New Mexico Duck Season 2026-27: Waterfowl Zone Dates

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

October 10, 2026 to January 31, 2027, split across 3 zones (Central Flyway, North Zone, Central Flyway, South Zone, Pacific Flyway, North and South Zones (west of the Continental Divide)). The full table on this page was read from New Mexico Department of Game and Fish's own published page, linked beside it; confirm there before you hunt.

Q: What about goose season in New Mexico?

The goose table on this page lists the seasons as New Mexico Department of Game and Fish publishes them, by species group and zone. The Middle Rio Grande Valley is closed to dark goose hunting during the regular Central Flyway season and instead has its own late season.

Q: Is there a September teal season in New Mexico?

Yes: September 12, 2026 to September 20, 2026, as published by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. September teal season in the Central Flyway North and South zones; blue-winged, cinnamon and green-winged teal.

Q: Which duck zone am I in?

New Mexico's zones (Central Flyway, North Zone, Central Flyway, South Zone, Pacific Flyway, North and South Zones (west of the Continental Divide)) are drawn by the agency along highways, rivers and county lines. Your zone is determined from the agency's own map: New Mexico Department of Game and Fish publishes the official zone map and boundary descriptions, linked from this page.

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

At New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, 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 10, 2026 to January 31, 2027

Duck season

published

3 zones

Zones

as the agency draws it

Central + Pacific

Flyway

federal framework

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

Source

read 2026-09-01

The main event

Duck season in New Mexico, zone by zone

Ducks, 2026-27

publishedCentral Flyway + Pacific

Duck season is OPEN now in the Central Flyway, North Zone, through January 13, 2027.

New Mexico duck seasons 2026-27, as published by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
Zone	Season segments
Central Flyway, North Zone	October 10, 2026 to January 13, 2027
Central Flyway, South Zone	October 28, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Pacific Flyway, North and South Zones (west of the Continental Divide)	October 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027

Dates read from 2026-2027 New Mexico Migratory Game Bird Supplement (NM Department of Game and Fish), accessed 2026-09-01.

New Mexico spans two flyways; Central Flyway zones divide at I-40 and US 54 at Tucumcari. Pacific Flyway allows 7 ducks daily versus 6 in the Central Flyway. Youth waterfowl days run per flyway in October.

September teal: September 12, 2026 to September 20, 2026. September teal season in the Central Flyway North and South zones; blue-winged, cinnamon and green-winged teal.

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 New Mexico

Geese, 2026-27

published

Goose season	Dates
Dark goose (Canada and white-fronted), Central Flyway North and South Zones	October 17, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Dark goose, Middle Rio Grande Valley (Valencia, Socorro and Sierra counties)	December 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Light goose (snow and Ross's), Central Flyway	October 17, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Goose (Canada, brant, white-fronted and light), Pacific Flyway North Zone	September 26, 2026 to October 11, 2026November 2, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Goose (Canada, brant, white-fronted and light), Pacific Flyway South Zone	October 17, 2026 to January 31, 2027

Dates read from 2026-2027 New Mexico Migratory Game Bird Supplement (NM Department of Game and Fish), accessed 2026-09-01.

The Middle Rio Grande Valley is closed to dark goose hunting during the regular Central Flyway season and instead has its own late season.

Light goose conservation order: February 1, 2027 to March 10, 2027. A conservation order is a federal population control measure, not a regular hunting season, and runs under its own rules. Light goose conservation order; free permit required, expanded methods allowed. Details live at New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

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 New Mexico’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.

New Mexico 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

New Mexico 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 New Mexico Department of Game and Fishand USFWS, and the regulations page is linked below.

Current New Mexico regulations

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

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish: 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

New Mexico waterfowl season questions

When is duck season in New Mexico for 2026-27?

What about goose season in New Mexico?

Is there a September teal season in New Mexico?

What is a flyway, and which one is New Mexico 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. New Mexico 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 New Mexico Department of Game and Fish 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 New Mexico Department of Game and Fish 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.

New Mexico Duck & Goose Season 2026-27