2026 Missouri Duck Season by Zone
Everything below is for the 2026–27 waterfowl season and follows Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) frameworks. Zone boundaries and limits can shift year to year, so treat this as your planning sheet and confirm the fine print on mdc.mo.gov before opening day.
Missouri duck season 2026–27, by waterfowl zone
| Zone | Regular duck season | Zone boundary |
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| North | October 31 – December 29, 2026 | Northern Missouri, north of the MDC North Zone line |
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| Middle | November 7 – December 13, 2026 and December 19, 2026 – January 10, 2027 | Central Missouri, all areas not in the North or South Zone |
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| South | November 26–29, 2026 and December 7, 2026 – January 31, 2027 | Southern Missouri and the Bootheel, south of the MDC South Zone line |
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Duck Season Dates by Zone
Duck hunting season in Missouri covers ducks and coots, and each waterfowl zone runs its own dates. Here is the 2026–27 missouri duck season by zone:
- North Zone: October 31 – December 29, 2026, one continuous segment.
- Middle Zone: November 7 – December 13, 2026, then a short break, reopening December 19, 2026 – January 10, 2027.
- South Zone: a brief early split on November 26–29, 2026, then the long stretch from December 7, 2026 – January 31, 2027.
If you are wondering when does duck season end in Missouri, the answer depends entirely on your zone: the North Zone closes first on December 29, the Middle Zone on January 10, and the South Zone holds birds latest, all the way through January 31.
Which Waterfowl Zone Am I In?
The missouri waterfowl zones follow specific highways and rivers, not county lines, and the boundaries are locked through the 2029-30 season. Here is the general area each zone covers, with the official MDC boundary underneath:
- North Zone: the northern tier of the state. The official line runs from the Illinois border at Lock and Dam 25 west through Lincoln County to Mo. Hwy. 79, south to Mo. Hwy. 47, west on I-70 to U.S. Hwy. 63, then northwest along U.S. 24, Mo. 10, U.S. 69, Mo. 116, and U.S. 59 to the Kansas border. Everything north of that line is the North Zone.
- Middle Zone: the large central band, defined as the part of Missouri not in the North or South Zone. Most of the state's public waterfowl areas sit here.
- South Zone: the far southern counties and the Bootheel. The official line runs from the Illinois border on Mo. Hwy. 74 through Mo. 25, U.S. 62, Mo. 53, Mo. 51, U.S. 60, Mo. 21, Mo. 72, Mo. 32, U.S. 65, and U.S. 54 to the Kansas border. Everything south of that line is the South Zone.
The rule is the rule at the spot you are standing, not where you parked. Because these lines follow roads rather than county borders, confirm your exact location on the official MDC duck zone map before you commit to a date.
Early Teal Opens the Waterfowl Calendar
The waterfowl year kicks off with the early teal hunt in mid-September, well before the regular duck zones open. It is a fast, warm-weather warm-up to test decoy spreads and calling. We cover the exact dates, limits, shooting hours, and early-teal tactics in our full Missouri teal season guide.
Early Goose Season
The early Canada goose and brant season runs October 3–10, 2026, with a daily limit of 3 and a possession limit of 9. This early window is separate from the regular waterfowl zones and gives goose hunters a head start on local birds.
Beyond this early segment, Canada goose and white-fronted goose seasons follow their own schedules within each zone, and those dates do not line up neatly with the duck dates above. We are not going to guess at them here. Check MDC for the current goose frameworks and per-species limits in your zone.
Daily Limits & Permits
The daily duck limit in Missouri is 6 ducks total, with species caps inside that number. The possession limit is 18, three times the daily bag. These follow the federal framework and are current for the 2026-27 season. Confirm the latest on MDC before you hunt, since the numbers can shift year to year.
Missouri duck daily bag limits, 2026-27 season
| Species | Daily limit (within the 6-duck total) |
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| Mallard | 4, no more than 2 hens |
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| Pintail | 3 |
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| Wood duck | 3 |
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| Scaup | 2 for the first 45 days, 1 for the last 15 days |
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| Redhead | 2 |
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| Canvasback | 2 |
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| Black duck | 2 |
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| Hooded merganser | 2, within the daily merganser limit |
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| Mottled duck | 1 |
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| Coot (counted separately from ducks) | 15 daily, 45 in possession |
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Species not listed above, such as gadwall, wigeon, teal, and shovelers, count toward the 6-duck total with no separate cap. Mergansers carry their own daily limit with the 2-bird hooded cap shown above, so confirm the current merganser total on MDC.
Daily bag 6 ducks, possession 18. Source: Missouri Department of Conservation, 2026-27 waterfowl regulations. Verified July 2026.
For permits, most waterfowl hunters need a small game hunting permit, a Missouri Migratory Bird Hunting Permit, and a federal Duck Stamp if they are 16 or older. Hunter education is required for anyone born on or after January 1, 1967, unless they are hunting under an Apprentice Hunter Authorization. Confirm current permit requirements and any pricing on MDC before the season.
Reading Water & Setting Decoys
Dates get you into the field; reading water keeps birds working your spread. Scout for fresh feed and loafing areas in the days before you hunt, and set up where ducks already want to be rather than where it is convenient to park. Wind direction dictates your decoy layout. Leave a clean landing pocket downwind so birds finish into the wind and into your gun.
Keep spreads realistic. A few well-placed mallard or teal blocks with a touch of motion often beats a crowded, static raft on calm days. Match your calling to the birds' mood: aggressive on traffic ducks at a distance, soft and sparse once they commit. And no matter how good the hide, movement and shine give you away, so brush in tight and keep your face down until it is time.
