Tennessee is part of the Mississippi Flyway, one of four major migratory bird corridors in North America. The 2025–2026 waterfowl season runs from September 1 through March 31, 2026, with 20 distinct season segments covering ducks, geese, coots, and other migratory game birds. Season dates and bag limits are set annually by the Wildlife Resources Agency within frameworks established by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1 | Nov 29 – Nov 30 First Split | 6 | 18 |
| Dec 5 – Jan 31 Second Split |
| Species | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|
| Pintail (Northern) Increased from 1 for 2025-2026 per USFWS | 3 | 9 |
| Greater Scaup Scaup: 1 Nov 29-Dec 17, increases to 2 after Dec 18 | 1 | 3 |
| Wood Duck | 3 | 9 |
| Mallard either · Max 2 hens per day | 4 | 12 |
| Black Duck | 2 | 6 |
| Canvasback | 2 | 6 |
| Redhead | 2 | 6 |
| Lesser Scaup Scaup: 1 Nov 29-Dec 17, increases to 2 after Dec 18 | 1 | 3 |
| Mottled Duck | 1 | 3 |
1Non-toxic shot · No electronic calls · Motor off & boat stopped before shooting · WMA 3-tier blind system (season-long draw, 2-4 day draw, first-come) · No WMA access 2 hrs post-shooting to 4 AM
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Sep 13 – Sep 17 Wood Duck & Teal | 6 | 18 |
1Non-toxic shot · No electronic calls · WMA tier system applies · Max 2 wood ducks within 6-bird teal bag
2Max 2 wood ducks per day during early season
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Sep 1 – Sep 21 Early Canada Goose | 5 | 15 |
| Oct 11 – Oct 22 Segment 2 | |||
| Nov 29 – Nov 30 Segment 3 | |||
| Dec 5 – Feb 14 Segment 4 |
1Non-toxic shot · No electronic calls · WMA permit required
2Early resident Canada goose season
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1 | Sep 1 – Sep 21 Early Season | 20 | – |
| Oct 11 – Oct 22 October Season | |||
| Nov 29 – Nov 30 November Season | |||
| Dec 5 – Feb 14 Winter Season |
1[Bulk fix: possession_limit set to NULL — light geese have no federal possession limit in any flyway]
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1 | Feb 15 – Mar 31 Conservation Order | – | – |
1Conservation order: no bag/possession limit. Corrected from placeholder 999.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Nov 29 – Nov 30 First Split | 15 | 45 |
| Dec 5 – Jan 31 Second Split |
1Same as ducks · WMA restrictions apply · Non-toxic shot
2Concurrent with duck season
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Nov 29 – Nov 30 First Split | 5 | 15 |
| Dec 5 – Jan 31 Second Split |
1Same as ducks · Max 2 hooded mergansers/day · WMA restrictions apply · Non-toxic shot
2Max 2 hooded mergansers per day. Concurrent with duck season.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2,3 | Feb 7 – Feb 7 Youth Waterfowl | 6 | – |
| Feb 14 – Feb 14 Youth Waterfowl Day 2 |
1Ages 6-16 with licensed adult 18+ · WMAs open all day during youth season · Youth 6-15 with adult exempt from WMA permit
2Ages 6-16; Feb 7 and 14
3Ages 6-16
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Feb 1 – Feb 1 Veterans/Military Day 1 | 6 | – |
| Feb 8 – Feb 8 Veterans/Military Day 2 |
1Veterans & active-duty military · WMAs open all day · Same non-toxic shot & plugged gun rules · Proof of service required
2Active military and veterans
Season dates and bag limits are verified against official state wildlife agency publications and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Data shown is for the 2025-2026 season. This data was verified on March 9, 2026. Always confirm with your state's official regulations before hunting.