Duck hunters in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties can head to the marshes and rivers starting Saturday, Oct. 10, when the first segment of Maryland’s Eastern Zone regular duck season opens.
The opening split is short. It runs through Saturday, Oct. 17, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The Western Zone’s first split has been open since Oct. 3 and also closes Oct. 17.
“The early duck season is the ideal time for everyone to get out and enjoy some hunting success,” said Karina Stonesifer, director of DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service, who noted that ducks are plentiful and early-season conditions suit young and new hunters.
Which zone is Southern Maryland in?
All of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties fall within the Eastern Duck Zone. The line between the zones follows I-83, I-695, I-95 and I-495 to the Potomac River, so counties west and north of that line, including Allegany, Garrett, Washington, Frederick and Carroll, are in the Western Zone. DNR’s migratory game bird regulations lay out the full boundary, and an interactive zone map is linked from the department’s announcement.
Charles County has one wrinkle for goose hunters: only the part of the county east of Route 301 is in the Atlantic Population goose zone. West of 301, the county falls under the Late Southern Maryland Resident goose zone.
The 2026-27 calendar
For Eastern Zone hunters, the regular duck season comes in three pieces:
- Oct. 10–17, 2026
- Nov. 14–27, 2026
- Dec. 15, 2026–Jan. 30, 2027
Black ducks are off limits during the October split and open only in the November and December–January segments, with a limit of two a day. Statewide youth, veterans and active military waterfowl days are Nov. 7, 2026, and Feb. 6, 2027. The Atlantic Population Canada goose season runs Nov. 24–27 and Dec. 15–Jan. 30, with a daily limit of two. Shooting hours for ducks and geese run from a half-hour before sunrise to sunset.
Bag limits
The daily bag is six ducks in both zones, with these species limits inside that total:
Species Daily limit Mallards 4 (no more than 2 hens) Wood ducks 3 Pintails 3 Black ducks 2 (closed in October) Canvasbacks 2 Redheads 2 Scaup 1 (2 from Jan. 8–30) Fulvous tree ducks 1 Mottled ducks 1 Sea ducks 4 total; no more than 3 scoters, 3 long-tailed ducks or 3 eiders (1 eider hen)
What you need to hunt
Adult waterfowl hunters need a Maryland hunting license, a Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp and a Federal Duck Stamp. Hunters under 16, including those with an apprentice hunting license, still need the state stamp but not the federal one. Licenses and stamps are sold through DNR’s Maryland Outdoors portal. For the youth, veterans and military days, hunters must carry printed proof of the state stamp purchase and their Harvest Information Program certification.
The duck opener adds to a full fall calendar. Archery deer season opened in September with a new drone rule, early dove and resident goose seasons are underway, and rabbit season opens Nov. 7. Waterfowlers hunting from licensed shoreline or offshore blinds should also check the terms of their 2026-27 blind site licenses.
Full rules, including zone maps on page 44, are in the 2026-2027 Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping.
