TENTATIVE 2010-11 Waterfowl Seasons
Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset in all hunting zones
Non-toxic Shot: Required
Season Zones: Most waterfowl seasons are set based on five waterfowl hunting zones that have been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
NOTE: (1) The following hunting season dates will not be finalized until federal regulations have been adopted in late summer. Be sure to check the final regulations before going hunting; and (2) You must register with HIP to hunt any of these species.
| Species | Western | Northeast | Lake Champlain |
Southeast | Long Island |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth Days a | Oct 9 & 10 | Sept 18 & 19 | Sept 25 & 26 | Sept 18 & 19 | Nov 13 & 14 |
| Ducks, Coots, Mergansers |
Oct 23 – Dec 6 Dec 26 – Jan 9 |
Oct 2 – Oct 11 Oct 23 – Dec 11 |
to be determined | Oct 9 – Oct 17 Nov 6 – Dec 26 |
Nov 24 – Nov 28 Dec 7 – Jan 30 |
| Sea Ducks | same as above | same as above | to be determined | same as above | Oct 16 – Jan 30b |
| Snow Geese | Oct 23 – Dec 13 Dec 26 – Jan 9 Jan 30 – Mar 10 |
Oct 1 – Dec 31 Feb 24 – Mar 10 |
to be determined | Oct 2 – Jan 6 Mar 1 – Mar 10 |
Nov 24 – Mar 10 |
| Brant | Oct 2 – Nov 20 | Oct 2 – Nov 20 | to be determined | Oct 9 – Nov 27 | Nov 24 – Nov 28 Dec 17 – Jan 30 |
| Canada Goose Seasons |
see map for TENTATIVE Canada Goose Seasons | ||||
a Youth Days are additional days for Junior Hunters only. Young hunters, 12 to 15 years of age, possessing a junior hunting license may hunt ducks, coots, mergansers, Canada geese, and brant on 2 special days in each zone. Daily bag limits for ducks are the maximum allowed during the regular duck season, and 2 per day for Canada geese. Young hunters must be accompanied by a licensed (including current HIP registration and duck stamp) adult hunter, but the adult may not shoot any birds unless the respective regular season is open. Note: A 2009-10 hunting license is needed to hunt on any Youth Day in September 2010.
b In the special sea duck area only.
TENTATIVE 2010-11 Waterfowl Bag Limits
The daily bag limit is the maximum number of birds of each species that any person may take or possess in the field during any one day. The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit for all waterfowl species except snow geese. The possession limit is the maximum number of birds that any person may possess in total in the field, at home, in transit or in storage.
| Species | Daily Limit | Possession Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ducks* | 6 | 12 |
| Sea Ducks** | 7 | 14 |
| Coot | 15 | 30 |
| Canada geese # | see map | |
| Snow geese | 15 | no limit |
| Brant | 2 | 4 |
* The daily limit of 6 ducks includes all species of mergansers, and may include no harlequin ducks and no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be hens), 1 black duck, 3 wood ducks, 1 pintail, 2 redheads, 2 scaup, 1 canvasback, 4 scoters or 2 hooded mergansers.
** The daily limit of 7 sea ducks (scoters, eiders and long-tailed ducks – formerly called oldsquaw) is in addition to the regular duck bag in coastal waters of the Long Island Zone only. No more than 4 scoters may be included in the daily bag of sea ducks. In all other areas, sea ducks are part of the regular duck bag limit.
# Cackling geese and white-fronted geese may be taken as part of the Canada goose daily and possession limits. Snow geese and Ross’ geese may be taken as part of the snow goose limits.
