North Dakota Duck Hunting

New for 2004 - Summary of Changes from Last Year

  • North Dakota's 2004 waterfowl regulations are essentially unchanged from last year. Season structures, bag limits, and other restrictions will remain the same.
  • The opening day for residents hunting ducks, coots, mergansers, and geese will be September 25. Nonresidents may begin hunting waterfowl on October 2.
  • Nonresidents cannot hunt any game from October 9 through October 15 on Department wildlife management areas or on Conservation P.L.O.T.S. (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) areas.
  • Two Waterfowl Rest Areas have been eliminated. (Rice Lake in Emmons County and Lake Laretta in Nelson County).
  • All waterfowl hunters are reminded that they must register annually with the Harvest Information Program (HIP) prior to hunting. Hunters purchasing a license from the Department's Bismarck office, through the Department's web site, or by phone using the Department's toll-free licensing number can easily be HIP registered. Otherwise hunters must call 1-888-634-4798. Hunters must record the HIP number on their fishing, hunting, and furbearer certificate.


2. General Requirements - Hunter Education, Minimum Age, Nonresidents

Hunter Education Requirement. Persons born after 1961 must complete a certified Hunter Education course and present the certificate earned to the license vendor to purchase a hunting license. Certificates from other states or Canada are valid. Exemptions: Persons who hunt only on land they own or operate and persons under 12 years of age (those under 12 may hunt if they have appropriate licenses and are accompanied by parent or guardian).

North Dakota is home to one of the largest breeding grounds for ducks anywhere in North America. Not only that, but we have great duck hunting. Duck hunting in North Dakota is a lot different than hunting elsewhere in the U.S. There's not many opportunties to duck hunt over a boat, so you must learn to adapt. Check out all of the duck hunting information we have to offer. We're sure it'll help get you on more ducks this year!

Minimum Age. Persons under 15 years of age afield with firearms must be accompanied by parent, guardian, or adult authorized by their parent or guardian.

Nonresidents. Nonresidents may not hunt waterfowl from September 25 through October 1, 2004. State law restricts nonresident waterfowl hunters to zones and specified days (see section 11). For waterfowl hunting you may choose either option 1) hunting in zone 3 only for 14 consecutive days or for two 7 consecutive day periods, OR option 2) hunting in zones 1 or 2 for 7 consecutive days and also hunting in zone 3 for 7 consecutive days - either back to back or split, OR option 3) choosing either zones 1 or 2 and also selecting zone 3 for the same 7 day time period. (Note - nonresidents cannot hunt in both zones 1 and 2 during the season).

There is no specific nonresident season limit for waterfowl. Legal daily and possession limits shall apply. The storage limit for nonresidents for waterfowl shall be the possession limit.

Nonresident small game hunters may hunt statewide but must select two 5 day hunting periods or one 10 day hunting period. They may purchase more than one small game license per year.

Excellent duck and goose hunting can be found in many locations across the US and Canada.  Be it Canada Geese, Snow Geese or Speckled Belly you are sure to find the right outfitter to show you plenty of action.  You may be looking for an exciting duck hunting adventure with plenty of opportunity to shoot Mallards, Wood Ducks, Redheads, Buffleheads, or Teal.  You will find excellent duck hunting guides on this page, but be sure to check the state/province pages for all the duck hunting guide listings.

Harvest Information Program (HIP)
All migratory game bird hunters must register annually with the Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP) before hunting ducks, geese, swans, mergansers, coots, cranes, snipe, doves and woodcock. (NOTE: If you purchase your hunting license at the Department's Bismarck office, through the Department's web site, or over the phone with the toll-free number you can easily be HIP registered. If you participated in the spring snow goose conservation hunt you should have already been HIP registered.) HIP is a US Fish and Wildlife Service program designed to measure the harvest of migratory birds for management purposes.

