Hunting Montana this season? Keep these dates and bag limits in your pocket — free in the BlindBook app.
Montana is part of the Central Flyway, one of four major migratory bird corridors in North America. The 2026–2027 waterfowl season runs from September 1 through January 27, 2027, with 37 distinct season segments covering ducks, geese, coots, and other migratory game birds. Season dates and bag limits are set annually by the Fish, Wildlife and Parks within frameworks established by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Flyway Zone 21,2,3,4 | Oct 3 – Oct 11 First Split | 6 | 18 |
| Oct 24 – Jan 19 Second Split | |||
| Central Flyway Zone 11,2 | Oct 3 – Jan 7 Regular Season | 6 | 18 |
| Pacific Flyway5,6,7,8 | Oct 3 – Dec 27 Regular Season | 7 | 21 |
| Dec 28 – Jan 15 Late Season (Scaup Closed) |
| Species | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|
| Mallard Pacific Flyway · no more than 2 hens | 7 | 21 |
| Mallard Central Flyway Zone 1, Central Flyway Zone 2 · no more than 2 hens | 5 | 15 |
| Pintail (Northern) | 3 | 9 |
| Redhead | 2 | 6 |
| Canvasback | 2 | 6 |
| Lesser Scaup Pacific Flyway · Season closes Dec. 27 | 2 | 6 |
| Lesser Scaup Central Flyway Zone 1, Central Flyway Zone 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Wood Duck | 3 | 9 |
| Hooded Merganser | 2 | 6 |
| Blue-winged Teal 2 additional only during first 9 days Oct. 3-11 | 2 | 6 |
1No more than 5 mallards (2 hens max), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 hooded mergansers, 3 pintail, 2 canvasbacks, 1 scaup. First 9 days (Oct. 3-11): 2 additional blue-winged teal allowed.
2Includes mergansers.
3No more than 5 mallards (2 hens max), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 hooded mergansers, 3 pintail, 2 canvasbacks, 1 scaup.
4Includes mergansers. Blue-winged teal bonus only in first 9 days of regular season (Oct. 3-11), not applicable this split.
5No more than 2 hen mallards, 3 pintail, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 2 scaup. Scaup season closes Dec. 27. Canyon Ferry: Oct. 3-9 shooting hours 1/2 hour before sunrise to noon. Cochrane, Morony, and Ryan Reservoirs in Cascade County closed.
6Includes mergansers. Scaup included through Dec. 27.
7Standard bag limit excluding scaup. No more than 2 hen mallards, 3 pintail, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks.
8Scaup season closed after Dec. 27.
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| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Flyway Zone 21 | Oct 3 – Oct 11 First Split | 5 | 15 |
| Oct 24 – Jan 27 Second Split | |||
| Central Flyway Zone 11 | Oct 3 – Jan 15 | 5 | 15 |
| Pacific Flyway1,2 | Oct 3 – Jan 15 | 5 | 15 |
| Oct 3 – Jan 15 |
15 dark geese (all other geese) daily.
2Listed as 'Geese'; species breakdown in full PDF regulations
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Flyway Zone 11 | Oct 3 – Jan 15 | 20 | 60 |
| Central Flyway Zone 21 | Oct 3 – Oct 11 First Split | 20 | 60 |
| Oct 24 – Jan 27 Second Split | |||
| Pacific Flyway1,2,3,4 | Oct 3 – Jan 15 | 20 | 60 |
| Oct 3 – Jan 15 |
120 white geese (Snow, Blue, Ross's) daily.
2Combined with dark geese in same season dates; light geese limit is 20/day.
3White geese (Snow/Blue/Ross's) 20 daily within the goose season; dark geese separate 5/day. Canyon Ferry Oct 3-9 hours end at noon; Cochrane/Morony/Ryan reservoirs closed
4From FWP 2026 Migratory Bird & Webless regulations. Montana regulates white geese inside the general goose season with a distinct 20-bird daily limit; no spring conservation order.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Flyway Zone 1 | Oct 3 – Jan 7 | 15 | 45 |
| Central Flyway Zone 2 | Oct 3 – Oct 11 First Split | 15 | 45 |
| Oct 24 – Jan 19 Second Split | |||
| Pacific Flyway1 | Oct 3 – Jan 15 | 25 | 25 |
1Bag limit 25 daily and in possession.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crane General Area (Central Flyway OTC)1,2 | Oct 3 – Nov 29 Over-the-Counter Permit | 3 | 9 |
| Crane Draw Area 380-01 (Southwest)3,4 | Sep 1 – Oct 30 | 2 | – |
| Crane Draw Area 480-01 (Cascade-Teton)5,6 | Sep 1 – Oct 30 | 2 | – |
| Crane Draw Area 599-00 (Carbon County)7,8 | Sep 1 – Oct 30 | 2 | – |
| Crane Draw Area 280-01 (Warm Springs)9,10 | Sep 1 – Oct 30 | 2 | – |
| Crane Draw Area 284-01 (Ovando-Helmville)11,12 | Sep 1 – Oct 30 | 2 | – |
| Crane Draw Area 390-01 (Broadwater)13,14 | Sep 1 – Oct 30 | 2 | – |
| Crane Draw Area 586-01 (Golden Valley)15,16 | Sep 1 – Oct 30 | 2 | – |
1Free OTC permit required. Area south and west of I-90 closed except Carbon County (599-00). Golden Valley, Wheatland, Meagher counties and Stillwater/Sweetgrass north of I-90 require 586-01 license.
