Duck Season Dates 2026-27, State by State
Duck season openers span nearly two months, from late September on the prairies to late November on the Gulf. Here is every state's 2026-27 season, grouped by flyway, with the agency link for each.
Updated August 21, 2026. Season dates cite the agency sources listed at the bottom of this page.
How to read this page
48 of 49 states below carry 2026-27 dates verified against the agency that published them. The rest show their agency and a link, with no dates, because we have not confirmed theirs yet and a plausible-looking wrong date is worse than an obvious gap. More get verified every week.
Bag limits and legal zone boundary descriptions are deliberately not listed here. Those are the details a summary gets wrong, and they are the ones a warden checks.
Atlantic Flyway
The eastern seaboard. Coastal zones run latest here, with several states hunting into late January.
Connecticut
Duck season: North Zone October 10-17, November 7-11, and November 14, 2026 to January 9, 2027. South Zone October 10-12, November 11, and November 14, 2026 to January 19, 2027. No Sunday hunting.
September teal: No September teal season. September goose seasons only.
Zones: North Zone above Interstate 95, South Zone below it
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Delaware
Duck season: October 31 to November 7, 2026, then November 25-29, 2026, then December 16, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Six a day, 18 in possession. Youth, veteran and active-duty days at national wildlife refuges October 24, 2026 and February 7, 2027.
September teal: September 5-13, 2026, six a day, 18 in possession, in a designated coastal zone south of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.
Zones: Statewide, with a separate September teal zone along the coast
Florida
Duck season: November 21-29, 2026 and December 12, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
September teal: September 19-23, 2026, teal and wood duck only, six ducks a day with no more than two wood ducks.
Georgia
Duck season: First split November 21-29, 2026. Second split December 12, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Statewide, no duck zones. Youth, active-duty military and veterans day November 14-15, 2026.
Zones: Statewide, no duck zones
Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division
Maine
Duck season: North Zone September 28 to December 5, 2026. South Zone October 1-10 and October 29 to December 26, 2026. Coastal Zone October 3-10, 2026 and November 5, 2026 to January 5, 2027.
September teal: No September teal season.
Zones: Three duck zones: North, South and Coastal
Maryland
Duck season: Eastern Zone October 10-17, November 14-27, and December 15, 2026 to January 30, 2027. Western Zone October 3-17, November 21-27, and December 15, 2026 to January 30, 2027.
September teal: September 17-26, 2026, six a day.
Zones: Eastern and Western duck zones
Massachusetts
Duck season: Berkshire Zone October 12 to November 28, 2026 and December 14, 2026 to January 2, 2027. Central Zone October 10 to November 28, 2026 and December 15, 2026 to January 2, 2027. Coastal Zone October 10-17, 2026 and November 27, 2026 to January 27, 2027.
September teal: No September teal season.
Zones: Three duck zones: Berkshire, Central and Coastal
New Hampshire
Duck season: Northern Zone October 2 to November 30, 2026. Inland and Connecticut River Zone October 13 to November 11 and November 25 to December 24, 2026. Coastal Zone October 6-12, 2026 and November 26, 2026 to January 17, 2027.
September teal: No September teal season.
Zones: Three duck zones: Northern, Inland and Connecticut River, and Coastal
New Jersey
Duck season: North Zone: October 10-17, 2026, then November 14, 2026 to January 14, 2027. South Zone: October 17-24, 2026, then November 21, 2026 to January 21, 2027. Coastal Zone (combined with Canada goose): November 21, 2026 to January 29, 2027. Statewide veterans and active military day October 31, 2026.
Zones: North, South and Coastal zones
New York
Duck season: Western Zone October 10 to November 1 and December 5, 2026 to January 10, 2027. Northeast Zone October 10 to November 29 and December 12-20, 2026. Lake Champlain Zone October 10 to November 1 and November 21 to December 27, 2026. Southeast Zone October 10-18 and November 7 to December 27, 2026. Long Island dates are on the agency page.
