Waterfowl
Kentucky Goose Hunting, 2026-27 Seasons and Limits
The 2026-27 rulebook for geese and brant in one page: dates, zones, limits, permits and legal light.
Photo: Carolyn Sugg (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Where geese and brant stand this season
Count 6 dated or pending lines for geese and brant across the Kentucky calendar, from September 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027. KDFWR flags this for geese and brant: september Canada goose zones; Cave Run closure. The short method line for geese and brant: shotgun, non-toxic shot, falconry.
Source: Waterfowl guide p. 10 and Waterfowl guide p. 11 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
All goose windows on the KDFWR calendar
Rows run in opening order; a goose row with two date ranges pauses between them, and the Today column compares each window with the current date.
| Season | Area | Dates | Bag | Notes | Today | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September goose | Western (map) | Sep 1–15, 2026 | 5 daily, 15 possession | Closed on public land in the Ballard Zone, Cave Run Lake goose closure area and West Kentucky WMA. Zone counties read from the guide map. | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | |
| September goose | Eastern (map) | Sep 16–30, 2026 | 5 daily, 15 possession | Closed at Cave Run Lake goose closure area. | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | |
| Falconry | Statewide | Nov 26–Feb 15, 2027 | 3 daily, 9 possession | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | ||
| Goose | Statewide | Nov 26–Feb 15, 2027 | 5 combined daily (3 Canada, 2 white-fronted, 1 brant); possession 3x daily | No goose hunting at Cave Run Lake closure area or posted parts of Laurel River Lake. | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | |
| Light Goose | Statewide | Nov 26–Feb 15, 2027 | 20 daily, 60 possession | Waterfowl guide p. 10 | ||
| Conservation order | Statewide | Feb 16–Mar 31, 2027 | No limit | Free special permit required; shooting to 1/2 hour after sunset; report by Apr. 10, 2027. | Waterfowl guide p. 10 |
Where the goose rules change
Duck, coot, merganser and goose seasons are statewide (one zone). September Canada goose has Western and Eastern zones.
| Special season | Area | Dates | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| September goose | Western (map) | Sep 1–15, 2026 | 5 daily, 15 possession |
| September goose | Eastern (map) | Sep 16–30, 2026 | 5 daily, 15 possession |
| Conservation order | Statewide | Feb 16–Mar 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Youth days | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 Feb 13, 2027 | Same as regular season (scaup 2 daily) |
| Veteran, military days | Statewide | Nov 22, 2026 Feb 14, 2027 | Same as regular season |
September goose zone counties are read from the KDFWR zone map; they agree with the 301 KAR 2:225 rule. Western zone 46 counties, Eastern zone 74. 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). No goose hunting in posted areas of Laurel River Lake.
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. 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.
Source: Waterfowl guide p. 11 and Guide p. 34 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
Kentucky goose limits for 2026-27
Every goose limit with what it covers, from the 2026-27 tables.
| Covers | Wording |
|---|---|
| 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 Canada goose | 5 daily, 15 possession |
Source: Waterfowl guide p. 10 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
How geese and brant may be taken in Kentucky
The legal and not-legal columns come from the KDFWR weapon tables for geese and brant.
| Hunt type | Lawful | Unlawful |
|---|---|---|
| Waterfowl and migratory birds | 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. | Lead shot for waterfowl/cranes; rifles; recorded calls (except light goose conservation order); sink boxes. |
| Rule | Text |
|---|---|
| Vehicles and boats | No taking wildlife from a vehicle; boats may be used (not under power) for small game, furbearers and waterfowl; disabled hunters may use a stationary vehicle with an exemption. |
| Electronic calls | Not for deer, turkey or elk; legal for furbearers in season and crows. |
| Firearms carry | Anyone who may legally possess firearms may carry them while hunting, including in archery seasons; only legal methods may take game. |
KDFWR’s short list for geese and brant: shotgun, non-toxic shot, falconry.
Source: Waterfowl guide p. 10, Guide p. 10 and Guide p. 11 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
Goose license and permit fees
Everything a goose hunter is likely to need, with the resident and nonresident fee for each.
| Purchase | Resident | Nonresident | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| $28.54 | $169.12 | Shooting range permit included (must register). | |
| $15.86 | $15.86 | Not needed for hunters under 16 or for crows. | |
| $25 | $25 | E-stamp sold at fw.ky.gov (new); physical stamp at post offices must be signed. | |
| $15.86 | $15.86 | Ballard WMA quota waterfowl hunts; buy online before the hunt. |
Residents qualify after 30 days of Kentucky domicile; nonresident landowners still buy the nonresident goose items.
Migratory bird and waterfowl hunters must complete the HIP survey (My Profile) and write the confirmation number on the license.
