Waterfowl and snipe
Hunting Ducks in Illinois, 2026-27 Dates and Limits
Every IDNR season line for ducks, mergansers and coots, opening Oct 24, 2026 and closing Jan 24, 2027.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
Illinois ducks, mergansers and coots: the short version
IDNR prints 6 season rows for ducks, mergansers and coots in the 2026-27 Digest, and the earliest opens Oct 24, 2026 while the latest closes Jan 24, 2027. Check the bag line before you go: 6 ducks daily (species sublimits); mergansers 5; coots 15; scaup 1 then 2.
The daily limit is 6 ducks with species caps inside it, mergansers (5) and coots (15) are counted apart, and each of the North, Central and South zones has its own split season drawn along roads rather than county lines. Public-land options: 121 sites list ducks, mergansers and coots and 121 have their own page here.
From 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Ducks seasons as the IDNR prints them
One row per printed season; zone names are the Digest's own labels.
| Season line | Reach | License type | Dates | Bag limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular duck season | North Zone | Waterfowl stamps |
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| Scaup | North Zone | Waterfowl stamps |
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| Regular duck season | Central Zone | Waterfowl stamps |
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| Scaup | Central Zone | Waterfowl stamps |
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| Regular duck season | South Zone | Waterfowl stamps |
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| Scaup | South Zone | Waterfowl stamps |
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From 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
North, Central and South for ducks, mergansers and coots
Road-line zones mean a county can fall on both sides; this page therefore quotes the Digest and leaves counties out.
| Zone | Boundary in the Digest |
|---|---|
| North Zone | That portion of the state north of a line extending west from the Indiana border along Peotone-Beecher Road to Illinois Route 50, south along Illinois Route 50 to Wilmington-Peotone Road, west along Wilmington-Peotone Road to Illinois Route 53, north along Illinois Route 53 to New River Road, northwest along New River Road to Interstate Highway 55, south along I-55 to Pine Bluff-Lorenzo Road, west along Pine Bluff-Lorenzo Road to Illinois Route 47, north along Illinois Route 47 to I-80, west along I-80 to I-39, south along I-39 to Illinois Route 18, west along Illinois Route 18 to Illinois Route 29, south along Illinois Route 29 to Illinois Route 17, west along Illinois Route 17 to the Mississippi River, and due south across the Mississippi River to the Iowa border. |
| Central Zone | That portion of the state south of the North Duck Zone line to a line extending west from the Indiana border along I-70 to Illinois Route 4, south along Illinois Route 4 to Illinois Route 161, west along Illinois Route 161 to Illinois Route 158, south and west along Illinois Route 158 to Illinois Route 159, south along Illinois Route 159 to Illinois Route 3, south along Illinois Route 3 to State Leo’s Road, south along State Leo’s road to Modoc Road, west along Modoc Road to Modoc Ferry Road, southwest along Modoc Ferry Road to Levee Road, southeast along Levee Road to County Route 12 (Modoc Ferry entrance Road), south along County Route 12 to the Modoc Ferry route and southwest on the Modoc Ferry route across the Mississippi River to the Missouri border. |
| South Zone | The remainder of the state. |
From Digest waterfowl zones and IDNR 2026-2030 waterfowl seasons and zones (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Daily limits and lawful methods for ducks, mergansers and coots
| Line | Rule |
|---|---|
| ducks, mergansers and coots | 6 ducks daily, 18 possession (possession is 3x the daily limit by species and sex) |
| scaup | 1 daily / 3 possession for the first 15 days; 2 daily / 6 possession for the last 45 days |
The summary line for ducks, mergansers and coots reads shotgun, non-toxic shot, three-shell limit.
From Digest season tables and Digest equipment pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Ducks: paperwork and prices
| What to buy | Residency | Printed price | Price with fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Hunting | Resident | $12.00 | $12.50 |
| Nonresident Hunting | Nonresident | $57.00 | $57.75 |
| State Habitat Stamp | Either | $5.00 | $5.50 |
| State Migratory Waterfowl Stamp | Either | $15.00 | $15.50 |
| Federal waterfowl stamp | Either | $25.00 | $25.50 |
| HIP Certification | Either | Free | $0.00 |
| Free site, upland and dove permits | Either | Free | $0.00 |
The Digest prints base prices and the IDNR fee table adds the vendor fee, so the last column is usually a little higher; hunting licenses go on sale March 1 and run through March 31 of the next year.
From Digest license pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Rules to know before hunting ducks, mergansers and coots
| Rule | Details |
|---|---|
| Waterfowl devices | Shotguns may hold no more than three shells; nets, rifles, pistols, swivel, punt, battery and machine guns, hooks, poison, drugs, explosives are illegal; no hunting by driving or chasing with motorized conveyance. |
| Hunting hours | Hunting only during the hours specified for each species relative to official sunrise-sunset times; some IDNR sites are more restrictive. |
| Live wildlife possession | May not release captive wildlife except as authorized, bring in live protected wildlife taken outside Illinois without IDNR permission, or retain wildlife alive except as provided in 17 Ill. Adm. Code 970. |
Treat the table as a reminder and the Digest as the authority for ducks, mergansers and coots; site rules can be tighter.