Register with HIP:

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 CO, CT, KY, MI, MN, MO, MS, NE, OH, TN, and TX 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 that youth's adult family member or legal guardian.

Nonresident full-time state or tribal college students living in North Dakota, who are residents of states that are members of the Midwest Student Exchange Program or the Western Undergraduate Exchange Program may qualify for purchasing resident (non lottery) licenses. Please contact the Department for details or visit our web site at discovernd.com/gnf.


3. Licenses

General. Most hunting licenses are in the form of stamps which must be affixed to the back of a Fishing, Hunting and Furbearer Certificate. Stamps and licenses must be signed in ink.

Duck, goose, swan, merganser, sandhill crane, coot and snipe hunters must possess general game and habitat licenses and small game licenses (exception: nonresident waterfowl hunters do no need a small game license, and; residents and qualifying nonresidents under 16 years of age do not need a small game license - see Nonresident Youth Hunting Licenses).

FEATURE: *B & B Outfitters - Duck, Goose Hunting: You will be able to experience some of the finest Waterfowl hunting available in the beautiful state of North Dakota. Located 80 miles east of Bismarck, we have the exclusive use of 83,000 acres -- land that is considered the "pothole region". In addition to the potholes for nesting, there is an abundance of food and it is also located in the middle of the Central Migration Route for geese and ducks. All of this adds up to substantial numbers of all the major species of birds, making this truly a hunters' paradise!
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FEATURE: *Badlands Guide Service -  - Serving not only North Dakota but also South Dakota, Montana and Nebraska. We have excellent Duck and Goose Hunting. Our experienced guides are licensed with the North Dakota Professional Guides and Outfitters Association and will coordinate your hunt using proven hunting techniques. We can take care of your lodging, meals and bird processing.
See Our Trophy Room & Get Free Info - Back to Top



Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp. No persons 16 years of age or older, including landowners, shall hunt, kill, or take ducks, geese, swans or mergansers without having in his or her possession a Federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp (duck stamp) for the season and validated by his or her signature written across the face of it in ink.

North Dakota is an important state for duck production. Millions of birds come here every spring to nest and raise their young. Come October, most of them are still around. That means you don’t have to wait for the northern flight to have a good duck hunt in North Dakota.

Special Permits. All crane and swan hunters must possess special permits. Any swan taken must be tagged. See Section 14.

Nonresident Waterfowl Licenses. All nonresident duck, goose, swan, merganser, and coot hunters must possess nonresident waterfowl licenses. Nonresidents may purchase only one waterfowl license per year. Nonresidents hunting only waterfowl do not need the small game license. Learn how to obtain licenses.


4. Definition of Terms

“Game” shall include those species including waterfowl as defined in Section 20.1-01-02 of the North Dakota Century Code.

“Small Game” shall include all game birds (including waterfowl) and tree squirrels.

“Migratory Game Birds” shall include ducks, geese, swans, mergansers, coots, cranes, snipe, dove and woodcock. All migratory bird hunters must be HIP registered.

"Waterfowl" shall include ducks, geese, swans, mergansers and coots.

“Daily Bag Limit” (Daily Limit) means the maximum number of the particular game referred to in single or aggregate for which a bag limit is prescribed and that one hunter, legally licensed by this state, may take or kill for that species during a single hunting day.

“Possession Limit” means the maximum number of the particular game referred to (except waterfowl and migratory game birds) that a hunter, legally licensed by this state, may have in his/her actual possession during any phase of any single hunting trip, venture, or expedition of more than one day. No more than a daily limit may be taken on any one day. The possession limit at ones personal permanent residence is unlimited.

“Possession Limit for Waterfowl and Migratory Game Birds” means the maximum number of migratory game birds of a single species or a combination of species permitted to be possessed by any one person when lawfully taken in the United States in any one specified geographic area for which a possession limit is prescribed.

Game taken on any North Dakota Indian reservation shall be included in the daily bag and possession limits.

