season: Usually fall through winter; many seasons run late into winter.

Beagles are the classic way to hunt cottontails: rabbits run in a circle back toward where they were jumped.
Without dogs, kick brush piles, fence rows and briar patches, then stop: the pause makes rabbits bolt.
Snowshoe hares turn white in winter; fresh snow makes tracking easy.

Safety: Rabbits can carry tularemia: wear gloves when cleaning them, avoid any that act sick or sluggish, and cook the meat thoroughly.

Squirrels

Gray and fox squirrels in eastern and midwestern hardwoods, western gray squirrels on the Pacific coast, and tassel-eared Abert's squirrels in the Southwest.

Season: Often late summer or early fall through winter.

Sit or still-hunt slowly in hardwoods with nut trees: oak, hickory, beech and walnut.
Listen for falling nut cuttings and barking, early in the morning.
A .22 rifle with careful head shots, or a shotgun, both work.

Safety: A .22 bullet can travel over a mile: only shoot when you have a solid backstop, never at a squirrel against the sky.

Turkey & Upland Birds

Wild turkey, pheasant, quail, grouse, partridge, ptarmigan, woodcock and doves.

Wild Turkey

Eastern turkeys in the East, Osceolas in Florida, Rio Grandes in the southern Plains and Texas, Merriam's in the Rockies and Gould's in the far Southwest. Restored herds now live in southern Canada too.

Season: Spring seasons for gobblers (bearded birds) are the most popular, usually in April and May; many places also have fall seasons.

Turkeys see colour and movement extremely well: use natural cover or a ground blind and sit still.
Scout where turkeys roost, and where they fly down to. They roost in big trees with sturdy, open limbs.
After fly-down, they feed along forest edges and openings; look for scratched-up leaves where they have fed.
Call sparingly. A few soft yelps after fly-down often beat constant calling.

Safety: Never wear red, white, blue or black: a gobbler's head colours. Never stalk a gobble or a decoy: it may be another hunter. Sit against a tree wider than your shoulders, and call out loudly to an approaching hunter rather than waving.

Ring-necked Pheasant

Farm country of the Plains and Midwest (South Dakota is famous for them), the Prairie Provinces and irrigated valleys of the West; often stocked in the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest.

Season: Mostly mid fall into early winter, with youth, senior or released-bird seasons in some places.

Stealth matters with these crafty birds. Move slowly and quietly, and use hand signals with your partner and dog.
Hunt edges: fence lines, ditches, brushy patches and timber next to open fields where birds feed.
Work cover in a zig-zag to cover ground thoroughly and push birds into the air.
Late in the season, after snow, birds pack into cattails and shelterbelts.

Safety: In group drives and blocks, everyone wears blaze orange, keeps a straight line and holds to their own zone of fire. Never swing on a low bird.

Quail

Bobwhite in the Southeast and southern Plains; California (valley) quail on the Pacific coast; Gambel's, scaled and Mearns' quail in the Southwest.

Season: Usually late fall through winter.

Coveys hold near cover beside food; after a covey flush, mark where singles land and follow them up.
Gambel's and scaled quail run: move quickly to push them into the air.
Mearns' quail hold tight in oak-grassland, so a pointing dog is a big help.

Safety: Desert quail country is hot and dry: carry water for you and your dog, and watch for rattlesnakes.

Forest Grouse (Ruffed, Dusky, Sooty & Spruce)

Ruffed grouse in young forests from Alaska to the Appalachians; dusky, sooty and spruce grouse in western and northern forests.

Season: Usually early fall into early winter.

Early in the season, try higher elevations; winter weather later pushes ruffed grouse downslope.
Walk logging roads, skid trails and fire trails, where grouse come for grit and greens.
Use a stop-and-go walk: pause every 50 feet or so. Nervous birds flush when you stop or start again.
Look for young aspen, clover and berry patches.

Safety: Thick cover and fast flushes: only shoot at birds you can see clearly against open sky, never toward a partner you can't see.

Prairie Grouse (Sharp-tailed, Prairie Chicken & Sage Grouse)

Sharp-tailed grouse across the northern Plains and the Prairie Provinces; prairie chickens in the central Plains; sage grouse in western sagebrush. Sage grouse seasons are limited or closed in many areas.

Season: Usually early to mid fall, often short seasons.

Hunt grassland ridges and the edges of grain stubble early in the morning.
Expect long walks; a wide-ranging pointing dog helps.
Later in the season, birds flock up and flush wild. Approach from below a ridge.

