Night hunting in the United States varies significantly across states, influenced by factors such as wildlife conservation, public safety, and technological advancements. While some states permit it under specific conditions, others impose strict restrictions or outright bans.
This comprehensive guide explores night hunting laws in all 50 states, including permitted species, required equipment, and legal restrictions.
Federal Laws on Night Hunting
Before diving into state-specific regulations, it’s important to note that federal laws influence night hunting, particularly concerning:
- Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA): Prohibits night hunting of migratory birds.
- Endangered Species Act (ESA): Protects threatened and endangered species from hunting at any time.
- Use of Artificial Lights: Some states allow artificial lights for hunting certain animals (e.g., coyotes, hogs), while others ban them.
Now, let’s examine night hunting laws in each state.
State-by-State Night Hunting Laws
1. Alabama
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: The Alabama hunting regulations state that the hunter must have attained an age of 16 years and must not use any laser sighting device for hunting. Artificial light may be used while tracking and dispatching a wounded game animal; however, a hunter may not be on or in a motorized vehicle while using artificial light.
2. Alaska
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: In most cases, according to the Atlanta hunting regulations, one requires a hunting permit or a harvest ticket during the hunting season. In addition, using artificial lighting and herding game using any motorized vehicle is prohibited.
3. Arizona
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: Just like in Alaska, the Alaska hunting regulations state that everyone requires a license to hunt in Arizona. Night hunting is prohibited for big game. The use of Thermal/night vision is allowed for non-game species, and also the use of artificial light is allowed as long as it isn’t attached to a vehicle.
4. Arkansas
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: Arkansas hunting laws allow the hunting of alligator, deer, turkey, and elk, but require a physical permit. The hunting for specific species, including bobcats, raccoons, and opossums, when treed by dogs during open seasons, is also allowed.
5. California
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: Both thermal and night vision devices are prohibited by California laws for hunting big game. Hunting wildlife from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise is prohibited in Monterey and San Benito counties east of Highway 101. The use of lights for night hunting is also prohibited in any area where the general deer season is open.
6. Colorado
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: The hunting laws allow night hunting for big game with special permits. Artificial lights are, however, prohibited in most cases, but allowed to take beaver, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, raccoon, red fox, striped skunk, and swift fox. On private land with the written permission of the landowner, designated agent, lessee, or authorized employee.
7. Connecticut
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: The Connecticut hunting laws allow night hunting, but among other conditions, the use of ammunition larger than .22 caliber rimfire to hunt raccoon or opossum at night is prohibited.
8. Delaware
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: Night hunting is allowed, but the Delaware Hunting laws prohibit the use of an artificial light to illuminate wildlife from a motor vehicle for hunting or observation. It also prohibits the use of night vision or infrared devices while hunting.
9. Florida
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: On private property with landowner permission, wild hogs may be hunted year-round, day or night, without restriction. The Florida hunting laws, however, prohibit the use of artificial light.
10 Georgia
- Night hunting: Allowed (predators only)
- Restrictions: The Georgian hunting law states that the legal hours for hunting are 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset, except for alligators, raccoons, opossums, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and feral hogs, which may be hunted at night. Any light used to hunt these animals must be carried on the body of the hunter.
11. Hawaii
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: Hawaii hunting laws state that game mammals may be hunted year-round from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. It is illegal to hunt utilizing any form of artificial light. Legal hunting hours on private land are the same as on public hunting areas.
12. Idaho
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: Idaho laws state that It’s unlawful to hunt any animal or bird by aid of a spotlight, flashlight, or artificial light of any kind, except unprotected or predatory animals on private land after obtaining written permission and on public lands after obtaining the required permit from an Idaho Fish and Game Regional office.
13. Illinois
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: Illinois hunting laws state that although hunting at night is allowed, it’s unlawful to use devices that use infrared or other light not visible to the naked eye, electronic image intensification, active illumination, thermal imaging, or night vision.
