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Pennsylvania › Hunting › Ducks, Mergansers & Coots

Ducks, Mergansers & Coots

DUCKS

  • North Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 8-22, and Nov. 15-Jan. 7.
  • South Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 8-15, and Nov. 22-Jan. 21.
  • Northwest Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 8-Dec. 3, and Dec. 27-Jan. 7.
  • Lake Erie Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 31-Jan. 7.


Total Duck Bag Limits:

6 daily, 18 in possession of any species, except for the following restrictions: daily limit may not include more than 2 mallards including no more than 1 hen mallard, 2 black ducks, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 pintail, 1 mottled duck, 1 fulvous whistling duck, 4 sea ducks; including no more than 3 eiders and no more than 1 female eider, 3 long-tailed ducks, and 3 scoters. Daily limit for scaup varies; see below. Possession limits are three times the daily limits.

SCAUPS

  • North Zone: 1 scaup daily, Oct. 8-22 and Nov. 15-Dec. 15; 2 scaup daily, Dec. 16-Jan. 7.
  • South Zone: 1 scaup daily, Oct. 8-15 and Nov. 22-Dec. 29; 2 scaup daily, Dec. 30-Jan. 21.
  • Northwest Zone: 1 scaup daily, Oct. 9-Nov. 24; 2 scaup daily, Nov. 24-Dec. 3 and Dec. 27-Jan. 7.
  • Lake Erie Zone: 2 scaup daily, Oct. 31-Nov. 22; 1 scaup daily, Nov. 23-Jan. 7.


Junior, Veteran and Active Duty Military Days:

Sept. 24; Open to licensed junior hunters ages 12-16, when properly accompanied, for ducks, mergansers, gallinules and coots, and Canada goose as permitted. Same daily bag limits as regular season. Hunting hours to close at sunset.

  • Statewide - Youth only – Sept. 24
  • North Zone
    • Youth, veterans and active military – Nov. 5
    • Veterans and active military only – Jan. 14
  • Northwest Zone
    • Youth, veterans and active military – Dec. 17
    • Veterans and active military only – Jan. 14
  • Lake Erie Zone
    • Youth, veterans and active military – Oct. 22
    • Veterans and active military only – Jan. 14
  • South Zone
    • Youth, veterans and active military – Nov. 12
    • Veterans and active military only – Jan. 28

MERGANSERS

  • North Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 8-22, and Nov. 15-Jan. 7.
  • South Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 8-15, and Nov. 22-Jan. 21.
  • Northwest Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 8-Dec. 3, and Dec. 27-Jan. 7.
  • Lake Erie Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 31-Jan. 7.

5 daily, 15 in possession

Junior, Veteran and Active Duty Military Days:

Sept. 24; Open to licensed junior hunters ages 12-16, when properly accompanied, for ducks, mergansers, gallinules and coots, and Canada goose as permitted. Same daily bag limits as regular season. Hunting hours to close at sunset.

  • Statewide - Youth only – Sept. 24
  • North Zone
    • Youth, veterans and active military – Nov. 5
    • Veterans and active military only – Jan. 14
  • Northwest Zone
    • Youth, veterans and active military – Dec. 17
    • Veterans and active military only – Jan. 14
  • Lake Erie Zone
    • Youth, veterans and active military – Oct. 22
    • Veterans and active military only – Jan. 14
  • South Zone
    • Youth, veterans and active military – Nov. 12
    • Veterans and active military only – Jan. 28



COOTS

  • North Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 8-22, and Nov. 15-Jan. 7.
  • South Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 8-15, and Nov. 22-Jan. 21.
  • Northwest Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 8-Dec. 3, and Dec. 27-Jan. 7.
  • Lake Erie Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 31-Jan. 7.

15 daily, 45 in possession.

Junior, Veteran and Active Duty Military Days:

Sept. 24; Open to licensed junior hunters ages 12-16, when properly accompanied, for ducks, mergansers, gallinules and coots, and Canada goose as permitted. Same daily bag limits as regular season. Hunting hours to close at sunset.

  • Statewide - Youth only – Sept. 24
  • North Zone
    • Youth, veterans and active military – Nov. 5
    • Veterans and active military only – Jan. 14
  • Northwest Zone
    • Youth, veterans and active military – Dec. 17
    • Veterans and active military only – Jan. 14
  • Lake Erie Zone
    • Youth, veterans and active military – Oct. 22
    • Veterans and active military only – Jan. 14
  • South Zone
    • Youth, veterans and active military – Nov. 12
    • Veterans and active military only – Jan. 28

No open seasons on other wild birds or wild mammals.

1 No hunting on Sunday authorized. See 34 Pa.C.S. § 2303.

2 Hunting on Sunday authorized on separately delineated Sunday date(s) only. See 34 Pa.C.S. § 2303.

3 Hunting on Sunday is authorized. See 34 Pa.C.S. § 2303.

4 Only persons who possess a special wild turkey license as provided for in section 2709 of the act (relating to license costs and fees) may take a second spring gobbler during the hunting license year; all other persons, including mentored youth hunters, may take only one spring gobbler. A maximum of 2 spring gobblers per license year may be taken by any combination of licenses or exceptions for mentored youth.

5 Only one antlered deer (buck) may be taken during the hunting license year.

6 Includes resident and nonresident license holders who have reached or will reach their 65th birthday in the year of the application for the license and hold a valid adult license or qualify for license and fee exemptions under section 2706 of the act (relating to resident license and fee exemptions).

7 Only one bear may be taken during the hunting license year with the required bear license.

8 Only one elk may be taken during the hunting license year with the required elk license.

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