Wisconsin 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 January 2, 2026, with 26 distinct season segments covering ducks, geese, coots, and other migratory game birds. Season dates and bag limits are set annually by the Department of Natural Resources within frameworks established by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Zone1,2 | Sep 27 – Nov 25 Regular Season | 6 | 18 |
| Southern Zone1,3,4 | Oct 4 – Oct 12 First Split | 6 | 18 |
| Oct 18 – Dec 7 Second Split | |||
| Open Water Zone1,5 | Oct 18 – Dec 16 Regular Season | 6 | 18 |
| Species | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|
| Lesser Scaup Aggregate 2 scaup combined; may reduce to 1 in last 15 days of zone season | 2 | 6 |
| Pintail (Northern) | 3 | 9 |
| Greater Scaup Aggregate 2 scaup combined; may reduce to 1 in last 15 days of zone season | 2 | 6 |
| Mottled Duck Dusky duck aggregate with black duck | 1 | 3 |
| Canvasback | 2 | 6 |
| Black Duck | 2 | 6 |
| Wood Duck | 3 | 9 |
| Mallard either · Max 2 hens per day | 4 | 12 |
| Redhead | 2 | 6 |
1Non-toxic shot · Plugged shotgun · No electronic calls · Decoys max 200 ft from blind · Set/remove within 1 hr before/20 min after shooting · Three zones: Northern, Southern, Open Water
2Northern Zone - 60-day continuous
3Southern Zone split 1
4Southern Zone split 2
5Open Water Zone - 60-day continuous
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Zone1,2 | Sep 1 – Sep 9 Early Teal | 6 | 18 |
| Southern Zone1,3 | Sep 1 – Sep 9 Early Teal | 6 | 18 |
| Open Water Zone1,4 | Sep 1 – Sep 9 Early Teal | 6 | 18 |
1Non-toxic shot · Plugged shotgun · No electronic calls · Same decoy timing rules
2Northern Zone early teal [Validated: early teal end date corrected Sep 7→Sep 9 per WI DNR]
3Southern Zone early teal [Validated: early teal end date corrected Sep 7→Sep 9 per WI DNR]
4Open Water Zone early teal [Validated: early teal end date corrected Sep 7→Sep 9 per WI DNR]
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Zone1,2 | Sep 16 – Dec 16 Regular Season | 3 | 9 |
| Southern Zone1,3,4,5 | Sep 16 – Oct 12 First Split | 3 | 9 |
| Oct 18 – Dec 7 Second Split | |||
| Dec 20 – Jan 2 Third Split |
1Canada Goose Permit required (regular season) · 3/day (5 during holiday hunts Southern/Mississippi) · Early season Sep 1-15: 5-bird limit, no permit · Non-toxic shot · No electronic calls
2Northern Zone Canada goose - 92-day continuous
3Southern Zone Canada goose split 1
4Southern Zone Canada goose split 2
5Southern Zone Canada goose holiday split - increased bag
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Zone1,2 | Sep 16 – Dec 16 Regular Season | 25 | – |
| Southern Zone1,3,4,5 | Sep 16 – Oct 12 First Split | 25 | – |
| Oct 18 – Dec 7 Second Split | |||
| Dec 20 – Jan 2 Third Split |
1Conservation Order: electronic calls & unplugged shotguns allowed · No bag limit · Non-toxic shot required
2Northern Zone light geese - no possession limit [FLAG: Light goose bag 25 needs confirmation - may be 20 for MS Flyway]
3Southern Zone light geese split 1 [FLAG: Light goose bag 25 needs confirmation - may be 20 for MS Flyway]
4Southern Zone light geese split 2 [FLAG: Light goose bag 25 needs confirmation - may be 20 for MS Flyway]
5Southern Zone light geese holiday split [FLAG: Light goose bag 25 needs confirmation - may be 20 for MS Flyway]
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Zone1,2 | Sep 27 – Nov 25 Regular Season | 15 | 45 |
| Southern Zone1,3,4 | Oct 4 – Oct 12 First Split | 15 | 45 |
| Oct 18 – Dec 7 Second Split | |||
| Open Water Zone1,5 | Oct 18 – Dec 16 Regular Season | 15 | 45 |
1Non-toxic shot required (including moorhens/rails on DNR lands) · Plugged shotgun · No electronic calls · Same decoy rules
2Northern Zone coots
3Southern Zone coots split 1
4Southern Zone coots split 2
5Open Water Zone coots
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Zone1,2 | Sep 27 – Nov 25 Regular Season | 5 | 15 |
| Southern Zone1,2 | Oct 4 – Oct 12 First Split | 5 | 15 |
| Oct 18 – Dec 7 Second Split | |||
| Open Water Zone1,2 | Oct 18 – Dec 16 Regular Season | 5 | 15 |
1Max 2 hooded mergansers/day · Same as ducks · Non-toxic shot · Plugged shotgun · No electronic calls · Decoy rules apply
2Max 2 hooded mergansers per day. Concurrent with duck season.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Zone1,2 | Sep 20 – Sep 21 Youth Waterfowl Weekend | 6 | – |
| Southern Zone1,3 | Sep 20 – Sep 21 Youth Waterfowl Weekend | 6 | – |
| Open Water Zone1,4 | Sep 20 – Sep 21 Youth Waterfowl Weekend | 6 | – |
1Youth 15 & under · All license/stamp requirements waived · Non-hunting adult supervisor required
2Northern Zone youth waterfowl weekend
3Southern Zone youth waterfowl weekend
4Open Water Zone youth waterfowl weekend
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.