Waterfowl Hunting in Oklahoma

Oklahoma has great diversity to offer to hunters who enjoy pursuing waterfowls. Because of its positioning at the southern portion of the Central Flyway, Oklahoma is a prime location to hunt several species of ducks and geese. Hunters will enjoy hunting puddle ducks early in the hunting season, mallards in the rivers during winter’s coldest months, and geese throughout the entire hunting season. With its many lakes and rivers, Oklahoma provides hunters with a vast number of opportunities.

Hunting Season: Dates, Daily and Possession Limits, Shooting Hours

In the panhandle counties, hunting season for ducks, mergansers and coots begins mid-October and lasts until early January. In Zone 1, hunting season lasts from late October until the beginning from December, and from the middle of December until mid-January. In Zone 2, these waterfowls may be hunted from early November through early December, and from mid-December until late January.

Daily bag limits for ducks is six, and may include no more than five mallards (with no more than two hens), three wood ducks, three scaup, two pintails, two redheads, and two canvasbacks. The daily bag limit for mergansers is five and may include no more than two hooded mergansers. The daily bag limit for coots is fifteen. The possession limit for these after the first day of hunting is twice the daily bag limit.

The conservation order light goose season lasts from mid-February until the end of March. Canada, white-fronted and light geese may be hunted from the beginning of November until the beginning of December, and from mid-December until mid-February. Hunting season for the sandhill crane lasts from mid-October until mid-January and is limited to the region west of I-35.

Daily bag limits for the Canada geese is eight. The daily bag limit for the white-fronted geese is one. The daily bag limit for light geese is fifty. The possession limit after the first day of hunting is twice the daily bag limit for Canada and white-fronted geese. There is no possession limit for light geese.

Shooting hours for all waterfowl are one-half hour before official sunrise until official sunset.

Youth Waterfowl Hunting Opportunities

Oklahoma youth hunters ages 12-15 have the opportunity to become involved in waterfowl hunting outside of the regular waterfowl season. An adult, who is either hunter education certified or exempt, must accompany the youth hunter even if the youth hunter is education certified. Guided hunts are offered to youth hunters who do not have an adult mentor who hunts waterfowl.

Conservation Order Light Geese Season (COLGS)

Conservation Order Light Geese Season, which lasts from mid-February until the end of March, is designed to allow hunters to help control the population of snow, blue and Ross’ geese. There are no daily bag limits or possession limits, and hunting hours are extended until one-half hour after official sunset. Electronic bird calls are permitted, as are unplugged shotguns.

All other waterfowl regulations are in effect unless otherwise provided.

Because federal regulations require an estimate of the COLGS light goose harvest, hunters must register for a harvest survey.

Hunting Regulations

Waterfowls and coots may be hunted with muzzle-loading or conventional shotguns, legal raptors or archery equipment. All shotgun hunting is limited to federally approved nontoxic shot.

Hunting restrictions include traps, snares, any stupefying substance, pistols, rifles, punt guns, battery guns, machine guns, explosives, and shotguns larger than a 10 gauge. The use or aid of vehicles, whether on the land or in the water, is prohibited. Recordings of bird calls, as well as live decoys, are also prohibited unless otherwise stated.