(Provided by MDNR)
Michigans 2016-17 Waterfowl Season Dates AnnouncedIt's almost time to polish up the shotgun, warm up the retriever with some practice throws and don camouflage as the season nears for hunting ducks and geese in Michigan. Area wildlife managers have been working hard all summer to make sure migrating waterfowl have great habitat conditions in Michigan's state game and wildlife areas this fall.
Waterfowl hunting [ http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10363_10859---,00.html ]regulations and bag limits can be found in the 2016-2017 Michigan Waterfowl Hunting Digest.
Big changes to regulations this year include a liberalized Canada goose hunting season with increased bag limits. The daily bag limit is now five geese per day during the entire September season and three geese per day October through February.
Canada goose season runs Sept. 1-30 and Oct. 1-Dec. 16 in the North Zone. Middle Zone dates are Sept. 1-30 and Oct. 1-Dec. 14 with a Dec. 17-18 split weekend. In the South Zone, dates run Sept. 1-25, Oct. 8-Dec. 4, Dec. 31-Jan. 1 and Jan. 21-Feb.11. Saginaw and Tuscola County goose management units (GMU) have the same dates as the South Zone. Designated goose management units in Allegan and Muskegon counties have alternate dates. Information on goose seasons in GMUs can be found in the Waterfowl Hunting Digest.
Michigan's experimental early teal season will continue this year and will be held statewide Sept. 1-7. This is the third and final year of the experimental season.
It is important to be aware that the early teal season is experimental for three years. The DNR is required to measure the attempts and harvest of non-target species to make sure hunters are harvesting only teal and not other species of ducks, like wood ducks and mallards. If hunters attempt to harvest or do harvest species other than teal, this could be the last year for the early teal season.
Duck seasons have been split into two segments in all three of state duck-hunting zones this year. Duck hunting in the North Zone runs Sept. 24-Nov. 20 and Nov. 26-27. In the Middle Zone, duck season is Oct. 1ñNov. 27 and Dec. 17-18, and in the South Zone, duck season is Oct. 8-Dec. 4 and Dec. 31-Jan 1.