Waterfowl

Species Description

Find information here about hunting ducks, geese, and coots.

Topic Category
Hunting / Fishing Guide
Regulations
Seasons
Title
Seasons
Season Dates Hours Limits/Notes
Light Goose Conservation Order -

-

One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset

None

Hunting is limited to snow geese, blue geese, and Ross's geese.

Teal: Hunting -

Sunrise to sunset

Daily bag limit: 6

Possession limit: 18

Limits are a combined total of all teal species.

You may hunt blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, and cinnamon teal.

Northern shoveler, northern pintail, and wood ducks have similarly colored plumage but are illegal to hunt during this season.

Early Canada Goose and Brant: Hunting -

One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Daily limit: 3
Possession limit: 9

Daily and possession limits are brant and Canada geese combined.

Ducks, Coots, and Geese Hunting: Youth: Middle Zone -

One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Ducks: Daily limit of 6 with species restrictions below, possession limit of 18
Mallards: 4 (no more than 2 females)
Scaup:
Wood ducks: 3
Hooded mergansers: 2
Redheads: 2
Canvasback: 2
Black duck: 2
Mottled duck: 1
Pintails: 3

Coots: Daily limit of 15, possession limit of 45.

Geese
Light geese: 20 daily limit, no possession limit
Canada/brant geese (combined): Daily limit 3, possession limit 9
White-fronted geese: Daily limit 2, possession limit 6

See the zone boundary map for areas in the middle zone.

Requirements: Any person 15 years of age or younger may participate in youth waterfowl hunting days without permit provided they are in the immediate presence of an adult 18 years of age or older. If the youth hunter is not certified in hunter education, the adult must have the required permits and have in his or her possession proof of hunter education unless exempt. The adult may not hunt ducks but may participate in other seasons that are open on youth hunting days.

Ducks, Coots, and Geese Hunting: Youth: North Zone -

One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Ducks: Daily limit of 6 with species restrictions below, possession limit of 18
Mallards: 4 (no more than 2 females)
Scaup:
Wood ducks: 3
Hooded mergansers: 2
Redheads: 2
Canvasback: 2
Black duck: 2
Mottled duck: 1
Pintails: 3

Coots: Daily limit of 15, possession limit of 45.

Geese
Light geese: 20 daily limit,  no possession limit
Canada/brant geese (combined): Daily limit 3, possession limit 9
White-fronted geese: Daily limit 2, possession limit 6

See the zone boundary map for areas in the north zone.

Requirements: Any person 15 years of age or younger may participate in youth waterfowl hunting days without permit provided they are in the immediate presence of an adult 18 years of age or older. If the youth hunter is not certified in hunter education, the adult must have the required permits and have in his or her possession proof of hunter education unless exempt. The adult may not hunt ducks but may participate in other seasons that are open on youth hunting days.

Ducks and Coots Hunting: Middle Zone -

-

One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Ducks: Daily limit of 6 with species restrictions below, possession limit of 18
Mallards: 4 (no more than 2 females)
Scaup: 2 scaup for first 45 days and 1 scaup for last 15 days
Wood ducks: 3
Hooded mergansers: 2
Redheads: 2
Canvasback: 2
Black duck: 2
Mottled duck: 1
​Pintails: 3

Coots: Daily limit of 15, possession limit of 45.

See the zone boundary map for areas in the middle zone.

Ducks and Coots Hunting: North Zone -

One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Ducks: Daily limit of 6 with species restrictions below, possession limit of 18
Mallards: 4 (no more than 2 females)
Scaup: 2 scaup for first 45 days and 1 scaup for last 15 days
Wood ducks: 3
Hooded mergansers: 2
Redheads: 2
Canvasback: 2
Black duck: 2
Mottled duck: 1
​Pintails: 3

Coots: Daily limit of 15, possession limit of 45.

See the zone boundary map for areas in the north zone.

Goose (Canada, Brant, White-Fronted, Snow, Ross's): Hunting -

One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Canada geese and brant 

Daily limit: 3
Possession limit:

Combined total of both species

White-fronted geese

Daily limit: 2
Possession limit: 6

Light geese

Daily limit: 20
Possession limit: none

Combined snow, blue, and Ross's geese.

Ducks, Coots, and Geese Hunting: Youth: South Zone -

One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Ducks: Daily limit of 6 with species restrictions below, possession limit of 18
Mallards: 4 (no more than 2 females)
Scaup:
Wood ducks: 3
Hooded mergansers: 2
Redheads: 2
Canvasback: 2
Black duck: 2
Mottled duck: 1
Pintails: 3

Coots: Daily limit of 15, possession limit of 45.

Geese
Light geese: 20 daily limit, no possession limit
Canada/brant geese (combined): Daily limit 3, possession limit 9
White-fronted geese: Daily limit 2, possession limit 6

See the zone boundary map for areas in the south zone.

Requirements: Any person 15 years of age or younger may participate in youth waterfowl hunting days without permit provided they are in the immediate presence of an adult 18 years of age or older. If the youth hunter is not certified in hunter education, the adult must have the required permits and have in his or her possession proof of hunter education unless exempt. The adult may not hunt ducks but may participate in other seasons that are open on youth hunting days.

Ducks and Coots Hunting: South Zone -

-

One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Ducks: Daily limit of 6 with species restrictions below, possession limit of 18
Mallards: 4 (no more than 2 females)
Scaup: 2 scaup for first 45 days and 1 scaup for last 15 days
Wood ducks: 3
Hooded mergansers: 2
Redheads: 2
Canvasback: 2
Black duck: 2
Mottled duck: 1
Pintails: 3

Coots: Daily limit of 15, possession limit of 45.

See the zone boundary map for areas in the south zone.

Ducks, Coots, and Mergansers: Falconry -

Sunrise to sunset during the September teal season, one-half hour before sunrise to sunset during the remaining seasons.

Daily limit: 3 birds, combined total of doves, ducks, and coots.
Possession limit: 9 birds, combined total of doves, ducks, and coots.

Season is also open during the regular duck-hunting seasons, including teal and youth waterfowl seasons.