Latest dates for the duck Hunting Season Arizona 2016-2017
| Species | Season Dates | Bag Limits (Daily) | Possession Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| --- MOUNTAIN ZONE --- | |||
| Mountain Zone: Ducks, mergansers, coots | Oct 2 to Jan 10 | 7 Ducks in aggregate no more than: 7 mallards (Max 2 hens OR Mexican-like ducks) 7 mergansers 2 redheads 2 pintails 2 canvasback 25 Coots | 3 times daily bag limit |
| Mountain Zone: Common moorhens (gallinules) | Oct 2 to Jan 10 | 25 | 3 times daily bag limit |
| Mountain Zone: White geese (snow, blue and RossÂ’) | Oct 2 to Jan 10 | 10 | 3 times daily bag limit |
| Mountain Zone: Dark geese (Canada and white-fronted) | Oct 2 to Jan 10 | 4 | 3 times daily bag limit |
| Mountain Zone: Scaup | Oct 17 to Jan 10 | 3 | 3 times daily bag limit |
| --- DESERT ZONE --- | |||
| Desert Zone: Ducks, mergansers, coots | Oct 16 to Jan 24 | 7 Ducks in aggregate no more than: 7 mallards (Max 2 hens OR Mexican-like ducks) 7 mergansers 2 redheads 2 pintails 2 canvasback 25 Coots | 3 times daily bag limit |
| Desert Zone: Common moorhens (gallinules) | Oct 16 to Jan 24 | 25 | 3 times daily bag limit |
| Desert Zone: White geese (snow, blue and RossÂ’) | Oct 16 to Jan 24 | 10 | 3 times daily bag limit |
| Desert Zone: Dark geese (Canada and white-fronted) | Oct 16 to Jan 24 | 4 | 3 times daily bag limit |
| Desert Zone: Scaup | Oct 31 to Jan 24 | 3 | 3 times daily bag limit |
The United States of America have one of the biggest numbers of duck hunting enthusiasts in the world. People from all over the country patiently wait every year for the duck hunting season to start in order to get their shotguns from the rafts and go out for some fresh duck. Some do it for the pleasure of catching their own food, others do it for fun. Regardless of the reasons, you cannot deny that you love duck hunting. However, there are many regulations that a hunter has to follow so that they do not have any problem with the local authorities. Since every state might have its own set of laws and regulations, it is good to know as much as you can. Continue reading if you want to have a good and safe duck hunting in Arizona.
Regulations
Since duck hunting is a sport that involves catching live animals there are many regulations that you are required to follow in order for everything to go smoothly.
For the duck hunting in AZ there is a bag limit which you are required to not exceed. A bag limit is the maximum number of birds of one species, or combination of species, that one hunter can take for a single day. In Arizona, no person may take more than one daily bag limit or process more than one daily bag limit on the field, or while returning to their car, hunting camp or home.
There are certain rules about the importation of migratory game birds that have been killed in another country. For more information hunters have to consult federal regulations.
No person is allowed to take any game during the closed season. During the Arizona duck hunting season you are allowed to take down game birds only during the appropriate shooting hours which have been set in advance.
Lastly, no person is allowed to take down migratory game birds with the use of shots other than the non-toxic shot that is allowed by the law. If you are caught not following any of these regulations you will end up suffering from a great fee and you might even lose your permission to participate in the duck hunting in Arizona. This is why it is for the best that you make sure everything is legal and according to the regulations before the start of the season. You can save yourself a lot of headaches and frustration by following the rules.
Requirements
Every duck hunter that wants to be part of the duck hunting in AZ is required to be equipped with the proper licenses and stamps.
An Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp is required to be in possession of any person that is aged 18 or older and desire to hunt ducks, geese, coots, snipe and common moorhens. You can find this stamp together with the Youth Combo Hunt/Fish license, or you can purchase it solely. This stamp validates a hunting license for the Federal Harvest Information Program. In addition to this, hunters who are aged 16 or older and wish to hunt waterfowl are also required under federal law to have a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp.
Arizona Bald Eagle
In Arizona the bald eagle is protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and other state and federal laws. During your Arizona duck hunting endeavors, you must be careful not to accidentally shoot such a bird. In addition to this, while you are duck hunting in AZ, you should be careful not to disturb the bald eagle while it is breeding.
Equipment
Every duck hunter in Arizona should have the following along with them:
- A shotgun that is according to the regulations
- Decoys that are allowed by the law
- Camouflaged clothing and equipment
Every successful duck hunter will tell you that without these three pieces of equipment you will never be able to catch good game. In addition to them, the more experienced hunters tend to bring their trained dogs which help them with fetching of the game.
By following the regulations and making sure that you have all of the necessary licenses and stamps, you can make sure that everything during the duck hunting in Arizona will go smoothly.
For more detailed info check out the Arizona Game and Fish Department website.