Read from Game, Fish and Parks on August 23, 2026.
Seasons and limits change, and corrections are issued mid-season. Confirm with Game, Fish and Parks before you hunt.
Open the official South Dakota regulationsHunting South Dakota this season? Keep these dates and bag limits in your pocket — free in the BlindBook app.
South Dakota is part of the Central Flyway, one of four major migratory bird corridors in North America. The 2026–2027 waterfowl season runs from August 15 through February 14, 2027, with 17 distinct season segments covering ducks, geese, coots, and other migratory game birds. Season dates and bag limits are set annually by the Game, Fish and Parks 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bag limits, shooting hours, and other regulatory information are provided for convenience only, may be inaccurate or out of date, and do not constitute legal advice.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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low Plains - North1,2Northeast South Dakota duck zone | Sep 26 – Dec 8 | 6 Traditional option: 6 ducks (including mergansers); 5 mallards (2 hens max), 3 wood ducks, 1 scaup, 2 redheads, 2 canvasback, 3 pintail; OR Three-Duck option: 3 ducks of any species or sex. Bonus 2 blue-winged teal first 9 days. | 18 |
| Low Plains - Middle1,2Central South Dakota duck zone | Sep 26 – Dec 8 | 6 Traditional option: 6 ducks (including mergansers); 5 mallards (2 hens max), 3 wood ducks, 1 scaup, 2 redheads, 2 canvasback, 3 pintail; OR Three-Duck option: 3 ducks of any species or sex. Bonus 2 blue-winged teal first 9 days. | 18 |
| Low Plains - South1,2Southeast South Dakota duck zone | Oct 24 – Jan 5 | 6 Traditional option: 6 ducks (including mergansers); 5 mallards (2 hens max), 3 wood ducks, 1 scaup, 2 redheads, 2 canvasback, 3 pintail; OR Three-Duck option: 3 ducks of any species or sex. Bonus 2 blue-winged teal first 9 days. | 18 |
| High Plains1,2Western South Dakota duck zone | Oct 10 – Jan 14 | 6 Traditional option: 6 ducks (including mergansers); 5 mallards (2 hens max), 3 wood ducks, 1 scaup, 2 redheads, 2 canvasback, 3 pintail; OR Three-Duck option: 3 ducks of any species or sex. Bonus 2 blue-winged teal first 9 days. | 18 |
| Species | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|
| American Coot Coots: 15 per day, 45 in possession. Coots are hunted on the duck season dates for this zone; they are not a separate season in South Dakota. | 15 | 45 |
| Mallard No more than 2 hens · Traditional option only | 5 | 15 |
| Wood Duck Traditional option only | 3 | 9 |
| Lesser Scaup Traditional option; scaup aggregate | 1 | 3 |
| Redhead Traditional option only | 2 | 6 |
| Canvasback Traditional option only | 2 | 6 |
| Pintail (Northern) Traditional option only | 3 | 9 |
| Blue-winged Teal Low Plains - Middle, Low Plains - North · Sep 26–Oct 4 · Bonus, in addition to the 6-duck daily limit — first 9 days of this zone's season only (Sep 26 - Oct 4, 2026). Traditional option only; no bonus teal under the Three-Duck option or during youth season. | 2 | 6 |
| Blue-winged Teal Low Plains - South · Oct 24–Nov 1 · Bonus, in addition to the 6-duck daily limit — first 9 days of this zone's season only (Oct 24 - Nov 1, 2026). Traditional option only; no bonus teal under the Three-Duck option or during youth season. | 2 | 6 |
| Blue-winged Teal High Plains · Oct 10–Oct 18 · Bonus, in addition to the 6-duck daily limit — first 9 days of this zone's season only (Oct 10 - Oct 18, 2026). Traditional option only; no bonus teal under the Three-Duck option or during youth season. | 2 | 6 |
1Traditional option: 6 ducks (including mergansers); 5 mallards (2 hens max), 3 wood ducks, 1 scaup, 2 redheads, 2 canvasback, 3 pintail; OR Three-Duck option: 3 ducks of any species or sex. Bonus 2 blue-winged teal first 9 days.
2Hunters must choose Traditional or Three-Duck option at time of State Migratory Bird Certificate purchase.
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| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Goose Unit 21,2Western SD goose zone | Nov 2 – Feb 14 | 4 Includes brant and cackling geese. Nonresidents may not hunt geese during August Management Take in Unit 2. | 12 |
| Canada Goose Unit 13,4Central and eastern SD goose zone | Sep 1 – Dec 16 | 8 Includes brant and cackling geese. | 24 |
| August Management Take Area5,6 | Aug 15 – Aug 31 | 8 Resident only. Open area: Meade County south of SD Hwy 34, Pennington County west of Cheyenne River, Clark, Codington, Day, Deuel, Hamlin, Grant, Marshall, and Roberts counties. | – |
1Includes brant and cackling geese. Nonresidents may not hunt geese during August Management Take in Unit 2.
