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Season dates and bag limits

Season dates and bag limits

Table of contents

    • Waterfowl regs home page and glossary of terms
    • Waterfowl management
      • Managing waterfowl
      • Citizens Waterfowl Advisory Committee
      • Waterfowl monitoring
    • Season dates and bag limits
      • Waterfowl hunting season dates
      • Goose management units
      • Bag limits
    • License types and fees
      • License types and fees by age
      • Hunter education
      • Mentored hunting
      • Apprentice hunting
      • Michigan residents
      • Michigan veterans with disabilities
      • U.S. military personnel
      • Treaty-authorized hunters
      • DNR Sportcard
      • Base license
      • Harvest Information Program
      • Waterfowl license
      • Federal migratory bird hunting stamp
      • Michigan Waterfowl Stamp Program
      • Pure Michigan Hunt
    • Purchasing licenses and stamps
      • Identification requirements
      • Where to buy licenses and stamps
      • Lost licenses and stamps
    • Wetland wonders
      • Managed waterfowl hunt areas
      • Michigan’s Wetland Wonders
      • Veterans preference drawings at managed waterfowl hunt areas
    • Reserved waterfowl drawing
      • Reserved waterfowl hunts
      • Application information
      • Eligible applicants
      • How to apply for a reserved waterfowl hunt
      • Drawing results
    • When and where to hunt
      • Hunting hours
      • Waterfowl hunting zones
      • Safety zones
      • Public lands
      • State lands
      • State parks and recreation areas
      • National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas
      • Local municipalities
      • Waterways
      • Rights of way
      • Trespassing
    • Equipment regulations
      • Hunter orange
      • Elevated platforms and ground blinds
      • Bows, crossbows and firearms
      • Transporting bows, crossbows and firearms
    • Hunting methods
      • Falconry
      • Decoys and calls
      • Baiting
      • Hunting with dogs
      • Commercial hunting guides
    • Wildlife diseases
      • Avian influenza
      • Dioxins
    • Invasive species
      • Aquatic invasive species
      • Nutria
      • Russian boar
    • After the harvest
      • Transporting game animals
      • Migratory bird band reporting
      • Handling and processing migratory bird meat
      • Buying and selling game animals
      • Migratory bird hunter surveys
    • Report all poaching

Waterfowl hunting season dates

Season:  Area:  Season dates: 
Early teal1 Statewide Sept. 1–16
Common gallinule Statewide Sept. 1 – Nov. 9
Virginia rail and sora rail Statewide Sept. 1 – Nov. 9
Wilson’s snipe Statewide Sept. 1 – Nov. 9
Dark goose (Canada, brant and white–fronted) North zone Sept. 1 – Dec. 16
Dark goose (Canada, brant and white–fronted) Middle zone Sept. 1–30, Oct. 5 – Dec. 20
Dark goose (Canada, brant and white–fronted) South zone2 Sept. 1–30, Oct. 12 – Dec. 8, Dec. 28 – Jan. 5 and Feb. 1–10
Dark goose (Canada, brant and white–fronted) Allegan County GMU Sept. 1–30, Nov. 19 – Dec. 8, and Dec. 21 – Feb. 15
Dark goose (Canada, brant and white–fronted) Muskegon County Wastewater System GMU Oct. 15 – Dec. 21
Light goose (snow, blue and Ross’s) North zone Sept. 1 – Dec. 16
Light goose (snow, blue and Ross’s) Middle zone Sept. 1–30 and Oct. 5 – Dec. 20
Light goose (snow, blue and Ross’s) South zone2 Sept. 1–30, Oct. 12 – Dec. 8, Dec. 28 – Jan. 5 and Feb. 1–10
Light goose (snow, blue and Ross’s) Allegan County GMU Sept. 1–30, Nov. 19 – Dec. 8, and Dec. 21 – Feb. 15
Light goose (snow, blue and Ross’s) Muskegon County Wastewater System GMU Oct. 15 – Dec. 21
Youth Waterfowl Hunting Weekend3 Statewide Sept. 21–22
Veterans and Active-Duty U.S. Military Personnel Waterfowl Hunting Days4 Statewide Sept. 21–22
Coot North zone Sept. 28 – Nov. 24 and Nov. 30 – Dec. 1
Coot Middle zone Oct. 5 – Dec. 1 and Dec. 14–15
Coot South zone Oct. 12 – Dec. 8 and Dec. 28–29
Duck North zone Sept. 28 – Nov. 24 and Nov. 30 – Dec. 1
Duck Middle zone Oct. 5 – Dec. 1 and Dec. 14–15
Duck South zone Oct. 12 – Dec. 8 and Dec. 28–29
Merganser North zone Sept. 28 – Nov. 24 and Nov. 30 – Dec. 1
Merganser Middle zone Oct. 5 – Dec. 1 and Dec. 14–15
Merganser South zone Oct. 12 – Dec. 8 and Dec. 28–29

