Migratory Birds Seasons
2025-2026 Migratory Birds Hunting Schedule
Shooting & Hawking Hours
- Ducks, Geese, Teal, Rail, Gallinule, Snipe and Woodcock: One-Half Hour before sunrise to sunset, EXCEPT
- Shooting hours for Snipe at the Spanish Lake Recreation Area in Iberia Parish, including the Conservation Order, shall end at 2 p.m.
- Mourning Dove: One-Half Hour before sunrise to sunset.
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2025-2026 Migratory Game Bird Schedule |
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Species |
Season Dates |
Daily Bag Limit |
Possession Limit |
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Mourning and White-winged Doves and fully-dressed Eurasian Collared and Ringed Turtle Doves |
North Zone: Sept. 6-28 Oct. 11 - Nov. 16 Dec. 20 - Jan. 18 |
South Zone: Sept. 6-21 Oct. 18 - Nov. 30 Dec. 13 - Jan. 11 |
15 in the aggregate |
45 in the aggregate |
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Woodcock |
Dec. 18 - Jan. 31 |
3 |
9 |
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Sept. 20-28 |
6 |
18 |
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King and Clapper Rails |
Sept. 20-28 Nov. 8 - Jan. 7 |
15 in the aggregate |
45 in the aggregate |
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Sora and Virginia Rails |
Sept. 20-28 Nov. 8 - Jan. 7 |
25 in the aggregate |
75 in the aggregate |
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Gallinules |
Sept. 20-28 Nov. 8 - Jan. 7 |
15 |
45 |
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Snipe |
Nov. 2 - Dec. 7 Dec. 20 - Feb. 28 |
8 |
24 |
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Canada Geese* |
East Zone: Nov. 15 - Dec. 8 Dec. 20 - Feb. 7 |
West Zone: Nov. 8 - Dec. 7 Dec. 20 - Feb. 1 |
1 |
3 |
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Light Geese (Snow, Blue and Ross’) |
20 |
None |
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White-fronted Geese |
3 |
9 |
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Conservation Order for Light Geese (Snow, Blue and Ross’) |
East Zone: Dec. 9-19 Feb. 8 - March 15 |
West Zone: Dec. 8-19 Feb. 2 - March 15 |
No bag or possession limit. See “Geese” section for more detail |
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Falconry for Ducks |
Nov. 1 - Jan. 31 |
Falconry daily bag and possession limit for all permitted migratory game birds must not exceed 3 and 9 birds respectively, singly or in aggregate, during the extended falconry seasons and regular hunting seasons. |
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Falconry for Rails and Gallinules |
Nov. 1 - Jan. 31 |
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Falconry for Woodcock |
Nov. 1 - Jan. 31 |
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Extended Falconry for Mourning Doves |
Sept. 13-28 |
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Ducks, Coots and Mergansers |
East Zone: Nov. 15-16 (Youth and Veterans only) Nov. 22 - Dec. 8 Dec. 20 - Jan. 31 |
West Zone: Nov. 8-9 (Youth only) Nov. 15 - Dec. 7 Dec. 20 - Jan. 25 Jan. 31 - Feb. 1 (Veterans only) |
See Ducks, Coots and Mergansers section for more details |
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