Early waterfowl seasons open Sept. 1 – what you need to know

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Early waterfowl seasons open Sept. 1

Early goose and teal hunting seasons, as well as common gallinule, Virginia rail, sora rail and Wilson’s snipe seasons, open Sept. 1.

We get a lot of teal questions this time of year. Here is a highlight from the 2025 waterfowl hunting regulations summary that is one of the most frequently asked:

What can I hunt during the early teal season?

Only blue-winged and green-winged teal may be harvested during the early teal season. Hunters are strongly encouraged to refresh their duck identification skills for this season. Do not shoot if you are not sure of your target. The daily bag limits and possession limits are the same as those allowed in the regular duck hunting season.

The full waterfowl hunting regulations summary information, with information on teal hunting and everything else waterfowl, is now available online in mobile-friendly and desktop PDF formats

Whether you're looking for season dates and bag limits, hunting hours or anything in between, you can find it all at the link below.

Waterfowl regs summary ►