Zones: Five duck zones: Western, Northeast, Lake Champlain, Southeast and Long Island
North Carolina
Duck season: Inland Duck Zone October 15-17, November 7-28, and December 18, 2026 to January 30, 2027. Coastal Duck Zone October 23-24, November 7-28, and December 17, 2026 into January.
September teal: September 10-19, 2026, east of US 17 only, six a day.
Zones: Inland and Coastal duck zones
Pennsylvania
Duck season: North Zone October 10-24, 2026 and November 17, 2026 to January 9, 2027. South Zone October 10-17, 2026 and November 18, 2026 to January 18, 2027. Northwest Zone October 10 to November 27, 2026 and December 21, 2026 to January 9, 2027. Lake Erie Zone November 2, 2026 to January 9, 2027.
September teal: No September teal season.
Zones: Four duck zones: North, South, Northwest and Lake Erie
Rhode Island
Duck season: October 9-12, 2026, then November 25-29, 2026, then December 5, 2026 to January 24, 2027. Daily bag six. Youth waterfowl days October 24-25, 2026.
September teal: No separate teal season.
Zones: Statewide, no duck zones
South Carolina
Duck season: November 21-28, 2026 and December 12, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
September teal: September 19-27, 2026
Vermont
Duck season: Lake Champlain Zone: October 10 to November 1, 2026, then November 21 to December 27, 2026. Interior Vermont Zone: October 10 to December 8, 2026. Connecticut River Zone: October 13 to November 11, 2026, then November 25 to December 24, 2026. Youth waterfowl days September 26-27, 2026.
September teal: No separate teal season.
Zones: Lake Champlain, Interior Vermont and Connecticut River zones
Virginia
Duck season: October 9-12, 2026 with black duck closed, November 18-29, 2026, then December 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Youth and veteran days October 24, 2026 and February 6, 2027.
September teal: September 19-27, 2026 east of Interstate 95, September 22-27, 2026 west of it. Six a day, 18 in possession.
West Virginia
2026-27 dates not yet verified here. Read them from the agency directly.
September teal: No September teal season. West Virginia does not hold one.
Zones: Statewide, no duck zones. The season runs as a three-way split.
Mississippi Flyway
The big one. Birds funnel down the river corridor from the Canadian prairies to the Gulf, and the season dates step south with them.
Alabama
Duck season: November 27-28, 2026 and December 5, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
September teal: September 12-20, 2026
Arkansas
Full season and timing guideDuck season: November 21-29, 2026, then December 10-23, 2026, then December 26, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
September teal: September 19-27, 2026, six a day, shooting from sunrise.
Zones: One statewide season, with no duck zones listed by the agency
Illinois
Vote for Illinois nextDuck season: North Zone October 24-25 and October 31 to December 27, 2026. Central and South zone dates run on the new three-zone structure adopted for 2026 through 2030; confirm your zone's exact segments with the agency.
September teal: September 5-13, 2026, all zones
Zones: Three duck zones for 2026-2030: North, Central and South, the former South-Central and South zones having been combined
Indiana
Duck season: North Zone October 24 to December 13 and December 19-27, 2026. South Zone and Ohio River Zone dates are on the agency page; confirm yours there.
September teal: September 5-13, 2026
Zones: Three duck zones: North, South and Ohio River
Duck season: North Zone October 3-9 and October 17 to December 8, 2026. Central Zone October 10-16 and October 24 to December 15, 2026. South Zone October 17-23 and October 31 to December 22, 2026.
September teal: September 5-13, 2026, statewide
Zones: Three duck zones: North, Central and South
Kentucky
Duck season: November 26-29, 2026 and December 7, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
September teal: September 19-23, 2026
Louisiana
Proposed, not final
Duck season: West Zone November 14 to December 6, 2026 and December 19, 2026 to January 24, 2027, youth and veterans November 7, 2026 and January 30, 2027. East Zone November 21 to December 6, 2026 and December 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027, youth and veterans November 14, 2026 and February 6, 2027.
September teal: September 19-27, 2026
Zones: West Zone and East Zone
Michigan
Duck season: North Zone: September 26 to November 22, 2026, then November 28-29, 2026. Middle Zone: October 3 to November 29, 2026, then December 12-13, 2026. South Zone: October 17 to December 13, 2026, then December 26-27, 2026.
