Wisconsin Duck Hunting Season 2026-2027: Dates, Zones & Limits
Wisconsin’s 2026-2027 duck hunting season runs from the September teal opener straight through mid-December, spread across three duck zones and built on the state’s current five-year waterfowl framework. The season is not one statewide block of dates — the Northern Duck Zone, the Southern Duck Zone, and the Open Water Duck Zone each open and close at different times, and the Southern Zone is split into two segments with a five-day gap in between.
That structure is deliberate. It spreads hunting pressure across the migration and gives Wisconsin’s ducks — mallards, wood ducks, blue-winged teal, ring-necked ducks, scaup and more — a season that lines up with when they actually move through the state. For hunters, the practical takeaway is simple: deer-style “opening day” thinking does not work here. You need to know your zone, your segment, and your species sub-limits before you load the truck.
Wisconsin also layers on the requirements you would expect from a major Mississippi Flyway state: a small game license, a state waterfowl stamp, a federal duck stamp, and a free federal HIP registration. Youth get their own weekend days, and early teal gets its own nine-day window with its own shooting hours.
Regulations can change through rulemaking, and public land adds its own rules on top of state rules. Always verify the current Wisconsin DNR regulations immediately before you hunt.
Wisconsin Duck Season 2026-2027 at a Glance
The quick-answer summary below reflects the official 2026 season dates published by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
| Information | 2026-2027 Details |
|---|---|
| Regular Duck Season | Northern Zone: Sept. 26 – Nov. 24, 2026 · Southern Zone: Oct. 3 – 11 and Oct. 17 – Dec. 6, 2026 · Open Water Zone: Oct. 17 – Dec. 15, 2026 |
| Hunting Zones | Three duck zones: Northern, Southern, and Open Water (Green Bay / Lake Michigan). Goose hunting uses separate Northern, Southern, and Mississippi River goose zones. |
| Daily Bag Limit | 6 ducks total, with species sub-limits (e.g., 4 mallards, no more than 2 of which may be hens) |
| Possession Limit | 3 times the daily bag limit |
| Shooting Hours | One-half hour before sunrise to sunset for regular duck season; sunrise to sunset for early teal |
| Youth Waterfowl Days | Sept. 19 – 20, 2026 |
| Veteran/Military Days | Wisconsin does not publish a separate veterans/active-duty waterfowl hunting day; military members instead receive license-privilege benefits |
| Early Teal Season | Sept. 1 – 9, 2026 (6 teal per day) |
| Required License | Wisconsin small game license (resident or nonresident) |
| Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp | Required for hunters 16 and older — $12.00 |
| Federal Duck Stamp | Required for hunters 16 and older — $25 stamp ($30.50 purchased through Go Wild with fees) |
| HIP Registration | Required annually for all migratory bird hunters — free |
Wisconsin Duck Season Dates for 2026-2027
Wisconsin’s duck seasons are managed by zone, and the state publishes zone-specific opening and closing dates each year. Here are the official 2026 dates.
| Duck Hunting Zone | Season Dates (2026) |
|---|---|
| Northern Duck Zone | Sept. 26 – Nov. 24 (continuous, no split) |
| Southern Duck Zone | Segment 1: Oct. 3 – 11 · Segment 2: Oct. 17 – Dec. 6 |
| Open Water Duck Zone | Oct. 17 – Dec. 15 (continuous, no split) |
A few things jump out of that table:
- The Northern Zone opens first — a full week before the Southern Zone — which is the whole point of having zones. Hunters in the north get first crack at early migrants and locally produced birds.
- Only the Southern Zone is split. There is a five-day closed period (Oct. 12 – 16) between the two segments. That pause is intentional and is designed to relieve pressure on birds staging in the south.
- The Open Water Zone runs the longest, closing Dec. 15 — three days later than the Southern Zone and more than two weeks after the Northern Zone.
- Coot seasons follow the duck calendar. Wisconsin coot seasons run the same dates as the duck season in whichever zone you are hunting.