Source: Guide p. 7 and Guide p. 4 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
Goose: orange, checking and bait
Rule lines for geese and brant; the source links open the full guide pages.
| Topic | KDFWR rule |
|---|---|
| Hunter orange | The orange rule exempts waterfowl and dove hunters, which covers geese and brant. |
| Bait | area stays baited 10 days after removal; areas manipulated for doves are not legal for waterfowl. |
| Harvest report | Geese and brant are not on the Telecheck list, which covers deer, elk, turkey, bear, bobcat, otter and crane. |
| Hunter education | Kentucky asks for hunter education from hunters born on or after January 1, 1975; new goose hunters may start on the free exemption permit with a licensed mentor. |
Source: Guide p. 10, Guide p. 8 and Guide p. 9 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
Goose: wildlife areas, forests and refuges
Public ground for geese and brant: 13 records match, 0 of them through the 2026-27 chart status and the rest through the species they list.
| Public area | Type | County | Acres | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National forest | 710,298 | Listed species | ||
| Ranger district | 209,423 | Listed species | ||
| Ranger district | 183,503 | Listed species | ||
| Ranger district | 170,938 | Listed species | ||
| Ranger district | 146,434 | Listed species | ||
| Recreation area | 107,594 | Listed species | ||
| WMA | 21,019 | Listed species | ||
| Refuge | 11,852 | Listed species | ||
| WMA | 11,173 | Listed species | ||
| WMA | 8,735 | Listed species | ||
| WMA | 8,014 | Listed species | ||
| WMA | 4,132 | Listed species |
Source: KDFWR land records and Guide p. 30 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
Gear worth carrying around Kentucky geese and brant
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Chest waders
Flooded crop fields and slough edges both mean standing in cold water.
Mallard decoys
Waterfowl hunters along the Ohio and Mississippi bottoms pack mallard decoys.
Hand warmers
From the Thanksgiving opener to late January, hand warmers stay in the boat.
When goose hunting starts and stops
Dates in the table are the goose openers plus the shortest day of the year.
1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset; dove Sept. 1 on private land and Sept. 1-Oct. 26 on public dove fields: 11 a.m. local time to sunset; sandhill crane sunrise to sunset.
| Date | Morganfield (Union) | Shepherdsville (Bullitt) | Greenup (Greenup) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | 5:51 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. CDT | 6:42 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. EDT | 6:30 a.m. to 8:04 p.m. EDT |
| Sep 16, 2026 | 6:03 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CDT | 6:54 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. EDT | 6:43 a.m. to 7:40 p.m. EDT |
| Nov 26, 2026 | 6:13 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. CST | 7:05 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. EST | 6:55 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. EST |
| Dec 21, 2026 | 6:33 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. CST | 7:25 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. EST | 7:15 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. EST |
| Feb 16, 2027 | 6:11 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. CST | 7:03 a.m. to 6:21 p.m. EST | 6:53 a.m. to 6:09 p.m. EST |
Hours rule from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide; sunrise and sunset from the NOAA solar formula for each county seat on its own clock (KDFWR prints no sunrise table, so sunrise and sunset are worked out with the NOAA solar formula for the exact point, on Central Time in the 41 western counties and Eastern Time elsewhere, with daylight time ending November 1, 2026 and starting March 14, 2027.); checked November 10, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Canada geese flying through snowy woods in Calloway CountyPhoto: Carolyn Sugg (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Pair of Canada geese feeding in shallow waterPhoto: Judy Gallagher (CC BY 2.0)
Pair of Canada geese landing together on a mudflatPhoto: James Mann (CC BY 2.0)
Answers about Kentucky geese and brant
What are the goose weapon rules?
Shotgun, non-toxic shot, falconry. 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.
When can I start hunting geese and brant each day?
1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset; dove Sept. 1 on private land and Sept. 1-Oct. 26 on public dove fields: 11 a.m. local time to sunset; sandhill crane sunrise to sunset. Times for a goose hunt run on local clock time, Central in the western counties and Eastern elsewhere.
Does the orange rule cover geese and brant?
For geese and brant, KDFWR lists an exception: Waterfowl and dove hunters.
Bait and geese and brant: what is allowed?
area stays baited 10 days after removal; areas manipulated for doves are not legal for waterfowl.
When is the September Canada goose season?
Western zone (46 counties) and Eastern zone (74 counties); September goose zone counties are read from the KDFWR zone map; they agree with the 301 KAR 2:225 rule. 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). No goose hunting in posted areas of Laurel River Lake.
How many public places have geese and brant?
Counting chart statuses and species lists, 13 public places carry geese and brant; WMA rules can differ from statewide ones.
Is written permission needed for a goose hunt?
Before a goose hunt on a farm you do not own, get the landowner’s permission; KDFWR treats rights-of-way as private property.
What are the 2026-27 dates for geese and brant?
September goose (Eastern (map)): Sep 16 to Sep 30, 2026; September goose (Western (map)): Sep 1 to Sep 15, 2026; Goose (Statewide): Nov 26, 2026 to Feb 15, 2027; Falconry (Statewide): Nov 26, 2026 to Feb 15, 2027. See the full goose table for the rest.
What does KDFWR allow per goose hunter?
KDFWR sets it this way for geese and brant: 5 combined daily: 3 Canada, 2 white-fronted, 1 brant; possession 3x daily; 20 daily, 60 possession; no limit during the conservation order; 5 daily, 15 possession.
How much does it cost to hunt geese and brant?
Annual Hunting $28.54 resident, $169.12 nonresident; Kentucky Migratory Bird/Waterfowl Permit $15.86 resident, $15.86 nonresident; Federal Duck Stamp $25 resident, $25 nonresident; 1-Day Ballard Waterfowl Permit $15.86 resident, $15.86 nonresident. More goose items sit in the license band.