September teal: Statewide September 1-9, 2026, blue-winged and green-winged teal only.
Zones: North, Middle and South duck zones
Minnesota
Vote for Minnesota nextDuck season: North Zone September 26 to November 24, 2026. Central Zone September 26 to October 4 and October 10 to November 29, 2026. South Zone September 26 to October 4 and October 17 to December 6, 2026.
September teal: September 5-9, 2026
Zones: Three duck zones: North, Central and South
Mississippi
Full season and timing guideDuck season: November 27-29, 2026, December 4-6, 2026, then December 9, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Youth, veterans and active military days February 6-7, 2027.
September teal: September 19-27, 2026
Zones: Statewide, with no duck zones listed
Missouri
Full season and timing guideDuck season: North Zone October 31 to December 29, 2026. Middle Zone November 7 to December 13, 2026 and December 19, 2026 to January 10, 2027. South Zone November 26-29, 2026 and December 7, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
September teal: September 12-20, 2026, six a day, shooting from sunrise.
Zones: Three duck zones: North, Middle and South
Ohio
Duck season: Duck Zone A: October 17 to November 1, 2026, then November 14 to December 27, 2026. Duck Zone B: October 17-25, 2026, then November 21, 2026 to January 10, 2027. Duck Zone C: October 17-25, 2026, then December 12, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
September teal: Statewide September 5-13, 2026, six a day.
Zones: Duck Zone A, Zone B and Zone C
Tennessee
Vote for Tennessee nextDuck season: Statewide November 28-29, 2026 and December 5, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
September teal: September wood duck and teal season September 12-16, 2026. Tennessee combines the two rather than running teal alone.
Wisconsin
Duck season: Northern Zone September 26 to November 24, 2026. Southern Zone October 3-11 and October 17 to December 6, 2026.
September teal: September 1-9, 2026
Zones: Northern and Southern duck zones
Central Flyway
The prairie and plains states. Northern seasons open in late September and are largely finished by early December, when the water locks up.
Colorado
Duck season: Central Flyway Northeast Zone: October 17 to November 29, 2026, then December 11, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Southeast Zone: October 28, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Mountain/Foothills Zone: October 3 to November 29, 2026, then December 25, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Pacific Flyway Western Zone: October 3-20, 2026, then November 6, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Eastern Zone: October 3, 2026 to January 15, 2027.
September teal: September 12-20, 2026, in Lake and Chaffee counties and areas east of Interstate 25. Six a day, 18 in possession.
Zones: Central Flyway: Northeast, Southeast and Mountain/Foothills zones. Pacific Flyway: Western and Eastern zones
Duck season: High Plains Unit October 10, 2026 to January 3, 2027 and January 22-31, 2027. Low Plains Early Zone October 10 to December 6, 2026 and December 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Low Plains Late Zone October 31, 2026 to January 3, 2027 and January 23-31, 2027. Low Plains Southeast Zone November 7, 2026 to January 3, 2027 and January 16-31, 2027.
September teal: High Plains Unit September 19-27, 2026. Low Plains Unit September 12-20, 2026.
Zones: High Plains Unit plus Low Plains Early, Late and Southeast zones
Montana
Duck season: Pacific Flyway ducks: October 3 to December 27, 2026, then December 28, 2026 to January 15, 2027 with scaup closed. Central Flyway Zone 1 ducks: October 3, 2026 to January 7, 2027. Central Flyway Zone 2 ducks: October 3-11, 2026, then October 24, 2026 to January 19, 2027. Statewide youth waterfowl weekend September 26-27, 2026.
September teal: No separate September teal season.
Zones: Pacific Flyway, plus Central Flyway Zone 1 and Zone 2
Nebraska
Full season and timing guideDuck season: Zone 1 October 24 to December 6, 2026 and December 19, 2026 to January 17, 2027. Zone 2 October 3 to December 15, 2026 and January 6-27, 2027. Zone 3 October 24, 2026 to January 5, 2027 and January 6-27, 2027.
