Duck seasons are set inside federal flyway frameworks, then divided by each state into zones and segments — which is why the earliest dates below are teal and youth hunts, not the regular season. The earliest opener we track is Michigan on September 1, 2026. Every state below links to its own page with the full segment table, bag limits and legal light.
01 — Opening dates, earliest first
| State | Opens | First segment | Through | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan duck season | Sep 1, 2026 | Early Teal (Blue-winged & Green-winged only) | Dec 27, 2026 | Opened Sep 1, 2026 |
| Wisconsin duck season | Sep 1, 2026 | Early Teal | Dec 15, 2026 | Opened Sep 1, 2026 |
| Delaware duck season | Sep 5, 2026 | September Teal Season | Feb 7, 2027 | Opened Sep 5, 2026 |
| Georgia duck season | Sep 5, 2026 | Falconry | Jan 31, 2027 | Opened Sep 5, 2026 |
| Illinois duck season | Sep 5, 2026 | Special Teal (Blue-winged, Green-winged & Cinnamon) | Jan 30, 2027 | Opened Sep 5, 2026 |
| Indiana duck season | Sep 5, 2026 | Special Teal Season | Jan 24, 2027 | Opened Sep 5, 2026 |
| Iowa duck season | Sep 5, 2026 | Special September Teal (Blue-winged, Green-winged & Cinnamon) | Dec 22, 2026 | Opened Sep 5, 2026 |
| Minnesota duck season | Sep 5, 2026 | Early Teal (Blue-winged, Green-winged & Cinnamon) | Dec 6, 2026 | Opened Sep 5, 2026 |
| Nebraska duck season | Sep 5, 2026 | Early Teal (Blue-winged, Green-winged & Cinnamon) — Low Plains | Jan 27, 2027 | Opened Sep 5, 2026 |
| North Carolina duck season | Sep 10, 2026 | September Teal | Feb 6, 2027 | Opened Sep 10, 2026 |
| Alabama duck season | Sep 12, 2026 | Special Teal Season | Feb 6, 2027 | Opened Sep 12, 2026 |
| Missouri duck season | Sep 12, 2026 | Teal (Blue-winged, Green-winged & Cinnamon) | Mar 10, 2027 | Opened Sep 12, 2026 |
| New Mexico duck season | Sep 12, 2026 | September Teal Season | Jan 31, 2027 | Opened Sep 12, 2026 |
| Oklahoma duck season | Sep 12, 2026 | Special Teal (statewide, all species) | Feb 6, 2027 | Opened Sep 12, 2026 |
| Tennessee duck season | Sep 12, 2026 | Wood Duck & Teal (Early) | Feb 14, 2027 | Opened Sep 12, 2026 |
| Virginia duck season | Sep 16, 2026 | Falconry — September Teal | Feb 7, 2027 | Opens in 0 days |
| Maryland duck season | Sep 17, 2026 | Early Teal Season | Feb 6, 2027 | Opens in 1 days |
| Arkansas duck season | Sep 19, 2026 | Special Early Teal Season | Feb 7, 2027 | Opens in 3 days |
| California duck season | Sep 19, 2026 | Youth Waterfowl Day | Feb 14, 2027 | Opens in 3 days |
| Florida duck season | Sep 19, 2026 | Early Teal & Wood Duck only | Feb 13, 2027 | Opens in 3 days |
| Kentucky duck season | Sep 19, 2026 | Teal & Wood Duck | Feb 21, 2027 | Opens in 3 days |
| Louisiana duck season | Sep 19, 2026 | Teal (blue-winged, green-winged & cinnamon) | Feb 6, 2027 | Opens in 3 days |
| Maine duck season | Sep 19, 2026 | Youth Waterfowl Hunt Day | Jan 5, 2027 | Opens in 3 days |
| Mississippi duck season | Sep 19, 2026 | Teal (early season) | Feb 7, 2027 | Opens in 3 days |
| Nevada duck season | Sep 19, 2026 | Special Youth Waterfowl Hunt | Feb 14, 2027 | Opens in 3 days |
| Pennsylvania duck season | Sep 19, 2026 | Junior Day (statewide) | Jan 23, 2027 | Opens in 3 days |
| South Carolina duck season | Sep 19, 2026 | Early Teal Season (blue/green-winged only) | Feb 13, 2027 | Opens in 3 days |
| Texas duck season | Sep 19, 2026 | September Teal Only Season | Feb 21, 2027 | Opens in 3 days |
| Utah duck season | Sep 19, 2026 | Youth Waterfowl Hunt | Jan 23, 2027 | Opens in 3 days |
| Kansas duck season | Sep 26, 2026 | Youth / Veteran / Active Military Day | Mar 10, 2027 | Opens in 10 days |
| Massachusetts duck season | Sep 26, 2026 | Youth Waterfowl Hunt | Feb 9, 2027 | Opens in 10 days |
| New York duck season | Sep 26, 2026 | Youth Day | Jan 31, 2027 | Opens in 10 days |
| Oregon duck season | Sep 26, 2026 | Youth Waterfowl Weekend | Feb 6, 2027 | Opens in 10 days |
| Washington duck season | Sep 26, 2026 | Youth & Veterans/Active Military Day | Feb 6, 2027 | Opens in 10 days |
| New Jersey duck season | Oct 3, 2026 | Youth Waterfowl Day | Feb 6, 2027 | Opens in 17 days |
| Ohio duck season | Oct 3, 2026 | Youth Waterfowl | Jan 31, 2027 | Opens in 17 days |
“Opens” is the earliest date anywhere in that state, and “First segment” names what that date belongs to — an early teal hunt and a regular duck opener are months apart. States split seasons into segments with closed weeks between them, so read the state page before you plan a date.
02 — What changes from state to state
The first date is often not the duck season. Early teal and wood duck segments open in September; the regular duck season in most states opens in November. The table names the first segment so the two are not confused.
Flyway sets the ceiling. Season length and bag limits come from the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central or Pacific framework, so neighbouring states in different flyways get different rules.
Species-specific limits sit inside the daily bag — pintail, canvasback and scaup are commonly capped separately, and mergansers count inside the duck limit in some states and on top of it in others.
03 — FAQ
When does duck season start?
Early teal segments open in September in several states; the regular duck season generally opens in November. The table above lists each state with the segment its first date belongs to.
When does duck season end?
Most regular duck seasons close in late January. States run their zones on separate calendars, so a state page lists a closing date per zone rather than one for the whole state.
Do I need a license as well as a tag?
Yes — every state requires a hunting license, and most add a species tag, permit or stamp on top of it. Costs and age rules sit on each state's license page, linked from its duck season page.
04 — Elsewhere in the almanac
Each state page is read from that state's own wildlife agency and carries the date it was checked. The most recent verification across these 36 states was 2026-08-27. Season dates carry legal weight — confirm against the agency's own regulations before you hunt.