South Dakota Duck Season
2026–2027

Season dates by zone, bag limits, youth days, and license requirements — verified against the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks.

Verified against SD GFPUpdated Source: gfp.sd.gov ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Earliest opener
Sep 26

Low Plains North Zone

Latest close
Jan 14

High Plains Zone

Daily bag
6 ducks

Species limits apply

Possession
18 ducks

3× daily bag

Low Plains Middle Zone opens in

2 days

Start your South Dakota log — free. MarshHQ counts every species against these limits as you log, and shows legal shooting light for the spot you’re hunting.

Email only. No card. The log stays free.

Season dates by zone

Duck season, by zone. Always confirm shooting hours with SD GFP.

High Plains Zone

97 days

  • Oct 10, 2026 – Jan 14, 2027
Full boundary ↓

That portion of South Dakota west of a line beginning at the junction of U.S. Highway 83 and the South Dakota-North Dakota border, then southerly along U.S. Highway 83 to its junction with U.S. Highway 14, then easterly along U.S. Highway 14 to Blunt, then southerly along the Blunt-Canning Road to its junction with State Highway 34, then easterly and southerly along State Highway 34 to its junction with State Highway 50 at Lee's Corner, then southerly along State Highway 50 to its junction with Interstate Highway 90, then easterly along Interstate Highway 90 to its junction with State Highway 50, then southerly along State Highway 50 to its junction with State Highway 44, then westerly along State Highway 44 across the Platte-Winner Bridge to State Highway 47, then southerly along State Highway 47 to its junction with U.S. Highway 18, then easterly along U.S. Highway 18 to its junction with State Highway 47, then southerly along State Highway 47 to the South Dakota-Nebraska border (the High Plains Mallard Management Unit).

Low Plains Middle Zone

74 days

  • Sep 26 – Dec 8, 2026

That portion of the state east of the High Plains zone, excluding the areas in the Low Plains north and south zones.

Low Plains North Zone

74 days

  • Sep 26 – Dec 8, 2026
Full boundary ↓

That portion of northeastern South Dakota east of the High Plains Unit and north of a line extending easterly along U.S. Highway 212 to the South Dakota-Minnesota border.

Low Plains South Zone

74 days

  • Oct 24, 2026 – Jan 5, 2027
Full boundary ↓

That portion of Gregory County east of State Highway 47 and south of State Highway 44; that portion of Charles Mix County south of State Highway 44 to the Douglas County line, then southerly along State Highway 50 Geddes, then easterly along the Geddes Highway to its junction with U.S. Highway 281 and U.S. Highway 18, then southerly along U.S. Highway 281 and U.S. Highway 18 to State Highway 50, then southerly and easterly along State Highway 50 to the Bon Homme County line; Bon Homme County south of State Highway 50; that portion of Yankton County south of State Highway 50; that portion of Clay County south of State Highway 50; and that portion of Union County south of State Highway 50 and west of Interstate 29.

Other waterfowl seasonsCoot, Early Canada goose, Canada goose (regular), White-fronted goose, Light goose (snow, blue, Ross’s), Light goose conservation order

Coot

High Plains Zone

  • Oct 10, 2026 – Jan 14, 2027

Coot

Low Plains Middle Zone

  • Sep 26 – Dec 8, 2026

Coot

Low Plains North Zone

  • Sep 26 – Dec 8, 2026

Coot

Low Plains South Zone

  • Oct 24, 2026 – Jan 5, 2027

Early Canada goose

Statewide

  • Sep 1 – Sep 30, 2026

Canada goose (regular)

Goose Unit 1

  • Oct 1 – Dec 16, 2026

Canada goose (regular)

Goose Unit 2

  • Nov 2, 2026 – Feb 14, 2027

White-fronted goose

Statewide

  • Sep 26 – Dec 8, 2026

Light goose (snow, blue, Ross’s)

Statewide

  • Sep 26, 2026 – Jan 8, 2027

Light goose conservation order

Statewide

  • Feb 15 – May 15, 2027

Youth & special days

Youth waterfowl

Statewide:
Sep 12 – Sep 13, 2026

Bag limits

Daily limit is 6 ducks total. Within those, no more than:

American Coot15
Canada GooseGoose Unit 115, then 8
Canada GooseGoose Unit 24
Canvasback2
Mallard5 (max 2 hens)
Northern Pintail3
Redhead2
White-fronted Goose3
Wood Duck3

Light geese: 50 daily.

Scaup: 1 daily, 3 in possession.

What you need to hunt ducks in South Dakota

  1. South Dakota Migratory Bird Certification — South Dakota's HIP equivalent, required of all waterfowl hunters.

  2. Federal Waterfowl Stamp — Required for hunters 16 and older.

  3. South Dakota Habitat Stamp — Required for hunters 18 and older.

  4. Nontoxic shot — Lead shot is prohibited for waterfowl nationwide.

Nonresidents also need

  1. Nonresident Waterfowl License — Application/lottery-based for most seasons and units; choice of a Traditional or Three-Duck license option.

  • Hunters under 16 are exempt from the Federal Waterfowl Stamp (Migratory Bird Certification is still required).
  • Youth age 12 (or turning 12 by Dec. 31) may hunt under the same license requirements as adults.

Buy your permits ↗ (opens in a new tab)

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 SD GFP (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 South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks’s published 2026–2027 waterfowl regulations as checked on 2026-07-28. Confirm with the official source before you hunt: gfp.sd.gov (opens in a new tab)

Not affiliated with any state wildlife agency.