ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND — Regular duck season opens Saturday, Oct. 10, in Maryland's Eastern Zone, which includes Talbot County, and the first split runs through Oct. 17, the Department of Natural Resources said.
The daily limit is six ducks. Black ducks are closed in October and open with the second split.
| Eastern Zone | Dates |
|---|---|
| Regular duck, split 1 | Oct. 10–Oct. 17, 2026 |
| Regular duck, split 2 | Nov. 14–Nov. 27, 2026 |
| Regular duck, split 3 | Dec. 15, 2026–Jan. 30, 2027 |
| Black duck (2 a day) | Nov. 14–27 and Dec. 15–Jan. 30 |
Shooting hours for all duck seasons are a half-hour before sunrise to sunset. Migratory game birds, including ducks, may not be hunted on Sundays, so the first split is closed Sunday, Oct. 11.
Hunters 16 and older need a Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp and a Federal Duck Stamp. Hunters under 16, including apprentice license holders, need the Maryland stamp but not the federal one.
The Eastern Zone opener is one week later than the Western Zone's, which opened Oct. 3 and also closes Oct. 17.
Source: Maryland DNR
Drawn from public records; drafted with AI and edited by Peter Gorman before publication.
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