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Waterfowl
Kentucky Waterfowl and Goose Zones
Statewide duck and goose seasons for 2026-27, the September Canada goose zones, the Ballard Zone, Cave Run and Laurel River Lake closures and the special days.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
Duck, goose and special waterfowl rows
Duck, coot, merganser and goose seasons are statewide (one zone). September Canada goose has Western and Eastern zones. September goose zone counties are read from the KDFWR zone map; they agree with the 301 KAR 2:225 rule. The Western September goose zone has 46 counties and the Eastern 74. Youth-only and veteran/military-only days come on either side of the regular season.
| Species | Season | Area | Dates | Bag | Today | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teal, wood duck | September teal | Statewide | Sep 19–23, 2026 | 6 daily (max 2 wood ducks), 18 possession (max 6 wood ducks) | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | |
| Canada goose | September goose | Western (map) | Sep 1–15, 2026 | 5 daily, 15 possession | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | |
| Canada goose | September goose | Eastern (map) | Sep 16–30, 2026 | 5 daily, 15 possession | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | |
| Ducks | Regular duck | Statewide | Nov 26–29, 2026 Dec 7–Jan 31, 2027 | 6 daily (max 4 mallards, only 2 hens; 3 wood ducks; 2 redheads; 3 pintails; 2 black ducks; 2 canvasback; 1 scaup Nov. 26-29 and Dec. 7-17, 2 scaup Dec. 18-Jan. 31); possession 3x daily; coot 15 daily/45 possession; merganser 5 daily (2 hooded) | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | |
| Dark geese | Goose | Statewide | Nov 26–Feb 15, 2027 | 5 combined daily (3 Canada, 2 white-fronted, 1 brant); possession 3x daily | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | |
| Light geese | Light Goose | Statewide | Nov 26–Feb 15, 2027 | 20 daily, 60 possession | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | |
| Light geese | Conservation order | Statewide | Feb 16–Mar 31, 2027 | No limit | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | |
| Waterfowl | Youth days | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 Feb 13, 2027 | Same as regular season (scaup 2 daily) | Waterfowl guide p. 11 | |
| Waterfowl | Veteran, military days | Statewide | Nov 22, 2026 Feb 14, 2027 | Same as regular season | Waterfowl guide p. 11 | |
| Ducks | Falconry | Statewide | Nov 26–Feb 21, 2027 | 3 daily, 9 possession | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | |
| Geese | Falconry | Statewide | Nov 26–Feb 15, 2027 | 3 daily, 9 possession | Waterfowl guide p. 10 |
Source: Waterfowl guide p. 11 and Waterfowl guide (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
Waterfowl closures, zones and drawn areas
| Area | Rule |
|---|---|
| Ballard Zone | Part of Ballard County north and west of the Ballard-McCracken line, KY 358, US 60 and Wickliffe city limits to the Mississippi; blinds 100 yd apart and 50 yd from property lines; one uncased shotgun per blind; public land closed to September goose. |
| Cave Run Lake | No goose hunting on Daniel Boone NF land and water inside KY 801, 1274, 36, 211, US 60 and KY 826 (most of Cave Run Lake). |
| Laurel River Lake | No goose hunting in posted areas of Laurel River Lake. |
| Land Between the Lakes | LBL requires its own LBL hunt permit ($25) with a Kentucky license; LBL deer quota hunts are drawn by computer (301 KAR 2:050); LBL migratory bird hunting closed last Saturday in Sept. – Nov. 30. |
| Waterfowl quota hunts | Ballard WMA (quota-only Oct. 15-Mar. 15, $15.86 1-day permit), Sloughs WMA (Sauerheber and Jenny Hole units), Boatwright WMA. |
| Waterfowl draws | Sept. 1-30 (Ballard and Sloughs WMAs); Boatwright weekly online draws; standby drawings; season-long blind drawings Aug.-Oct. at Barkley Lake, Barren River Lake, Doug Travis and Green River Lake WMAs. |
| Hatchery mentor hunts | Minor Clark and Pfeiffer Fish Hatcheries (Rowan, Franklin): mobility-impaired and youth mentor waterfowl hunts on January weekends. Apply Nov. 1-15. |
Source: Waterfowl guide p. 11 and Guide p. 34 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
September goose zone by county
| County | September goose zone (map) |
|---|---|
| Adair | Western |
| Allen | Western |
| Anderson | Eastern |
| Ballard | Western |
| Barren | Western |
| Bath | Eastern |
| Bell | Eastern |
| Boone | Eastern |
| Bourbon | Eastern |
| Boyd | Eastern |
| Boyle | Eastern |
| Bracken | Eastern |
| Breathitt | Eastern |
| Breckinridge | Western |
| Bullitt | Eastern |
| Butler | Western |
| Caldwell | Western |
| Calloway | Western |
| Campbell | Eastern |
| Carlisle | Western |
| Carroll | Eastern |
| Carter | Eastern |
| Casey | Eastern |
| Christian | Western |
| Clark | Eastern |
| Clay | Eastern |
| Clinton | Eastern |
| Crittenden | Western |
| Cumberland | Western |
| Daviess | Western |
| Edmonson | Western |
| Elliott | Eastern |
| Estill | Eastern |
| Fayette | Eastern |
| Fleming | Eastern |
| Floyd | Eastern |
| Franklin | Eastern |
| Fulton | Western |
| Gallatin | Eastern |
| Garrard | Eastern |
| Grant | Eastern |
| Graves | Western |
| Grayson | Western |
| Green | Western |
