Nebraska · Duck · 2026–27 Edition
Nebraska Duck Season 2026–27: Zone Dates & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons by zone
| Season / Segment | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Early Teal (Blue-winged, Green-winged & Cinnamon) — Low Plains | Low Plains | Sep 5 – Sep 13 |
| Early Teal (Blue-winged, Green-winged & Cinnamon) — High Plains | High Plains | Sep 5 – Sep 13 |
| Youth Waterfowl Season | Zone 2 | Sep 26 – Sep 27 |
| Veteran & Active-Duty Military Season | Zone 2 | Sep 26 – Sep 27 |
| Duck & Coot · Segment 1 | Zone 2 | Oct 3 – Dec 15 |
| Youth Waterfowl Season | Zone 1 | Oct 17 – Oct 18 |
| Veteran & Active-Duty Military Season | Zone 1 | Oct 17 – Oct 18 |
| Youth Waterfowl Season | Zone 3 | Oct 17 – Oct 18 |
| Veteran & Active-Duty Military Season | Zone 3 | Oct 17 – Oct 18 |
| Duck & Coot · Segment 1 | Zone 1 | Oct 24 – Dec 6 |
| Duck & Coot · Segment 1 | Zone 3 | Oct 24 – Jan 5 |
| Duck & Coot · Segment 2 | Zone 1 | Dec 19 – Jan 17 |
| Duck & Coot · Segment 2 (High Plains) | Zone 2 | Jan 6 – Jan 27 |
| Duck & Coot · Segment 2 (High Plains) | Zone 3 | Jan 6 – Jan 27 |
02 — Bag limits
| Duck — Tier I (choose at HIP registration) | 6 daily (including mergansers) — no more than 5 mallards (max 2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 1 scaup, 2 redheads, 3 pintails, 2 canvasbacks. Possession: 3x daily. |
|---|---|
| Duck — Tier II (choose at HIP registration) | 3 daily, any species or sex, including mergansers. Possession: 3x daily. |
| Coot — Daily / Possession | 15 / 45 |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 5, 2026) 06:40 — 20:05
Rule: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset for ducks (per Nebraska Game and Parks Commission). Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Nebraska sun times for any other date.
04 — License, HIP & Duck Stamp
Duck hunters in Nebraska need three things (in addition to any state-specific waterfowl stamp): a Nebraska hunting license, HIP registration (Harvest Information Program) and a Federal Duck Stamp — required for hunters 16+ under federal law.
Nebraska hunting license cost & waterfowl stamp →
Where to hunt public land in Nebraska — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does duck season open in Nebraska?
The 2026–27 opener is September 5, 2026. Waterfowl seasons run under federal flyway frameworks with state-set zone splits — see the zone table above.
When does duck season end in Nebraska?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is January 27, 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 Nebraska per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Duck — Tier I (choose at HIP registration) — 6 daily (including mergansers) — no more than 5 mallards (max 2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 1 scaup, 2 redheads, 3 pintails, 2 canvasbacks. Possession: 3x daily. Duck — Tier II (choose at HIP registration) — 3 daily, any species or sex, including mergansers. Possession: 3x daily. Coot — Daily / Possession — 15 / 45. 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 Nebraska?
On opening day (September 5, 2026) legal light runs 06:40 to 20:05. The rule is: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset for ducks (per Nebraska Game and Parks Commission). Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Nebraska sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt ducks on my own land in Nebraska without a license?
Nebraska resident farmers or ranchers, and their immediate family living on land they own or lease, may hunt squirrel, cottontail, jackrabbit, prairie grouse, partridge, pheasant, and quail there without a permit or Habitat Stamp. Deer, antelope, elk, and turkey still need their own landowner permit application.
Verified · Nebraska Game and Parks Commission · Last verified 2026-08-16
Publisher's note. Dates from the official '2026-27 Small Game and Waterfowl Guide.' Nebraska moved to a three-zone duck configuration for 2026-27 (down from four) — the former Zone 4 was relabeled Zone 1, and the former Zone 1 was absorbed into Zone 2. Zones 2 and 3 each have a second segment (Jan. 6-27) specifically labeled 'High Plains' in the source, distinguishing it from the rest of that zone — reproduced as printed rather than resolved further, since the guide doesn't spell out the exact High Plains sub-boundary on this page. Nebraska's bag limit is a hunter's own choice, not zone-based: every duck hunter selects either Tier I (six ducks with species/sex restrictions) or Tier II (a flat three ducks, any species) when registering for HIP, and that choice governs their bag for the season. Re-verified 2026-08-16 via the flipbook's own 'Text' panel (outdoornebraska.gov/digital.* blocks curl/WebFetch, but the Browser pane reaches the flipbook's per-page text extraction directly, avoiding the earlier govdocs.nebraska.gov mirror workaround). Page 22 lists Youth Waterfowl Season and Veteran & Active-Duty Military Season as two separately named seasons per zone (identical dates, distinct eligibility rules) — both now recorded explicitly instead of one merged 'Youth & Mentor' row, which used wording not found in the source.