Hunting Louisiana this season? Keep these dates and bag limits in your pocket — free in the BlindBook app.
Louisiana is part of the Mississippi Flyway, one of four major migratory bird corridors in North America. The 2026–2027 waterfowl season runs from September 19 through March 7, 2027, with 38 distinct season segments covering ducks, geese, coots, and other migratory game birds. Season dates and bag limits are set annually by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries within frameworks established by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Non-toxic shot required statewide
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Zone1,2 | Nov 21 – Dec 6 First Split | 6 | 18 |
| Dec 19 – Jan 31 Second Split | |||
| West Zone1,2 | Nov 14 – Dec 6 First Split | 6 | 18 |
| Dec 19 – Jan 24 Second Split |
| Species | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|
| Ducks (general) Aggregate duck limit | 6 | 18 |
| Mallard no more than 2 females | 4 | 12 |
| Wood Duck | 3 | 9 |
| Canvasback | 2 | 6 |
| Redhead | 2 | 6 |
| Black Duck | 1 | 3 |
| Pintail (Northern) no more than 1 female | 3 | 9 |
| Lesser Scaup East Zone, West Zone · 1/day first 15 days, 2/day remainder | 1 | 3 |
| Lesser Scaup East Zone, West Zone · 1/day first 15 days, 2/day remainder | 2 | 6 |
| Mottled Duck Closed first 15 days, 1/day remainder | 1 | 3 |
14 mallards (no more than 2 females), 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, 2 redheads, 1 black duck, 3 pintails (no more than 1 female); scaup: 1/day first 15 days then 2/day; no mottled ducks first 15 days then 1/day. Coots: 15/day. Mergansers: 5/day (only 2 hooded).
2Coots and Mergansers included in same season entry
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| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Sep 19 – Sep 27 | 6 | 18 |
1Blue, Green, and Cinnamon Teal only
2Statewide early teal season
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Zone1,2,3 | Nov 14 – Dec 6 First Split | 3 | 9 |
| Dec 19 – Feb 7 Second Split | |||
| West Zone1,4,5 | Nov 14 – Dec 6 First Split | 3 | 9 |
| Dec 19 – Feb 7 Second Split |
1White-fronted (Specklebelly): 3/day, 9 possession; Canada Geese: 1/day, 3 possession
2White-fronted geese and Canada geese combined as dark geese; Canada limit 1/day included
3White-fronted geese and Canada geese; East Zone second split
4White-fronted geese and Canada geese; West Zone first split
5White-fronted geese and Canada geese; West Zone second split
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Zone1,2,3 | Nov 14 – Dec 6 First Split | 20 | – |
| Dec 19 – Feb 7 Second Split | |||
| West Zone1,3 | Nov 14 – Dec 6 First Split | 20 | – |
| Dec 19 – Feb 7 Second Split |
1Snow, Blue, Ross's geese: 20/day, no possession limit; White-fronted geese: 3/day, 9 possession; Canada geese: 1/day, 3 possession
2All goose species listed in single row; light geese bag 20, no possession limit
3All goose species listed in single row
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Zone1,2 | Dec 7 – Dec 18 First Segment | – | – |
| Feb 8 – Mar 7 Second Segment | |||
| West Zone1,2 | Dec 7 – Dec 18 First Segment | – | – |
| Feb 8 – Mar 7 Second Segment |
1Only snow, blue, and Ross's geese; electronic calls and unplugged shotguns allowed; no daily bag or possession limit
2Conservation Order for Light Geese per the table
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Zone1,2 | Nov 21 – Dec 6 First Split | 15 | 45 |
| Dec 19 – Jan 31 Second Split | |||
| West Zone3,4 | Nov 14 – Dec 6 First Split | 15 | 45 |
| Dec 19 – Jan 24 Second Split |
1Coots season runs concurrently with duck season; East Zone first split
2Coots season runs concurrently with duck season; East Zone second split
3Coots season runs concurrently with duck season; West Zone first split
4Coots season runs concurrently with duck season; West Zone second split
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Zone1,2 | Nov 21 – Dec 6 First Split | 5 | 15 |
| Dec 19 – Jan 31 Second Split | |||
| West Zone1,3 | Nov 14 – Dec 6 First Split | 5 | 15 |
| Dec 19 – Jan 24 Second Split |
1Only 2 of 5 may be hooded mergansers
2Mergansers listed together with ducks/coots; dates inferred from East Zone regular season
3Mergansers listed together with ducks/coots; dates inferred from West Zone regular season
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Zone1,2,3,4 | Nov 14 – Nov 14 Youth/Veterans Day 1 | 6 | 18 |
| Feb 6 – Feb 6 Youth and Veterans - Closing | |||
| West Zone1,3,5,6 | Nov 7 – Nov 7 Youth/Veterans Day 1 | 6 | 18 |
| Jan 30 – Jan 30 Youth and Veterans - Closing |
1Youth and Veterans day
2Combined Youth and Veterans day for East Zone
3Youth and Veterans only
4East Zone youth and veterans day 2
5Combined Youth and Veterans day for West Zone
6West Zone youth and veterans day 2
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Zone1,2 | Feb 6 – Feb 6 Youth/Veterans Day 2 | 6 | 18 |
| West Zone1,3 | Jan 30 – Jan 30 Youth/Veterans Day 2 | 6 | 18 |
1Youth and Veterans day
2Combined Youth and Veterans day for East Zone
3Combined Youth and Veterans day for West Zone
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Zone1,2 | Nov 5 – Nov 20 Pre-season Falconry | 3 | 9 |
| Dec 7 – Dec 18 Mid-season Falconry | |||
| West Zone1,3,4 | Nov 5 – Nov 13 Pre-season Falconry | 3 | 9 |
| Dec 7 – Dec 18 Mid-season Falconry | |||
| Jan 25 – Jan 31 Late Falconry |
1Falconry only; aggregate daily bag 3, possession 9 for all permitted migratory game birds singly or in aggregate
2Extended Falconry for ducks/coots/mergansers, East Zone
3Extended Falconry for ducks/coots/mergansers, West Zone
4Extended Falconry for ducks/coots/mergansers, West Zone only
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2,3 | Oct 3 – Oct 11 Black Bellied Whistling Ducks | 4 | 12 |
| Oct 3 – Oct 11 Black Bellied Whistling Duck Special Season |
1Special Permit Required
2Black Bellied Whistling Ducks special permit season
3Black Bellied Whistling Ducks; special permit required
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 July 16, 2026. Always confirm with your state's official regulations before hunting.
For waterfowl population trends, harvest analysis, and conservation research, see WaterfowlAI Insights.