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It’s a quiet, still morning as you sit near the edge of a lake in your blind. You hear some birds in the distance and turn your head to see several ducks flying toward you. Your heartbeat quickens, and you slowly raise your shotgun. Waterfowl hunting season is finally here.
Requirements
With the exception of tundra swans (which require a permit from the hunt drawing that ended July 16), the rest of the waterfowl hunts in Utah are open to anyone with a hunting or combination license. However, you are also required to have a Harvest Information Program (HIP) number to hunt any waterfowl or migratory game bird species. You can register for a free HIP number on the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website.
If you're 16 years old or older, you must also obtain a federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp (duck stamp) to hunt ducks, geese and tundra swans. Both traditional (printed) duck stamps and electronic (digital) duck stamps must be purchased each year before you go into the field to hunt. Duck stamps are valid July 1 through June 30 each hunting season.
There are a few options for purchasing a duck stamp:
“Federal duck stamps help fund wildlife conservation across the U.S., with 98% of the purchase fee going directly to help acquire and protect wetland habitat and purchase conservation easements for the National Wildlife Refuge System,” DWR Waterfowl and Migratory Game Birds Coordinator Jason Jones said.
If you are planning to hunt ducks, geese or tundra swans this fall, here is some information to be aware of:
Ducks
Local duck populations in Utah are doing great this year, and DWR wetland managers have reported excellent duck production on several of the waterfowl management areas. However, duck numbers across North America are down slightly from previous years, sitting at around 34 million in all four flyways — which is unchanged from last year's estimate, but still 4% below the long-term average. Long-term drought and disease impacts are likely factors in this slight downward trend. Specifically, there were fewer ponds and associated grasslands available for nesting over several years, which led to an overall decrease in reproduction in the flyways.
“Many prairie pothole regions in North America that are of critical importance to breeding waterfowl species were dry last year, due to drought,” Jones said. “These conditions have persisted over several years, so generally waterfowl production has been below average the last few years. Waterfowl numbers usually peak in mid-September in Utah — with the dabblers arriving first — and the divers usually migrate through a bit later in October. Utah waterfowl hunters may experience fewer birds coming through Utah this hunting season, compared to the last 10 years. However, water conditions in the managed wetland areas on the eastern shores of the Great Salt Lake are in great condition, and local duck production (especially cinnamon teal) was excellent this year.”
Typically, about 15 duck species can be found in Utah. Details and photos of each species can be found in the 2025-26 Utah Waterfowl and Migratory Game Birds Guidebook.
“Hunters can greatly improve their success during the duck hunt by spending some time scouting before each hunt,” Jones said. “Learning where and when birds are in a specific location can allow hunters to be where the birds want to be, when they want to be there, and will greatly increase the number of birds they harvest.”
Each duck species uses different types of habitats:
“Think about the species you are hunting and then look for them in the habitats they want to be in,” Jones said. “If you aren’t finding the species you are targeting, move around to different areas until you find them.”
Calls are also an effective tool in helping hunters be successful during duck hunts. Most hunters use a traditional duck call that sounds like a mallard hen. Experimenting with other sounds, such as wigeon or pintail whistles, can also increase success. Dogs are great at helping hunters retrieve downed birds and will increase your chances of finding ducks that fall in thick cover.
The general-season duck hunt runs from Oct. 4 to Jan. 17, 2026 in Utah’s northern zone and runs from Oct. 11 to Jan. 24, 2026 in the southern zone. The northern zone youth waterfowl hunt takes place on Saturday, Sept. 20, and the southern zone youth hunt will happen on Saturday, Sept. 27. Check the Utah Waterfowl and Migratory Game Birds Guidebook for the boundaries of the two zones and to see the bag limits for ducks.
Geese
Canada goose populations in the Pacific Flyway — which includes Utah — are increasing and are currently above their population objectives. The western population of Canada and cackling goose are up from last year’s estimate, at 425,000 birds. Local Canada goose production in Utah seemed down this year, likely due to dry conditions in some traditional survey areas. However, DWR biologists caught and banded a record number of molting adult geese in central Utah this year.
“Hunters should see plenty of geese early in the season,” Jones said. “Migrating geese will begin showing up around mid-to-late November. Geese continue to increase in the Pacific Flyway, and hunting should be good this year. However, snow goose numbers have seen a slight decrease in the Pacific Flyway over the last few years.”