September teal: September 5-13, 2026, Low Plains and High Plains, six a day.
Zones: Three duck zones for 2026-27, reduced from four under a reconfiguration approved March 2026
New Mexico
Duck season: Central Flyway North Zone: October 10, 2026 to January 13, 2027. South Zone: October 28, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Pacific Flyway, both zones: October 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027, scaup closing January 12, 2027.
September teal: September 12-20, 2026, six a day, 18 in possession.
Zones: Central Flyway North and South zones; Pacific Flyway North and South zones
North Dakota
Full season and timing guideDuck season: Low Plains Unit September 26 to December 6, 2026. High Plains Unit September 26 to December 6, 2026 and December 12, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Residents only September 26 to October 4; nonresidents may begin October 5.
September teal: No separate teal season. Two bonus blue-winged teal per day September 26 to October 4, 2026.
Zones: Two duck units: Low Plains and High Plains
Oklahoma
Duck season: Zones 1 and 2 November 14 to December 6, 2026 and December 12, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Panhandle October 10, 2026 to January 13, 2027.
September teal: September 12-20, 2026
Zones: Three zones: Zone 1, Zone 2 and the Panhandle
South Dakota
Full season and timing guideDuck season: High Plains October 10, 2026 to January 14, 2027. Low Plains North and Middle zones September 26 to December 8, 2026. Low Plains South Zone October 24, 2026 to January 5, 2027.
September teal: No separate teal season. Two bonus blue-winged teal during the first nine days of each zone's season. Youth waterfowl September 12-13, 2026.
Zones: Four duck zones: High Plains, Low Plains North, Middle and South
Texas
Duck season: High Plains Mallard Management Unit October 24-25, 2026 and October 30, 2026 to January 31, 2027. North Zone November 14-29, 2026 and December 5, 2026 to January 31, 2027. South Zone November 7-29, 2026 and December 12, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
September teal: September 19-27, 2026
Zones: Three zones: High Plains Mallard Management Unit, North Zone and South Zone
Wyoming
Duck season: Pacific Flyway ducks: September 26, 2026 to January 8, 2027. Central Flyway Zones C1 and C1A ducks: October 3-20, 2026, then November 14, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Central Flyway Zone C2 ducks: September 26 to November 29, 2026, then December 12, 2026 to January 12, 2027.
September teal: No standalone September teal season. Two bonus blue-winged teal during the first days of the Central Flyway zones' seasons.
Zones: Pacific Flyway, plus Central Flyway Zones C1, C1A and C2
Pacific Flyway
The western flyway. No September teal seasons anywhere in it, and several states run long seasons into January.
Alaska
Duck season: Southeast (Units 1-4): September 1 to November 30, 2026, then December 16-31, 2026. Gulf Coast (Units 5-7, 9, 10 on Unimak Island only, and 14-16): September 1 to December 16, 2026. Other units carry their own dates within the statewide September 1, 2026 to March 10, 2027 framework.
Zones: Multiple regional units, each with its own dates within the statewide framework
Arizona
Duck season: Statewide October 23, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Scaup open November 7, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
September teal: No separate September teal season.
Zones: Statewide, no duck zones
California
Duck season: Northeastern Zone October 3, 2026 to January 13, 2027. Balance of State, Southern San Joaquin Valley and Southern California zones October 24, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Colorado River Zone October 23, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
September teal: No September teal season. Pacific Flyway states do not hold one.
Zones: Five duck zones: Northeastern, Balance of State, Southern San Joaquin Valley, Southern California and Colorado River
Idaho
Duck season: Area 1 (most of the state): October 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Area 2 (Bear Lake, Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, Teton and Valley counties, with parts of Bingham and Caribou): October 3, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Area 3 (Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone counties): October 10, 2026 to January 22, 2027. Statewide youth, veterans and active-duty military weekend September 26-27, 2026.
September teal: No separate September teal season.