1 Open for blue-winged teal and green–winged teal only. Hunting hours begin at sunrise.
2 Excludes Allegan County GMU and Muskegon County Wastewater System GMU.
3 Must be a properly licensed youth hunter (16 years old or younger) to participate.
4 Veterans and active–duty U.S military personnel only.

What is the early teal season?

The early teal season is a statewide waterfowl season that takes place on public and private lands open to waterfowl hunting Sept. 1–16, 2024. Hunting hours for the early teal season differ from regular waterfowl hunting hours.

What can I hunt during the early teal season?

Only blue-winged and green-winged teal may be harvested during the early teal season. Hunters are strongly encouraged to refresh their duck identification skills for this season. Do not shoot if you are not sure of your target. The daily bag limits and possession limits are the same as those allowed in the regular duck hunting season.

What are some tips for teal hunting?

Here are a few teal hunting tips:

  • Decoys will easily attract teal, so use them to bring birds in closer to aid in identification.
  • Pass shooting is not recommended.
  • Teal prefer shallow waters and areas along margins of ponds and lakes.
  • Look for areas with lots of mud flats and sparse vegetation.
  • Avoid forested wetlands, where you are likely to encounter wood ducks.
What is the Youth Waterfowl Hunting Weekend?

The Youth Waterfowl Hunting Weekend is a statewide waterfowl season that takes place on public and private lands open to waterfowl hunting Sept. 21-22, 2024. Youth 16 years old or younger can participate in this season.

  • Hunters 9 years old and younger must be licensed through the Mentored Hunting Program and accompanied by a qualified mentor. A migratory bird hunting endorsement (includes HIP) is also required.
  • Hunters 10-15 years old must have a base license, base apprentice license or an inclusive mentored license. A migratory bird youth endorsement (includes HIP) is also required.
  • Hunters who are 16 years old must have a Michigan waterfowl license and a federal duck stamp in addition to their base license, base apprentice license or inclusive mentored license. A HIP endorsement is also required.
What can I hunt during the Youth Waterfowl Hunting Weekend?

Ducks, mergansers, geese, coots and common gallinules may be harvested; accompanying adults are not permitted to harvest these species during the hunt unless hunting during the September portion of the Canada goose hunting season. The daily limits and species restrictions are the same as those allowed in the regular waterfowl hunting season.

What are the Veterans and Active-Duty U.S. Military Personnel Waterfowl Hunting Days?

The Veterans and Active-Duty U.S. Military Personnel Waterfowl Hunting Days are a statewide waterfowl season that takes place on public and private lands open to waterfowl hunting Sept. 21-22, 2024. This waterfowl season takes place concurrently with the Youth Waterfowl Hunting Weekend.

  • Participating veterans and active-duty U.S military personnel are required to have documentation afield and must present it upon request of a Michigan conservation officer, tribal conservation officer or any law enforcement officer. The following documentation will be accepted as proof of status: military ID, leave papers, duty papers, military orders, copy of DD Form 214, enhanced driver’s license or documentation from the Veterans Administration regarding disability status.
  • Hunters must have a base license, a waterfowl license (includes HIP), a federal duck stamp and a HIP endorsement.
What can I hunt during the Veterans and Active-Duty U.S. Military Personnel Waterfowl Hunting Days?

