As of October 29, 2026, a Eastern cottontail season is running in 58 of the 58 Québec zones de chasse North Ground evaluates, under the rules it has certified from the official regulations. In 9 units, whether a season is open to you depends on your hunt — licence, residency, tag or method. By unit: in season in 49, depends on your hunt in 9.
In season49
Depends on your hunt9
Status for in Québec · rules last verified · a running season is not a licence
Units are grouped where every certified season — legal animal, methods, dates and material conditions — is identical. Different opportunities are never merged because their dates overlap.
43 zones de chasse
In season
Zone 1 North, Zone 1 South, Zone 2 East (Île), Zone 2 West, Zone 2 West (Île), Zone 3 East, Zone 3 East (Île), Zone 3 West, Zone 3 West (Île), Zone 4, Zone 5 East, Zone 5 West, Zone 6 North, Zone 6 South, Zone 7 North, Zone 7 South, Zone 9 East, Zone 9 West, Zone 9 West ZSR, Zone 10 East, Zone 10 East ZSR, Zone 10 West, Zone 11 East, Zone 11 West, Zone 12, Zone 13, Zone 13 Southwest, Zone 14, Zone 15 East, Zone 15 North, Zone 15 West, Zone 16, Zone 18, Zone 20, Zone 26 East, Zone 26 West, Zone 27 East, Zone 27 East (Île), Zone 27 East (Seigneurie de Beaupré), Zone 27 West, Zone 27 West (Île), Zone 27 West (Seigneurie de Beaupré), Zone 28
Legal animal
Methods
Dates
Not applicable
Rifle, Shotgun, Muzzleloader, Air gun, Crossbow, Bow
Rifle, Shotgun, Muzzleloader, Air gun, Crossbow, Bow
–
–
Running today
Not applicable
Snare
–
–
Running today
Conditions apply
In the Macpès territory (zone 2), small game hunting with a crossbow and a bow, snaring hares and cottontail rabbits, and small game hunting with a bird of prey are permitted, but hunting with a firearm is prohibited there.Translated by North Ground from French — not yet reviewed. — Gouvernement du Québec
Weapon: Rifle or Shotgun or Muzzle-loading gun or Bow or Air gun or Snare
In zone 17, snares may be used to take hares only in and around non-Indigenous settlements. In the Îles-de-la-Madeleine (zone 21), snowshoe hare hunting is prohibited. However, on île du Havre Aubert, a short hunting period runs from November 14 to December 6, 2026 and from November 20 to December 12, 2027. For more information, contact a regional office.Translated by North Ground from French — not yet reviewed. — Gouvernement du Québec
Rifle, Shotgun, Muzzleloader, Air gun, Crossbow, Bow
–
–
Running today
Not applicable
Rifle, Shotgun, Muzzleloader, Air gun, Bow
–
–
Not applicable
Snare
–
–
Running today
Conditions apply
In zone 17, snares may be used to take hares only in and around non-Indigenous settlements. In the Îles-de-la-Madeleine (zone 21), snowshoe hare hunting is prohibited. However, on île du Havre Aubert, a short hunting period runs from November 14 to December 6, 2026 and from November 20 to December 12, 2027. For more information, contact a regional office.Translated by North Ground from French — not yet reviewed. — Gouvernement du Québec
Is Eastern cottontail season open in Québec right now?
As of October 29, 2026, a Eastern cottontail season is running in 58 of the 58 Québec zones de chasse North Ground evaluates, under the rules it has certified from the official regulations. In 9 units, whether a season is open to you depends on your hunt — licence, residency, tag or method. By unit: in season in 49, depends on your hunt in 9. A running season is not a licence: licensing, legal hunting hours and local restrictions still apply.
When does Eastern cottontail season close in Québec?
The Eastern cottontail seasons running on October 29, 2026 close on Mar 31, 2027 in every unit where one is running. Later seasons, where certified, are listed by unit on this page.
How are Eastern cottontail seasons set in Québec?
Gouvernement du Québec sets them by Zone de chasse. North Ground evaluates 58 of them (the authority publishes 59). This page lists what the certified rules state for each of them.
Where do these Eastern cottontail season dates come from?
From Cartes des zones de chasse — Québec.ca and Périodes de chasse au petit gibier 2026-2028, last verified by North Ground on Sep 29, 2026. The authority's own regulations are the law; confirm with them before you hunt.
Before you rely on this
What this page does not decide
Each status is the whole-unit answer for October 29, 2026. A season running in a unit is not a licence, and it does not tell you about restricted areas, municipal by-laws, land access or legal hours at a particular spot — Hunt checks an exact location.
A unit marked "Not covered here" has no certified rule for this species. That is a gap in North Ground's coverage, not a closed season.
This page describes sport hunting seasons. It does not describe harvesting under treaty or Aboriginal rights, which is a separate legal context North Ground does not evaluate.
Provenance
Official sources
Gouvernement du Québec sets these seasons. North Ground reads the regulations, structures each rule and cites it here; the authority's own text is the law.