Zones: Area 1, Area 2 and Area 3
Nevada
Duck season: Northeast Zone: September 26 to December 1, 2026, then December 12, 2026 to January 18, 2027. Northwest Zone: October 17, 2026 to January 3, 2027, then January 6-31, 2027. South Zone: October 17-25, 2026, then October 28, 2026 to January 31, 2027, with the Moapa Valley sub-area running October 31, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
September teal: No separate September teal season.
Zones: Northeast, Northwest and South zones, the South Zone carrying a Moapa Valley sub-area
Oregon
Duck season: Zone 1 October 17 to November 1, 2026 and November 5, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Zone 2 October 10 to November 29, 2026 and December 3, 2026 to January 24, 2027.
September teal: No September teal season. Pacific Flyway states do not hold one.
Zones: Two duck zones, each with a split season
Utah
Duck season: Northern Zone: October 3, 2026 to January 16, 2027. Southern Zone: October 10, 2026 to January 23, 2027.
September teal: No separate September teal season.
Zones: Northern and Southern zones
Washington
Duck season: Statewide October 17-25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 to January 31, 2027, with scaup closed October 17 to November 6. Youth-only days September 26 in western Washington and October 3 in eastern Washington.
September teal: No September teal season. Pacific Flyway states do not hold one.
Zones: Statewide season with a split opener and a scaup closure window
Common questions
When does duck season start in 2026?
It depends entirely on where you are, and openers span nearly two months. The earliest regular duck seasons in the Central and Mississippi flyways open in late September, around September 26 in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Most states open in October. The southern states open last: Arkansas on November 21, Texas's North Zone on November 14, Mississippi on November 27. Separate September teal seasons run earlier still, starting September 1 in Wisconsin. Because most states also split their seasons into segments and many run multiple zones, the only reliable answer is the one from your own agency, linked for every state below.
Why do duck season dates vary so much between states?
Because the birds arrive at different times, and seasons are built to match. Each state gets a fixed number of season days under federal frameworks and chooses where to spend them, so northern states open early to hunt birds before their water freezes, and southern states open late to hunt the same birds after they arrive. The gap is real: prairie seasons open in late September and close in early December, while Arkansas and Mississippi are still hunting on January 31.
What are duck hunting zones and why do states have them?
A zone is a portion of a state that hunts its own set of dates. States use them when migration timing varies enough internally that one statewide season would fail part of the state. Missouri is the clearest case: its mallard peak lands in late November in the northwest and late December in the Bootheel, so it hunts three zones on three schedules. Zone structures are set for multi-year federal cycles, and several states changed theirs for 2026, including Nebraska going from four zones to three and Illinois combining two.
Which states have a September teal season?
Mostly Mississippi and Central flyway states, plus several in the Atlantic Flyway. Wisconsin opens earliest at September 1-9, 2026, followed by Nebraska and Iowa on September 5-13 and Minnesota on September 5-9. Missouri runs September 12-20, Arkansas and Texas September 19-27, Maryland September 17-26, North Carolina September 10-19. No Pacific Flyway state holds a September teal season. A few states run variants: Tennessee combines wood ducks with teal, Florida does the same, and North Dakota and South Dakota skip a separate season in favor of bonus blue-winged teal during their regular openers.
Are these dates official?
Every date on this page was read off the state agency's own published page or proclamation and then re-checked against that source. Where a state's 2026-27 dates could not be confirmed from the agency, this page shows no dates for it and links the agency instead, rather than showing something that looks authoritative and is not. Louisiana's dates are marked proposed because that is how the agency published them. Even so, treat this as a planning reference and not a legal one: seasons can change by emergency order, zone boundaries have legal descriptions that a summary cannot carry, and bag limits are deliberately not listed here. Verify with your agency before you hunt.
Sources
Each state's dates come from the agency linked in its own row above, which is the source for that state and the place to verify it. Federal season structure, including the September teal framework, comes from the US Fish and Wildlife Service migratory bird hunting frameworks.
Season dates and regulations change, including mid-season by emergency order. This page is a planning reference, not a legal one. Verify with your state agency before you hunt.
Want the forecast for your state?
DuckCast builds one state at a time, properly: its own regions, its own upstream stations, season and crop curves fitted to it. The order is decided by hunters, not a map.