Ohio Duck Season
2026–2027
Season dates by zone, bag limits, youth days, and license requirements — verified against the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
- Earliest opener
- Oct 17
- Latest close
- Jan 31
- Daily bag
- 6 ducks
- Possession
- 18 ducks
Zone A
Zone C
Species limits apply
3× daily bag
Zone A opens in
23 days
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Season dates by zone
Duck season, by zone. Always confirm shooting hours with ODNR.
Zone A
60 days
- Oct 17 – Nov 1, 2026
- Nov 14 – Dec 27, 2026
Full boundary ↓Hide ↑
Waterfowl zone A consists of Auglaize, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hardin, Henry, Marion, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Sandusky, Shelby, Van Wert, Williams, and Wyandot counties, and the portion of Lucas county outside of waterfowl zone B, extending to the boundary line in Lake Erie. The waterfowl zone A boundary line in Lake Erie begins at the Erie-Lorain county line and extends north to a point one hundred yards from shore, and then follows the Lake Erie shoreline west at a distance of one hundred yards offshore. The zone boundary line follows the shoreline west toward and around the northern tip of Cedar Point amusement park, then continues from the westernmost point of Cedar Point toward the seventy-seven-foot-tall Moseley Channel range rear light near the southernmost tip of the sandbar at the mouth of Sandusky Bay to a point one hundred yards offshore, and continuing at a distance of one hundred yards offshore parallel to the Lake Erie shoreline north and west toward the northernmost tip of Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge, then follows a direct line toward the southernmost tip of Woodtick Peninsula in Michigan to a point that intersects the Ohio-Michigan state line, then follows the state line west to the Lucas county shore. (O.A.C. 1501:31-7-07(A), verbatim.)
Zone B
60 days
- Oct 17 – Oct 25, 2026
- Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027
Full boundary ↓Hide ↑
Waterfowl zone B includes Allen, Ashtabula, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Hancock, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Morrow, Portage, Putnam, Richland, Seneca, Summit, Trumbull, and Wood counties, and the portion of Lucas county south of U.S. 24 and west of I-75. The waterfowl zone B boundary line extends from the Ashland county line northeast along SR 3 to SR 60, north along SR 60 to U.S. 30, east along U.S. 30 to SR 3, south along SR 3 to SR 226, south along SR 226 to SR 514, southwest along SR 514 to SR 754, south along SR 754 to SR 39, east along SR 39 to SR 241, northeast along SR 241 to U.S. 30, east along U.S. 30 to SR 39, and east along SR 39 to the Pennsylvania state line. Waterfowl zone B includes those portions of: Ashland county west of the boundary line following SR 3, west of the boundary line following SR 60, and north of the boundary line following U.S. 30; Wayne county north of the boundary line following U.S. 30, east of the boundary line as it follows SR 3 and SR 226, and west of the boundary line as it follows SR 241; Holmes county east of the boundary line as it follows SR 514 and SR 754, north of the boundary line as it follows SR 39, and west of the boundary line as it follows SR 241; Stark county north of the boundary line as it follows SR 241 and U.S. 30; and Columbiana county north of the boundary line as it follows U.S. 30 and SR 39. Waterfowl zone B includes the remainder of Lake Erie islands and waters not included in waterfowl zone A. (O.A.C. 1501:31-7-07(B), verbatim.)
Zone C
60 days
- Oct 17 – Oct 25, 2026
- Dec 12, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027
Waterfowl zone C includes the remainder of the state not included in either waterfowl zone A or waterfowl zone B. (O.A.C. 1501:31-7-07(C), verbatim.)
Other waterfowl seasonsCoot, Early teal, Early Canada goose, Canada goose (regular), Light goose (snow, blue, Ross’s)
Coot
Zone A
- Oct 17 – Nov 1, 2026
- Nov 14 – Dec 27, 2026
Coot
Zone B
- Oct 17 – Oct 25, 2026
- Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027
Coot
Zone C
- Oct 17 – Oct 25, 2026
- Dec 12, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027
Early teal
Statewide
- Sep 5 – Sep 13, 2026
Early Canada goose
Statewide
- Sep 5 – Sep 13, 2026
Canada goose (regular)
Zone A
- Oct 17 – Nov 1, 2026
- Nov 14, 2026 – Feb 1, 2027
Canada goose (regular)
Zone B
- Oct 17 – Oct 25, 2026
- Nov 21, 2026 – Feb 15, 2027
Canada goose (regular)
Zone C
- Oct 17 – Oct 25, 2026
- Nov 21, 2026 – Feb 15, 2027
Light goose (snow, blue, Ross’s)
Zone A
- Oct 17 – Nov 1, 2026
- Nov 14, 2026 – Feb 1, 2027
Light goose (snow, blue, Ross’s)
Zone B
- Oct 17 – Oct 25, 2026
- Nov 21, 2026 – Feb 15, 2027
Light goose (snow, blue, Ross’s)
Zone C
- Oct 17 – Oct 25, 2026
- Nov 21, 2026 – Feb 15, 2027
Youth & special days
Youth waterfowl
- Statewide:
- Oct 3 – Oct 4, 2026
Bag limits
Daily limit is 6 ducks total. Within those, no more than:
Light geese: 10 daily, 30 in possession.
Mergansers: 5 daily, 15 in possession.
Scaup: 1 for the first 15 days, then 2 for the last 45 days daily, 6 in possession.
What you need to hunt ducks in Ohio
Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp — Required annually to hunt ducks, geese, or brant on the lands of another (Ohio Revised Code 1533.112).
Federal Duck Stamp — Required for hunters 16 and older, signed across the face.
Nontoxic shot — Lead shot is prohibited for waterfowl nationwide.
- Hunters under 16 are exempt from the Wetlands Habitat Stamp requirement.
- The stamp is only required to hunt "on the lands of another" — hunting land you own does not require it — per the same statute.
License and permit names and exemptions are set by the state and can change without notice, and fees aren’t listed here for the same reason. MarshHQ is not responsible for errors or out-of-date information — confirm current requirements directly with ODNR (opens in a new tab) before you hunt.
Disclaimer: Bag limits and season dates are for reference only and may not reflect the most current regulations. Always verify with USFWS and your state wildlife agency before hunting. Dates and limits above reflect the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’s published 2026–2027 waterfowl regulations as checked on 2026-07-23. Confirm with the official source before you hunt: codes.ohio.gov (opens in a new tab)
Not affiliated with any state wildlife agency.