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Iowa

Hunting

Hunting

Migratory Game Bird Seasons

2022-2023 MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS SEASONS & LIMITS

Seasons

2022-2023North ZoneCentral ZoneSouth Zone
Youth WaterfowlSept. 24-25Oct. 1-2Oct 8-9
Ducks, Mergansers & CootsOct. 1-7 &
Oct 15-Dec 6
Oct 8-14 &
Oct 22-Dec 13
Oct 15-21 &
Oct 29-Dec 20
Dark Geese & Light GeeseSept 24-Oct 9 &
Oct 15-Dec 6 &
Dec 10-Jan 7, 2023
Oct 1-16 &
Oct 22-Dec 13 &
Dec 17-Jan 14, 2023
Oct 8-23 &
Oct 29-Dec 20 &
Dec 24-Jan 21, 2023

BAG LIMITS:

DUCKS: Daily limit 6, including no more than 4 mallards (of which no more than 2 may be female), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 1 pintail, 2 black ducks, and 2 canvasback. Scaup bag limit: 1 for first 15 days of the season, 2 for the remaining 45 days.

MERGANSERS: Daily limit 5, including no more than 2 hooded mergansers.

COOTS: Daily limit 15.

YOUTH WATERFOWL HUNTING DAYS: Shooting hours and daily bag limits will conform to those set for the regular waterfowl seasons.

DARK GEESE: The daily bag limit for Canada geese, white-fronted geese, brant and any other geese that are not light geese is 5 and may include no more than 2 Canada geese during the first segment of the statewide season and no more than 3 Canada geese beginning with second segment of the statewide season until the end of the season.

LIGHT GEESE: The daily bag limit for white and blue-phase snow geese and Ross’ geese is 20

2022-2023StatewideLimit
Special September TealSept 1 - 16Daily limit is 6
DovesSept 1 - Nov 29Daily limit is 15
SnipeSept 3 - Nov 30Daily limit is 8
RailSept 3 - Nov 11Daily limit is 12
WoodcockOct 1 - Nov 14Daily limit is 3


METRO CANADA GOOSE SEASONS

Only in designated areas around Des Moines, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City and Cedar Falls/Waterloo. Special regulations apply. See Special September Canada Goose Season maps at select license agents in hunt zones and online at http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting...

CANADA GEESE Sept. 10-18. Daily limit is 5

LIGHT GEESE CONSERVATION ORDER

White & blue phase snow geese & Ross’ geese. Jan. 22-May 1, 2023

POSSESSION LIMITS:

Possession limits are three times the daily bag limit for all migratory birds, except light geese for which there is no possession limit.