An important tip for success while hunting geese is to use a good call.
“Calling is a very important part of goose hunting,” Jones said. “Geese are very social birds, so being able to sound like a goose can help hunters harvest more birds.”
Dark and white-fronted geese season dates:
Light geese season dates:
The youth waterfowl hunt that will be held on Sept. 27 in the southern zone will allow dark goose and white-fronted goose hunting. Check the Utah Waterfowl and Migratory Game Birds Guidebook for the specific zone boundaries and bag limits.
Hunters should also note that most light goose hunting takes place on private property. Make sure to get documented permission from landowners before hunting on their property.
Swans
Tens of thousands of tundra swans move through Utah every fall on their way to their wintering grounds in California. Tundra swan populations in the Pacific Flyway are still doing well, and hunters can expect to see similar numbers as in previous years in Utah.
“Swans migrate and stop over at the same locations each year,” Jones said. “Traditional staging areas, such as Public Shooting Grounds WMA and the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, will hold swans beginning in late October to early November, and they typically stay in the area until the wetlands freeze and food becomes difficult to find.”
Tundra swans will leave resting areas to feed during the morning and late afternoon, and also throughout the day as temperatures get colder. So scouting before the hunt can help hunters determine when swans are moving and know what times of day to hunt.
“Hunting along a swan’s flight path, or in their feeding locations, will increase your odds of harvesting a swan,” Jones said.
Hunters should also be sure of the swan species they are targeting before attempting to harvest one. Trumpeter and tundra swans both migrate through the state, but as of 2023, it is illegal to harvest trumpeter swans in Utah. Only tundra swan hunting permits are issued to hunters.
Hunters are still required to check in any harvested swans at a DWR office or at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge (open on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 2-7 p.m.). Trumpeter swans will be seized, and the hunter may face a citation. In addition, hunters who harvest a trumpeter swan will also be prohibited from being able to apply for a tundra swan hunting permit for several years. Youth who harvest a trumpeter swan must wait three years until they can apply for a tundra swan permit, and adults must wait five years.
Each species can be identified by size and sound. Trumpeter swans are significantly larger than tundra swans. Trumpeter swans do not have a yellow-colored area near their eyes, and they also make a distinctive trumpet-like sound, hence their name.
Utah is one of only nine states in the U.S. that allows hunting for swans.
The tundra swan season runs from Oct. 4 to Dec. 14. However, if the federal quota of 20 trumpeter swans is met before Dec. 14, the swan hunting season will close early. Those with a tundra swan permit may harvest only one tundra swan during the 2025 hunting season.
Places to go waterfowl hunting
There are more than 20 waterfowl management areas throughout Utah that are owned and managed by the DWR. Waterfowl management areas in Utah typically open for scouting on the Thursday before the northern zone youth waterfowl hunt, which is Sept. 20 this year.
Access and water conditions at the majority of the waterfowl management areas should be good this year. For specific details and condition reports about the WMAs, visit the DWR website. Be sure to check the conditions before attempting to launch an airboat at a WMA.
“Food resources and access around the associated wetlands of the Great Salt Lake are still suffering due to long-term drought conditions,” Jones said. “Because of that, waterfowl may migrate through Utah quicker this year, which will make hunting more difficult later in the season.”
The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge — managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — is another great location for waterfowl hunting in Utah. Here are the access and water conditions as of Sept. 4:
While habitat conditions are improving, boating access may be limited this year due to the ongoing drought affecting much of northern Utah.
“We are doing everything we can to provide quality habitat and access for hunters,” Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Manager Carl Millegan said. “However, the effects of the drought are still being felt, and we want to ensure everyone is prepared for potentially limited watercraft access in some areas. Hunters are reminded to follow all refuge regulations, including the use of non-toxic shot.”
Utah Waterfowl Slam
If you’d like to add some fun and challenge to your hunt, consider completing the Utah Waterfowl Slam. Hunters earn a slam by completing different requirements, such as harvesting a group of species in a certain time period or location. There are currently 10 slams with different levels of difficulty, so you can find a variety of fun, unique challenges. Along with trying something new, hunters who complete the slam can also earn colorful, collectible leg bands.
The money earned from the slam is used to complete habitat-improvement projects on the different WMAs across the state. Learn more about the Utah Waterfowl Slam on the DWR website.