Tennessee · Duck · 2026–27 Edition
Tennessee Duck Season 2026–27: Dates & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons by zone
| Season / Segment | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Duck & Teal (Early) | Statewide | Sep 12 – Sep 16 |
| Ducks, Coot & Mergansers · Segment 1 | Statewide | Nov 28 – Nov 29 |
| Ducks, Coot & Mergansers · Segment 2 | Statewide | Dec 5 – Jan 31 |
| Youth Sportsman Waterfowl Hunt | Statewide | Feb 6 – Feb 6 |
| Youth Sportsman Waterfowl Hunt | Statewide | Feb 13 – Feb 13 |
| Veterans & Active Military Waterfowl Hunt | Statewide | Feb 7 – Feb 7 |
| Veterans & Active Military Waterfowl Hunt | Statewide | Feb 14 – Feb 14 |
02 — Bag limits
| Wood Duck & Teal Early — Daily | 6 ducks total, max 2 wood ducks |
|---|---|
| Regular Ducks — Daily | 6 total, max 4 mallards (max 2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, 2 redheads, 2 black ducks, 3 pintails, 1 mottled duck |
| Scaup — Daily | 1 per day Nov 28–30 and Dec 5–17, 2026; then 2 per day Dec 18, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 |
| Mergansers — Daily | 5 (max 2 hooded mergansers) |
| Coot — Daily | 15 |
| Possession — special | 3× daily bag, EXCEPT opening day (1× daily) and second day (2× daily) |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 12, 2026) 05:57 — 18:57
Rule: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset (federal migratory-bird framework). Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Tennessee sun times for any other date.
04 — License, HIP & Duck Stamp
Duck hunters in Tennessee need three things (in addition to any state-specific waterfowl stamp): a Tennessee hunting license, HIP registration (Harvest Information Program) and a Federal Duck Stamp — required for hunters 16+ under federal law.
Tennessee hunting license cost & waterfowl stamp →
Where to hunt public land in Tennessee — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does duck season open in Tennessee?
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 Tennessee?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is February 14, 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 Tennessee per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Wood Duck & Teal Early — Daily — 6 ducks total, max 2 wood ducks. Regular Ducks — Daily — 6 total, max 4 mallards (max 2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, 2 redheads, 2 black ducks, 3 pintails, 1 mottled duck. Scaup — Daily — 1 per day Nov 28–30 and Dec 5–17, 2026; then 2 per day Dec 18, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027. Mergansers — Daily — 5 (max 2 hooded mergansers). Coot — Daily — 15. Possession — special — 3× daily bag, EXCEPT opening day (1× daily) and second day (2× daily). 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 Tennessee?
On opening day (September 12, 2026) legal light runs 05:57 to 18:57. The rule is: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset (federal migratory-bird framework). Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Tennessee sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt ducks on my own land in Tennessee without a license?
Tennessee landowners, their spouse and children (and children's spouses), may hunt and fish their own farmland without a license — they don't have to live there. Tenants get the same right, but only while actually living on the land with the owner's permission. Deer, bear, and boar permits and the Duck Stamp still apply, and a signed exemption statement must be carried while hunting.
Verified · Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency · Last verified 2026-08-27
Publisher's note. Re-verified 2026-08-27 against TWRA's own 'Tennessee Hunting Seasons Summary', fetched directly. Confirmed verbatim: 'Wood Duck & Teal | Sept. 12-16, 2026' with 'the daily bag limit of ducks is 6 birds/day, which may include no more than 2 wood ducks'; 'Ducks, Coot & Mergansers | Nov. 28-29, 2026 / Dec. 5, 2026-Jan. 31, 2027' with 6 birds/day including no more than 4 mallards (max 2 female), 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, 2 redheads, 2 black ducks, 3 pintails, 1 mottled duck; coot 15; mergansers 5 with no more than 2 hooded. Youth Sportsman Waterfowl Feb. 6 and 13, 2027; Veterans and Active Military Personnel Feb. 7 and 14, 2027, both at regular-season bag limits. One oddity in the source, carried through deliberately rather than smoothed over: TWRA prints the scaup step-up as '1 scaup from Nov. 28-30, 2026 and Dec. 5-17, 2026 then 2 scaup from Dec. 18, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027' - but the regular duck season that year runs Nov. 28-29 and then reopens Dec. 5, so Nov. 30 appears in the scaup sentence without being an open duck day. This file reproduces TWRA's wording; the discrepancy is the agency's, not ours. Also from the source and not modeled here: quota blind hunts run on four application tiers (Early, Mid, Late, Season Long) with their own windows, and WMAs with special closing times stay open all day during the Youth Waterfowl Season.