Alabama · Duck · 2026–27 Edition
Alabama Duck Season 2026–27: Dates & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons by zone
| Season / Segment | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Special Teal Season | Statewide | Sep 12 – Sep 20 |
| Youth, Active Military & Veteran Waterfowl Day | Statewide | Nov 21 – Nov 21 |
| Duck, Coot & Merganser · Segment 1 | Statewide | Nov 27 – Nov 28 |
| Duck, Coot & Merganser · Segment 2 | Statewide | Dec 5 – Jan 31 |
| Youth, Active Military & Veteran Waterfowl Day | Statewide | Feb 6 – Feb 6 |
02 — Bag limits
| Duck — Daily | 6, including no more than 4 mallards (max 2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 1 mottled duck, 2 black duck, 2 redhead, 3 pintail, 2 canvasback, and 1 scaup |
|---|---|
| Coot — Daily | 15 |
| Merganser — Daily | 5, only 2 may be hooded mergansers |
| Teal — Daily | 6 |
| Youth/Military/Veteran Waterfowl Days | Same bag limits, shooting hours and legal arms as the regular waterfowl season |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 12, 2026) 05:59 — 18:56
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset for waterfowl (per Alabama WFF). Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Alabama sun times for any other date.
04 — License, HIP & Duck Stamp
Duck hunters in Alabama need three things (in addition to any state-specific waterfowl stamp): an Alabama hunting license, HIP registration (Harvest Information Program) and a Federal Duck Stamp — required for hunters 16+ under federal law.
Alabama hunting license cost & waterfowl stamp →
Where to hunt public land in Alabama — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does duck season open in Alabama?
The 2026–27 opener is September 12, 2026. Waterfowl seasons run under federal flyway frameworks with state-set zone splits — see the zone table above.
When does duck season end in Alabama?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is February 6, 2027. Late-zone and second-segment closes vary — see the zone table.
Do I need a Federal Duck Stamp?
Yes. Every waterfowl hunter 16 or older must carry a signed current-year Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp). It is available at U.S. Post Offices, many license retailers, most National Wildlife Refuges, and online from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
How many ducks can you shoot in Alabama per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Duck — Daily — 6, including no more than 4 mallards (max 2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 1 mottled duck, 2 black duck, 2 redhead, 3 pintail, 2 canvasback, and 1 scaup. Coot — Daily — 15. Merganser — Daily — 5, only 2 may be hooded mergansers. Teal — Daily — 6. Youth/Military/Veteran Waterfowl Days — Same bag limits, shooting hours and legal arms as the regular waterfowl season. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting ducks in Alabama?
On opening day (September 12, 2026) legal light runs 05:59 to 18:56. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset for waterfowl (per Alabama WFF). Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Alabama sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt ducks on my own land in Alabama without a license?
Alabama resident landowners — plus their immediate family, and tenants with their resident families — may hunt the land without a hunting license. The Baiting Privilege License, required to hunt deer or feral swine over bait, still applies to every hunter regardless of this exemption.
Verified · Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources — Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division · Last verified 2026-08-27
Publisher's note. Re-verified 2026-08-27 against Outdoor Alabama's 'Waterfowl Seasons 2026-2027' page, fetched directly. Confirmed verbatim: 'DUCK, COOT AND MERGANSER | November 27 - November 28 and December 5 - January 31'; 'SPECIAL TEAL SEASON | September 12 - September 20 | 6 a day'; 'SPECIAL YOUTH, ACTIVE MILITARY AND MILITARY VETERAN S WATERFOWL HUNTING DAYS | November 21, 2026 and February 6, 2027'. Bag limits likewise: '6 ducks a day - may include no more than 4 Mallards (no more than 2 of which may be female), 3 Wood Ducks, 1 Mottled Duck, 2 Black Duck, 2 Redhead, 3 Pintail, 2 Canvasback, and 1 Scaup', coot 15 a day, merganser '5 a day, only 2 may be a Hooded Merganser'. Alabama states shooting hours separately under each season heading rather than once for the page - 'Shooting Hours: One-half hour before Sunrise to Sunset' appears under teal, under duck/coot/merganser, and under the rail block. So this file's hours rest on a repeated agency sentence, and the special days are covered by their own line: 'Same shooting hours, bag limits, and legal arms and ammunition apply as in regular waterfowl season, in accordance with Rule 220-2-.119.' One caveat is the agency's own and is left standing rather than smoothed away: the teal season, the duck season and the special days each carry the note 'At time of printing, federal guidelines were not final. See website for any updates.' Alabama sets these dates inside federal frameworks that were still provisional when the page was written, so these are the dates most likely to move. Scaup sits at 1 per day for the whole season here, with no mid-season step-up - unlike Florida, Tennessee and Pennsylvania in this same batch.