Best Northern California Waterfowl Guides (2025)
The duck and goose guides our community would send a hunting partner to, with 2025 rates, deposits and a direct line to each one.
2025 season rates
Finding a waterfowl guide in Northern California is easy. Finding one you’d send a hunting partner to is harder, because the difference shows up in things a website can’t tell you: who scouts every afternoon, who moves the spread when the birds move, and who tells you the truth when the birds aren’t there.
So we asked the Hunt Bums community who they would recommend to a buddy without hesitating. These eleven guides came up most. Use the finder to narrow the list by bird, area and must-haves, tick Compare on up to three to see them side by side, and when you call, tell them you found them on Hunt Bums.
The ListThe Guides
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Must haves
Durham · Butte Sink · Colusa-Delevan
Merlo Waterfowl
Near Chico, about 1.5 hours from Sacramento International
Merlo is one of the most recognized names in Northern California waterfowl guiding. They manage thousands of acres of private ground in the heart of the Pacific Flyway, with blinds set in proven spots. Their focus on habitat, water management and scouting makes them one of the most consistent outfits in the valley.
Rates, season and contact
- Duck hunt
- $400 per hunter per day
- Goose hunt
- $550 per hunter per day
- Juniors
- Discounted junior rates available
- Deposit
- Non-refundable deposit required
- Contact
- Rocque Merlo (530) 521-0699 · Ryley Haugh (530) 966-4303 · info@merlowaterfowl.com
Gridley · Biggs
MOA Waterfowl Outfitters
Family-run, Sacramento Valley rice country
A family-run service built around specklebelly and snow goose hunts over rice. Hunters point to big spreads, well-placed blinds and a welcoming camp. MOA also puts real effort into new hunters, women and kids.
Rates, season and contact
- Early and mid-season
- Adult $300, youth $250
- Late season
- Adult $350
- Private group
- 1 to 6 hunters, $1,800 flat
- Deposit
- $100 non-refundable per hunter
- Contact
- (530) 990-8029
Colusa · Willows
KO Outdoors
Founded by experienced call makers
KO Outdoors is a goose operation first. Their hunts are known for huge spreads in dry rice, hard scouting and serious calling, which makes sense for an outfit founded by call makers.
Rates, season and contact
- Setup
- Pit blinds and layouts in the spread
- Rates
- Custom quote
- Contact
- (310) 947-5315 · goose.hunting@yahoo.com
Gridley · Sacramento Valley
High 5 Guide Service
Ducks and geese across the Sacramento Valley
High 5 came up again and again for work ethic. Hunters said the crew moves spreads daily, scouts hard and keeps hunts productive, and several said they would book again without hesitating.
Rates, season and contact
- Hunts
- Ducks and geese across the Sacramento Valley
- Rates
- By inquiry
- Contact
- (530) 277-8228
Colusa · Richvale · Sutter Basin
CICC Outdoor Adventures
Private rice and wetland leases
CICC hunts exclusive rice and private wetland leases across the northern Sacramento Valley. Hunters describe roomy, well-kept blinds and big spreads of good decoys.
Rates, season and contact
- Schedule
- Guided shoots seven days a week during the season
- Rate
- $350 per hunter per day
- Deposit
- 50% to reserve dates
- Contact
- (530) 458-8730
San Francisco Bay · Delta
California Guide Service
Sea duck and diver hunts from the boat
The one hunt on this list with a skyline behind it. California Guide Service runs sea duck hunts on San Francisco Bay and diver hunts in the Delta, and hunters praised the crew’s professionalism and attention to safety on big tidal water.
Rates, season and contact
- Sea ducks
- Surf scoters, goldeneyes and buffleheads on San Francisco Bay
- Divers
- Boat setups in tidal water in the Bay and Delta
- Rates
- Quote-based
- Contact
- Through the contact form on their website
Sacramento Valley
California Waterfowl Guide Service
Austin Boyd
Austin Boyd runs duck and goose hunts across the valley. Hunters singled out his honesty: he won’t run a hunt if the birds aren’t there, and that kind of call is rare in guiding.
Rates, season and contact
- Hunts
- Ducks and geese across prime Sacramento Valley properties
- Rates
- By inquiry
- Contact
- Through the contact page on their website
Willows
Blosser Outfitters
Goose hunts across multiple NorCal spots
Blosser Outfitters is known for goose hunts and for putting the work into blinds and spreads. They also host junior and women’s hunts and help bring new hunters into the sport.
Rates, season and contact
- Hunts
- Geese across multiple Northern California locations
- Rates
- By inquiry
- Contact
- Message through their Facebook page
Redding · Northeastern California
Wildlife Unlimited Guide Service
Dean Vasilakis
Based in Redding, Wildlife Unlimited is best known for late-season goose hunts in northeastern California, a good option for hunters who want to stretch their season into January.
Rates, season and contact
- Focus
- Late-season goose hunts in northeastern California
- Rates
- By inquiry
- Contact
- Through the contact page on their website
Sacramento Valley
Stilwell Hunting Adventures
Colby Stilwell
Colby Stilwell and his crew came up repeatedly in community recommendations. They run waterfowl hunts in the Sacramento Valley, plus guided turkey and big game hunts across Northern California.
Rates, season and contact
- Hunts
- Waterfowl in the Sacramento Valley, turkey and big game
- Contact
- Book through their Mallard Bay profile
Sacramento Valley
Rambo’s Guide Service
Steve Rambo Jr.
An all-around outfitter running duck, goose, upland and big game hunts across the Sacramento Valley. Community feedback praised the crew’s effort and reliability.