2Central Flyway outside special drawing areas.
3Special drawing license only. Quota 150. Only valid in Beaverhead, Gallatin, Jefferson, and Madison counties.
4Successful applicants receive two 380-01 licenses.
5Special drawing license only. Quota 30. Only valid in Cascade and Teton counties.
6Successful applicants receive two 480-01 licenses.
7Special drawing license only. Quota 30. Only valid in Carbon County.
8Successful applicants receive two 599-00 licenses.
9Special drawing license only. Quota 5. Only valid in Warm Springs portion of Deer Lodge County.
10Successful applicants receive two 280-01 licenses.
11Special drawing license only. Quota 40. Only valid in Ovando-Helmville area (Powell County).
12Successful applicants receive two 284-01 licenses.
13Special drawing license only. Quota 35. Only valid in Broadwater County and Lewis and Clark County east of I-15.
14Successful applicants receive two 390-01 licenses.
15Special drawing license only. Quota 70. Only valid in Golden Valley, Wheatland, and Meagher counties and portions of Sweetgrass and Stillwater counties north of I-90.
16Successful applicants receive two 586-01 licenses.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Flyway Swan Area (License 684-20)1,2 | Oct 3 – Jan 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Pacific Flyway Swan Area (License 481-20)3,4 | Oct 10 – Dec 1 | 1 | 1 |
1Special license only. License 684-20, quota 499. Application deadline June 1.
272-hour bill measurement card reporting required. Surplus licenses first-come first-served beginning June 15.
3Drawing only. License 481-20, quota 499. Hunting in Cascade, Chouteau, Liberty, Hill, Toole, and portions of Teton and Pondera counties only. Must have watercraft, dog, or chest-high waders.
472-hour bill measurement card reporting required. Portions of Teton and Pondera counties west of US Hwy 287/89 closed.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Sep 26 – Sep 27 Special Two-Day Youth Waterfowl Season | – | – |
1Youth ages 15 and under only. Bag limits same as regular season. Canyon Ferry exception: shooting hours 1/2 hour before sunrise to noon.
2Statewide. Ducks, mergansers, geese, and coots. Canyon Ferry: noon close Sept. 26-27.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Flyway Zone 21,2 | Sep 23 – Oct 11 Falconry - Ducks/Coots First Split | 2 | 6 |
| Oct 24 – Jan 19 Falconry - Ducks/Coots Second Split | |||
| Central Flyway Zone 11,2,3,4,5 | Sep 23 – Jan 15 Falconry - Ducks, Coots, and Geese | 2 | 6 |
| Sep 23 – Jan 7 Falconry - Ducks/Coots | |||
| Oct 3 – Jan 15 Falconry Geese | |||
| Pacific Flyway6,7 | Oct 3 – Jan 15 Falconry - Ducks, Coots, Geese | 2 | 6 |
12 daily and 6 in possession, singly or in the aggregate.
2Ducks (including mergansers) and coots.
32 daily and 6 in possession, singly or in the aggregate. Duck/coot falconry: Sept. 23 - Jan. 7. Goose falconry: Oct. 3 - Jan. 15.
4Duck/coot falconry closes Jan. 7; goose falconry closes Jan. 15. Merged as one row for Zone 1 with note of species-specific close dates.
5Geese only
62 daily and 6 in possession, singly or in the aggregate for all permitted migratory birds.
7Ducks (including mergansers), coots, and geese.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1 | Sep 1 – Dec 16 Common (Wilson's) Snipe | 8 | 24 |
18 daily and 24 in possession.
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 17, 2026. Always confirm with your state's official regulations before hunting.
For waterfowl population trends, harvest analysis, and conservation research, see WaterfowlAI Insights.