North Dakota Waterfowl Season Underway

North Dakota’s waterfowl season opens for residents Sept. 23, while nonresidents may begin hunting waterfowl Sept. 30.

The season for swans opens Sept. 30 for both residents and nonresidents who have purchased a swan license.

Hunters may take six ducks, including mergansers, per day, with the following restrictions: five mallards of which two may be hens, three wood ducks, two redheads, two canvasbacks, one scaup, and one pintail. Mergansers are included in the total duck limit, with no species restrictions. Hunters can take two additional blue-winged teal Sept. 23 through Oct. 8.

The hunting season for Canada geese will close Dec. 16 in the eastern zone, Dec. 21 in the western zone and Dec. 29 in the Missouri River zone. The season for whitefronts closes Dec. 3, while the season for light geese is open through Dec. 29.

Shooting hours for all geese are one-half hour before sunrise to 2 p.m. each day.

Extended shooting hours for all geese are permitted from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset on Saturdays and Wednesdays through the end of each season. Starting Nov. 26, all day hunting is also allowed on Sundays through the end of each season. 

The bag limit for Canada geese during the regular season is eight daily and 24 in possession, except in the Missouri River zone where the limit is five daily and 15 in possession.

The daily limit on whitefronts is three with nine in possession, and light geese have a daily limit of 50 with no possession limit.

In accordance with state law, nonresidents are not allowed to hunt on North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife management areas or conservation Private Land Open To Sportsmen areas from Oct. 7-13, with the exception of nonresidents hunting on PLOTS land they own.

Hunters who do not HIP certify when they buy a North Dakota license can add it through the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov. Those who registered to hunt North Dakota’s spring light goose season or August Management Take/Early September Canada goose season do not have to register with HIP again, as it is required in each state only once per year.

Hunters should refer to the North Dakota 2023-24 Hunting and Trapping Guide for further details on the waterfowl season.