Requirements

 

With the exception of tundra swans (which require a permit from the hunt drawing that ended July 14), 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) annually to hunt ducks, geese and tundra swans. You can choose to purchase either a printed or electronic duck stamp 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:

 

• Printed stamp: Purchase a printed duck stamp from your local post office, some license agents or by phone at 800-782-6724.

• Electronic stamp: Purchase an electronic duck stamp through the DWR license sales site. If you purchase an e-duck stamp through the DWR website, you can download it to your Utah Hunting and Fishing app to show proof of purchase.

• Duckstamp.com and digital wallet download: Purchase an electronic duck stamp through this third-party online vendor. If you purchase an e-duck stamp from duckstamp.com, you can download it to your Google or Apple wallet.

 

“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.

The season dates for the duck hunts are:

• Northern zone general-season hunt: Oct. 3 to Jan. 16, 2027

• Northern zone youth hunt: Saturday, Sept. 19

• Southern zone general-season hunt: Oct. 10 to Jan. 23, 2027

• Southern zone youth hunt: Saturday, Sept. 26

Check page 64 of the Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook for the boundaries of the two zones and to see the bag limits for ducks.

Dark and white-fronted geese season dates:

• Northern area: Oct. 3-10 and Oct. 26 to Jan. 31, 2027

• Wasatch Front area: Oct. 3-10 and Nov. 10 to Feb. 15, 2027

• Eastern Box Elder area: Oct. 3 to Jan. 16, 2027

• Southern area: Oct. 10 to Jan. 23, 2027

Light geese season dates:

• Eastern Box Elder, Northern and Wasatch Front goose areas: Oct. 15 to Dec. 22 and Feb. 1 to March 10, 2027

• Southern goose area: Oct. 26 to Dec. 15 and Jan. 15 to March 10, 2027

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.

The youth waterfowl hunt will be held on Sept. 26 in the southern zone. Check page 65 of the Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook for the boundaries of the four goose areas and to see the bag limits for geese.

Swans:

Within 72 hours of harvesting a swan, hunters are required to check in the bird 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.). Hunters must also complete a mandatory harvest survey within 30 days of the season ending, even if they didn’t harvest a swan or go hunting. New this year, hunters were given the option when applying for a swan permit to opt in to electronic tagging for their harvested swan, which would fulfill the required harvest survey.

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.

Any harvested 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 swan species can be identified by size and sound,” Jones said. “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. 3 to Dec. 13. However, if the federal quota of 20 trumpeter swans is met before Dec. 13, the swan hunting season will close early. Those with a tundra swan permit may harvest only one tundra swan during the 2026 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. 17 this year.

Access and water conditions at the majority of the waterfowl management areas are fair this year, but have declined from last year due to drought conditions. For specific details and condition reports about each WMA, visit the DWR website. Be sure to check the conditions before attempting to launch an airboat at a WMA. Hunters should note that some current improvement projects at the Ogden Bay WMA will restrict access during the first youth hunt.

“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.

As a reminder, hunters cannot transport unsecured phragmites plants to use as blind covers. Utah law prohibits the transportation of weed seeds that are not contained, in an effort to prevent the spread of invasive plants.

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.

Post expires at 11:06am on Thursday December 31st, 2026