Ducks, mergansers, geese, coots and common gallinules may be harvested. The daily limits and species restrictions are the same as those allowed in the regular waterfowl hunting season.

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Goose management units

What is the Muskegon County Wastewater System GMU?

The Muskegon County Wastewater System GMU provides waterfowl hunting opportunities on the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center, east of the Muskegon State Game Area.

A complex map of the Muskegon Resource Recovery Goose Management Unit. For assistance, please call 517-284-9453 or see written descriptions in the Wildlife Conservation Order available at Michigan.gov/DNRLaws.

What is the Allegan County GMU?

The Allegan County GMU provides goose hunting opportunity on the Fennville Farm Unit of the Allegan State Game Area as well as the surrounding area (see map below). The Fennville Farm Unit portion is closed to goose hunting Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from Dec. 21 – Feb. 15. The Fennville Farm Unit will be open to goose hunting by self-registration from Sept. 1-30 and Nov. 19 – Dec. 8; and open by drawings on Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday from Dec. 21 – Feb. 15. Drawings are held at 5:30 a.m., with hunting permitted from shooting time in the morning until 4 p.m. Leftover zones will be reissued until 11 a.m.

A complex map of the Allegan Goose Management Unit. For assistance, please call 517-284-9453 or see written descriptions in the Wildlife Conservation Order available at Michigan.gov/DNRLaws.

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Bag limits

What are the bag limits for waterfowl?

The daily bag limits and possession limits for waterfowl species (except scaup) are listed below.

Species:  Daily bag limit:  Possession limit: 
Duck 61 18
Merganser 52 15
Coot 15 45
Dark goose (Canada, white-fronted and brant) 53 15
Light goose (snow, blue and Ross's) 204 60
Wilson’s snipe 8 24
Virginia rail and sora rail 25 75
Common gallinule 1 3

1The daily bag limit is six ducks of any species. There may be no more than four mallards (no more than two of which may be hens), three wood ducks, two redheads, two canvasbacks, two black ducks, one pintail, and one or two scaup (depending on season date).
2The daily bag limit is five mergansers, only two of which may be hooded mergansers.
3For the entire goose season, the dark goose aggregate daily bag limit for Canada geese, white-fronted geese and brant is five in any combination, only one of which can be a brant.
4For the entire goose season, the light goose aggregate daily bag limit for snow geese, blue-phase snow geese and Ross’s geese is 20 in any combination.

What is the daily bag limit for scaup?

As part of the total daily limit for ducks as described above, the daily bag limit for scaup for the zones and dates specified is as follows:

Area Dates Daily bag limit
North Zone Sept. 28 – Nov. 11 No more than 2 scaup
North Zone Nov. 12-24 and Nov. 30 - Dec. 1 No more than 1 scaup
Middle Zone Oct. 5-20 No more than 1 scaup
Middle Zone Oct. 21 – Dec. 1 and Dec. 14-15 No more than 2 scaup
South Zone Oct. 12-27 No more than 1 scaup
South Zone Oct. 28 – Dec. 8 and Dec. 28-29 No more than 2 scaup
Can I harvest more birds after I have reached the daily bag limit?

No. You cannot take or attempt to take in any one day more than one daily limit. You cannot kill or wound any migratory game bird without making a reasonable attempt to retrieve it and include it in your daily bag limit. Wounded birds reduced to possession should be immediately killed and included in the daily bag limit.

Where can I learn more about identifying ducks?

Identification skills for duck species in flight are important. Several duck species have special daily limit restrictions, and the early teal season allows only teal to be harvested. Hunters are advised to practice waterfowl identification before the season begins to build identification skills. Visit Michigan.gov/Waterfowl for duck identification aids.

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