Waterfowl Hunting

New!  Watch videos of snow goose informational meetings featuring Dr. Rocky Rockwell.

Spring Light Goose

• Spring Light Goose Hunting Regulations
• Spring Light Goose Map
• HIP (Harvest Information Program) Registration Requirements
• Spring Light Goose Season Information
• Waterfowl Identification Brochures from USGS

Fall Waterfowl (Ducks, Geese, Coots, Mergansers, Tundra Swans)

• Early Canada Goose Season Regulations
• Fall Waterfowl Hunting Regulations
• Species Distribution Maps
  • Tundra Swan
  • White-fronted Geese
  • Duck
  • Canada Geese
  • Light Geese
• HIP (Harvest Information Program) Registration Requirements
• Fall Waterfowl Season Information
• Waterfowl Identification Brochures from USGS

Hunter Education Requirements and Who is Exempt

Persons born after 1961 must complete a certified hunter education course and show proof of certification when buying or applying for hunting licenses (official courses offered by other states and Canadian provinces meet these requirements).  Exceptions: Persons under age 12 who hunt only with their parent or legal guardian; persons who hunt exclusively on land of which they are the record title owner or operator; and those who obtain an Apprentice Hunting License.

Other licensing information:

• Nonresident youth hunting licenses. A nonresident under age sixteen 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, or province or territory of Canada, of residence provides a reciprocal licensing agreement for North Dakota residents who are also under age sixteen. (Currently states of Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin qualify.) To be eligible, a nonresident youth may not have turned sixteen before September first 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 the adult family member or legal guardian.
• A nonresident full-time student living in North Dakota and attending an institution of higher learning under the jurisdiction of the Board of Higher Education, a private institution, or a tribal college may qualify to purchase resident (non lottery) licenses.

Nonresident small game and waterfowl licenses are issued only through the Department's Bismarck office, Online Services, and by calling instant licensing at 1-800-406-6409 (Note: for instant licensing on the telephone, a service charge of $4 is assessed for each transaction under $70 and $10 for transactions of $70 or more).

Top

Back