Cottontail rabbit and squirrel hunting seasons open in Iowa on Saturday to the highest rabbit populations in a decade, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Cottontail rabbit season will be open from August 30 to February 28. According to the DNR, Iowa’s rabbit season attracts out-of-state hunters from Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas. Last year, approximately 17,500 hunters harvested 77,000 cottontail rabbits. Hunting hours are sunrise to sundown, and hunters are recommended, but not required, to wear blaze orange clothing.

Squirrel season lasts from August 30 to January 31. Last year, approximately 22,000 squirrel hunters harvested more than 124,000 squirrels, a 30% increase from 2023. The DNR says that squirrel hunting is an opportunity to train younger or inexperienced hunters skills to hunt other species and to meet local landowners.

An atlas of public hunting locations is available on the DNR’s website, 13 such locations are in Washington County.