Canada Goose Seasons & Regulations

Season Dates

SeasonHunting UnitsOpensClosesSeason Dates StatusCanada GeeseRegular – ResidentMissouri River Zone09/23/202412/16/2024FinalizedCanada GeeseRegular – ResidentWestern Zone09/23/202412/21/2024FinalizedCanada GeeseRegular – ResidentEastern Zone09/23/202412/29/2024FinalizedCanada GeeseRegular – NonresidentEastern Zone09/30/202412/16/2024FinalizedCanada GeeseRegular – NonresidentWestern Zone09/30/202412/21/2024FinalizedCanada GeeseRegular – NonresidentMissouri River Zone09/30/202412/29/2024FinalizedCanada Geese (Early Season)August Management Take/Early September SeasonMissouri River Zone08/15/202409/07/2024FinalizedCanada Geese (Early Season)August Management Take/Early September SeasonWestern Zone08/15/202409/15/2024FinalizedCanada Geese (Early Season)August Management Take/Early September SeasonEastern Zone08/15/202409/22/2024Finalized

License Requirements

Early Canada Goose

Residents must possess the following licenses:

• Harvest Information Program registration
• Fishing, Hunting, and Furbearer Certificate
• Small Game License (Not required of residents under age 16) and General Game and Habitat LicenseorCombination License (includes Small Game, General Game and Habitat, Furbearer, and Fishing licenses)
• Federal migratory bird stamp (duck stamp) – required of all hunters 16 years of age and older.

Nonresidents must possess the following licenses:

• Nonresident Early Canada Goose – Nonresidents under age 16 can purchase a license at the resident fee if their state has youth reciprocity licensing with North Dakota.
• This is a special, separate license for the early season.
• Early Canada goose season days do not count against the 14-day regular season nonresident license.
• Harvest Information Program registration
• Federal migratory bird stamp (duck stamp) – required of all hunters 16 years of age and older, is needed starting Sept. 1.

Fall Waterfowl Season

Residents must possess the following licenses:

• Harvest Information Program registration
• Fishing, Hunting, and Furbearer Certificate
• Small Game License (Not required of residents under age 16) and General Game and Habitat LicenseorCombination License (includes Small Game, General Game and Habitat, Furbearer, and Fishing licenses)
• Federal migratory bird stamp (duck stamp) – required of all hunters 16 years of age and older.

Nonresidents must possess the following licenses:

• Harvest Information Program registration
• Nonresident Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate
• General Game and Habitat License
• Federal migratory bird stamp (duck stamp) – required of all hunters 16 years of age and older.
• Nonresident waterfowl license – two types are available:
  • A statewide license, good for two 7-day periods or one 14-day period, or
  • A zone-restricted license that requires the nonresident to select hunting zones (see **Nonresident Waterfowl Hunting Zones (pdf) below) according to the following restrictions:
    1. A nonresident must select Zone 1 or Zone 2 for one seven-day period and Zone 3 for the other seven-day period, or
    2. Zone 3 for the full 14 days or two seven-day periods, or
    3. Zones 1 and 3 concurrently for the same 7-day period or zones 2 and 3 concurrently for the same 7-day period. This option effectively reduces the license to seven days only, as the two 7-day periods are run at the same time.
• Nonresident Youth Hunting Licenses – A nonresident under age 16 need only purchase a North Dakota resident fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate and a North Dakota resident general game and habitat license to hunt small game and waterfowl, except swans and wild turkeys; provided that the nonresident’s state of residence, or province or territory of Canada, provides a reciprocal licensing agreement for North Dakota residents who are also under age 16. (Currently states of AL, AR, CO, CT, ID, KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NE, NJ, NY, OH, SC, TN, TX, WA and WI qualify.) To be eligible, a nonresident youth must not turn 16 before September 1 of the year for which the license is issued, and must possess a certificate of completion for a certified hunter education course. The nonresident youth may only hunt under the supervision of an adult family member or legal guardian who is licensed to hunt small game or waterfowl in this state and is subject to the same regulations as that youth’s adult family member or legal guardian. Youth from states that do not qualify for reciprocity must obtain required adult nonresident licenses.

Regulations

Species Specific Regulations – Early Season

Daily Limit15Possession Limit45Shooting Hours30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.

Species Specific Regulations – Regular Season

Daily Limit8 (Zones Western, Eastern); 5 (Missouri River)Possession Limit24 (Zones Western, Eastern); 15 (Missouri River)Shooting Hours30 minutes before sunrise to 2 p.m. each day through end of season.

Extended shooting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset on Saturdays and Wednesdays from September 24 through November 26; and on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays from November 27 through end of season. Note: A hunter may take up to 8 Canada geese in a day, provided no more than 5 come from the Missouri River Zone. Subsequently, a hunter may possess up to 24 Canada geese, provided not more than 15 come from the Missouri River Zone.

Missouri River Canada Goose Zone: starting where ND Highway 6 crosses the South Dakota border; then north on ND Highway 6 to Interstate 94; then west on Interstate 94 to ND Highway 49; then north on ND Highway 49 to ND Highway 200; then west on ND Highway 200; then north on ND Highway 8 to the Mercer/McLean county line; then east following the county line until it turns south toward Garrison Dam; then east along a line (including Mallard Island) along the south shore of Lake Sakakawea to U.S. Highway 83; then south on U.S. Highway 83 to ND Highway 200; then east on ND Highway 200 to ND Highway 41; then south on ND Highway 41 to U.S. Highway 83; then south on U.S. Highway 83 to Interstate 94; then east on Interstate 94 to U.S. Highway 83; then south on U.S. Highway 83 to the South Dakota border; then west on the South Dakota border to ND Highway 6.

Western Zone has the same boundaries as the High Plains Duck Unit described in the combined guide, excluding the Missouri River Canada Goose Zone.

Eastern Zone has the same boundaries as the Low Plains Duck Unit described the combined guide.