During its meeting on May 6, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission set migratory game bird seasons for 2021-2022.
The seasons for migratory game birds will remain mostly the same as 2020-2021, with a few exceptions: The duck and Canada goose seasons in Zone 3 will open on a Saturday (Oct. 16) and close on Friday, Jan. 28, rather than a fixed date season that would end on Jan. 31 (the latest day allowed within the federal framework).
Hunters north of Valley County, in addition to Adams County, should note that season dates for white-fronted and light geese will not line up exactly with those for ducks in 2021-2022, and swan hunts in Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai and Benewah county will also have different season dates than the duck season.
Other changes include a modification to the white goose season structure to provide hunting opportunity in early fall and late winter in Zone 2, a consolidation of hunt periods in the Bear Lake sandhill crane hunt area from two 2-week time periods to one 30-day time period, and an increase in sandhill crane tags in each hunt area. In addition, the American crow season was shifted one month later; the season will now run from Oct. 27 – Feb. 28.
Statewide, the daily duck bag limit is seven ducks, but not more than two female mallards, two scaup, two redheads, one pintail, and two canvasbacks. The daily bag limit for Wilson’s snipe is eight, and the daily bag limit for coots is 25.
Daily bag limit for Canada geese is four (except in Zone 4 during September 1-15, when the daily bag limit will be five). The daily bag limit for white-fronted geese is 10, and the daily bag limit for snow and Ross’s geese is 20. The daily bag limit for doves is 15 mourning and white-winged doves in the aggregate. Possession limits are three times the daily bag limit.
The daily and season limit for sandhill cranes is two cranes, and there is no daily bag limit for American crows.
Hunters will be able to find exact season dates, zone maps, and shooting hours in 2021-2022 Migratory Game Bird Brochure, which will be posted to Fish and Game’s website by early summer, well in advance of any of the upcoming seasons.