A persisting question in using the cotton futures market to hedge price risk is that of determining the optimal time to place and lift hedges. The objective of this research was to determine the optimal time for cotton producers to hedge their price risk and lift that hedge using the cotton futures market. Results of this study indicated that placing cotton futures market hedges between June 11 and June 20 with a $0.015 stop order increased net returns by $0.0379 per pound over the study period.