Rates, season and contact
- Hunts
- Ducks, geese, upland and big game
- Rates
- By inquiry
- Contact
- Through the contact page on their website
No guide on this list matches every filter.
The NumbersWhat a Guided Hunt Costs
Three guides on this list posted day rates for 2025. They range from $250 for a youth hunter at MOA to $550 for a Merlo goose hunt, and MOA offers a private blind for up to six hunters at $1,800 flat. Deposits run from $100 per hunter to half the trip, and most are non-refundable.
Rate Snapshot
Posted day rates per hunter, 2025
- Merlo WaterfowlGoose hunt$550
- Merlo WaterfowlDuck hunt$400
- MOA WaterfowlLate season, adult$350
- CICC Outdoor AdventuresDucks and geese$350
- MOA WaterfowlEarly and mid-season, adult$300
- MOA WaterfowlYouth$250
- Ducks or regular season
- Geese
- Late season
Only guides that post rates on their own sites are charted. The rest quote by phone, so call before you assume a price. Rates as published for the 2025 season; gratuity not included.
Side by SideAll Eleven Guides Compared
| Guide | Area | Hunts | Posted rate | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merlo Waterfowl | Durham, Butte Sink, Colusa-Delevan | Ducks and geese on private ground | $400 duck, $550 goose | (530) 521-0699 |
| MOA Waterfowl Outfitters | Gridley, Biggs | Specks and snows, plus ducks | $300 adult, $350 late season, $1,800 private group | (530) 990-8029 |
| KO Outdoors | Colusa, Willows | Snow and specklebelly geese in dry rice | Custom quote | (310) 947-5315 |
| High 5 Guide Service | Gridley, Sacramento Valley | Ducks and geese | By inquiry | (530) 277-8228 |
| CICC Outdoor Adventures | Colusa, Richvale, Sutter Basin | Ducks and geese on private rice and wetlands | $350 per hunter | (530) 458-8730 |
| California Guide Service | San Francisco Bay, Delta | Sea ducks and divers | Quote-based | Website contact form |
| California Waterfowl Guide Service | Sacramento Valley | Ducks and geese | By inquiry | Website contact page |
| Blosser Outfitters | Willows | Geese | By inquiry | |
| Wildlife Unlimited Guide Service | Redding, northeastern California | Late-season geese | By inquiry | Website contact page |
| Stilwell Hunting Adventures | Sacramento Valley | Ducks and geese, plus turkey and big game | By inquiry | Mallard Bay profile |
| Rambo’s Guide Service | Sacramento Valley | Ducks and geese, plus upland and big game | By inquiry | Website contact page |
ChecklistBefore You Book
A good guide will answer all of these without hesitating. Tick them off as you go, or copy the list and keep it in front of you when you call. If you still need shells, start with our best waterfowl loads of 2026.
Before You Book
Nine questions to ask any guide
0 of 9 answered
MethodHow We Built This List
Every guide here was recommended by hunters in the Hunt Bums community. We asked one question: who would you send a hunting partner to without hesitating? Rates, deposits and contact details reflect what each outfitter published for the 2025 season.
The list runs in the order recommendations came in, and it isn’t a ranking. Where a guide doesn’t post rates, we say so instead of guessing. We’ll publish a new edition each season.
Quick AnswersNorthern California Guide FAQ
Among Northern California guides that posted rates for 2025, a guided waterfowl hunt ran about $250 to $550 per hunter per day. Merlo Waterfowl listed $400 for ducks and $550 for geese, MOA Waterfowl listed $300 for adults early and mid-season and $350 late, and CICC Outdoor Adventures listed $350. Many guides quote by phone, and gratuity is extra.
MOA Waterfowl Outfitters in Gridley and KO Outdoors near Colusa and Willows both build their hunts around specklebelly and snow geese over rice. Blosser Outfitters in Willows and Wildlife Unlimited in Redding also focus on geese.
Yes. California Guide Service runs sea duck and diver hunts in San Francisco Bay and the Delta for surf scoters, goldeneyes and buffleheads, hunting from boat setups in tidal water. Pricing is quote-based.
Merlo Waterfowl offers junior rates, MOA Waterfowl offers a youth rate and emphasizes hunts for women and kids, and CICC Outdoor Adventures and Blosser Outfitters host junior and women’s hunts.
Wildlife Unlimited Guide Service in Redding is best known for late-season goose hunts in northeastern California, and MOA Waterfowl offers a late-season rate. Confirm current late-season goose dates with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
You need a California hunting license, a state duck validation, a federal duck stamp and HIP registration. Ask your guide whether their ground has any additional requirements, and confirm current rules with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
It varies. MOA Waterfowl required a $100 non-refundable deposit per hunter in 2025, CICC Outdoor Adventures required 50 percent to reserve dates, and Merlo Waterfowl required a non-refundable deposit. Ask every guide about their cancellation policy before you pay.
We asked the Hunt Bums community which Northern California waterfowl guides they would recommend to a hunting partner without hesitating, and these eleven came up most. Rates and contact details reflect what each outfitter published for the 2025 season.
Bottom LineBook Early, Ask Everything
The best Northern California waterfowl guides fill their prime dates early, so the time to call is before the season opens. Pick the guide that fits the bird and the area you want, ask every question on the checklist, and get the deposit and cancellation terms in writing.
For season dates and regulations, always confirm with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Eleven community-vouched Northern California waterfowl guides, with posted day rates running $250 to $550 per hunter for the 2025 season.
Back to the Guide FinderRates, deposits and contact details reflect the 2025 season and can change at any time. Confirm everything directly with the guide before you book, and check current California regulations before you hunt.