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Ducks and geese
Louisiana Waterfowl Zones
East and West zone parishes and every duck, goose and teal row for 2026-27, with the noon WMA rule.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
East and West waterfowl zones
LDWF uses two duck and goose zones for 2026-27, East and West, with no Coastal zone; it returned to two zones in 2021 to allow two splits. The West Zone runs from the Texas line east to LA 79 (Arkansas line to Homer), LA 9 to Arcadia, LA 147 to Hodge, US 167 to Lafayette, then US 90 south and east to the Mississippi line; the East Zone is the rest of the state. The parish lists below are derived from that road line, and the 17 parishes on the line appear in both zones. New for 2026-27: waterfowl hunting closes at 12 noon on all WMAs and public lands except Atchafalaya Delta and Pass-a-Loutre WMAs. Teal (September 19 to 27) and the new black-bellied whistling duck season (October 3 to 11) are statewide.
- West Zone (34 parishes, all or part): Acadia Parish, Allen Parish, Beauregard Parish, Bienville Parish, Bossier Parish, Caddo Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Claiborne Parish, De Soto Parish, Evangeline Parish, Grant Parish, Iberia Parish, Jackson Parish, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Natchitoches Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, Rapides Parish, Red River Parish, Sabine Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. Landry Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, Vermilion Parish, Vernon Parish, Webster Parish, Winn Parish
- East Zone (47 parishes, all or part): Ascension Parish, Assumption Parish, Avoyelles Parish, Bienville Parish, Caldwell Parish, Catahoula Parish, Claiborne Parish, Concordia Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, East Carroll Parish, East Feliciana Parish, Evangeline Parish, Franklin Parish, Grant Parish, Iberia Parish, Iberville Parish, Jackson Parish, Jefferson Parish, LaSalle Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Lincoln Parish, Livingston Parish, Madison Parish, Morehouse Parish, Orleans Parish, Ouachita Parish, Pointe Coupee Parish, Rapides Parish, Richland Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. Helena Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Tensas Parish, Terrebonne Parish, Union Parish, Washington Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, West Carroll Parish, West Feliciana Parish, Winn Parish
- Parishes on the line: Bienville Parish, Claiborne Parish, Evangeline Parish, Grant Parish, Iberia Parish, Jackson Parish, Jefferson Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Orleans Parish, Rapides Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. Landry Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, Winn Parish
From the 2026-2027 pamphlet waterfowl zone description and the LDWF waterfowl FAQ, checked November 4, 2026.
Duck, goose and teal dates by zone
| Species | Season | Where | Opens | Closes | Today | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | Closed | Daily 6; possession 18. |
| Whistling ducks | Special season | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | Closed | Daily 4; possession 12. |
| Ducks and coots | Youth and veteran day | East Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | Ducks 6 daily: max 4 mallards (2 hens),… | |
| Ducks and coots | Split 1 | East Zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | Ducks 6 daily: max 4 mallards (2 hens),… | |
| Ducks and coots | Split 2 | East Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | Ducks 6 daily: max 4 mallards (2 hens),… | |
| Ducks and coots | Youth and veteran day | East Zone | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 6, 2027 | Ducks 6 daily: max 4 mallards (2 hens),… | |
| Ducks and coots | Youth and veteran day | West Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 7, 2026 | Ducks 6 daily: max 4 mallards (2 hens),… | |
| Ducks and coots | Split 1 | West Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | Ducks 6 daily: max 4 mallards (2 hens),… | |
| Ducks and coots | Split 2 | West Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | Ducks 6 daily: max 4 mallards (2 hens),… | |
| Ducks and coots | Youth and veteran day | West Zone | Jan 30, 2027 | Jan 30, 2027 | Ducks 6 daily: max 4 mallards (2 hens),… | |
| Ducks | Extended falconry | East Zone | Nov 5, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | Daily 3; possession 9… | |
| Ducks | Extended falconry | East Zone | Dec 7, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | Daily 3; possession 9… | |
| Ducks | Extended falconry | West Zone | Nov 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | Daily 3; possession 9… | |
| Ducks | Extended falconry | West Zone | Dec 7, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | Daily 3; possession 9… | |
| Ducks | Extended falconry | West Zone | Jan 25, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 | Daily 3; possession 9… | |
| Snow and blue geese | Regular season | East Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | Daily 20; no possession… | |
| Snow and blue geese | Conservation Order | East Zone | Dec 7, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | No daily or possession… | |
| Snow and blue geese | Regular season | East Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | Daily 20; no possession… | |
| Snow and blue geese | Conservation Order | East Zone | Feb 8, 2027 | Mar 7, 2027 | No daily or possession… | |
| Snow and blue geese | Regular season | West Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | Daily 20; no possession… | |
| Snow and blue geese | Conservation Order | West Zone | Dec 7, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | No daily or possession… | |
| Snow and blue geese | Regular season | West Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | Daily 20; no possession… | |
| Snow and blue geese | Conservation Order | West Zone | Feb 8, 2027 | Mar 7, 2027 | No daily or possession… | |
| Specklebellies | Regular season | East Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | Daily 3; possession 9. | |
| Specklebellies | Regular season | East Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | Daily 3; possession 9. | |
| Specklebellies | Regular season | West Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | Daily 3; possession 9. | |
| Specklebellies | Regular season | West Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | Daily 3; possession 9. | |
| Canada geese | Regular season | East Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | Daily 1; possession 3. | |
| Canada geese | Regular season | East Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | Daily 1; possession 3. | |
| Canada geese | Regular season | West Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | Daily 1; possession 3. | |
| Canada geese | Regular season | West Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | Daily 1; possession 3. |
From the 2026-2027 pamphlet migratory bird pages, checked November 4, 2026.