Because Wisconsin sets its waterfowl seasons on a multi-year framework, the 2026 dates are considered final for the season. Even so, season structures can be adjusted through the rulemaking process, so confirm dates on the DNR’s official season page before you go.
Wisconsin Duck Hunting Zones Explained
Wisconsin splits its duck hunting into three zones rather than running one statewide season. The zones exist because waterfowl migration timing differs dramatically between the Lake Superior lowlands in the north and the corn-and-marsh country in the south.
Northern Duck Zone. Covers roughly the northern portion of the state. This zone carries the earliest opener and the earliest closer, matching the earlier freeze-up and the earlier push of birds out of northern breeding habitat.
Southern Duck Zone. Covers the southern and south-central portion of Wisconsin. It opens a week later than the north and runs in two segments into early December.
Open Water Duck Zone. This zone covers the open waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan along with associated shoreline areas. It replaced Wisconsin’s old Mississippi River Zone beginning in 2021 and gives big-water hunters a later season that matches how diver ducks and late-season mallards use the Great Lakes.
Goose hunting works differently: Canada goose seasons are governed by Northern, Southern, and Mississippi River goose zones — a separate map from the duck zones. If you hunt both ducks and geese on the same trip, you may be standing in two different regulatory zones at once.
Always confirm which zone applies to your specific hunting location before you hunt. Zone boundaries follow county lines and, in places, highway corridors or water boundaries, and they can be subtle. The DNR publishes a downloadable duck hunting zone map and a separate Open Water Zone boundary document; use those rather than assuming from a paper map. If you plan to hunt a neighboring state during the season, Minnesota duck season and Iowa duck season dates are set independently, so a trip across the Mississippi can change your opener entirely.
Wisconsin Duck Season Bag Limits
Wisconsin’s daily duck bag limit is six ducks total, with species-specific caps layered on top. The sub-limits matter more than the total — you can be legal on total birds and still be over on mallards.
| Duck Species | Daily Limit | Important Restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Total ducks | 6 | Combined total for all duck species |
| Mallard | 4 | No more than 2 may be hens |
| Hen mallard | 2 | Sub-limit within the 4-mallard cap |
| Wood duck | 3 | — |
| Northern pintail | 3 | — |
| Canvasback | 2 | — |
| Redhead | 2 | — |
| Scaup (bluebill) | Varies by zone and date | Northern: 2/day Sept. 26 – Nov. 9, then 1/day Nov. 10 – 24 · Southern: 1/day Oct. 3 – 11 and Oct. 17 – 22, then 2/day Oct. 23 – Dec. 6 · Open Water: 2/day Oct. 17 – Nov. 30, then 1/day Dec. 1 – 15 |
| Black duck | 2 | — |
| Mottled duck | Not applicable | Mottled ducks are a Gulf Coast species and are not part of Wisconsin’s bag |
| Mergansers | 5 | No more than 2 may be hooded mergansers |
| Other ducks (teal, ring-necked, etc.) | Included in the 6-duck total | Combined with all other species, the total may not exceed 6 |
| Coot | 15 | Same season dates as ducks in your zone |
Two rules of thumb keep hunters out of trouble:
- The possession limit is three times the daily bag limit. In practice, that means a hunter can legally possess up to three days’ worth of limits — but only if every bird in the pile was legally taken over separate days, and only if each species sub-limit is respected in the aggregate as well.
- The scaup limit is the trap. Wisconsin is one of the states where the scaup (bluebill) bag is not constant — it steps down mid-season in each zone. A hunter who shoots two bluebills on Nov. 20 in the Northern Zone has already broken the law, even though two was legal eight days earlier.
What License Do You Need to Hunt Ducks in Wisconsin?
Duck hunting in Wisconsin requires a stack of credentials. Each one is separate, and each one is enforced.
Wisconsin Hunting License (Small Game)
The base credential for duck hunting is a Wisconsin small game license. Residents pay $18; nonresidents pay $90 for the annual version. Junior hunters (ages 12-17) pay $9 resident. Anyone under 12 needs a mentored hunt setup and pays $7 for a resident small game license.
Wisconsin does not have a standalone “duck license” — small game is the license that carries your waterfowl privilege once stamps and HIP are added.
Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp or Validation
Wisconsin requires a state waterfowl stamp — there is no separate “migratory bird validation” that replaces it. The stamp costs $12.00 for both residents and nonresidents and is required for hunters 16 years of age and older. It is available through the Go Wild licensing system.
Federal Duck Stamp
The Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp is required for every waterfowl hunter 16 years of age and older. The stamp itself costs $25, and purchasing through the DNR’s Go Wild system totals $30.50, which covers the $25 stamp plus a $4 fulfillment fee and a $1.50 state processing fee. You can also buy it at a U.S. Post Office.
Federal e-stamps are available. If you buy electronically, you must carry the E-Stamp certification with you while hunting — or carry the physical stamp. A physical stamp must be signed across the face before it is valid, and you must have it signed and in your possession when you hunt. When you buy through Go Wild, the purchase is noted on your license record, but the physical stamp still arrives by mail later.
HIP Registration
HIP stands for the federal Harvest Information Program. Every hunter who pursues migratory game birds — ducks, geese, coots, doves, woodcock, rails, snipe — must register each year. Registration is free, takes a couple of minutes, and is usually completed at the same time as your license purchase. If you bought your license earlier without adding HIP, you can add it later once you decide to hunt migratory birds.
HIP answers a real problem: it tells wildlife managers who hunts migratory birds so they can sample those hunters for harvest surveys. Skipping it is a paperwork violation, and it is the easiest one in the rulebook to avoid.
License Requirement Summary
| Requirement | Resident | Nonresident | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting License | Small game license — $18 | Small game license — $90 | Junior (12-17) resident rate $9; under 12 requires a mentored hunt |
| HIP Registration | Required — free | Required — free | Annual; add at license purchase or later |
| Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp | Required (16+) — $12 | Required (16+) — $12 | Same price for residents and nonresidents |
| Federal Duck Stamp | Required (16+) — $25 stamp | Required (16+) — $25 stamp | $30.50 through Go Wild; must carry E-stamp or signed physical stamp |
Wisconsin Duck Hunting License Costs for 2026-2027
Here is the current fee picture for the credentials a duck hunter actually needs. Fees are set by statute and can change — confirm at purchase.
| License or Permit | Resident Cost | Nonresident Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Small Game License | $18.00 | $90.00 |
| Small Game License — Junior (12-17) | $9.00 | — |
| Small Game License — Under 12 | $7.00 | $7.00 |
| Waterfowl Stamp (state) | $12.00 | $12.00 |
| Federal Duck Stamp | $25.00 stamp / $30.50 via Go Wild | $25.00 stamp / $30.50 via Go Wild |
| HIP Registration | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Conservation Patron (all-inclusive resident package) | $165.00 | — |
What a typical Wisconsin duck season actually costs: a resident hunter buying everything through Go Wild is looking at roughly $60-61 — $18 small game + $12 state waterfowl stamp + $30.50 federal stamp — with HIP free. A nonresident buying the same set is looking at roughly $132-133 — $90 small game + $12 state stamp + $30.50 federal stamp.
Fees vary by age and package. Junior hunters pay less, hunters under 12 pay less again but must hunt as mentored hunters, and the Conservation Patron license ($165 resident) bundles hunting, fishing, stamps and parks into one purchase — a good deal if you also buy a pheasant stamp, trout stamp and park stickers.
Military License Privileges
Wisconsin extends real license savings to servicemembers, and this is worth knowing before you pay full nonresident rates:
- A Wisconsin resident on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces who is on furlough or leave and presents a military ID/CAC card or active-duty orders plus proof of leave can obtain a free Small Game and Fishing License, including state stamps.
- A qualified nonresident Armed Forces member — including active duty, activated Reserves, and members of the Wisconsin National Guard or Reserves stationed in Wisconsin — may purchase nonresident hunting licenses at resident rates after submitting eligibility documents.
Documentation is required and must be presented in person at a license agent or DNR Service Center, or submitted to the DNR’s special privileges review process.
Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days in Wisconsin
Wisconsin sets aside a dedicated Youth Waterfowl Hunt, and for 2026 it falls on Sept. 19-20 — one weekend before the Northern Zone duck opener.
- Eligible ages: young hunters 15 years old and younger.
- License and stamp requirements: all license and stamp requirements for eligible youth waterfowl hunters are waived on these days. That is a meaningful break for families — no small game license, no state waterfowl stamp, no federal stamp for the participating youth.
- Supervision: youth hunters must follow Wisconsin’s youth hunting and mentored hunting rules, including adult accompaniment. Hunters under 12 must hunt under the mentored hunting framework.
- Bag limits: the standard daily bag and possession limits otherwise apply, including species sub-limits. Check the DNR’s youth waterfowl hunt rules and regulations document for the exact limits and for what role the accompanying adult may — and may not — play during the hunt.
- Timing bonus: the youth weekend lands during early teal season and the early goose window, so young hunters are hunting birds that are genuinely in the area, not leftovers.
If you are introducing a new hunter to waterfowl, the youth weekend is the single best on-ramp Wisconsin offers. It is low-pressure, license-free for the kid, and it happens before the regular season crowds arrive.
Veteran and Active-Duty Military Waterfowl Hunting Days
Some states —including nearby Midwest states — publish dedicated one-day or two-day veterans and active-duty military waterfowl hunts separate from the regular season. Wisconsin does not publish a separate veterans/active-duty military waterfowl hunting day as part of its 2026-2027 waterfowl structure.
What Wisconsin does offer is license privilege relief for servicemembers, which is arguably more valuable because it applies all season:
- Free small game and fishing license (state stamps included) for resident active-duty servicemembers on leave.
- Resident license rates for qualified nonresident military members stationed in or assigned to Wisconsin.
- Additional privileges for Purple Heart recipients and for veterans meeting certain disability criteria, handled through the DNR’s veterans and military privilege programs.
So while Wisconsin veterans and active-duty members hunt on the same days as everyone else, they should check the DNR’s Armed Forces and Veterans privileges pages before buying a license — there is a good chance they qualify for a reduced or free credential. If a dedicated military waterfowl day is added in a future season, it will appear on the DNR’s season dates page.
Early Teal Season in Wisconsin
Wisconsin does run a statewide early teal season, and it is the earliest opportunity of the waterfowl year.
| Early Teal Details | 2026 Information |
|---|---|
| Season dates | Sept. 1 – 9, 2026 |
| Legal species | Blue-winged teal and green-winged teal |
| Daily bag limit | 6 teal |
| Possession limit | 3 times the daily bag limit |
| Shooting hours | Sunrise to sunset — different from regular duck season |
| Required licenses and permits | Small game license, state waterfowl stamp, federal duck stamp, HIP registration (youth waivers apply on youth days) |
The single most common early teal mistake is shooting hours. Regular waterfowl season runs a half-hour before sunrise to sunset, but early teal season starts at sunrise. Hunters who show up early and start dropping birds at 5:50 a.m. are hunting illegally, even though the calendar and the decoys are all correct.
Because early teal overlaps the youth waterfowl weekend and the early goose season, hunters need to be sharp on species identification — a bag containing mixed teal and early-season ducks must still respect each species’ limit, and only teal are legal to take on the early teal specific regulations.
Wisconsin Duck Hunting Shooting Hours
Wisconsin’s shooting hours are set by area (Northern vs. Southern) and by season, and the DNR publishes downloadable tables with exact opening and closing times for each date.
| Season | Shooting Hours |
|---|---|
| Regular duck and goose season | One-half hour before sunrise to sunset |
| Early teal season | Sunrise to sunset |
| Rails, snipe, gallinule, woodcock | One-half hour before sunrise to sunset |
| Falconry duck seasons | One-half hour before sunrise to sunset |
The DNR’s early teal shooting hour table for 2026 shows the compressed window in practice: on opening day, Sept. 1, legal shooting in the Northern Area ran from 6:11 a.m. to 7:28 p.m., while the Southern Area ran from 6:15 a.m. to 7:26 p.m. Nine days later, on Sept. 9, the Northern window had tightened from 6:21 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. Those minutes add up, and with early teal they matter more than in any other season.
Local restrictions override the general rule. Individual state wildlife areas, national wildlife refuges, and managed properties can impose their own shooting-hour rules, no-hunting zones, or access restrictions. Check the property before you hunt, not after you have been checked.
Where Can You Hunt Ducks in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin offers more duck hunting access than most people realize. The state has extensive public land, thousands of lakes and flowages, and some of the best big-water waterfowling in the Midwest.
Public Land
Three broad categories matter most:
- State wildlife areas and state fisheries areas. Wisconsin’s wildlife area system includes some of the state’s premier waterfowl habitat, especially the large marsh and flowage complexes. Many are open to waterfowl hunting with minimal restrictions; others post specific rules.
- National wildlife refuges. Refuges in Wisconsin allow waterfowl hunting in designated areas and seasons. Refuge rules, waterfowl zones, blinds and non-toxic shot requirements are set per refuge, not by the state, and some units close to waterfowl hunting entirely.
- State and county forests, and open water. All legally accessible bodies of water are open to public waterfowl hunting, subject to access law and safety rules. The DNR’s public access lands (PALS) mapping system is the fastest way to find hunting-legal land and water near you.
Not all public land is open to hunting. Read postings, and treat “public” as “check first” rather than “hunt freely.”
Private Land
Most duck hunting in Wisconsin’s farm country happens on private land — and the permission conversation is the whole game. Wisconsin trespass law means you need permission, not just an unposted field. Practical notes:
- Ask early. Opening weekend permission requests that arrive the day before are usually a no.
- Offer something back. Landowners who like having a hunter around will hold that spot for you next year — and land for sale signs become “hunting access” conversations.
- Respect standing crops, cattle, and duck clubs. A single unauthorized drive through a waterway can end access for everyone.
Public Hunting Draws and Reservations
Wisconsin’s waterfowl hunting is predominantly open-access — the vast majority of state wildlife areas and public waters do not require a draw, lottery, or reservation for duck hunting. There is no statewide Wisconsin waterfowl draw you must enter in order to hunt public water on opening day.
That said, specific properties do use lotteries, reservations, or controlled hunts. Examples in the state include certain county park hunting programs (Dane County Parks, for instance, runs a hunting lottery with an application window from July 6 to Aug. 10, 2026) and designated Nature Conservancy preserves that admit hunters only through an annual lottery. Some hunting clubs and managed blinds also operate on their own reservation systems.
The practical rule: check the individual property. If a property you want to hunt uses a lottery, the deadline will almost always fall in summer, well before the Sept. 1 teal opener.
Important Wisconsin Duck Hunting Regulations
The rules below are the ones that most often cause problems in the field. Treat this as a starting checklist, not a substitute for the official regulations.
- Non-toxic shot is required. You cannot use lead shot to hunt waterfowl. Steel and other approved non-toxic shot are the standard, and some public areas restrict shot type further.
- Shotguns must be plugged. Your shotgun must be incapable of holding more than three shells — two in the magazine plus one in the chamber.
- No baiting. Hunting migratory birds over bait, or over an area that has been baited, is illegal. Bait must be fully removed for the required waiting period before the area can be hunted, and “flooded grain” questions are exactly the kind of thing to run past a warden before opening day.
- A bird counts toward your limit once taken. You cannot “sort” a limit after the fact. Shooting six ducks and then discarding one you did not want is a wanton waste violation.
- Reasonable retrieval is required. You must make a reasonable effort to retrieve any bird you knock down, and you cannot leave a downed bird to waste.
- Leave evidence of species and sex. While birds are being transported or stored in the field, hunters must leave a fully feathered wing or head attached so that species and sex can be identified by a warden. This is also a species-identification safeguard — a hen mallard and a drake look identical in a truck bed at dusk.
- Hunting from and across roads is prohibited. Do not hunt from a public road, and do not hunt from or across a highway. Respect safety zones around occupied buildings and parked vehicles.