The exception applies when hunting skunk, opossum, red or gray fox, coyote, and raccoon, which may be harvested during the open season using a small hand-operated light by a person who is on foot and not in any vehicle.
14. Indiana
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: The Indiana hunting law allows hunting at night, but only one-half hour before sunrise to sunset for turkey. One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset for deer. It is also illegal to shine a spotlight, searchlight, or other artificial light to take, attempting to take, or assisting another person to take any wild animal, excluding furbearing mammals, crayfish, and frogs, or while fishing.
15. Iowa
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: According to Iowa hunting laws, sights that project a light beam, including laser sights, are not legal for hunting. This rule does not apply to hunting raccoons or other furbearing animals when they are treed with the aid of dogs.
A person may use an infrared light source to hunt coyotes as long as the infrared light source is mounted on the method of take or a scope mounted on the method of taking.
16. Kansas
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: Furbearers may be taken at night, but use of artificial light, including optics that project or amplify light, is prohibited except for hand-held, battery-powered flashlights, hat lamps, or hand-held lanterns may be used with .17 and .22 rimfire rifles and handguns to take trapped furbearers, trapped coyotes, or furbearers treed by hounds. Laser sights may be used in taking furbearers treed by hounds.
Artificial light, scopes, and equipment that amplify visible light, and thermal imaging scopes and thermal imaging equipment may be used to hunt coyotes during the night vision season only. All other use of artificial light is prohibited.
17. Kentucky
- Night hunting: Allowed (predators only)
- Restrictions: The Kentucky laws state that furbearers such as muskrat, beaver, opossum, gray fox, red fox, weasel, river otter, bobcat, or striped skunk can only be hunted in daylight. Raccoons, however, can be hunted during the night with artificial light not mounted on a vehicle.
18. Louisiana
- Night hunting: Not allowed.
- Restrictions: The Louisiana hunting laws prohibit nighttime hunting, and one requires a license to hunt during the day. However, on private property, the landowner may take out outlaw quadrupeds, nutria or beaver, at nighttime, without the use of artificial light, infrared, or laser sighting.
Additionally, no person shall be allowed to participate or be present during nighttime hunting activities if convicted of a class three or greater wildlife violation within the previous five years.
19. Maine
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: According to the hunting laws of Maine, hunting for raccoons can be done at night. But this is only when accompanied by a dog, and using a rifle or handgun with a maximum power of.22 LR. It’s also legal when dispatching a treed or dog-trapped raccoon. Hunting hours for migrating game birds range from half an hour before sunrise until sundown.
20. Maryland
- Night hunting: Allowed. (Predators only)
- Restrictions: Maryland hunting laws state that coyotes, foxes, opossums, or raccoons may be hunted on foot at nighttime during open season with the use of a dog. A hunter, however, cannot cast artificial light, especially from a vehicle.
21. Massachusetts
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: The general hunting regulations of Massachusetts allow night hunting but without the use of rifles chambered to take ammunition larger than .22 caliber long rifle, and pistols and revolvers chambered to take ammunition larger than .38 caliber. Artificial lights cannot be used for hunting any bird or mammal except raccoons and opossums.
22. Michigan
- Night hunting: Allowed (predators only)
- Restrictions: Michigan hunting laws state that Coyote, fox (gray and red), opossum, and raccoon can be hunted at night. Furbearers such as the bobcat can only be hunted during the day.
23. Minnesota
- Night hunting: Allowed.
- Restrictions: The Minnesota hunting laws allow hunting at night, but do not allow the use of artificial lights, and night vision devices to locate an animal, except for foxes and coyotes.
24. Mississippi
- Night hunting: Not allowed.
- Restrictions: The Mississippi hunting laws don’t allow hunting at night, and it’s unlawful to shine light on wild animals at night, as this is considered harassment of wildlife and punishable by law.
25. Missouri
- Night hunting: Not allowed.
