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Minnesota

Hunting

Hunting

Waterfowl Hunting Seasons

Waterfowl Seasons

Youth waterfowl hunt

On September 9-10, waterfowl hunters age 17 and younger, when accompanied by a non-hunting adult (age 18 and older) may take ducks, geese, mergansers, coots and moorhens from ½ hour before sunrise to sunset.

Early Teal

ZoneDates
StatewideSept. 2-6
Harvest of Blue-winged, Green-winged and Cinnamon teal allowed.

Early-season teal hunters may not hunt within one-half mile of posted wild rice beds open to harvest within the boundaries of the Leech Lake Reservation during the early teal season.

Ducks, coots, mergansers

ZoneDates
NorthSept. 23 - Nov. 21
CentralSept. 23-Oct. 1; Oct. 7-Nov. 26
SouthSept. 23-Oct. 1; Oct. 7-Nov. 26

Geese

ZoneDates
Early goose (statewide)Sept. 2-17
NorthSept. 23-Dec. 23
CentralSept. 23-Oct. 1; Oct. 7-Dec. 28
SouthSept. 23-Oct. 1; Oct. 7-Dec. 28

Daily limits

Early Teal

SpeciesLimit
Blue-winged, Green-winged, Cinnamon6 combined

Ducks

SpeciesLimit
Mallard4 (2 hens)
Wood duck3
Redhead2
Canvasback2
Black duck2
Pintail1
All others6

Scaup

DatesLimit
Zone opening day - Oct. 131
Oct. 13 - Zone closing day2

Coots & moorhen (gallinule)

SpeciesLimit
Coots & moorhen (gallinule)15

Mergansers

SpeciesLimit
Mergansers5 (no more than 2 of which may be hooded mergansers)

Early goose season

SpeciesDatesLimit
Canada, White-fronted, BrantSept. 2-175 combined
Snow, Blue snow, Ross'sSept. 2-1720

Regular goose season

North zone
SpeciesDatesLimit
Canada, White-fronted, BrantSept. 23-Dec. 235 combined
Snow, Blue snow, Ross'sSept. 23-Dec. 2320
Central zone
SpeciesDatesLimit
Canada, White-fronted, BrantSept. 23-Oct. 1; Oct. 7-Dec. 285 combined
Snow, Blue snow, Ross'sSept. 23-Oct. 1; Oct. 7-Dec. 2820
South zone
SpeciesDatesLimit
Canada, White-fronted, BrantSept. 23-Oct. 1; Oct. 7-Dec. 285 combined
Snow, Blue snow, Ross'sSept. 23-Oct. 1; Oct. 7-Dec. 2820

The possession limit for all migratory birds is three times the daily limit.

½ hour before sunrise to sunset except early teal season, when shooting cannot begin until sunrise.

Waterfowl Hunting Zones

Waterfowl Hunting Zones