“Migratory Bird Preservation Facility” any person or business for hire or other consideration, taxidermist, cold storage or locker plant facility, or hunting club which receives, possesses, or has in custody any migratory game birds belonging to another for purposes of picking, cleaning, freezing, processing, storage or shipment.

“Possession of Shot other than Non-Toxic Shot” means in the gun, or in the pockets, or within reach while in the process of hunting. See non-toxic shot regulations described in this guide.

Waterfowl Rest Areas

The following waterfowl rest areas are described by approximate distance from the nearest town, i.e. 5 N and 3 E of Bismarck means 5 miles north and 3 miles east of the town of Bismarck. See approximate locations on map. Legal descriptions of waterfowl rest areas can be found in the 2004 Waterfowl Rest Area Proclamation available from the Department's Bismarck office. Waterfowl rest areas are in effect from September 25 through December 31, 2004. All waterfowl rest areas listed below shall be closed to goose or waterfowl hunting during this period, and they are closed to small game hunting and fishing from September 25 through November 30 except as specified below. Beginning December 1, waterfowl rest areas will open to hunting (except goose or waterfowl hunting) and fishing, and remain open through the end of the respective seasons.

Barnes County: (1) Ensign Lake (Lake Benson) - 2 N and 1 W of Dazey.
Burke County: (1) 5 E and 6 N of Columbus.
Cavalier County: (1) Mt. Carmel Dam -11 N and 2 E of Langdon.
Divide County: (1) 3 N of Noonan. Closed to waterfowl hunting only.
Eddy County: (1) Cherry Lake - 6 N and 5 E of Grace City.
Emmons County: (1) Goose Lake -1 S and 3 E of Braddock. Open to fishing.
Hettinger County: (1) Larson Lake - 2 E of Regent. Closed to waterfowl hunting only. (2) Mott Watershed Dam -1 N of Mott. Closed to waterfowl hunting only.
Kidder County: (1) Pursian Lake - 11 S and 3 W of Steele. Closed to all hunting.
Lamoure County: (1) Cottonwood Lake — 4 S and 6 W of LaMoure. Closed to all hunting.
Mclean County: (1) Pelican Lake - 7 N and 1 E of Mercer. (2) Along Missouri River - 2 SE of Washburn to Garrison Dam. Closed to goose hunting only.
Mercer County: Missouri River - see McLean County.
Nelson County: (1) Stump Lake - 8 S and 3 W of Lakota. (2) Deer Lake - 1 E of Petersburg. (3) Lake Pickard - 4 S and 3 E of Petersburg. (4) 5 S and 3 W of Michigan. Closed to waterfowl hunting only.
Oliver County: Missouri River - see McLean County.
Pembina County: North Salt Lake - see Walsh County.
Pierce County: (1) Guss Lake - 3 S and 1 W of Wolford. Closed to all hunting.
Rolette County: (1) Long Lake - 2 S and 5 E of Rolette. (2) 6 S of Rolette.
Sheridan County: Pelican Lake - see McLean County. (1) 5 N and 6 W of McClusky. Closed to all hunting. (2) Sheyenne Lake - 15 N and 4 W of Goodrich.
Steele County: (1) North Golden Lake - 9 E and 5 N of Finley.
Stutsman County: (1) 7 N of Cleveland. Closed to waterfowl hunting only.
Towner County: (1) McLaughlin Lake - 4 E of Rolla.
Walsh County: (1) Salt Lake - 5 E and 3 N of Grafton. Closed to waterfowl hunting only. (2) North Salt Lake - 4 E and 8 N of Grafton.

HIP (Harvest Information Program) registration is required of all migratory bird hunters. Hunters must register annually with the National Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program before hunting ducks, geese, swans, mergansers, coots, cranes, snipe, doves and woodcock. Hunters who purchase a license through the department, Instant Licensing on the Web, or Instant Licensing on the Telephone are automatically registered.