- Restrictions: The Missouri hunting laws don’t restrict artificial lights and night vision devices, but the person must not have a firearm, bow, or any other thing that can be used to take wildlife. This law doesn’t apply to coyotes, raccoons, bullfrogs, and green frogs.
26. Montana
- Night hunting: Allowed (Predators only)
- Restrictions: The Montana hunting regulations authorize hunting hours for the taking of game animals to begin one-half hour before sunrise and end one-half hour after sunset. Attempting to take an animal with artificial light or infrared light is unlawful. Predatory animals and nongame species, however, can be hunted in Montana year-round by both resident and nonresident hunters
27. Nebraska
- Night hunting: Allowed (predators only)
- Restrictions: Except for furbearers, where one requires a permit for hunting. The hunting of predators is allowed throughout the year. It’s also unlawful to use a spotlight from a vehicle when hunting.
28. Nevada
- Night hunting: Not allowed
- Restrictions: Nevada hunting regulations have outlawed hunting at night.
29. New Hampshire
- Night hunting: Allowed
- Restrictions: The Hampshire laws state that only coyote, red fox, gray fox, opossum, skunk, weasel, mink, muskrat, or raccoon can be hunted at night. Lights may also be used, but not light from automobiles.
30. New Jersey
- Night hunting: Allowed
- Restrictions: The New Jersey law states that it’s unlawful to hunt or shoot any wildlife with a light, except when hunting raccoon, opossum, coyote, or fox during the Coyote–Fox Special Permit Season.
31. New Mexico
- Night hunting: Not allowed
- Restrictions: No night hunting for any big game.
32. New York
- Night Hunting: Yes (predators only)
- Restrictions: According to New York hunting laws, hunting is only allowed during the day, except for raccoon, fox, opossum, weasel, and skunk.
33. North Carolina
- Night hunting: Allowed (Predators only)
- Restrictions: The Carolina laws stipulate that hunting can only be done during the day, except for raccoons, feral swine, opossums, and coyotes. However, if a hunter kills or wounds a big game animal during legal shooting hours, the hunter may use a portable light source and a single dog on a leash to assist the hunter in retrieving the dead or wounded big game
34. North Dakota
- Night hunting: Allowed (Predators only)
- Restrictions: The hunting laws allow night hunting strictly to be done on foot for fox (red and gray), coyote, beaver, and raccoon. The rest can only be hunted during the day.
Red fox, gray fox, and coyote may be hunted with the use of an artificial light, night vision, thermal vision, or infrared light with a power source of not more than 6 volts. The artificial light must produce a red, green, or amber color.
35. Ohio
- Night hunting: Allowed (Predators only)
- Restrictions: The hunting laws allow hunting at night only for fox, raccoon, skunk, opossum, weasel, coyotes, and feral swine. Night vision cannot be used on any of the species except coyote and feral swine, and this is limited only to times outside the deer gun or deer muzzleloader season.
Persons hunting fox, coyote, or raccoon with a call from a stationary position may use a continuous single beam of light of any color. Spotlighting from vehicles, however, is prohibited.
36. Oklahoma
- Night hunting: Allowed (Predators only)
- Restrictions: The Oklahoma hunting laws dictate that all hunting requires a permit, but a landowner may control nuisance or damage by coyotes or feral swine without a permit during the day or night. Season and caliber restrictions also apply.
37. Oregon
- Night hunting: Not allowed.
- Restrictions: According to the Oregon hunting regulations, all hunters in Oregon must have a valid hunting license before participating in any hunting activity, and hunting is not allowed during the night, except for special seasons.
38. Pennsylvania
- Night hunting: Allowed (Predators only)
- Restrictions: Pennsylvania hunting regulations require a hunting license to take game. Raccoons, skunks, opossums, bobcats, weasels, foxes, and coyotes can be hunted at night on foot, and one may only use a handheld light, including a gun-mounted light.
39. Rhode Island
- Night hunting: Not allowed.
