Read from Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources on August 20, 2026.
Seasons and limits change, and corrections are issued mid-season. Confirm with Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources before you hunt.
Open the official Kentucky regulationsHunting Kentucky this season? Keep these dates and bag limits in your pocket — free in the BlindBook app.
Kentucky is part of the Mississippi Flyway, one of four major migratory bird corridors in North America. The 2026–2027 waterfowl season runs from September 1 through February 15, 2027, with 20 distinct season segments covering ducks, geese, coots, and other migratory game birds. Season dates and bag limits are set annually by the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources within frameworks established by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Season dates, bag limits, shooting hours, and other regulatory information are provided for convenience only, may be inaccurate or out of date, and do not constitute legal advice. You are solely responsible for verifying current regulations with your state or provincial wildlife agency before every hunt.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2,3,4 | Nov 26 – Nov 29 First Split | 6 No more than 4 mallards (only 2 of which may be hens), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 3 pintails, 2 black ducks, 2 canvasback; 1 scaup Nov. 26-29 | 18 |
| Dec 7 – Jan 31 Second Segment | 6 4 mallards (2 hens max), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 3 pintails, 2 black ducks, 2 canvasbacks. 1 scaup Dec. 7–17; 2 scaup Dec. 18–Jan. 31. | 18 |
| Species | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|
| Mallard Statewide · Only 2 of which may be hens | 4 | 12 |
| Mallard Statewide · no more than 2 hens | 4 | – |
| Wood Duck Statewide | 3 | 9 |
| Wood Duck Statewide | 3 | – |
| Redhead Statewide | 2 | 6 |
| Redhead Statewide | 2 | – |
| Pintail (Northern) Statewide | 3 | 9 |
| Pintail (Northern) Statewide | 3 | – |
| Black Duck Statewide | 2 | 6 |
| Black Duck Statewide | 2 | – |
| Canvasback Statewide | 2 | 6 |
| Canvasback Statewide | 2 | – |
| Lesser Scaup Statewide · 1 scaup Nov. 26-29 | 1 | 3 |
| Lesser Scaup Statewide · 1 scaup Dec. 7–17; 2 scaup Dec. 18–Jan. 31 | 2 | – |
| Greater Scaup 1 scaup Dec. 7–17; 2 scaup Dec. 18–Jan. 31 | 2 | – |
| Mottled Duck | 1 | – |
1No more than 4 mallards (only 2 of which may be hens), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 3 pintails, 2 black ducks, 2 canvasback; 1 scaup Nov. 26-29
2First split (Thanksgiving segment) of the duck season.
34 mallards (2 hens max), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 3 pintails, 2 black ducks, 2 canvasbacks. 1 scaup Dec. 7–17; 2 scaup Dec. 18–Jan. 31.
4Second segment of duck season. Scaup limit changes from 1 (Dec. 7–17) to 2 (Dec. 18–Jan. 31).
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| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Sep 19 – Sep 23 | 6 No more than 2 wood ducks | 18 |
1No more than 2 wood ducks
2Teal & Wood Duck early season
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Nov 26 – Feb 15 Regular Season | 5 5 combined dark geese: 3 Canada/cackling geese, 2 white-fronted geese, 1 brant. If brant is taken, reduce Canada or white-fronted limit to stay within 5-bird combined total. | 15 |
| Sept. Canada Goose, Eastern Zone3,4 | Sep 16 – Sep 30 September Canada Goose | 5 Canada geese only (resident birds). Eastern Zone. | 15 |
| Sept. Canada Goose, Western Zone5,6 | Sep 1 – Sep 15 September Canada Goose | 5 Canada geese only (resident birds). Western Zone. | 15 |
15 combined dark geese: 3 Canada/cackling geese, 2 white-fronted geese, 1 brant. If brant is taken, reduce Canada or white-fronted limit to stay within 5-bird combined total.
2Combined dark goose season: Canada/Cackling, White-fronted, and Brant. Sub-limits: 3 Canada geese, 2 white-fronted geese, 1 brant.
3Canada geese only (resident birds). Eastern Zone.
4Eastern Zone: all counties not in Western Zone. Cave Run Lake closed. Ballard Zone private lands open, public lands closed.
5Canada geese only (resident birds). Western Zone.
6Western Zone: blue shaded counties. West Kentucky WMA closed to this season.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Nov 26 – Feb 15 Regular Season · Source unconfirmed — check state regs | 20 Includes Ross's Geese. | 60 |
1Includes Ross's Geese.
2Snow Goose (including Ross's Goose) regular season, sharing dates with dark goose season via rowspan.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Feb 16 – Mar 31 Light Goose Conservation Order | – No daily bag or possession limit. Unplugged guns allowed. Electronic callers allowed. Mandatory free permit required. | – |
1No daily bag or possession limit. Unplugged guns allowed. Electronic callers allowed. Mandatory free permit required.