Waterfowl rules beyond the dates
- Duck limit: Ducks 6 daily: max 4 mallards (2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, 2 redheads, 1 black duck, 3 pintails (1 hen); scaup 1 daily for the first 15 days then 2; mottled duck 0 for the first 15 days then 1. Coots 15. Mergansers 5 (2 hooded) in addition to ducks. Possession 3x daily.
- Geese: light geese Daily 20; no possession limit; no limits during the Conservation Order. White-fronted Daily 3; possession 9. Canada Daily 1; possession 3.
- Canada goose closed area: Closed in part of southwest Louisiana (Hwy 82/Calcasieu Ship Channel/Intracoastal Canal/Parish Road 3147/Freshwater Bayou area) and on open waters of Lake Arthur and the Mermentau River south of the Hwy 14 bridge.
- Youth and veteran days: Youth and Veterans waterfowl days: East Zone Nov 14, 2026 and Feb 6, 2027; West Zone Nov 7, 2026 and Jan 30, 2027.
- Whistling ducks: New for 2026-27; Only black-bellied whistling ducks may be taken; Free LDWF BBWD permit required; report effort and harvest Oct 12-26; Shooting hours sunrise to sunset.
- Conservation Order: Snow, blue and Ross's geese only. Shooting one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Electronic calls and unplugged shotguns allowed; non-toxic shot.
- Sanctuaries and motors: internal-combustion boats banned noon-4 a.m. Nov 1-Jan 31 on Manchac and parts of Bayou Macon, Bodcau, Boeuf, Buckhorn, Dewey W. Wills, Richard K. Yancey and Russell Sage; waterfowl sanctuaries on Biloxi, Boeuf and Russell Sage closed Nov 1 to end of Conservation Order; new seasons on Bogue Chitto, Camp Beauregard and Flatwoods Savanna.
- Stamps and HIP: the federal duck stamp is $27.72 in the pamphlet; the LDWF web pages show $29.79. The Louisiana duck stamp is now a collectible/contest program (state waterfowl license covers the privilege); federal duck stamp required at 16+. HIP certification is free and required every year.
- Bait: Federal rule: no hunting migratory birds over bait; area stays baited 10 days after removal.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 35, 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 38, 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 28, 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 49, 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 8 and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 14, checked November 4, 2026.
Louisiana waterfowl harvest, 2025-26 survey
| Survey row | Hunters | Harvest 2025-26 | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck | 80,200 | 2,180,900 | 880,900 |
| Goose | 15,200 | 245,300 | 145,600 |
| Coot | 5,700 | 79,700 | 60,900 |
Survey estimates are statewide only; LDWF gives no zone or parish split.
From the LDWF Big and Small Game Harvest Survey 2025-26, checked November 4, 2026.
Gadwall hen flying against a blue sky. Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie (CC BY 2.0)
Male wood duck. Photo: Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0)
Wood duck drake on still water. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
Louisiana Waterfowl Zones: quick answers
Which days are set aside for youth and veteran waterfowl hunters?
Youth and Veterans waterfowl days: East Zone Nov 14, 2026 and Feb 6, 2027; West Zone Nov 7, 2026 and Jan 30, 2027.
What is new for whistling ducks?
New for 2026-27. Only black-bellied whistling ducks may be taken. Free LDWF BBWD permit required; report effort and harvest Oct 12-26. Shooting hours sunrise to sunset.
Where is Canada goose hunting closed?
Closed in part of southwest Louisiana (Hwy 82/Calcasieu Ship Channel/Intracoastal Canal/Parish Road 3147/Freshwater Bayou area) and on open waters of Lake Arthur and the Mermentau River south of the Hwy 14 bridge.
When is the light goose Conservation Order?
December 7 to 18, 2026 and February 8 to March 7, 2027 in both zones, with no daily or possession limit.
Why are there only two duck zones in 2026-27?
East and West; LDWF has used two zones since 2021, so there is no Coastal zone in 2026-27.
What dates does the West Zone duck season use?
November 14 to December 6, 2026 and December 19, 2026 to January 24, 2027.
What dates does the East Zone duck season use?
November 21 to December 6, 2026 and December 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
Do WMAs close at noon for ducks?
New for 2026-27: waterfowl hunting closes at 12 noon on all WMAs and public lands except Atchafalaya Delta and Pass-a-Loutre WMAs.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain-Prairie (CC BY 2.0); Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain).