Pennsylvania Duck Season
2026–2027
Season dates by zone, bag limits, youth days, and license requirements — verified against the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
- Earliest opener
- Oct 10
- Latest close
- Jan 18
- Daily bag
- 6 ducks
- Possession
- 18 ducks
North Zone
South Zone
Species limits apply
3× daily bag
North Zone opens in
17 days
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Season dates by zone
Duck season, by zone. Always confirm shooting hours with PGC.
Lake Erie Zone
69 days
- Nov 2, 2026 – Jan 9, 2027
Full boundary ↓Hide ↑
Small zone along Pennsylvania's Lake Erie shoreline (Erie County), one of PA's four duck-hunting zones, as delineated on the PA Game Commission's Duck Zone map (pa.gov/agencies/pgc/maps). No verbatim county-by-county boundary text was published on the pages fetched 2026-07-29.
North Zone
69 days
- Oct 10 – Oct 24, 2026
- Nov 17, 2026 – Jan 9, 2027
Full boundary ↓Hide ↑
One of PA's four duck-hunting zones (North, South, Northwest, Lake Erie) as delineated on the PA Game Commission's Goose/Duck Zone maps (pa.gov/agencies/pgc/maps). No verbatim county-by-county boundary text was published on the seasons-and-bag-limits or newsroom pages as fetched 2026-07-29 -- zone existence and its season/scaup dates are confirmed (see PA.json _notes arithmetic cross-check), but the precise legal line is not transcribed here; consult PGC's official zone map for exact placement.
Northwest Zone
69 days
- Oct 10 – Nov 27, 2026
- Dec 21, 2026 – Jan 9, 2027
Full boundary ↓Hide ↑
One of PA's four duck-hunting zones, covering northwestern Pennsylvania outside the Lake Erie zone, as delineated on the PA Game Commission's Duck Zone map (pa.gov/agencies/pgc/maps). No verbatim county-by-county boundary text was published on the pages fetched 2026-07-29.
South Zone
70 days
- Oct 10 – Oct 17, 2026
- Nov 18, 2026 – Jan 18, 2027
Full boundary ↓Hide ↑
One of PA's four duck-hunting zones (generally south-central/southeastern PA), as delineated on the PA Game Commission's Duck Zone map (pa.gov/agencies/pgc/maps). No verbatim county-by-county boundary text was published on the pages fetched 2026-07-29 -- do not confuse this DUCK zone with the differently-shaped Atlantic Population GOOSE zone (see the held canada_goose_regular rows for that zone's verbatim boundary).
Other waterfowl seasonsCoot, Early Canada goose, Light goose (snow, blue, Ross’s), Brant
Coot
Lake Erie Zone
- Nov 2, 2026 – Jan 9, 2027
Coot
North Zone
- Oct 10 – Oct 24, 2026
- Nov 17, 2026 – Jan 9, 2027
Coot
Northwest Zone
- Oct 10 – Nov 27, 2026
- Dec 21, 2026 – Jan 9, 2027
Coot
South Zone
- Oct 10 – Oct 17, 2026
- Nov 18, 2026 – Jan 18, 2027
Early Canada goose
Statewide
- Sep 1 – Sep 25, 2026
Light goose (snow, blue, Ross’s)
Statewide
- Nov 6, 2026 – Mar 10, 2027
Brant
Statewide
- Oct 10 – Nov 13, 2026
Youth & special days
Youth waterfowl
- Statewide:
- Sep 19, 2026
- North Zone:
- Oct 31, 2026
- South Zone:
- Nov 7, 2026
- Northwest Zone:
- Sep 26, 2026
- Lake Erie Zone:
- Oct 24, 2026
Bag limits
Daily limit is 6 ducks total. Within those, no more than:
Light geese: 25 daily.
Mergansers: 5 daily, 15 in possession.
Scaup (Lake Erie Zone): 1, then 2, then 1 daily, 6 in possession.
Scaup (North Zone): 1, then 1, then 2 daily, 6 in possession.
Scaup (Northwest Zone): 1, then 2, then 2 daily, 6 in possession.
Scaup (South Zone): 1, then 1, then 2 daily, 6 in possession.
What you need to hunt ducks in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Migratory Game Bird License — Add-on license required in addition to a general hunting license (or 7-day nonresident small game license) to hunt migratory game birds, including waterfowl.
Federal Duck Stamp — Required for waterfowl hunters 16 and older; the electronic E-Stamp is valid for the whole season.
Nontoxic shot — Lead shot is prohibited for waterfowl nationwide.
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 PGC (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 Pennsylvania Game Commission’s published 2026–2027 waterfowl regulations as checked on 2026-07-29. Confirm with the official source before you hunt: pa.gov (opens in a new tab)
Not affiliated with any state wildlife agency.