New York Duck Season 2026-27: Waterfowl Zone Dates

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

October 10, 2026 to January 31, 2027, split across 5 zones (Western Zone, Northeastern Zone, Southeastern Zone, Lake Champlain Zone, Long Island Zone), with split season segments inside the window. The full table on this page was read from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)'s own published page, linked beside it; confirm there before you hunt.

Q: What about goose season in New York?

The goose table on this page lists the seasons as New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) publishes them, by species group and zone. Canada goose seasons run by goose hunt area layered over the duck zones. Long Island brant dates differ from upstate; check the agency page for that zone.

Q: Which duck zone am I in?

New York's zones (Western Zone, Northeastern Zone, Southeastern Zone, Lake Champlain Zone, Long Island Zone) are drawn by the agency along highways, rivers and county lines. Your zone is determined from the agency's own map: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) 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 York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), 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

5 zones

Zones

with split segments

Atlantic

Flyway

federal framework

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)

Source

read 2026-09-01

The main event

Duck season in New York, zone by zone

Ducks, 2026-27

publishedAtlantic Flyway

Duck season is OPEN now in the Western Zone, through November 1, 2026, with 4 zone segments open.

New York duck seasons 2026-27, as published by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Zone	Season segments
Western Zone	October 10, 2026 to November 1, 2026December 5, 2026 to January 10, 2027
Northeastern Zone	October 10, 2026 to November 29, 2026December 12, 2026 to December 20, 2026
Southeastern Zone	October 10, 2026 to October 18, 2026November 7, 2026 to December 27, 2026
Lake Champlain Zone	October 10, 2026 to November 1, 2026November 21, 2026 to December 27, 2026
Long Island Zone	November 21, 2026 to November 29, 2026December 12, 2026 to January 31, 2027

Dates read from Waterfowl Hunting Seasons - NYSDEC, accessed 2026-09-01.

Five duck hunting zones, each with a split season. Youth and veteran hunt days also exist.

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 York

Geese, 2026-27

published

Goose season	Dates
Canada geese, September season, upstate areas	September 1, 2026 to September 25, 2026
Canada geese, September season, Long Island areas	September 8, 2026 to September 30, 2026
Canada geese, Northeast goose hunt area	October 24, 2026 to November 29, 2026December 12, 2026 to December 19, 2026
Canada geese, East Central goose hunt area	October 24, 2026 to November 20, 2026December 12, 2026 to December 19, 2026
Canada geese, West Central goose hunt area	November 7, 2026 to December 21, 2026
Canada geese, Hudson Valley goose hunt area	November 7, 2026 to December 21, 2026
Canada geese, Lake Champlain goose hunt area	October 10, 2026 to November 23, 2026December 1, 2026 to January 4, 2027
Canada geese, South goose hunt area	October 24, 2026 to January 11, 2027
Canada geese, Western Long Island goose hunt area	November 7, 2026 to February 21, 2027
Canada geese, Central Long Island goose hunt area	November 21, 2026 to November 29, 2026December 5, 2026 to February 3, 2027
Canada geese, Eastern Long Island goose hunt area	November 21, 2026 to November 29, 2026December 5, 2026 to January 24, 2027
Snow geese, Northeastern and Lake Champlain zones	October 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026February 26, 2027 to March 10, 2027
Snow geese, Western, Southeastern and Long Island zones	November 24, 2026 to March 10, 2027
Brant, upstate zones	October 10, 2026 to November 8, 2026

Dates read from Waterfowl Hunting Seasons - NYSDEC, accessed 2026-09-01.

Canada goose seasons run by goose hunt area layered over the duck zones. Long Island brant dates differ from upstate; check the agency page for that zone.

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 York’s dates get set: the Atlantic 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 York selects its dates inside the Atlantic Flyway framework. The eastern seaboard corridor, Maine to Florida, inland to West Virginia.

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 York 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 York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)and USFWS, and the regulations page is linked below.

Current New York regulations

Bag limits and species restrictions, shooting hours, duck stamp and HIP requirements, license rules, and youth or veteran season details for New York are set by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), are legally binding and change annually. Its current regulations page is linked here.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC): 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 York waterfowl season questions

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

What about goose season in New York?

What is a flyway, and which one is New York 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 York selects its dates inside the Atlantic Flyway framework. The eastern seaboard corridor, Maine to Florida, inland to West Virginia.

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 York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) 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 York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) 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 York Duck & Goose Season 2026-27