Wildlife Commission Sets 2019-2020 Migratory Game Bird Seasons

RALEIGH, NC (April 26, 2019) — At its business meeting yesterday, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission set season dates, bag limits and applicable regulations for the 2019-20 waterfowl, webless migratory game bird (including doves) and extended falconry seasons.

Selected seasons will also be published in the 2019-20 Inland Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Regulations Digest.

While many seasons remain unchanged, some notable changes are:

• The extension of the general duck hunting season to Jan. 31, 2020. Before 2019, federal frameworks required states to end the season no later than the last Sunday in January.

• The reduction of the mallard daily bag limit from four mallards to two mallards, with no more than one hen mallard. This change is in response to a long-term decline in Atlantic Flyway mallards.

• The reduction of the brant season from 60 days to 30 days. This change is in response to several years of poor reproduction.

Two duck hunting days for veterans and active members of the military will run concurrently with the youth-only waterfowl hunt days. These days, the result of the Natural Resources Management Act, allow up to two special duck hunting days for ducks, geese, brant, tundra swans, mergansers and coots.

Read a more detailed overview of the important changes to the 2019-20 seasons.

For more information on migratory game birds in North Carolina, visit the Commission’s What to Hunt page.

About the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

Since 1947, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has been dedicated to the conservation and sustainability of the state’s fish and wildlife resources through research, scientific management, wise use and public input. The Commission is the state regulatory agency responsible for the enforcement of fishing, hunting, trapping and boating laws and provides programs and opportunities for wildlife-related educational, recreational and sporting activities.

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