Utah · Duck · 2026–27 Edition
Utah Duck Season 2026–27: Zone Dates & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons by zone
| Season / Segment | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Youth Waterfowl Hunt | Northern Zone | Sep 19 – Sep 19 |
| Youth Waterfowl Hunt | Southern Zone | Sep 26 – Sep 26 |
| Regular Season (ducks, mergansers, coots) | Northern Zone | Oct 3 – Jan 16 |
| Scaup | Northern Zone | Oct 3 – Dec 27 |
| Regular Season (ducks, mergansers, coots) | Southern Zone | Oct 10 – Jan 23 |
| Scaup | Southern Zone | Oct 30 – Jan 23 |
| Falconry (ducks, mergansers, coots) | Northern Zone | Oct 3 – Jan 16 |
| Falconry (ducks, mergansers, coots) | Southern Zone | Oct 10 – Jan 23 |
02 — Bag limits
| Ducks and Mergansers — Daily, both zones | 7 |
|---|---|
| Ducks and Mergansers — Possession, both zones | 21 (3× the daily limit) |
| Canvasback, Hen Mallards, Redheads, Wood Ducks, Scaup | No more than 2 each, within the overall 7-duck limit |
| Pintail | No more than 3, within the overall 7-duck limit |
| Coots — Daily / Possession, both zones | 25 / 75, separate from the duck limit |
| Falconry (ducks, mergansers, coots) — Daily / Possession | 3 / 9, singly or in combination |
| Youth Waterfowl Hunt | Same bag limits as the regular season for ducks, mergansers, scaup, and coots. Youth may not take light geese, snipe, sandhill crane, crows, pigeons, or doves on this day |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 19, 2026) 06:42 — 19:27
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset for ducks, mergansers, and coots (per Utah DWR) — exact hours vary by date, see DWR's shooting-hours tables. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Utah sun times for any other date.
04 — License, HIP & Duck Stamp
Duck hunters in Utah need three things (in addition to any state-specific waterfowl stamp): a Utah hunting license, HIP registration (Harvest Information Program) and a Federal Duck Stamp — required for hunters 16+ under federal law.
Utah hunting license cost & waterfowl stamp →
Where to hunt public land in Utah — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does duck season open in Utah?
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 Utah?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is January 23, 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 Utah per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Ducks and Mergansers — Daily, both zones — 7. Ducks and Mergansers — Possession, both zones — 21 (3× the daily limit). Canvasback, Hen Mallards, Redheads, Wood Ducks, Scaup — No more than 2 each, within the overall 7-duck limit. Pintail — No more than 3, within the overall 7-duck limit. Coots — Daily / Possession, both zones — 25 / 75, separate from the duck limit. Falconry (ducks, mergansers, coots) — Daily / Possession — 3 / 9, singly or in combination. Youth Waterfowl Hunt — Same bag limits as the regular season for ducks, mergansers, scaup, and coots. Youth may not take light geese, snipe, sandhill crane, crows, pigeons, or doves on this day. 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 Utah?
On opening day (September 19, 2026) legal light runs 06:42 to 19:27. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset for ducks, mergansers, and coots (per Utah DWR) — exact hours vary by date, see DWR's shooting-hours tables. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Utah sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt ducks on my own land in Utah without a license?
No — Utah requires a license, permit, or tag to hunt protected wildlife regardless of land ownership. Utah's 'Landowner Permit' program grants qualifying landowners priority access to big-game tags — that's an allocation benefit, not a license exemption, and applicants must still be able to lawfully hold a hunting license.
Verified · Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · Last verified 2026-08-16
Publisher's note. From DWR's own 2026-27 Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook (Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-31). Utah splits duck hunting into a Northern and a Southern Zone; ducks, mergansers, and coots share the same zone dates, while scaup gets its own narrower window nested inside each zone's regular season — in the Northern Zone scaup closes three weeks before the general duck season does (Dec. 27 vs. Jan. 16). Falconry waterfowl hunting (ducks, mergansers, coots) runs on the exact same zone dates as traditional hunting, just with its own lower bag limit. Youth hunters must be 17 or younger as of July 31, 2026, and under-16s need a person 21+ approved by a parent/guardian. Geese, snipe, and other migratory game bird seasons are set in the same guidebook but are out of scope for this file.