TENNESSEE · WATERFOWL · 2026-27

Tennessee duck &
goose seasons 2026-27.

Duck, goose and sandhill crane dates and bag limits for 2026-27, plus the stamps and permits you need before you set out decoys.

Last checked: Nov. 1, 2026Official TWRA season summary ↗2026-27 TWRA hunting guide ↗

Find dates, calendars & a printable summary →

DUCKS

Duck, coot & merganser seasons

Tennessee uses one statewide duck season for 2026-27: an opening weekend Nov. 28-29, then Dec. 5 through Jan. 31, 2027. Youth and veterans days follow in February.

Season	Dates	Where	Bag limit
Early wood duck & tealClosed for 2026-27Shotgun, non-toxic shot	Sept. 12 – Sept. 16, 2026	Statewide	6 ducks per day, no more than 2 wood ducks.source · source
Ducks, coot & mergansersOpens Nov. 28, 2026Shotgun, non-toxic shot	Nov. 28 – Nov. 29, 2026 Dec. 5, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027	Statewide Possession limit is 3 times the daily bag, except 1x on opening day and 2x on the second day.	Ducks: 6 per day, including no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, 2 redheads, 2 black ducks, 3 pintails and 1 mottled duck. Scaup: 1 per day Nov. 28-29 and Dec. 5-17, then 2 per day Dec. 18-Jan. 31. Coot: 15. Mergansers: 5 (only 2 hooded).source · source
Youth waterfowl daysOpens Feb. 6, 2027Youths 6-16 only	Feb. 6, 2027 Feb. 13, 2027	Statewide Youth 16 still need a Federal Duck Stamp. A non-hunting adult 21+ must go along.	Same as regular season daily bag limits.source · source
Veterans & active military daysOpens Feb. 7, 2027Veterans and active-duty military only	Feb. 7, 2027 Feb. 14, 2027	Statewide	Same as regular season daily bag limits.source · source

Source: TWRA: Migratory Birds (doves, ducks, geese, cranes) ↗; 2026-27 TN Guide, Duck & Sandhill Crane (p. 55) ↗

GEESE

Goose seasons

Season	Dates	Where	Bag limit
Canada gooseReopens Nov. 28, 2026Shotgun, non-toxic shot	Sept. 1 – Sept. 20, 2026 Oct. 10 – Oct. 22, 2026 Nov. 28 – Nov. 29, 2026 Dec. 5, 2026 – Feb. 14, 2027	Statewide	5 per day Sept. 1-20; 3 per day for the later segments.source · source
White-fronted gooseOpens Nov. 28, 2026Shotgun, non-toxic shot	Nov. 28 – Nov. 29, 2026 Dec. 5, 2026 – Feb. 14, 2027	Statewide	3 per day.source · source
BrantReopens Nov. 28, 2026Shotgun, non-toxic shot	Sept. 1 – Sept. 20, 2026 Oct. 10 – Oct. 22, 2026 Nov. 28 – Nov. 29, 2026 Dec. 5, 2026 – Feb. 14, 2027	Statewide	1 per day.source · source
Light geese (snow, blue, Ross's)Reopens Nov. 28, 2026Standard federal rules (no unplugged guns or electronic calls)	Sept. 1 – Sept. 20, 2026 Oct. 10 – Oct. 22, 2026 Nov. 28 – Nov. 29, 2026 Dec. 5, 2026 – Feb. 14, 2027	Statewide	20 per day.source · source
Light Goose Conservation SeasonOpens Feb. 15, 2027Unplugged shotguns and electronic calls allowed	Feb. 15 – March 31, 2027	Statewide Free Light Goose Conservation Season Permit required (GoOutdoorsTennessee.com). No federal or state waterfowl stamps needed for this season. Post-season survey required.	No limit.source · source

Source: TWRA: Migratory Birds (doves, ducks, geese, cranes) ↗; 2026-27 TN Guide, Goose Seasons and Bag Limits (p. 56) ↗

SANDHILL CRANE

Sandhill crane

Season	Dates	Where	Bag limit
Sandhill crane (tag holders)Opens Dec. 3, 2026Tag holders only	Dec. 3, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027	Statewide. Southeast Crane Zone (south of I-40 and east of Hwy 56) is closed Jan. 15-17, 2027.	Set by the number of tags you were awarded. Check in each crane by the end of the day.source · source

Source: TWRA: Migratory Birds (doves, ducks, geese, cranes) ↗; 2026-27 TN Guide, Duck & Sandhill Crane (p. 55) ↗

BEFORE YOU GO

Licenses, stamps and blind draws

Combo Hunt/Fish plus the Waterfowl supplement (residents). Annual Sportsman and Lifetime holders are exempt from the supplement.
Tennessee Migratory Bird Permit.
Federal Duck Stamp for every waterfowl hunter 16 and older.
Non-toxic shot only for waterfowl and cranes.
WMA waterfowl blind draws: early application Sept. 23-Oct. 13, mid Oct. 21-Nov. 10, late Nov. 18-Dec. 8, 2026.

Buy licenses at GoOutdoorsTennessee.com ↗, the TWRA On The Go app or a license agent. Fees and full details are in the 2026-27 guide license section ↗.

Source: 2026-27 TN Guide, License Fees & Information (pp. 8-10) ↗; 2026-27 TN Guide, Big Game rules, orange and check-in (pp. 64-65) ↗; 2026-27 TN Guide, What's New for Hunting (p. 48) ↗

GET READY FOR THE WOODS

Stay warm and organized in the blind

FIELD GUIDEBuild a hunting clothing system around movementRead more →FIELD GUIDEPack a hunting daypack by taskRead more →GEARHeadlamps comparedRead more →FIELD GUIDETurn a hunting day into a better next tripRead more →

WHERE THESE DATES COME FROM

Sources

Every date and limit on this page comes from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. We do not carry over last season's dates. If we could not confirm something, we say Check TWRA.

We check official sources weekly and review changes before updating this guide. Confirm the latest TWRA rules before each hunt.

Last checked: Nov. 1, 2026. Spot a change? Let us know.

Tennessee duck &goose seasons 2026-27.