2012 - 2013 Waterfowl Season & Bag Limit Set

2012-2013 Waterfowl Season & Bag Limit Set

Ducks, Mergansers and Coots	Oct. 3-6, Nov. 10 – Dec. 1 and Dec. 15 – Jan. 26 [Black and mottled ducks closed until Nov. 17]
Sea Ducks (In special sea duck area only)	Oct. 1 – Jan. 31
Dark Geese (Includes Canada geese and white-fronted geese)  To view a map of the goose hunt zones, refer to the Regulations Digest orwww.ncwildlife.org	Resident Population Hunt Zone:  Oct. 3-13, Nov. 10 – Dec. 1 and Dec. 15 – Feb. 9 Southern James Bay Hunt Zone (Gaddy Goose Refuge closed after Sept. 30):  Oct. 3 – Oct. 31 and Nov. 10 – Dec. 31. Northeast Hunt Zone:  Jan. 19 – Jan. 26 (By permit only)
Light Geese (Includes snow and blue geese, and Ross’ geese)	Oct. 17 – Oct. 20 Nov. 10 – March 9 Electronic calls and unplugged guns are allowed from Feb. 11 – March 9
Brant	Nov. 17 – Dec. 1 and Dec. 15 – Jan. 26
Tundra Swan	Nov. 10 – Jan. 31 (1 per season by permit only; 5,000 will be issued.)
Youth Waterfowl Days (Includes ducks, geese, brant, mergansers, coots and tundra swans.) The youth must have a valid permit to harvest a tundra swan or a Canada goose (NE Hunt Zone only).	Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 Youth must be 15 years of age or younger and accompanied by a properly licensed adult. The adult cannot duck hunt but may participate in other seasons that are open on the special youth day.

HOURS:         One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

a) Conventional bag: 6 ducks with no more than 4 scoters, 4 scaup,4 mallards with no more than 2 hen mallards, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2pintails, 1 black or mottled duck (season closed until Nov. 17), 1 canvasback,or 1 fulvous whistling duck. The season on harlequin ducks is closed. 

b) Other limits: 

25 light geese (includes snow, blue and Ross’ geese), no possession limit; 2 brant; 5 mergansers (2 hooded  mergansers); 7 sea ducks (in special sea duck area only). In other areas, sea ducks are part of the regular duck bag limit. Includes scoters, eiders and long-tailed ducks. No more than 4scoters per day may be taken in either season; 15 coots; 5 dark geese (includes Canada geese and white-fronted geese) in the Resident Hunt Zone, 5 in the Southern James Bay Zone and 1 in the Northeast Hunt Zone.