Safety: Open country and changing weather: carry water and layers, and know where you parked.

Chukar & Hungarian Partridge

Chukar in steep, rocky canyons of the Interior West; gray (Hungarian) partridge in farmland and grasslands of the northern Plains, the Prairie Provinces and the Interior West.

Season: Usually fall into early winter.

Chukar run uphill and fly down: hunt from above whenever you can.
Early in the season, find water; later, birds spread out on sunny slopes.
Huns hold along the edges of grain stubble and grassy draws; flushes are fast and low.

Safety: Steep, loose canyon walls cause falls and twisted ankles: good boots, trekking poles, and never hunt with a loaded gun while scrambling.

Ptarmigan

Willow and rock ptarmigan across the North and Alaska; white-tailed ptarmigan in alpine areas south to Colorado.

Season: Often long fall and winter seasons in the North.

Look above treeline and in willow flats; birds turn white in winter.
They often let you get close, so a quiet approach works.

Safety: Alpine weather changes fast: carry layers and a way to call for help, and check avalanche conditions in winter.

American Woodcock

Moist young forests and alder thickets in the East and Midwest, migrating south in fall.

Season: A short fall season timed with the migration; it's a migratory bird with federal rules.

Hunt young aspen and alder thickets near damp ground where they probe for earthworms.
A close-working pointing dog is a big help: woodcock hold tight.
Listen for the twittering whistle of their wings on the flush.

Safety: Thick cover: wear blaze orange and keep track of your partners and your dog.

Mourning Dove

Across most of the U.S. and a few Canadian provinces; one of the most hunted birds in America.

Season: Many U.S. seasons open in early September, often in split segments.

Scout harvested grain and sunflower fields, then waterholes in the afternoon.
Sit still in shade along the edge of the field; doves flare at movement.
It's a migratory bird: register for your state's Harvest Information Program (HIP) where required.

Safety: Crowded dove fields mean shooting near others: spread out, never shoot at low birds, and wear eye and ear protection.

Waterfowl & Cranes

Ducks, geese and sandhill cranes, managed as migratory birds across the U.S. and Canada.

Ducks

Every region, along the four flyways: Atlantic, Mississippi, Central and Pacific.

Season: Fall into winter, within federal frameworks; some places add early teal seasons in September.

Scout the day before: hunt where birds are actually feeding or resting.
Hide well. Cover your face and hands, and keep still until the birds commit to the decoys.
Learn to identify ducks in flight; daily limits differ by species.
Keep shots close, roughly within 35 to 40 yards, for clean kills and fewer cripples.

Safety: Most duck-hunting deaths are drownings from capsized boats in cold water: wear a life jacket, don't overload the boat, and file a float plan. Non-toxic shot is required for waterfowl in the U.S. and Canada.

Geese

Canada geese almost everywhere; snow geese, Ross's geese and white-fronted geese along migration routes; brant on the coasts.

Season: Fall into winter, with early September Canada goose seasons in many areas and special spring snow goose (light goose) seasons in parts of the U.S. and Canada.

Scout fields the evening before and set up where geese fed last.
Layout blinds, well brushed in with stubble, keep you hidden in open fields.
For snow geese, think big: large decoy spreads and electronic calls where legal.

Safety: In the U.S., hunters 16 and over need a federal duck stamp and HIP registration; in Canada, a Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit with its habitat stamp. Non-toxic shot is required.

Sandhill Crane

Hunted in parts of the Central Flyway, the Southwest and Alaska, in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and more recently in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Season: Fall, often by special permit.

Hunt harvested grain fields with full-body decoys and cover like you would for geese.
Cranes are wary: total concealment and stillness matter.

Safety: Endangered whooping cranes migrate with sandhills: be completely sure of your target, and never shoot at a white crane.

Before You Go

Hunter education: most states and provinces require a course before your first licence.
Licences, tags and permits: many big game hunts are limited-entry draws with application deadlines months ahead.
Blaze orange: many places require it during firearm seasons; it's smart in every season.
Identify your target and what's beyond it, every time.
Disease rules: chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing and carcass-transport limits apply to deer, elk and moose in many areas.
Ammunition rules: non-toxic shot is required for waterfowl, and California requires lead-free ammunition for all hunting.
Leave a plan: tell someone where you'll be and when you'll be back with Scan Your Plan, and find a partner or mentor with HuntingBuddy.

Tips for pheasant, wild turkey and forest grouse are adapted from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's hunting basics fact sheets. For an example of how seasons are organized, see WDFW's summary of seasons, then check your own state or province.