Montana Duck Season 2026-27: Waterfowl Zone Dates

Q: When is duck season in Montana for 2026-27?

October 3, 2026 to January 19, 2027, split across 3 zones (Pacific Flyway portion, Central Flyway Zone 1, Central Flyway Zone 2), with split season segments inside the window. The full table on this page was read from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks's own published page, linked beside it; confirm there before you hunt.

Q: What about goose season in Montana?

The goose table on this page lists the seasons as Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks publishes them, by species group and zone. A spring light goose conservation order (Mar 1 to May 15, 2027) is listed separately on the agency's date card.

Q: Which duck zone am I in?

Montana's zones (Pacific Flyway portion, Central Flyway Zone 1, Central Flyway Zone 2) are drawn by the agency along highways, rivers and county lines. Your zone is determined from the agency's own map: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks publishes the official zone map and boundary descriptions, linked from this page.

Q: Where are the bag limits, shooting hours and stamp requirements?

At Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, linked on this page, along with the federal duck stamp and HIP registration rules from USFWS. Those change annually and are legally binding. This page carries the season window, sourced and dated.

Q: Can these dates change?

Yes. This page covers the 2026-27 season year with data as of September 2, 2026, says so in the copy, and links the exact agency page it read. Agencies amend and correct their own tables; treat the agency page as the final word on the morning you hunt.

This page covers the 2026-27 season year. Dates were read from the agency sources linked below, last checked September 2, 2026. Seasons change annually and agencies correct their own pages; confirm against the linked agency page before you hunt.

October 3, 2026 to January 19, 2027

Duck season

published

3 zones

Zones

with split segments

Central + Pacific

Flyway

federal framework

Montana Fish

Source

read 2026-09-01

The main event

Duck season in Montana, zone by zone

Ducks, 2026-27

publishedCentral Flyway + Pacific

Duck season is OPEN now in the Pacific Flyway portion, through January 15, 2027, with 2 zone segments open.

Montana duck seasons 2026-27, as published by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Zone	Season segments
Pacific Flyway portion	October 3, 2026 to January 15, 2027
Central Flyway Zone 1	October 3, 2026 to January 7, 2027
Central Flyway Zone 2	October 3, 2026 to October 11, 2026October 24, 2026 to January 19, 2027

Dates read from Hunting Seasons, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, accessed 2026-09-01.

Montana spans two flyways and the agency lists its duck seasons by flyway portion and Central Flyway zone, kept verbatim above.

Waterfowl hunter setting goose decoys on a tidal flat with a retriever watching — Setting decoys with help. Photo: Rebecca Fabbri/USFWS. “Waterfowl hunter and dog” — Rebecca Fabbri / USFWS Alaska Region — Public domain

Geese

Goose seasons in Montana

Geese, 2026-27

published

Goose season	Dates
Geese, Pacific Flyway portion	October 3, 2026 to January 15, 2027
Geese, Central Flyway Zone 1	October 3, 2026 to January 15, 2027
Geese, Central Flyway Zone 2	October 3, 2026 to October 11, 2026October 24, 2026 to January 27, 2027

Dates read from Hunting Seasons, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, accessed 2026-09-01.

A spring light goose conservation order (Mar 1 to May 15, 2027) is listed separately on the agency's date card.

Light goose conservation order: March 1, 2027 to May 15, 2027. A conservation order is a federal population control measure, not a regular hunting season, and runs under its own rules. Spring light goose conservation order listed by the agency. Details live at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Canada geese dropping into a refuge wetland with wings set — Canada geese dropping into a refuge marsh. Photo: Jennifer Jewett/USFWS. “Canada Geese” by Jennifer Jewett / USFWS Mountain-Prairie, CC BY 2.0

The structure over the state

How Montana’s dates get set: the Central Flyway

Waterfowl seasons are the most federal of all hunting seasons. Migratory birds cross every border, so the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publishes annual frameworks for each of the four administrative flyways, setting the earliest openers, latest closers and maximum season lengths, and each state then selects its own dates and zones inside its framework.

Montana spans two flyways: most of the state sets dates inside the Central Flyway framework, and the western portion inside the Pacific Flyway framework. The zone table keeps the agency's own labels for both portions.

Large mixed flock of ducks and geese over water at sunset — A mixed flock of ducks and geese at sunset. Photo: Steve Hillebrand/USFWS. “A mixed flock of ducks and geese fly from a wetland area” — Steve Hillebrand, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Public domain

Rules

Montana waterfowl hunting regulations

Season windows are carried here with their source and read date attached. Everything else a hunter is bound by, including the federal duck stamp and HIP registration every waterfowl hunter needs, is set by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parksand USFWS, and the regulations page is linked below.

Current Montana regulations

Bag limits and species restrictions, shooting hours, duck stamp and HIP requirements, license rules, and youth or veteran season details for Montana are set by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, are legally binding and change annually. Its current regulations page is linked here.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks: current regulations

Father and daughter in waders with a retriever in a duckweed marsh — Father and daughter on Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Photo: Tim Miller/USFWS. “Waterfowl Hunting (Upper Mississippi River NWFR)” — Tim Miller / USFWS Midwest Region — Public domain

Montana waterfowl season questions

When is duck season in Montana for 2026-27?

What about goose season in Montana?

What is a flyway, and which one is Montana in?

Waterfowl seasons are set in two steps: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publishes annual federal frameworks for each of the four administrative flyways (Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, Pacific), setting the outside limits, and each state selects its season dates and zones inside its flyway's framework. Montana spans two flyways: most of the state sets dates inside the Central Flyway framework, and the western portion inside the Pacific Flyway framework. The zone table keeps the agency's own labels for both portions.

Which duck zone am I in?

Where are the bag limits, shooting hours and stamp requirements?

Can these dates change?

Wetland at sunset with a fallen snag and mountains on the horizon — Wood River Wetland, Oregon. The habitat the flyways run on. Photo: Greg Shine/BLM. “Wood River Wetland” — Greg Shine / Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington — Public domain

This page covers the 2026-27 season year with data as of September 2, 2026. Every season window is republished from the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks page linked beside it, read on the date shown; windows the agency had not yet published are labelled not yet published. Bag limits, legal methods, shooting hours, stamp and license rules are set by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, whose pages are the final word on the day you hunt. See also the national waterfowl season guide.

Montana Duck & Goose Season 2026-27