| Greenup | Eastern |
| Hancock | Western |
| Hardin | Western |
| Harlan | Eastern |
| Harrison | Eastern |
| Hart | Western |
| Henderson | Western |
| Henry | Eastern |
| Hickman | Western |
| Hopkins | Western |
| Jackson | Eastern |
| Jefferson | Eastern |
| Jessamine | Eastern |
| Johnson | Eastern |
| Kenton | Eastern |
| Knott | Eastern |
| Knox | Eastern |
| LaRue | Western |
| Laurel | Eastern |
| Lawrence | Eastern |
| Lee | Eastern |
| Leslie | Eastern |
| Letcher | Eastern |
| Lewis | Eastern |
| Lincoln | Eastern |
| Livingston | Western |
| Logan | Western |
| Lyon | Western |
| Madison | Eastern |
| Magoffin | Eastern |
| Marion | Western |
| Marshall | Western |
| Martin | Eastern |
| Mason | Eastern |
| McCracken | Western |
| McCreary | Eastern |
| McLean | Western |
| Meade | Western |
| Menifee | Eastern |
| Mercer | Eastern |
| Metcalfe | Western |
| Monroe | Western |
| Montgomery | Eastern |
| Morgan | Eastern |
| Muhlenberg | Western |
| Nelson | Western |
| Nicholas | Eastern |
| Ohio | Western |
| Oldham | Eastern |
| Owen | Eastern |
| Owsley | Eastern |
| Pendleton | Eastern |
| Perry | Eastern |
| Pike | Eastern |
| Powell | Eastern |
| Pulaski | Eastern |
| Robertson | Eastern |
| Rockcastle | Eastern |
| Rowan | Eastern |
| Russell | Eastern |
| Scott | Eastern |
| Shelby | Eastern |
| Simpson | Western |
| Spencer | Eastern |
| Taylor | Western |
| Todd | Western |
| Trigg | Western |
| Trimble | Eastern |
| Union | Western |
| Warren | Western |
| Washington | Western |
| Wayne | Eastern |
| Webster | Western |
| Whitley | Eastern |
| Wolfe | Eastern |
| Woodford | Eastern |
Source: Waterfowl guide p. 11 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
Waterfowl limits, permits and hours
| Group | Limit |
|---|---|
| Ducks | 6 daily (max 4 mallards, only 2 hens; 3 wood ducks; 2 redheads; 3 pintails; 2 black ducks; 2 canvasback; 1 scaup Nov. 26-29 and Dec. 7-17, 2 scaup Dec. 18-Jan. 31); possession 3x daily |
| Coot | 15 daily, 45 possession |
| Merganser | 5 daily (only 2 hooded); possession 3x daily |
| Dark geese and brant | 5 combined daily: 3 Canada, 2 white-fronted, 1 brant; possession 3x daily |
| Light geese | 20 daily, 60 possession; no limit during the conservation order |
| September teal and wood duck | 6 daily (max 2 wood ducks), 18 possession |
| September Canada goose | 5 daily, 15 possession |
Migratory bird and waterfowl hunters must complete the HIP survey (My Profile) and write the confirmation number on the license. Shotgun 10 ga or smaller plugged to 3 shells; non-toxic shot no larger than T for waterfowl and cranes; shells max 3.5 in.
1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset; WMAs 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset unless the area listing differs; light goose conservation order to 1/2 hour after sunset. Times are on local clock time: Central Time in the western 41 counties, Eastern Time elsewhere.
Source: Waterfowl guide p. 10 and Guide p. 10 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
Related Kentucky pages
Quota hunts
All 38 deer quota hunts and other drawn hunts.
All species
All 34 species pages.
Deer zones
Four deer zones by county.
Bear zones
Three bear zones, 47 counties.
Elk zone
Sixteen counties, 500 permits.
Draws and applications
Windows, fees and points.
Legal shooting hours
Hours for every county seat.
Licenses
Every 2026-27 fee.
Wood duck and wigeon held for bandingPhoto: USFWS/Southeast (Public domain)
Male gadwall duckPhoto: born1945 (CC BY 2.0)
Canada geese flying low over a marshPhoto: Yellowstone National Park (Public domain)
Waterfowl zone questions
Are Kentucky duck seasons split by zone?
Duck, coot, merganser and goose seasons are statewide (one zone). September Canada goose has Western and Eastern zones.
When is the September Canada goose season?
Western Goose Zone: Sep 1 to Sep 15, 2026; Eastern Goose Zone: Sep 16 to Sep 30, 2026.
Which four days are reserved for youth and veterans?
Youth: Nov 21, 2026; Feb 13, 2027; veterans and military: Nov 22, 2026; Feb 14, 2027.
Can I hunt geese at Cave Run Lake?
No goose hunting on Daniel Boone NF land and water inside KY 801, 1274, 36, 211, US 60 and KY 826 (most of Cave Run Lake).
Where exactly does the Ballard Zone lie?
Part of Ballard County north and west of the Ballard-McCracken line, KY 358, US 60 and Wickliffe city limits to the Mississippi; blinds 100 yd apart and 50 yd from property lines; one uncased shotgun per blind; public land closed to September goose.
Is Land Between the Lakes open to waterfowl hunting?
LBL requires its own LBL hunt permit ($25) with a Kentucky license; LBL deer quota hunts are drawn by computer (301 KAR 2:050); LBL migratory bird hunting closed last Saturday in Sept. – Nov. 30.
How many ducks make a Kentucky daily bag?
6 daily (max 4 mallards, only 2 hens; 3 wood ducks; 2 redheads; 3 pintails; 2 black ducks; 2 canvasback; 1 scaup Nov. 26-29 and Dec. 7-17, 2 scaup Dec. 18-Jan. 31); possession 3x daily.
When does the light goose conservation order run in 2027?
Feb 16 to Mar 31, 2027. Free special permit required; shooting to 1/2 hour after sunset; report by Apr. 10, 2027. Times are on local clock time: Central Time in the western 41 counties, Eastern Time elsewhere.