2012-13 Waterfowl Seasons

Shooting Hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

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 have been finalized. Be sure to check all regulations before going hunting; and (2) You must register with HIP to hunt any of these species.

^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 2011-12 hunting license is needed to hunt on any Youth Day in September 2012.
^b In the special sea duck area only.

2012-13 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.

* 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, 2 pintail, 2 redheads, 4 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.

Shooting Hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

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 have been finalized. Be sure to check all regulations before going hunting; and (2) You must register with HIP to hunt any of these species.

  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 2011-12 hunting license is needed to hunt on any Youth Day in September 2012.
  In the special sea duck area only.

TENTATIVE 2012-13 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.

* 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, 2 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. Blue geese and Ross’ geese may be taken as part of the snow goose limits.

Guided Canada goose Hunts

Tentative 2011-12 Canada Goose Seasons

Goose Hunting Area Boundary Descriptions

Shooting Hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Bag Limits: The daily bag limit is the maximum number of birds 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. See table below for specific bag limits for each Goose Hunting Area.

Non-toxic shot: Required

Other: You must register with HIP to hunt geese.

^a These 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.
^b See map (above) and boundary descriptions (below) before going afield.
^c September season in Western Long Island will be closed to allow extension of the regular season in this area only.
^d The Special Late Season is open only in a small portion (north shore) of the Central Long Island Area (see description below).
^e Cackling geese and white-fronted geese may be taken as part of the Canada goose daily and possession limits.

TENTATIVE Special Late Canada Goose Season

DEC offers a special Late Canada Goose Hunting Season. The Late Canada Goose Hunting Area is that area of the Central Long Island Goose Hunting Area (see Regular Goose Season map) lying north of State Route 25A and west of a continuous line extending northward from State Route 25A along Randall Road (near Shoreham) to North Country Road, then east to Sound Road, then north to Long Island Sound, and then due north to the New York-Connecticut boundary.

Season Dates: February 5 – February 15

Bag Limit: 5 geese per day, 10 in possession.

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Non-toxic Shot: Required

Other: All migratory bird hunters must register with HIP.

New York State Goose Hunting Area Descriptions

NOTE: Change to Northeast-Hudson Valley boundary in the Washington-Saratoga Co. area!

For descriptions of these areas based on road boundaries, rather than Wildlife Management Units, see Road Boundary Descriptions of New York State Goose Hunting Areas

1. The Lake Champlain Goose Hunting Area is the same as the Lake Champlain Zone.
2. The Northeast Goose Hunting Area is the same as the Northeastern Waterfowl Hunting Zone: That area north of a continuous line extending from Lake Ontario east along the north shore of the Salmon River to Interstate 81, south along Interstate Route 81 to Route 31, east along Route 31 to Route 13, north along Route 13 to Route 49, east along Route 49 to Route 365 to Route 28, east along Route 28 to Route 29, east along Route 29 to Route 22, north along Route 22 to Route 153, east along Route 153 to the New York – Vermont boundary, exclusive of the Lake Champlain Zone.
3. The East Central Goose Hunting Area consists of the following WMUs: 4A, 4F, 6P, 6R, 6S, 7M, and 7P. The East Central Goose Hunting Area also includes those parts of WMUs 7F and 7J lying south of Route 31 and east of Route 81.
4. The South Goose Hunting Area consists of the following WMUs: 3A, 3C, 3H, 3K, 3N, 3P, 3R, 4G, 4H, 4O, 4P, 4R, 4W, 7R, 7S, 8M, 8N, 8P, 8T, 8W, 8X, 8Y, 9A, 9C, 9F, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9M, 9N, 9P, 9R, 9S, 9T, 9W, 9X, and 9Y. The South Goose Hunting Area also includes: that part of WMU 8G lying south and west of a continuous line extending along the New York State Thruway from Crittenden-Murrays Corners Road (near the Erie-Genesee County line) to Exit 48 in Batavia, then south along State Route 98 to State Route 20; that part of WMU 3G lying in Putnam County; and that part of WMU 3S lying north of Interstate Route 95.
5. The West Central Goose Hunting Area consists of the following WMUs: 7A, 7H, 8A, 8C, 8F, 8H, 8J, 8R, and 8S. The West Central Goose Hunting Area also includes: that part of WMU 6K lying west of a continuous line extending along the north shore of the Salmon River from US Route 11 to Interstate Route 81, then south along Route 81 to Route 49; those parts of WMUs 7F and 7J lying west of Interstate Route 81; and that part of WMU 8G lying north and east of a continuous line extending along the New York State Thruway from Crittenden-Murrays Corners Road (near the Erie-Genesee County line) to Exit 48 in Batavia, then south along Route 98 to Route 20.
6. The Hudson Valley Goose Hunting Area consists of the following WMUs: 3F, 3J, 3M, 4B, 4C, 4J, 4K, 4L, 4S, 4T, 4U, 4Y, 4Z, and 5R; that part of WMU 5S lying south of a continuous line extending east along Route 29 to Route 22, north along Route 22 to Route 153, then east along Route 153 to the New York – Vermont boundary; and that part of WMU 3G lying in Dutchess County.
7. The Western Long Island Goose Hunting Area is that area of Westchester County and its tidal waters southeast of Interstate Route 95 and that area of Nassau and Suffolk Counties lying west of a line extending from the New York-Connecticut boundary due south to the northernmost end of the Sunken Meadow State Parkway, south along the Sunken Meadow State Parkway, the Sagtikos State Parkway, and the Robert Moses State Parkway to its southernmost end, then due south to international waters.
8. The Central Long Island Goose Hunting Area is that area of Suffolk County lying between the Western and Eastern Long Island Goose Hunting Areas, as defined above and below.
9. The Eastern Long Island Goose Hunting Area is that area of Suffolk County lying east of a continuous line extending due south from the New York-Connecticut boundary to the northernmost end of Roanoke Avenue in the Town of Riverhead, south on Roanoke Avenue (which becomes County Route 73) to State Route 25, west on Route 25 to Peconic Avenue, south on Peconic Avenue to County Route (CR) 104 (Riverleigh Avenue), south on CR 104 to CR 31 (Old Riverhead Road), south on CR 31 to Oak Street, south on Oak Street to Potunk Lane, then west on Stevens Lane, then south on Jessup Avenue (in Westhampton Beach) to Dune Road (CR 89), then due south to international waters.
10. The Special Late Canada Goose Hunting Area is that portion of the Central Long Island Goose Hunting Area lying north of State Route 25A and west of a continuous line extending northward from State Route 25A along Randall Road (near Shoreham) to North Country Road, then east to Sound Road, then north to Long Island Sound, and then due north to the New York-Connecticut boundary.