- Electronic calls and recorded calls. Federal migratory bird rules restrict the use of recorded or electrically amplified calls for waterfowl. Do not assume that a gadget that is legal for coyotes is legal for ducks.
- Species identification is your responsibility. The bag limit structure means every bird in the strap has to be counted against the right sub-limit. If you cannot identify a duck in flight, you cannot legally decide whether to shoot it.
Best Ducks to Hunt in Wisconsin
Wisconsin sits on the Mississippi Flyway, and its mix of shallow marshes, prairie pothole remnants, big rivers, Lake Winnebago, Green Bay and Lake Michigan produces a genuinely broad duck menu.
Mallard. The flagship duck of Wisconsin hunting. Mallards show up earliest in the north and stack into the southern marshes and river backwaters as the season progresses. Green-winged and blue-winged movement overlap with them heavily in September and October.
Wood duck. Abundant, early-migrating, and a staple of Wisconsin’s opening weeks. Wood ducks are the bread-and-butter bird for timber-edged marshes, river oxbows and beaver flowages, and the DNR’s spring wood duck surveys have run above long-term average.
Blue-winged teal and green-winged teal. Peak numbers arrive early — blue-wings especially — which is exactly why Wisconsin runs an early teal season. Teal are a superb target for new hunters: fast, responsive to decoys and calling, and plentiful in September.
Northern pintail. A fast, high-flier that uses large marshes and shallow open water. Pintails have a three-bird daily limit in Wisconsin.
Gadwall and American wigeon. Both are classic divers of shallow marsh edges and flooded fields, commonly taken incidentally through October and November.
Northern shoveler. Easy to identify and common in shallow, nutrient-rich marshes.
Ring-necked duck. One of the most reliable “other” ducks in Wisconsin, sliding into the six-duck total alongside teal.
Redhead and canvasback. Big-water divers with two-bird daily limits. Canvasbacks in particular are a prize — they decoy to diver spreads on open water and Green Bay.
Scaup (greater and lesser bluebill). Abundant divers and the source of Wisconsin’s most complicated bag rule, since the daily limit steps down mid-season by zone.
Black duck. Far less common in Wisconsin than in the Atlantic Flyway, but present in the eastern part of the state. Black ducks share a two-bird daily limit and are notoriously difficult to distinguish from hen mallards in flight — a key species to study before you shoot.
Hooded, common and red-breasted mergansers. A five-bird aggregate merganser limit applies, with no more than two hooded mergansers. Mergansers are common along rivers and on Green Bay.
Where to focus: shallow marsh complexes and flowages for puddle ducks, big rivers and backwaters for mallards and divers moving through, and Green Bay / Lake Michigan open water for canvasbacks, redheads and scaup later in the season.
Tips for Hunting During the Wisconsin Duck Season
Wisconsin duck hunting rewards preparation more than luck. A few things that separate productive hunts from frustrating ones:
- Scout before the season, then scout again. Water levels in Wisconsin marshes swing wildly. A spot that held water in August can be dry mud by Oct. 15. Preseason scouting should include a water-level check, and a midseason recheck after any major rain.
- Hunt the weather, not the calendar. Cold fronts out of Canada are the single biggest driver of new ducks into Wisconsin. A morning after a hard northwest wind can be dramatically better than a bluebird day in the same week.
- Match your decoy spread to your water. Small timber holes and river backwaters call for a handful of decoys and tight placement; big marsh and open-water setups tolerate larger spreads and wider J-hooks.
- Call to the mood, not to a script. Early-season teal and wood ducks respond to light feeding chatter. Late-season mallards in Wisconsin are educated — hunt them quiet, with a single greeting call and a lot of patience.
- Concealment beats calling. Wisconsin ducks see a lot of hunters by November. A brushed boat blind, face mask and still hands matter more than a perfect highball.
- Work the wind. Set up with the wind at your back or quartering so birds can work your spread. Ducks land into the wind; hunters who set up the other way get long looks and no shots.
- Pick your habitat by species. Timber and beaver flows for wood ducks, shallow marsh and flooded fields for mallards and pintails, big water and Green Bay for divers.