2Those areas not included in Unit 1.
3Includes brant and cackling geese.
4August Management Take (resident only): Aug. 15-31, daily limit 8, possession unlimited. Regular season Unit 1: Sept. 1 - Dec. 16.
5Resident only. Open area: Meade County south of SD Hwy 34, Pennington County west of Cheyenne River, Clark, Codington, Day, Deuel, Hamlin, Grant, Marshall, and Roberts counties.
6Possession limit: Unlimited. Brown, Edmunds, Faulk, McPherson, and Spink counties removed from open unit (new for 2026). No Federal Waterfowl Stamp required.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide | Sep 26 – Dec 8 | 3 | 9 |
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1 | Sep 26 – Jan 8 | 50 | – |
1Possession limit: Unlimited.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1 | Sep 26 – Dec 8 | 15 | 45 |
1Coots: 15 daily, listed alongside Traditional duck daily bag limit. Season dates inherited from the earliest-opening duck zone (Low Plains North/Middle). No Federal Waterfowl Stamp required for coots.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low Plains - North1,2Northeast South Dakota duck zone | Sep 26 – Dec 8 | 6 Counted within the 6-duck aggregate (Traditional) or 3-duck aggregate (Three-Duck option). | 18 |
| Low Plains - Middle1,3Central South Dakota duck zone | Sep 26 – Dec 8 | 6 Counted within the 6-duck aggregate (Traditional) or 3-duck aggregate (Three-Duck option). | 18 |
| Low Plains - South1,4Southeast South Dakota duck zone | Oct 24 – Jan 5 | 6 Counted within the 6-duck aggregate (Traditional) or 3-duck aggregate (Three-Duck option). | 18 |
| High Plains1,5Western South Dakota duck zone | Oct 10 – Jan 14 | 6 Counted within the 6-duck aggregate (Traditional) or 3-duck aggregate (Three-Duck option). | 18 |
1Counted within the 6-duck aggregate (Traditional) or 3-duck aggregate (Three-Duck option).
2Mergansers are included in the daily duck bag limit. Dates concurrent with Low Plains North duck season.
3Mergansers are included in the daily duck bag limit. Dates concurrent with Low Plains Middle duck season.
4Mergansers are included in the daily duck bag limit. Dates concurrent with Low Plains South duck season.
5Mergansers are included in the daily duck bag limit. Dates concurrent with High Plains duck season.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crane Hunting Unit (West)1,2West of the line: SD-ND border at State Hwy 25, south to Hwy 34, east to US Hwy 81, south to the SD-NE border | Sep 26 – Nov 22 | 3 Non-toxic shot required. Open area is west of a line beginning at SD-ND border and SD Hwy 25 south to SD Hwy 34, east to US Hwy 81, then south to SD-NE border. | 9 |
1Non-toxic shot required. Open area is west of a line beginning at SD-ND border and SD Hwy 25 south to SD Hwy 34, east to US Hwy 81, then south to SD-NE border.
2No Federal Waterfowl Stamp required; State Migratory Bird Certificate still required.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tundra Swan Unit (35 eastern counties)1,2Unit TSW-00A-81 — 35 counties in eastern South Dakota | Oct 3 – Jan 8 | 1 License by lottery only. Non-toxic shot required. Open unit: Aurora, Beadle, Brookings, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Campbell, Clark, Codington, Davison, Day, Deuel, Edmunds, Faulk, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Hughes, Hyde, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Potter, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Sully, and Walworth counties. | 1 |
1License by lottery only. Non-toxic shot required. Open unit: Aurora, Beadle, Brookings, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Campbell, Clark, Codington, Davison, Day, Deuel, Edmunds, Faulk, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Hughes, Hyde, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Potter, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Sully, and Walworth counties.
2One per license (possession limit = 1). Federal laws apply.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Sep 12 – Sep 13 | 6 Traditional option: same as regular duck season (no bonus blue-winged teal). Three-Duck option: 3 ducks of any species or sex. Canada Goose: 8 in Unit 1, 4 in Unit 2. | 12 |
1Traditional option: same as regular duck season (no bonus blue-winged teal). Three-Duck option: 3 ducks of any species or sex. Canada Goose: 8 in Unit 1, 4 in Unit 2.
2Possession limit is twice the daily limit. No bonus blue-winged teal allowed.
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 23, 2026. Always confirm with the official regulations before hunting.
For waterfowl population trends, harvest analysis, and conservation research, see WaterfowlAI Insights.