From Digest general rules and Digest hunter orange page (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Where to hunt ducks, mergansers and coots on IDNR sites
Ducks, mergansers and coots are allowed at 121 IDNR sites, including 51 state fish and wildlife areas, 15 state parks and 10 state wildlife management areas; the table shows the largest with pages.
| Area | Type | County | Acreage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee National Forest | National Forest | Pope and Jackson | 286,498 |
| Hidden Springs Ranger District | Ranger district | Pope and Hardin | 169,222 |
| Mississippi Bluffs Ranger District | Ranger district | Jackson and Union | 117,276 |
| Crab Orchard | Wildlife refuge | Williamson and Union | 44,415 |
| Upper Mississippi River National | Wildlife refuge | Carroll and Jo Daviess | 32,868 |
| Illinois Recreational Access Program | Hunting Access Program | Bond and Christian | 27,000 |
| Cypress Creek | Wildlife refuge | Pulaski and Union | 16,758 |
| Jim Edgar Panther Creek | Fish and wildlife area | Cass | 16,400 |
Before a trip, open the site page for permits and seasons; the acreage comes from IDNR fact sheets.
From IDNR site records (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Clock times for ducks, mergansers and coots hunters
Legal hours for ducks, mergansers and coots are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset; sunrise, sunset and the legal window on each date below are worked out for Springfield with the NOAA solar formula.
| When | Event | First light | Last light | Shooting hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24, 2026 | North opens | 7:17 a.m. | 6:08 p.m. | 6:47 a.m. to 6:08 p.m. |
| Oct 31, 2026 | Central opens | 7:25 a.m. | 5:59 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 5:59 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | South opens | 6:42 a.m. | 4:45 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. |
| Jan 24, 2027 | South closes | 7:13 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. |
Central Time covers the whole state, with the clocks falling back November 1, 2026 and springing forward March 14, 2027; each county has its own times on the hours page.
Hours rules from the 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources); sunrise and sunset worked out with the NOAA solar formula on Central Time; checked November 13, 2026. Central Time with daylight time from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November; times worked out with the NOAA solar formula.
Duck gear picks
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Male wood duckPhoto: Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0)
Canada geese flying low over a marshPhoto: Yellowstone National Park (Public domain)
Snow geese in flightPhoto: Birding for Climate (Public domain)
Questions on ducks, mergansers and coots in Illinois
When can I hunt ducks, mergansers and coots in Illinois this season?
IDNR prints these lines for ducks, mergansers and coots: Regular duck season in the North Zone: October 24 to 25 and October 31 to December 27; Regular duck season in the Central Zone: October 31 to December 13 and December 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027; Regular duck season in the South Zone: November 14 to December 6 and December 19, 2026 to January 24, 2027; scaup in the North Zone: October 24 to 25 and October 31 to November 12 and November 13 to December 27; scaup in the Central Zone: October 31 to November 14 and November 15 to December 13 and December 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027.
How many ducks, mergansers and coots can I take?
Limit rule: 6 ducks daily (species sublimits); mergansers 5; coots 15; scaup 1 then 2.
What do I have to buy before hunting ducks, mergansers and coots?
The checklist is a hunting license ($12.00 resident, $57.00 nonresident, Digest base prices before vendor fees) and the State Habitat Stamp ($5.00), plus the State Migratory Waterfowl Stamp ($15.00) and Federal stamp for hunters 16 and older, and HIP certification.
Which weapons can I use on ducks, mergansers and coots in Illinois?
The Digest allows shotgun, non-toxic shot, three-shell limit.
Which zone is my county in for ducks, mergansers and coots?
Counties are not assigned, because the boundaries are roads; use the road description on the zones page and a map to place yourself.
Which license and stamps does waterfowl hunting need?
State stamp $15.00 (age 18 and up), federal stamp $25.00 (age 16 and up), HIP certification (free), the hunting license and habitat stamp; use non-toxic shot and a three-shell limit.
Are public waterfowl sites by lottery?
Apply online in the lottery sequence (August 16 to 31 for residents, September 1 to 15, September 16 to 28), and expect first come, first served sales afterward; the site pages explain blind assignments.
Do Sundays change the ducks, mergansers and coots season?
The sources we read, the 2026-27 Digest and IDNR pages, state no Sunday rule at all, so we do not say Sunday hunting is allowed or banned; ask IDNR or your site office before you go.
Do I need hunter safety education to hunt ducks, mergansers and coots?
Course or past license: that is the test for anyone born on or after January 1, 1980. Apprentice hunters are exempt from the course and must stay with a licensed hunter of 21 or older.
Are there public hunting areas for ducks, mergansers and coots?
The site records show 121 public areas where ducks, mergansers and coots are allowed, and 121 pages give the details.
Other photos on this page: Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0); Yellowstone National Park (Public domain); Birding for Climate (Public domain).