Wood Duck Season 2026–27
The wood duck sub-limit is 3/day in every Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyway state we checked for 2026–27. The Pacific Flyway is the exception — here's the guide.
3/day in Atlantic, Mississippi & Central states checked
Pacific: no federal sub-limit (Utah 2/day)
Counts toward daily aggregate
2026–27 Wood Duck Bag Limit by Flyway
Wood duck limits are set by each state as a sub-limit within the daily duck aggregate, inside a federal framework. The Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyway frameworks allow no more than 3 wood ducks per day; the Pacific Flyway framework sets no wood duck sub-limit.
| Flyway | Wood Duck Limit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Flyway | 3/day | Verified in FL, NC, VA 2026–27 regulations (6-duck aggregate). Florida's Sept. 19–23 teal–wood duck season: 2/day. |
| Mississippi Flyway | 3/day | Verified in AR, LA, MS, MO, TN 2026–27 regulations (6-duck aggregate). Tennessee's Sept. 12–16 teal–wood duck season: 2/day. |
| Central Flyway | 3/day | Verified in TX, OK, and Colorado's Central Flyway zones, 2026–27 regulations (6-duck aggregate) |
| Pacific Flyway | No federal sub-limit | Utah sets 2/day. California, Oregon, and Colorado's Pacific zones set no wood duck cap (7-duck aggregate). |
Always confirm the exact wood duck bag limit with your state wildlife agency before hunting. Sources: USFWS General Decision Frameworks for the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyways (Aug. 27, 2026), and the 2026–27 state regulations listed at the bottom of this page.
Wood Duck Season Overview
Wood ducks are often among the first ducks in the bag when the regular duck season opens across much of the eastern US. Many don't migrate as far south as other species — plenty winter in the southeastern states — so they can be present from the earliest days of the season through the close.
Wood ducks recovered from severe declines in the early 20th century, and nest box programs, habitat management, and regulated harvest are widely credited with that recovery — one of the better-known conservation stories in North American waterfowl.
Top Wood Duck Hunting States
Flooded timber, cypress sloughs, and agricultural wetlands make Arkansas a natural fit for wood ducks, and many public WMAs offer good wood duck hunting early in the season.
Cypress swamps and coastal marshes throughout Louisiana provide prime wood duck habitat.
Delta hardwood bottoms and flooded timber make the Mississippi Delta a premier wood duck destination, with good creek-bottom and timber hunting.
Bottomland hardwoods, beaver sloughs, and flooded creek bottoms provide abundant wood duck habitat for early-season timber hunting.
Coastal plain rivers, beaver ponds, and Carolina Bays provide strong wood duck habitat.
Swampy river systems and bottomland hardwoods from the mountains to the coast hold wood ducks through the season.
Flooded Ozark river bottoms and Mississippi River backwaters produce good wood duck hunting, especially early in the season.
Illinois River backwaters and flooded timber along major river systems concentrate wood ducks during migration.
Tennessee River system wetlands and the Reelfoot Lake area provide strong wood duck habitat, and Tennessee is one of three states with a September teal–wood duck season.
Cypress swamps and river bottomlands, especially in north Florida, hold wood ducks, and Florida is one of three states with a September teal–wood duck season.
Wood Duck Hunting — Frequently Asked Questions
Track your wood duck season with BlindBook
Log every woodies hunt, track your wood duck sub-limit, and record your season harvest.
Wood duck limits on this page were checked 2026-10-16 against the USFWS General Decision Frameworks for the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyways (Aug. 27, 2026) and 2026–27 regulations published by state wildlife agencies: FWC Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations; NCWRC 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Proclamation; Virginia DWR Migratory Game Birds; AGFC Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules & Regulations; Louisiana 2026-2027 Hunting & WMA Regulations (p. 34); MDWFP 2026–2027 Hunting Seasons; Missouri Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest 2026–2027; TWRA Migratory Birds; TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-2027; ODWC Ducks, Mergansers & Coots; CPW 2026 Colorado Small Game & Waterfowl brochure; Utah DWR 2026-27 Waterfowl, Upland Game & Turkey Guidebook; California Title 14 CCR §502 (p. 38); and 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations (p. 16). Always confirm with official state agency regulations before hunting.
For waterfowl population trends, harvest analysis, and conservation research, see WaterfowlAI Insights.