Migratory Bird Seasons & Bag Limits

Delaware Migratory Game bird Season Summary |
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Ducks |
Season Dates |
Daily Bag Limit |
Possession Limit |
Ducks (Regular Season) |
Oct 27 - Nov 4 |
6 |
18 |
Nov 20 - Nov 25 |
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Dec 9 - Jan 31 |
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September Teal |
Sep 13 - Sep 30 |
6 |
18 |
Limited to the designated teal zone south of the C&D Canal to north of Route 9 in Lewes, and east of Routes 13, 113/113A, and 1. Bag limit may include any combination of blue-winged and/or green-winged teal |
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Youth Waterfowl Hunt Youth must be age 10-15. |
Oct 21 and Feb 3 |
See duck bag limits |
See duck possession limits |
Daily bag limits as listed below apply for ducks, mergansers, coots, moorhens, gallinules, Canada geese, snow geese, brant, and swans. Limits are described by each species. |
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Daily Bag Limits and Possession Limits |
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The daily limit of 6 ducks (excluding mergansers and coots) may include, in any combination, up to: 4 mallards (2 hens); 2 black ducks; 1 pintail; 2 canvasback, 3 wood ducks; 2 redheads; 1 scaup, 6 teal; 6 shovelers; 6 gadwall; 6 wigeon; 6 goldeneye; 6 ring-necked ducks; 6 bufflehead; 6 ruddy ducks; 1 mottled duck; 1 fulvous whistling-duck; 4 total sea ducks (no more than 3 scoters; 3 eiders (1 hen); 3 long-tailed ducks). The possession limit is 3 times the daily limit. The season on harlequin ducks remains closed. |
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Sea Ducks* Scoters, Eiders, and Long-tailed ducks |
Same as Duck Season |
See duck bag limits |
See duck possession limits |
* There is no longer a special sea duck zone with it’s own separate season dates or daily bag and possession limits. The season dates for sea ducks are the same as the Regular Duck Season and the Daily Bag and Possession Limits are included as part of the regular daily bag and possession limits. The shooting of crippled waterfowl from a motorboat under power will be permitted in the area not less than 800 yards (1/2) mile seaward from the Delaware Bay shore or the Atlantic Ocean shore beginning at an east-west line between Port Mahon and the Elbow Cross Navigation Light, south to the Delaware-Maryland line. |
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Coot |
Same as Duck Season |
15 |
45 |
Mergansers** |
Same as Duck Season |
5 |
15 |
** Daily bag limit may include no more than 2 hooded mergansers (6 in possession) |
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Geese and Brant |
Season Dates |
Daily Bag Limit |
Possession Limit |
Canada Goose (Resident) |
Sep 1 - Sep 25 |
15 |
45 |
Canada Goose (Migratory) Including White-fronted geese |
Nov 20 - Nov 25 |
2 |
6 |
Dec 16 - Jan 30 |
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Brant |
Dec 23 - Jan 9 (season closed on Jan 10) |
1 |
3 |
Jan 11 - Jan 27 |
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Snow Goose Including Ross’ goose |
Oct 2 - Jan 31 and Feb. 3 |
25 |
No limit |
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge open Mon., Wed., and Fri. with permission of Refuge Manager. |
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Snow Goose Conservation Order |
Feb 1 - Feb 2 Feb 5 - Apr 12 |
No bag or possession limits |
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During the Conservation Order (CO) unplugged shotguns and electronic calls may be used to harvest snow geese. Shooting hours have been extended to ½ hour after sunset and daily bag and possession limits have been eliminated. Hunters who wish to participate in the CO must register for a free, annual permit, available by visiting https://de.gov/DigitalDNREC (after Jan 1st). Participants are required to re-visit this website after the CO has closed to report their harvest to the Division of Fish and Wildlife. The Snow Snow Goose Conservation Order will be closed on Saturday, February 3, 2024 which is the second youth waterfowl day and will reopen on Monday, February 5, 2024. Snow geese, including Ross’ geese, may be harvested on Saturday, February 3, 2024 within the regular season framework. No liberal methods allowed during the Conservation Order may be allowed this day and a daily bag limit of 25 applies. |
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Swans |
Season Dates |
Daily Bag Limit |
Possession Limit |
Tundra Swan (By special permit ONLY) |
Nov. 11 - Jan. 31 |
1 per season |
1 per season |
Mute Swan |
Legal to take during any open waterfowl season |
No limit |
No limit |
(Closed during the Snow Goose Conservation Order) |
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Trumpeter Swan |
Closed Season |
0 - Closed Season |
0 - Closed Season |
Other Species |
Season Dates |
Daily Bag Limit |
Possession Limit |
Mourning Dove |
Sep 1 - Oct 21 |
15 |
45 |
Nov 20 - Jan 31 |
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1 During the month of September, all hunters must use non-toxic shot when dove hunting on State Wildlife Areas. |
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King and Clapper Rails 2 Singly or in combination of the two species |
Sep 2 - Nov 22 |
102 |
30 |
Sora and Virginia Rails 3 Singly or in combination of the two species |
Sep 2 - Nov 22 |
253 |
75 |
Woodcock |
Nov 20 - Nov 25 |
3 |
9 |
Dec 16 - Jan 30 |
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Common Snipe |
Sep 29 - Jan 31 |
8 |
24 |
Moorhens and Gallinules |
Sep 2 - Nov 22 |
15 |
45 |
Crow 4 Thurs., Fri., and Sat. only |
July 1, 2023 - Mar 30, 20244 and |
No Limit |
No Limit |

