Oregon · Duck · 2026–27 Edition
Oregon Duck Season 2026–27: Zone Dates & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons by zone
| Season / Segment | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Youth Waterfowl Weekend | Statewide | Sep 26 – Sep 27 |
| Regular Duck Season · Segment 1 | Zone 2 | Oct 10 – Nov 29 |
| Regular Duck Season · Segment 1 | Zone 1 | Oct 17 – Nov 1 |
| Regular Duck Season · Segment 2 | Zone 1 | Nov 5 – Jan 31 |
| Regular Duck Season · Segment 2 | Zone 2 | Dec 3 – Jan 24 |
| Veterans & Active Military Day | Statewide | Feb 6 – Feb 6 |
02 — Bag limits
| Duck (including merganser) — Daily | 7, may include no more than 3 northern pintail, 2 hen mallards, 2 redheads, 2 scaup, 2 canvasback and 1 harlequin duck |
|---|---|
| Duck — Possession | 21 (three times the daily bag) |
| Scaup — Open dates, Zone 1 | Nov. 7, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027 only, even though the general Zone 1 season runs earlier too |
| Scaup — Open dates, Zone 2 | Oct. 10-Nov. 29, 2026 and Dec. 3, 2026-Jan. 6, 2027 — closes almost three weeks before the rest of Zone 2's duck season does |
| American Coot — Daily | 25, concurrent with the regular duck season in that zone |
| American Coot — Possession | 75 (three times the daily bag) |
| Youth Weekend & Veterans/Active Military Day | Same bag limit as the regular season, by zone |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 26, 2026) 06:24 — 18:51
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset for migratory birds (per ODFW) — no evening extension, unlike Oregon's general game-mammal shooting-hours rule. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Oregon sun times for any other date.
04 — License, HIP & Duck Stamp
Duck hunters in Oregon need three things (in addition to any state-specific waterfowl stamp): an Oregon hunting license, HIP registration (Harvest Information Program) and a Federal Duck Stamp — required for hunters 16+ under federal law.
Oregon hunting license cost & waterfowl stamp →
Where to hunt public land in Oregon — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does duck season open in Oregon?
The 2026–27 opener is September 26, 2026. Waterfowl seasons run under federal flyway frameworks with state-set zone splits — see the zone table above.
When does duck season end in Oregon?
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 Oregon per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Duck (including merganser) — Daily — 7, may include no more than 3 northern pintail, 2 hen mallards, 2 redheads, 2 scaup, 2 canvasback and 1 harlequin duck. Duck — Possession — 21 (three times the daily bag). Scaup — Open dates, Zone 1 — Nov. 7, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027 only, even though the general Zone 1 season runs earlier too. Scaup — Open dates, Zone 2 — Oct. 10-Nov. 29, 2026 and Dec. 3, 2026-Jan. 6, 2027 — closes almost three weeks before the rest of Zone 2's duck season does. American Coot — Daily — 25, concurrent with the regular duck season in that zone. American Coot — Possession — 75 (three times the daily bag). Youth Weekend & Veterans/Active Military Day — Same bag limit as the regular season, by zone. 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 Oregon?
On opening day (September 26, 2026) legal light runs 06:24 to 18:51. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset for migratory birds (per ODFW) — no evening extension, unlike Oregon's general game-mammal shooting-hours rule. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Oregon sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt ducks on my own land in Oregon without a license?
Oregon exempts a resident hunting on land they or an immediate family member owns and lives on — for every species except the ones that need a tag or permit, which still applies for big game.
Verified · Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · Last verified 2026-08-16
Publisher's note. Dates come from ODFW's Game Bird Program Recommendations presented to the Fish and Wildlife Commission on April 24, 2026 — 'no change from last season' on the framework itself — cross-checked against eRegulations' independently published summary (last updated July 6, 2026, well after the Commission meeting) to confirm the proposal was adopted as written rather than amended. Oregon returns to split-opener zones for 2026-27 after three years of concurrent openers (2023-25), when scheduling conflicts with the Any Legal Weapon buck deer opener and the federal Jan. 31 close forced the zones to share one date. Merganser is folded directly into the duck species definition and the 7-bird daily limit here, the same as California and most of the Pacific Flyway — there's no separate merganser row.