Pennsylvania Duck Season 2026-27: Waterfowl Zone Dates

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

October 10, 2026 to January 18, 2027, split across 4 zones (North Zone, South Zone, Northwest Zone, Lake Erie Zone), with split season segments inside the window. The full table on this page was read from Pennsylvania Game Commission's own published page, linked beside it; confirm there before you hunt.

Q: What about goose season in Pennsylvania?

The goose table on this page lists the seasons as Pennsylvania Game Commission publishes them, by species group and zone. In western Crawford County and northwestern Mercer County the September Canada goose season runs Sep 1 to Sep 12, 2026. Atlantic Population Zone regular season grew from 30 to 45 days this year. A light goose conservation season decision comes after spring surveys.

Q: Which duck zone am I in?

Pennsylvania's zones (North Zone, South Zone, Northwest Zone, Lake Erie Zone) are drawn by the agency along highways, rivers and county lines. Your zone is determined from the agency's own map: Pennsylvania Game Commission publishes the official zone map and boundary descriptions, linked from this page.

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

At Pennsylvania Game Commission, 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 18, 2027

Duck season

published

4 zones

Zones

with split segments

Atlantic

Flyway

federal framework

Pennsylvania Game Commission

Source

read 2026-09-01

The main event

Duck season in Pennsylvania, zone by zone

Ducks, 2026-27

publishedAtlantic Flyway

Duck season is OPEN now in the North Zone, through October 24, 2026, with 3 zone segments open.

Pennsylvania duck seasons 2026-27, as published by Pennsylvania Game Commission
Zone	Season segments
North Zone	October 10, 2026 to October 24, 2026November 17, 2026 to January 9, 2027
South Zone	October 10, 2026 to October 17, 2026November 18, 2026 to January 18, 2027
Northwest Zone	October 10, 2026 to November 27, 2026December 21, 2026 to January 9, 2027
Lake Erie Zone	November 2, 2026 to January 9, 2027

Dates read from 2026-27 Migratory Game Bird Season Set (Pennsylvania Game Commission newsroom), accessed 2026-09-01.

Season covers ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers in four zones.

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 Pennsylvania

Geese, 2026-27

published

Goose season	Dates
Canada geese, September season, all zones	September 1, 2026 to September 25, 2026
Canada geese, regular season, Resident Population Zone	October 24, 2026 to November 27, 2026December 15, 2026 to January 18, 2027January 29, 2027 to February 20, 2027
Canada geese, regular season, Atlantic Population Zone	November 21, 2026 to November 27, 2026December 4, 2026 to January 18, 2027
Light geese (snow and Ross's geese), both goose zones	November 6, 2026 to March 10, 2027
Brant	October 10, 2026 to November 13, 2026

Dates read from 2026-27 Migratory Game Bird Season Set (Pennsylvania Game Commission newsroom), accessed 2026-09-01.

In western Crawford County and northwestern Mercer County the September Canada goose season runs Sep 1 to Sep 12, 2026. Atlantic Population Zone regular season grew from 30 to 45 days this year. A light goose conservation season decision comes after spring surveys.

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 Pennsylvania’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.

Pennsylvania 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

Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Game Commissionand USFWS, and the regulations page is linked below.

Current Pennsylvania regulations

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

Pennsylvania Game Commission: 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

Pennsylvania waterfowl season questions

When is duck season in Pennsylvania for 2026-27?

What about goose season in Pennsylvania?

What is a flyway, and which one is Pennsylvania 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. Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Game Commission 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 Pennsylvania Game Commission 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.

Pennsylvania Duck & Goose Season 2026-27