- The hunting laws of Rhode Island strictly prohibit hunting at night. Shooting hours are ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset. Caliber and seasonal restrictions also apply.
40. South Carolina
- Night hunting: Allowed
- Restrictions: The South Carolina hunting regulations stipulate that Raccoons, opossums, foxes, mink, and skunks may be hunted at night during the open hunting season for those species; however, they may not be hunted with artificial lights except when treed or cornered with dogs
41. South Dakota
- Night hunting: Allowed (Predators only)
- Restrictions: The hunting law requires a predator license to hunt coyote, red fox, grey fox, skunk, raccoon, badger, prairie dog, gopher, crow, opossum, jackrabbit, ground squirrel, porcupine, and marmot. Both during the day and night.
A handheld light can be used to hunt raccoons on foot after they have been treed by dogs. Night vision equipment is allowed, provided one is using a shotgun or a bullet diameter of less than .225 inches.
42. Tennessee
- Night hunting: Allowed (Predators only)
- Restrictions: According to the Tennessee hunting laws, all big game and small game species except bullfrogs, raccoons, opossums, coyotes, and bobcats can only be hunted during the day. Foxes and rabbits can also be chased at night, but not shot.
Artificial light capable of locating wildlife is prohibited except for use with shotguns during the nighttime coyote and bobcat season.
43. Texas
- Night hunting: Allowed
- Restrictions: According to the Texas hunting laws, furbearers may be hunted at night on private property with the aid of an artificial light.
44. Utah
- Night hunting: Allowed
- Restrictions: The Utah regulations allow harvesting furbearers by shooting or with the aid of dogs, only 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, unless you have a permit from the county to spotlight coyote, red fox, striped skunk, or raccoon.
45. Vermont
- Night hunting: Allowed (Predators only)
- Restrictions: According to the Vermont hunting law, it’s unlawful to use artificial light to spot, locate, or attempt to take any wild animal. The only exception is for raccoon hunting with a dog and only after the raccoon has been treed. The use of laser sights for hunting is also illegal.
46. Virginia
- Night hunting: Allowed (Predators only)
- Restrictions: The hunting laws of Virginia dictate that Bobcats, foxes, raccoons, and opossums may be hunted day or night during authorized seasons. Nuisance species may also be taking any day or night.
47. Washington
- Night hunting: Allowed (Predators only)
- Restrictions: The Washington laws restrict hunting at night except for bobcat and raccoon. Also, hunting big game with the aid of an artificial light, spotlight, night vision, or thermal equipment is prohibited.
48. West Virginia
- Night hunting: Allowed
- Restrictions: The West Virginia regulations stipulate that artificial light, night vision with illumination, and thermal imaging may only be used to take coyote, fox, raccoon, skunk, and opossum. Caliber and land ownership laws also apply.
49. Wisconsin
- Night hunting: Allowed
- Restrictions: The Wisconsin hunting laws allow unprotected species, both mammals and birds, to be hunted both during the day and night without any restrictions. It’s, however, illegal to use or possess with intent to use a light, including vehicle headlights, for shining on any wild animal while hunting or in possession of a firearm
50. Wyoming
- Night hunting: Allowed (Predators only)
- Restrictions: Hunting predatory animals at night is allowed. However, any person hunting the predatory animals on public land with an artificial light or lighting device, thermal or infrared imaging, or other light imaging device shall display an activated infrared (IR) strobe beacon on their person visible from at least one hundred (100) yards in every direction.
Key Takeaways
- Most states allow night hunting only for predators/nuisance animals (coyotes, hogs, raccoons).
- Big game (deer, elk, turkey) is almost always off-limits at night.
- The use of Artificial light rules varies in all states, but most do not accept light attached to a vehicle.
Conclusion
Night hunting laws are designed to balance wildlife conservation, hunter safety, and landowner rights. Before planning a night hunt, always verify the latest regulations with your state’s wildlife agency.
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