Florida Duck Season 2026-27 Dates: Nov. 21 Opener, 6-Duck Limit

Southwest Florida is not Florida’s duck country, and I want to say that up front. The statewide rules are clear and fetched. The list of public places near Fort Myers and Naples that offer duck hunting is thin, and I will separate what FWC states from what you must check yourself.

2026-2027 season dates

FWC posts these for ducks (FWC, retrieved Oct. 1, 2026). Seasons and dates may not apply to wildlife management areas.

• Early season, teal and wood duck only: Sept. 19-23
• Regular season: Nov. 21-29 and Dec. 12 to Jan. 31
• Youth waterfowl hunting days: Nov. 14 and Feb. 13
• Veterans and active military waterfowl days: Feb. 6-7

Other waterfowl in the same table: coot, light geese and mergansers on the regular duck dates, Canada goose Sept. 5-27, Nov. 21-29 and Dec. 1 to Jan. 30. Dove, snipe and woodcock are on the same page.

Bag limits

During the early teal and wood duck season, the daily bag is 6 ducks, of which only 2 can be wood ducks. In the regular season the total daily bag is 6 ducks, single species or combined, with species caps (FWC, retrieved Oct. 1, 2026):

• 4 mallards, of which only 2 can be female
• 1 mottled duck (Florida duck)
• 3 wood ducks
• 2 redheads
• 2 black ducks
• 2 canvasbacks
• 3 pintails
• 1 fulvous whistling-duck
• 1 scaup through Jan. 11, then 2 scaup from Jan. 12-31

Mottled duck and mallard hybrids are counted as either a mallard or a mottled duck. The possession limit is three times the daily bag limit. Taking white-fronted geese, harlequin ducks, brant and purple gallinule is prohibited.

What you need to carry

FWC states that hunting ducks and geese takes all of the following (FWC, retrieved Oct. 1, 2026):

• A Florida hunting license
• A migratory bird permit, which is no cost
• A $5 Florida waterfowl permit
• A federal duck stamp, $28.50 on FWC’s migratory bird page, for hunters 16 and older

On public land you may also need a management area permit and limited entry or quota permits. Nontoxic shot is required for ducks, geese and coots. FWC also notes no shotgun may hold more than three shells, and bird calls recorded or electronically amplified are prohibited, except for conservation order dates on light geese.

Public areas near Fort Myers and Naples

Here is the honest state of it. FWC’s waterfowl and bird pages that I fetched do not list SWFL areas by name. What I can cite:

• Dinner Island Ranch WMA in Hendry County lists migratory game birds among the game hunted, and its planning page says deer, hog and migratory game bird hunts are held on several weekends in the late summer and fall (FWC, retrieved Oct. 1, 2026). It is quota hunt country, and FWC says it has been one of the most sought-after quota hunt areas since 2003.
• FWC runs quota permits for waterfowl on WMAs. For the regular season, Period A had Phase I applications Sept. 4-14 and Phase II Sept. 18-28, with Phase III leftovers beginning Oct. 1 until filled. Period B has Phase I Oct. 9-19, Phase II Oct. 23 to Nov. 2, and Phase III leftovers from Nov. 5 (FWC, retrieved Oct. 1, 2026).

I did not confirm which of those quota hunts are in Lee, Collier or Charlotte counties. FWC has a Waterfowl quota hunt page and WMA Finder that sort by species and location, and that is where to look.

Method rules that trip people up

FWC says you cannot hunt migratory birds from or by means of a motorboat unless the motor is completely shut off and progress has ceased, and you cannot hunt from a motor vehicle, with narrow exceptions for paraplegics and people missing a leg. Baiting is prohibited. Every bird you leave with another person must be tagged with your name, address, species count and date (FWC, retrieved Oct. 1, 2026).

Questions I left alone

I did not verify private-lease waterfowl hunting in SWFL, the legal status of specific canals or lakes, or boat-ramp access. Check FWC’s WMA brochure for any area before you plan a hunt, and treat this post as a pointer to the rules, not a substitute for them.