Louisiana Duck Season Dates for 2026-27 by Zone
Louisiana’s 2026-27 regular duck season opens Saturday, Nov 14 in the West Zone and Saturday, Nov 21 in the East Zone. Both zones close Dec 7 through Dec 18, then reopen Dec 19. The West Zone closes Jan 24 and the East Zone closes Jan 31, for 60 hunting days in each zone.
TLDR:
- West Zone: Nov 14 to Dec 6, then Dec 19 to Jan 24.
- East Zone: Nov 21 to Dec 6, then Dec 19 to Jan 31.
- Youth and veterans days: West Nov 7 and Jan 30. East Nov 14 and Feb 6.
- Teal: Sept 19 to 27, statewide, 6 a day.
- Daily bag: 6 ducks, with species limits inside that 6.
- Shooting hours: a half hour before sunrise to sunset.
- Before you go: license, waterfowl license, HIP and a signed federal stamp.
Louisiana splits its duck season by zone, so the right date depends on which side of the line you hunt. A camp near Lake Charles and a blind on Catahoula Lake open a week apart. The dates below come from LDWF’s 2026-27 Louisiana Hunting Schedules, published through eRegulations, LDWF’s licensed publisher.
Opening morning is Nov 14 in the West Zone. Grab a hat built for the job site and the blind: five panels, perforated sides and the woven SDO patch on the front.
2026-27 Duck Season Dates at a Glance
Here is the whole regular season on one page. Both zones get 60 days; the West Zone front-loads more of them into November, and the East Zone runs a week longer into January.
| Season | West Zone | East Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Youth and veterans only | Sat Nov 7 and Sat Jan 30 | Sat Nov 14 and Sat Feb 6 |
| First segment | Nov 14 to Dec 6 (23 days) | Nov 21 to Dec 6 (16 days) |
| Closed | Dec 7 to Dec 18 | Dec 7 to Dec 18 |
| Second segment | Dec 19 to Jan 24 (37 days) | Dec 19 to Jan 31 (44 days) |
| Regular season total | 60 days | 60 days |
The split in the middle is the same for everyone: no duck hunting in either zone from Dec 7 through Dec 18.
Goose seasons follow a similar calendar. Per the same LDWF schedule, Canada, white-fronted and light geese run Nov 14 to Dec 6 and Dec 19 to Feb 7 in both zones, and the light goose Conservation Order fills Dec 7 to 18 and Feb 8 to March 7.
Which Zone Are You In?
The zone line decides your opener, so it is worth knowing exactly where it runs. It follows highways, not parish lines.
Per the zone boundary LDWF kept for 2026-30, as the Houma Times reported, the West Zone is everything between the Texas line and a route that runs down LA 79 from the Arkansas line to Homer, LA 9 to Arcadia, LA 147 to Hodge, US 167 to Lafayette, then US 90 south and east to the Mississippi line.
The East Zone is the rest of the state. That means the coast below US 90 is West Zone, even in the southeast.
This is the same line Louisiana has used since 2021, and the commission kept it for the 2026-30 seasons. Our Louisiana duck hunting zones map walks the line highway by highway and explains why it stayed.
Youth and Veterans Days
Louisiana sets aside two days in each zone for young hunters and veterans. They make a good first hunt for a kid, ahead of the regular opener.
In the West Zone those days are Saturday, Nov 7 and Saturday, Jan 30. In the East Zone they are Saturday, Nov 14 and Saturday, Feb 6.
Per LDWF’s migratory bird rules, youth means 17 or younger with an adult 18 or older along, and veterans means anyone discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, plus active-duty members of the Armed Forces.
If an older article lists a West Zone youth weekend of Nov 7 and 8, it is quoting the January proposal. The commission amended the youth and veterans days in March, and the final West Zone day is Nov 7 only.
Teal and Whistling Duck Seasons
Two short statewide seasons come before the regular opener. Both use the same dates in every zone.
Teal season (blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon) runs Sept 19 to 27, with a limit of 6 a day and 18 in possession. New this year, per the 2026-27 migratory bird seasons, there is a black-bellied whistling duck season from Oct 3 to 11, with a limit of 4 a day and shooting hours from sunrise to sunset.
Daily Bag Limits for 2026-27
Six ducks a day is the headline number, but the species limits inside it matter more. Scaup and mottled ducks change partway through the season.
