I've hunted the Sacramento Valley rice country for twenty-plus seasons, and every October I watch somebody lose a morning over a missed stamp or a misread zone date. So here's the whole 2026-27 season in one place, every number pulled straight from CDFW and the Fish and Game Commission. If it's in this post, it's in the regs. One caveat: rules can change and daily shoot-time tables post closer to the opener, so give CDFW a final look before you hunt.

What Is NewWhat Changed for 2026-27

Hunted last year? Four updates worth knowing. The valley and southern zones now run through January 31, the final Sunday, right when the birds pile up. The white-fronted (speck) limit dropped to 6 a day in the Northeastern, Balance of State, and Southern San Joaquin Valley zones. The Northeast large Canada limit went up to 3. And pintail held at 3 a day, any sex, under the federal harvest strategy.

GeographyFind Your Zone First

California has five waterfowl zones, and yours decides your dates and goose limits. Getting this wrong is the most common rookie mistake there is.

The Calendar2026-27 Season Dates by Zone

The short answer: most of California opens Saturday, October 24, the Northeast opens Saturday, October 3, and the Colorado River strip opens Friday, October 23. Full table below. Scaup runs a shorter window inside the duck season.

A few extras the table can't hold: the Northeast gets a late white and speck goose season February 5 through March 10, the Balance of State gets an early large Canada hunt October 3 to 5 plus late goose days in February (Canada February 20 to 21, white-fronts and whites February 20 to 24), and coots and moorhens run statewide alongside the ducks. The Balance of State season is a full 100 days.

The MathBag and Possession Limits

The duck limit is 7 a day, any mix, but some species carry their own cap inside that seven. Possession is triple the bag, so 21 ducks.

Geese vary by zone, and the dark-goose numbers are where this year's changes landed. Possession is triple the bag across the board. Coots and moorhens: 25 a day, 75 in possession, statewide.

Hunt specks north of the Sutter Buttes? Inside the Sacramento Valley Special Management Area it's only 3 white-fronts a day, not 6. Burn that one in.

Special DaysYouth, Veteran & Military Days

Extra days outside the regular season, same bag limits, way less pressure. If you've got a kid who's into it, youth days are the best on-ramp in the sport.

PaperworkLicenses, Stamps & Fees

You need four things to hunt ducks legally, and missing any one makes the other three worthless: a California hunting license (runs July 1 to June 30, so buying now covers the whole season; first-timers need hunter ed), a California Duck Validation (juniors exempt), a federal Duck Stamp if you're 16 or older ($25, signed across the face in ink; 98 cents of every dollar buys wetland habitat), and a free HIP validation, a quick survey printed onto your license. People get cited for skipping HIP, so don't.

For a resident, the core stack runs about $128. State fees tick up a little every July 1, so confirm exact totals at checkout; the federal stamp is locked at $25 by law.

The RulesShooting Hours, Shot & Methods

Shooting hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset statewide, except Morro Bay, which starts at 7:00 a.m. CDFW posts exact daily shoot-time tables, and many refuges close earlier in the afternoon, so check your spot. Nontoxic shot only: lead's illegal for all hunting in California, period, since 2019. Run steel, bismuth, or tungsten, and don't even carry a stray lead shell in your blind bag. Plug your gun to 3 shells (two in the mag, one in the chamber, one-piece plug), nothing bigger than 10 gauge. And the federal rules that trip people up: no shooting from a moving boat under power, no electronic calls, no hunting over bait (an area stays off-limits 10 days after bait's removed), one bag limit per day, and the head or one feathered wing stays on your birds until you're home.

Where to HuntPublic Land, Passes & Refuges

State wildlife areas come in three tiers. Type A areas are the managed, check-station spots and need a Type A pass. Type B areas need a Type B pass. Type C ground needs no pass at all, just your license and validations. Juniors skip the pass requirement entirely.

The reservation draw opens September 1 through the CDFW online system or any license agent, closes 17 days before each hunt, and posts results at least seven days out. My advice: put in for season-long reservations the day it opens.

The Sacramento NWR Complex (Sacramento, Delevan, Colusa, and Sutter) is my home water and some of the best public duck ground in the country. These refuges hunt Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays only, and entry runs in three tiers: reservation holders first, then an evening-before lottery at the check station (cards in between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m., draw at 8:00), then first-come spaces. Check stations open at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday and Friday nights. Present your reservation no later than 1.5 hours before shoot time at Sacramento and Delevan, or 1 hour before at Colusa and Sutter, or you lose your spot.

One thing that trips up new hunters: the Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday schedule only applies to refuges and most Type A areas. On private land and at duck clubs, you can hunt any day the season's open.

Quick AnswersCalifornia Duck Season FAQ

Sources: CDFW Waterfowl Hunting · Fish & Game Commission Regulations · USFWS Sacramento NWR Complex · Federal Duck Stamp Program

This guide is for general information and planning. Every date, limit, fee, and rule was checked against official California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and California Fish and Game Commission sources on the publish date above. Regulations can change, so always confirm the current rules with CDFW before you hunt. Hunt Bums isn't a government agency and doesn't issue licenses or permits.