2Light Goose Conservation Order. Mandatory FREE permit required. Pit/blind restrictions at some WMAs do not apply during CO season.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Nov 26 – Nov 29 Thanksgiving Segment · Source unconfirmed — check state regs | 15 | 45 |
| Dec 7 – Jan 31 Second Segment · Source unconfirmed — check state regs | 15 | 45 |
1Coot season concurrent with duck season; same split dates.
2Coot season concurrent with duck season second segment.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2,3 | Nov 26 – Nov 29 Thanksgiving Segment · Source unconfirmed — check state regs | 5 No more than 2 hooded mergansers in the daily bag of 5. | 15 |
| Dec 7 – Jan 31 Second Segment · Source unconfirmed — check state regs | 5 No more than 2 hooded mergansers in the daily bag of 5. | 15 |
1No more than 2 hooded mergansers in the daily bag of 5.
2Merganser season concurrent with duck season. Dates inherited from duck season first split.
3Merganser season concurrent with duck season. Dates inherited from duck season second split.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Dec 7 – Jan 31 | 2 Permit required (quota hunt drawing in September). Daily bag limit is 2 for permit holders with 2+ tags, or 1 for hunters with one tag. Must telecheck harvested birds on day taken. Post-season survey required within 14 days of season close. | 3 |
1Permit required (quota hunt drawing in September). Daily bag limit is 2 for permit holders with 2+ tags, or 1 for hunters with one tag. Must telecheck harvested birds on day taken. Post-season survey required within 14 days of season close.
2Daily bag is 1 or 2 depending on number of tags (see **). Possession limit 3 as stated in table.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2,3,4 | Nov 21 – Nov 21 Fall Youth Day | 6 Same as regular seasons. Scaup limit is 2 scaup daily. Youth must not have reached 16th birthday on day of hunt. Adults may accompany but may not harvest ducks and geese. | 18 |
| Feb 13 – Feb 13 February Youth Day | 6 Scaup limit is 2 scaup daily. Youth must be under 16; must be accompanied by an adult. | 18 |
1Same as regular seasons. Scaup limit is 2 scaup daily. Youth must not have reached 16th birthday on day of hunt. Adults may accompany but may not harvest ducks and geese.
2Saturday before Thanksgiving. Youth-only hunt; adults may accompany but may not harvest ducks/geese.
3Scaup limit is 2 scaup daily. Youth must be under 16; must be accompanied by an adult.
4Second Saturday in February. Same bag limits as regular season. Adults accompanying youth may hunt geese (regular goose season still open).
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2,3,4 | Nov 22 – Nov 22 First Veterans Day · Source unconfirmed — check state regs | 6 Scaup limit is 2 scaup daily. Non-veterans may accompany but may not harvest ducks and geese. | 18 |
| Feb 14 – Feb 14 Military/Veteran-Only Waterfowl (Second Day) · Source unconfirmed — check state regs | 6 Scaup limit is 2 daily; same as regular seasons otherwise. Non-veterans may accompany; may harvest geese but not ducks. | 18 |
Not yet confirmed against the official source. We have not matched every value here to Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Check the official regulations before you hunt.
1Scaup limit is 2 scaup daily. Non-veterans may accompany but may not harvest ducks and geese.
2Sunday before Thanksgiving. Same limits as regular seasons per table.
3Scaup limit is 2 daily; same as regular seasons otherwise. Non-veterans may accompany; may harvest geese but not ducks.
4Second veteran/military day. Non-veterans may accompany and may harvest geese but not ducks.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2,3,4,5,6 | Nov 26 – Feb 15 Falconry Geese | 5 Same as regular season | 15 |
| Nov 26 – Feb 15 Falconry - Geese · Source unconfirmed — check state regs | – Same as regular goose season. | – | |
| Nov 26 – Feb 21 Falconry Ducks/Coots/Mergansers | 3 Pit and blind restrictions at some WMAs do not apply to falconers when gun/archery seasons are not open | 9 |
1Same as regular season
2Falconry goose season concurrent with regular goose season. Pit/blind WMA restrictions do not apply to falconers during periods when gun/archery seasons are not open.
3Same as regular goose season.
4Table states 'Same as regular season*' for bag/dates. Dates inferred as matching regular goose season Nov. 26–Feb. 15.
5Pit and blind restrictions at some WMAs do not apply to falconers when gun/archery seasons are not open
6Falconry season for ducks, coots & mergansers. Pit/blind WMA restrictions do not apply to falconers during periods when gun/archery seasons are not open.
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 2026-2027 season. This data was verified on August 20, 2026. Always confirm with the official regulations before hunting.
For waterfowl population trends, harvest analysis, and conservation research, see WaterfowlAI Insights.