- Identify before you mount the gun. With sub-limits on mallards, pintails, canvasbacks, redheads, black ducks and scaup, the identification happens before the shot, every time.
- Plan for big-water safety. Open Water Zone hunting on Green Bay and Lake Michigan means cold water, fast-changing wind, and genuine risk. Check the marine forecast, carry a dry bag and wear flotation.
- Know the advisories. Wisconsin has issued a PFAS consumption advisory for harvested mallards and wood ducks taken on Green Bay, and the DNR recommends avian influenza precautions: avoid handling sick or found-dead birds, keep dogs away from them, wear rubber gloves when handling game, field dress in ventilated areas, and wash hands and equipment thoroughly. Cook harvested birds to 165°F.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wisconsin Duck Season
When does duck season open in Wisconsin in 2026?
It depends on your zone. Early teal opens statewide Sept. 1, 2026. The Northern Duck Zone opens Sept. 26, the Southern Duck Zone opens Oct. 3, and the Open Water Duck Zone opens Oct. 17. The youth waterfowl hunt runs Sept. 19-20.
How many ducks can you shoot per day in Wisconsin?
The daily bag limit is six ducks total. Within that limit, you may take no more than four mallards (only two of which may be hens), three wood ducks, three pintails, two canvasbacks, two redheads, two black ducks, and five mergansers (only two hooded). Scaup limits step down during the season depending on zone and date. The possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.
What do you need to legally hunt ducks in Wisconsin?
Four things: a Wisconsin small game license, a state waterfowl stamp (hunters 16 and older, $12), a federal duck stamp (hunters 16 and older, $25), and a free annual HIP registration. Youth hunting during the youth waterfowl weekend have license and stamp requirements waived.
How much does it cost to hunt ducks in Wisconsin?
A resident buying everything through Go Wild pays about $60-61 for the season — $18 small game license, $12 state waterfowl stamp, and $30.50 for the federal stamp purchased with fees, with HIP registration free. Nonresidents pay about $132-133 — $90 small game, $12 state stamp, $30.50 federal stamp.
Does Wisconsin have an early teal season?
Yes. Wisconsin’s 2026 early teal season runs Sept. 1-9 with a six-teal daily bag limit. Only blue-winged and green-winged teal are legal, and shooting hours are sunrise to sunset — not the half-hour-before-sunrise window that applies during the regular duck season.
What are the duck hunting zones in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has three duck hunting zones: the Northern Duck Zone, the Southern Duck Zone, and the Open Water Duck Zone, which covers Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Canada goose hunting uses a different set of zones — Northern, Southern and Mississippi River — so confirm both maps if you hunt ducks and geese on the same trip.
Is there a veterans or military waterfowl hunting day in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin does not publish a separate veterans or active-duty military waterfowl hunting day. Servicemembers instead receive license privileges, including a free small game and fishing license for resident active-duty servicemembers on leave and resident-rate licenses for qualified nonresident military members stationed in Wisconsin.
What are the legal shooting hours for ducks in Wisconsin?
For regular duck and goose season, one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. For early teal season, sunrise to sunset. Individual public hunting areas and refuges may apply their own shooting-hour rules, so verify the property before you hunt.
Before You Hunt: Check the Latest Wisconsin Regulations
Migratory bird regulations are not static. Bag limits, season segment dates, zone boundaries, public land rules, and emergency closures can all change — sometimes mid-season. Federal frameworks shift based on breeding population surveys, and state rules are layered on top of them.
Before every hunt:
- Re-check the Wisconsin DNR waterfowl hunting page and the official season dates page for the current year.
- Confirm your zone using the official zone map, not memory.
- Confirm shooting hours for your area and season — early teal is different from the regular season.
- Confirm the rules for the specific property you plan to hunt, including any refuge or wildlife area restrictions, access hours, or draw requirements.
- Ensure your license, state waterfowl stamp, federal stamp, and HIP registration are all current and in your possession.
Do this every season, and again if a rule is changed by rulemaking. The DNR publishes updated regulations and news releases; the safest habit is to check the official source within a day or two of hunting, not in August.