California 2026-27 waterfowl and upland seasons
California's 2026-27 duck season in the Balance of State zone runs October 24, 2026 through January 31, 2027, and the general pheasant season runs November 14 through December 27, 2026. Dates differ by zone, so confirm your county on the CDFW zone map.
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These dates come from the CDFW waterfowl and upland game bird pages, read on October 27, 2026. CDFW calls its web summaries "only a summary, not the legal language," so treat this page as a planning calendar and check the regulations booklet before you hunt.
Upland and Balance of State waterfowl dates
The first table uses the Balance of State waterfowl zone, which CDFW lists on its waterfowl page, together with the statewide upland game bird dates.
| Season | Dates, 2026-27 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ducks (Balance of State zone) | Oct 24, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027 | Zone dates differ; see the second table |
| Scaup (Balance of State) | Nov 7, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027 | Listed by CDFW |
| Geese, regular (Balance of State) | Oct 24, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027 | Early large Canada geese Oct 3-5, 2026 |
| Late geese (Balance of State) | Feb 20-24, 2027 | Canada geese Feb 20-21 |
| Pheasant, general | Nov 14 - Dec 27, 2026 | 2 males a day the first two days, then 3 |
| Chukar | Oct 17, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027 | Bag 6 |
| Dove (mourning, white-winged) | Sep 1-15 and Nov 14 - Dec 28, 2026 | Bag 15 |
| Quail, Zone Q2 | Sep 26, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027 | Confirm your quail zone with CDFW |
| Quail, Zones Q1 and Q3 | Oct 17, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027 | Q1 mountain quail only Sep 12 - Oct 16 |
Sources: CDFW waterfowl page (wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Waterfowl) and upland game bird page (wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Upland-Game-Birds), both read October 27, 2026. The quail zone map is a separate CDFW document, so check which quail zone covers your county.
Waterfowl dates by zone
CDFW divides waterfowl hunting into five zones. The dates below are the ones its waterfowl page lists for 2026-27.
| Waterfowl zone | Ducks | Scaup | Geese (regular) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern | Oct 3 - Jan 13 | Oct 3 - Nov 29 and Dec 17 - Jan 13 | Canada geese Oct 3 - Jan 10; white and white-fronted Oct 3 - Nov 29 and Jan 1 - Jan 13 |
| Balance of State | Oct 24 - Jan 31 | Nov 7 - Jan 31 | Oct 24 - Jan 31 |
| Southern San Joaquin Valley | Oct 24 - Jan 31 | Nov 7 - Jan 31 | Oct 24 - Jan 31 |
| Southern California | Oct 24 - Jan 31 | Nov 7 - Jan 31 | Oct 24 - Jan 31 |
| Colorado River | Oct 23 - Jan 31 | Nov 7 - Jan 31 | Oct 23 - Jan 31 |
Youth waterfowl days are September 19-20 in the Northeastern zone and February 13-14 in the other four zones, with regular bag limits (CDFW, read October 27, 2026).
Confirm your county before you plan
CDFW publishes its zone map as an image, and its pages do not list which counties fall in each zone. Look up your county on the CDFW waterfowl zone map and read the full <a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=203137&inline">regulations booklet for bag limits and legal shooting hours. Waterfowl bag limits are not repeated here because they vary by zone and species.
Private game bird clubs follow their own calendar. Hastings Island Hunting Preserve in Rio Vista describes its own season as mid-September to mid-March on its dog training page (hihp.com, read October 27, 2026), which differs from the general pheasant season above. See the Hastings Island page for how Richard Gebhart uses the ground.
This page is rebuilt each year and gives no opening dates for any later season.
How hunters use the dates with a dog
A dog that is ready on opening morning was usually started months earlier. The waterfowl opener guide and the off-season training calendar show how owners work backward from these dates, and Richard takes dogs for board-and-train from across California.
Sources (3)
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife: wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Waterfowl (checked October 27, 2026)
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife: wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Upland-Game-Birds (checked October 27, 2026)
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife: nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=203137&inline (checked October 27, 2026)
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Richard Gebhart has trained dogs professionally since 2002, learned the Rex Carr method for Retriever Basics under Billy Sargenti, and has run and qualified at an AKC Master National.
Meet RichardWhen does California duck season open in 2026-27?
In the Balance of State zone, ducks open October 24, 2026 and run through January 31, 2027. The Northeastern zone opens October 3 and the Colorado River zone October 23 (CDFW, October 27, 2026). Confirm your county on the zone map.
When is pheasant season in California in 2026-27?
The general pheasant season is November 14 through December 27, 2026, with a bag of 2 males a day for the first two days and then 3 (CDFW, October 27, 2026).
When is chukar season in 2026-27?
Chukar season runs October 17, 2026 through January 31, 2027, with a bag of 6 (CDFW, October 27, 2026).
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