Mississippi · Duck · 2026–27 Edition
Mississippi Duck Season 2026–27: Dates & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons by zone
| Season / Segment | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Teal (early season) | Statewide | Sep 19 – Sep 27 |
| Regular Season · Segment 1 | Statewide | Nov 27 – Nov 29 |
| Regular Season · Segment 2 | Statewide | Dec 4 – Dec 6 |
| Regular Season · Segment 3 | Statewide | Dec 9 – Jan 31 |
| Youth, Veterans & Active Military Weekend | Statewide | Feb 6 – Feb 7 |
02 — Bag limits
| Duck — Daily | 6 total, including no more than 4 mallards (max 2 hens), 1 mottled duck, 2 black ducks, 3 pintails, 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks and 2 redheads. Scaup: 1 daily through Dec. 17, 2 daily from Dec. 18 through Jan. 31 |
|---|---|
| Duck — Possession | 18 (three times the daily bag) |
| Teal — Daily / Possession | 6 / 18 |
| Coot — Daily / Possession | 15 / 45 |
| Merganser — Daily / Possession | 5, no more than 2 hooded mergansers / 15 |
| Youth, Veterans & Active Military Weekend | Same daily and possession limits as the regular season |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 19, 2026) 06:15 — 18:58
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset for migratory birds (per MDWFP) — no evening extension, unlike Mississippi's general resident-game shooting-hours rule. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Mississippi sun times for any other date.
04 — License, HIP & Duck Stamp
Duck hunters in Mississippi need three things (in addition to any state-specific waterfowl stamp): a Mississippi hunting license, HIP registration (Harvest Information Program) and a Federal Duck Stamp — required for hunters 16+ under federal law.
Mississippi hunting license cost & waterfowl stamp →
Where to hunt public land in Mississippi — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does duck season open in Mississippi?
The 2026–27 opener is September 19, 2026. Waterfowl seasons run under federal flyway frameworks with state-set zone splits — see the zone table above.
When does duck season end in Mississippi?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is February 7, 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 Mississippi per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Duck — Daily — 6 total, including no more than 4 mallards (max 2 hens), 1 mottled duck, 2 black ducks, 3 pintails, 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks and 2 redheads. Scaup: 1 daily through Dec. 17, 2 daily from Dec. 18 through Jan. 31. Duck — Possession — 18 (three times the daily bag). Teal — Daily / Possession — 6 / 18. Coot — Daily / Possession — 15 / 45. Merganser — Daily / Possession — 5, no more than 2 hooded mergansers / 15. Youth, Veterans & Active Military Weekend — Same daily and possession limits as the regular 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 Mississippi?
On opening day (September 19, 2026) legal light runs 06:15 to 18:58. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset for migratory birds (per MDWFP) — no evening extension, unlike Mississippi's general resident-game shooting-hours rule. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Mississippi sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt ducks on my own land in Mississippi without a license?
Mississippi exempts only the resident in whom the land's record title is vested — not their spouse, children, or a tenant. The standard resident license already bundles deer and turkey, so the exemption covers those too, though a separate fall turkey permit may still apply.
Verified · Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks · Last verified 2026-08-27
Publisher's note. Re-verified 2026-08-27 against MDWFP's own 2026-2027 seasons page, fetched directly. The Migratory Game Birds table confirms: 'Ducks, Mergansers, and Coots | Nov. 27 - Nov. 29 / Dec. 4 - Dec. 6 / Dec. 9 - Jan. 31', 'Sept. Teal Sept. 19 - Sept. 27 | 6 | 18', and 'Youth, Veterans, and Active Military Waterfowl Days Feb. 6 - 7 | Same as regular season'. There is indeed no North/South/Delta duck zoning - the same table still zones DOVE into a North and a South Zone split along U.S. Hwy. 84 and MS Hwy. 35, so the absence of duck zones is a real difference within one document, not an omission. The bag footnote is transcribed rather than paraphrased: 'The duck daily bag limit is a total of 6 ducks, including no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be females), 1 mottled duck, 2 black ducks, 3 pintails, 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, and 2 redheads. The daily bag limit for scaup is 1 scaup per day Nov. 27 - Nov. 29, Dec. 4-6 and Dec. 9-17; and is 2 scaup per day Dec. 18 - Jan. 31.' Mergansers 5 with no more than 2 hooded, coots 15, possession three times daily for ducks, mergansers and coots. Shooting hours come from the page directly: 'Shooting hours for all migratory game birds are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset, except for the Light Goose Conservation Order.' That exception is not modeled here and is not a duck season - it is a special permit programme for snow, blue and Ross s geese running Oct. 1-Nov. 12, Nov. 30-Dec. 3, Feb. 1-5 and Feb. 8-Mar. 31, with unplugged shotguns, electronic calls, no limits, and hours extended to half an hour after sunset.