Key Waterfowl Season Dates, Regulations Released

Photo by CDFW/Lori Deiter
Photo by CDFW/Lori Deiter

 

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the important dates and regulations for the 2015-16 waterfowl season.

Here are the most important dates to circle on your calendar and regulations to keep in mind:

 

Duck Seasons

  • Balance of State, Southern San Joaquin Valley and Southern California zones will be open from Oct. 24, 2015 through Jan. 31, 2016. Scaup season will be open from Nov. 7, 2015 through Jan. 31, 2016.
  • Northeastern Zone will be open from Oct. 10, 2015 through Jan. 22, 2016. Scaup season will be open from Oct. 10, 2015 through Dec. 6, 2015, and from Dec. 26, 2015 through Jan. 22, 2016.
  • Colorado River Zone will be open from Oct. 16, 2015 through Jan. 24, 2016. Scaup season will be open from Oct. 31, 2015 through Jan. 24, 2016.

Bag Limits

  • Seven ducks per day, which includes no more than two hen mallards (or Mexican-like ducks in the Colorado River Zone), two pintail, two canvasback, two redheads and three scaup (which may only be taken during the 86-day scaup season).

Geese Seasons

  • Balance of State, Southern San Joaquin Valley and Southern California zones will be open from Oct. 24, 2015 through Jan. 31, 2016.
    • Balance of State Zone will also be open for Late Season white-fronted and white geese from Feb. 13-17, 2016.
    • Balance of State Zone will also be open for Early Large Canada geese from Oct. 3-7, 2015.
  • Northeastern Zone will be open for dark geese from Oct. 10, 2015 through Jan. 17, 2016 and for white geese from Nov. 7, 2015 through Jan. 17, 2016.
    • Northeastern Zone will also be open for Late Season white geese from Feb. 7, 2016 through Mar. 10, 2016.
    • Northeastern Zone will also be open for Late Season white-fronted geese from Mar. 6-10, 2016.
  • Colorado River Zone will be open from Oct. 16, 2015 through Jan. 24, 2016.

Bag Limits

  • 25 total geese per day, which may include 15 white geese.
  • 10 dark geese, including no more than two large Canada geese in the Northeastern Zone, no more than three dark geese in the Southern California Zone and no more than four dark geese in the Colorado River Zone.

All we need now is enough water in the fields to have enough birds for waterfowlers to hunt!