Per LDWF’s 2026-27 bag limits:
| Species | Daily limit |
|---|---|
| All ducks combined | 6 |
| Mallards | 4, no more than 2 hens |
| Wood ducks | 3 |
| Pintails | 3, no more than 1 hen |
| Canvasbacks | 2 |
| Redheads | 2 |
| Black ducks | 1 |
| Scaup | 1 for the first 15 days, then 2 |
| Mottled ducks | 0 for the first 15 days, then 1 |
| Coots | 15 |
| Mergansers | 5, no more than 2 hooded |
The possession limit is three times the daily bag. Limits can change from year to year, so check this table against LDWF every fall.
The 6-duck limit counts every duck in the strap. A teal or a wood duck uses one of your six the same as a mallard does.
Shooting Hours
Shooting hours for ducks, geese and teal are a half hour before sunrise to sunset, per LDWF’s season rules. Wildlife management areas can set their own hours, so read the schedule for the WMA you plan to hunt before opening weekend.
What to Carry Before Opening Morning
If you are 18 or older, you need four things in hand to hunt ducks. Getting them sorted in September beats a scramble in November.
You need a Louisiana basic hunting license, the Louisiana waterfowl license, HIP certification for the season and a signed federal duck stamp. Hunters 17 and under skip the state licenses and HIP but still need the federal stamp from age 16. Our Louisiana duck hunting license and stamp guide covers prices, where to buy each one and the hunter education rule.
Squared away on paperwork? Get the hat. The SDO rope hat is a one-size, 5-panel cap with a woven patch, perforated sides and an unstructured crown. It fits the boat, the blind and the job site Monday.
How Many Ducks Did LDWF Count Last November?
LDWF flies coastal Louisiana and the Catahoula Lake basin every November before the opener. The 2026 count comes out after this guide, so the latest numbers are from November 2025.
The 2025 count bounced back to about 1.24 million after a record low of 510,000 in November 2024, per LDWF’s November 2025 estimates. That is still well under the long-term November average of 2.14 million.
What Louisiana Hunters Shoot
Federal harvest surveys show which birds end up in Louisiana straps. Blue-winged and green-winged teal were the top two in 2024-25, about 559,000 birds combined, per the USFWS harvest report.
The harvest trend over the last six seasons looks like a big jump, but read it with the footnote in mind. USFWS changed its survey method starting with 2023-24 and warns that newer numbers may not compare with older ones.
Per the 2025 USFWS harvest report, Louisiana hunters took an estimated 1,246,600 ducks in 2024-25, a preliminary figure, with about 58,900 active duck hunters.
What Louisiana Hunters Ask About the 2026-27 Duck Season
These are the questions that come up every fall once the schedule posts. Short answers here; the linked guides go deeper.
When does duck season open in Louisiana for 2026-27?
The regular season opens Saturday, Nov 14, 2026 in the West Zone and Saturday, Nov 21, 2026 in the East Zone. Youth and veterans get an earlier day in each zone: Nov 7 in the West and Nov 14 in the East. Teal season runs statewide Sept 19 to 27.
When does Louisiana duck season close?
The West Zone closes Sunday, Jan 24, 2027 and the East Zone closes Sunday, Jan 31, 2027. Each zone then has one more youth and veterans day: Jan 30 in the West and Feb 6 in the East. Both zones are closed from Dec 7 through Dec 18.
How many days is Louisiana duck season?
Each zone gets 60 days of regular duck hunting in 2026-27. The West Zone divides them 23 and 37, and the East Zone divides them 16 and 44. The youth and veterans days are extra and do not count toward the 60.
What zone am I in?
The West Zone covers western Louisiana and most of the coast below US 90; the East Zone is the rest of the state. The line follows highways, not parish lines. Our zone line guide links LDWF’s map if you hunt near the line.
What is the duck limit in Louisiana?
The daily limit is 6 ducks. Inside that 6: up to 4 mallards (no more than 2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 3 pintails (no more than 1 hen), 2 canvasbacks, 2 redheads and 1 black duck. Scaup is 1 a day for the first 15 days, then 2. Mottled ducks are closed for 15 days, then 1.
Do I need a federal duck stamp in Louisiana?
Yes. Every waterfowl hunter 16 and older needs a current federal duck stamp, signed across the face, on top of any state licenses. The 2026-27 stamp costs $25 at face value. Louisiana hunters 18 and older also need a basic hunting license, the state waterfowl license and HIP.
Dates are from LDWF’s 2026-27 Louisiana Hunting Schedules as published by eRegulations. Regulations change, so always confirm with LDWF’s waterfowl page before you hunt.
No surprises on opening morning. Know your zone, carry the paperwork and wear something that can take a wet dog and a long ride. Questions about an order? We answer them.
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