You can hunt Canada geese in New York during the state’s designated September and regular fall/winter seasons, provided you carry a valid New York hunting license, a signed Federal Duck Stamp if you are 16 or older, and a current Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration number. Season dates, bag limits, and some method rules vary by zone and by which season is open, so the specifics matter before you load a shell.
What You Need Before You Hunt
Three documents have to be in hand for every trip: a state hunting license, a Federal Duck Stamp (age-dependent), and a HIP number.
New York Hunting License
A single annual New York hunting license now covers both big game and small game. Residents ages 16 through 69 pay $22, non-residents 16 and older pay $100, and hunters ages 12 through 15 as well as residents 70 and older pay $5.1New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Hunting Licenses First-time hunters age 12 and older must complete a DEC-approved hunter education course before buying one.
Federal Duck Stamp
If you are 16 or older, federal law requires a current Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, and you must sign the physical stamp for it to be valid. Physical stamps are sold at most U.S. Post Offices and many sporting goods stores, and an authorized electronic version (E-Stamp) is legal to hunt with under the Duck Stamp Modernization Act of 2023.2U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Buy a Duck Stamp or Electronic Duck Stamp A sales receipt by itself does not count.
Harvest Information Program Registration
Every migratory bird hunter, regardless of age, has to register annually with New York’s Harvest Information Program. HIP is free, runs July 1 through June 30, and is completed through DECALS by answering a short survey about your previous season’s harvest. The system issues a HIP number you must carry while hunting migratory birds.3New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Harvest Information Program
Seasons and Hunting Zones
New York sets most waterfowl seasons across five zones approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Western, Northeastern, Lake Champlain, Southeastern, and Long Island.4New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Migratory Game Bird Hunting Zone Boundary Descriptions Each zone opens and closes on its own schedule.
Canada goose hunting falls into two windows. The early September season targets resident geese before migrants arrive and operates under looser rules. The regular fall and winter season runs later, with dates varying by zone and some zones splitting the season with a mid-year gap. DEC adjusts these dates through its annual season-setting process, so check the official DEC waterfowl seasons page each year before you plan a hunt.5New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Waterfowl and Migratory Game Bird Seasons
Bag and Possession Limits
Daily bag limits swing widely by zone and season. During the September season, when the state wants resident goose numbers down, limits are generous. For the 2025–2026 season, September daily limits ranged from 8 birds in some zones to 15 in others. Regular-season limits are tighter, running as low as 1 goose per day in certain zones and up to 8 in others.6New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 2025-2026 New York Hunting and Trapping Guide – Migratory Game Birds Cackling geese and white-fronted geese count toward your Canada goose limits.
Federal rules also set a possession limit, which caps the total number of birds you may have at any one time in your vehicle, home, or storage.7eCFR. 50 CFR 20.33 – Possession Limit The exact number is set annually alongside each zone’s bag limit, so the current guide is the source you want.
How You Can and Can’t Hunt
Methods rules shift between the two seasons. September’s looser framework reflects the state’s push to control resident geese.
Shotgun Plug and Capacity
During the regular waterfowl season, your shotgun must be plugged with a one-piece filler so it holds no more than three shells total. That plug requirement is lifted during the September Canada goose season when no other waterfowl season is open. Semi-automatic shotguns may never carry more than six shells combined in magazine and chamber while waterfowl hunting, even in September. Pump-action and other non-semi-automatic shotguns are not subject to the six-shell cap during September.8New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations
Electronic Calls
Electronic calls, amplifiers, and recorded bird sounds are prohibited for most migratory bird hunting. The one exception for Canada geese is the September season, when all other waterfowl seasons are closed.9Legal Information Institute. New York Code 6 NYCRR 2.30 – Migratory Game Birds
Prohibited Methods in Every Season
Regardless of season, you may not hunt migratory game birds:
- Over bait. Placing grain, corn, or other feed to attract waterfowl makes the area baited, and hunting it is illegal even if someone else did the baiting.
- With live decoys. Only artificial decoys are allowed.
- From a vehicle. Hunting from a car, truck, or other motor-driven land vehicle is prohibited, with narrow exceptions for certain hunters with disabilities who hold a DEC permit.
- From a powered boat. You cannot shoot from a motorboat or sailboat while the engine is running or the sail is up. The motor must be off, sails furled, and forward motion stopped before you fire.
Traps, snares, nets, poisons, and fishhooks are also off-limits.9Legal Information Institute. New York Code 6 NYCRR 2.30 – Migratory Game Birds
Nontoxic Shot Only
Lead shot has been banned nationwide for waterfowl hunting since 1991, and you may not possess or use lead shot in the field when hunting Canada geese or any other waterfowl.10U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Nontoxic Shot Regulations for Hunting Waterfowl and Coots in the U.S. Steel shot is the most common substitute, but federal regulations approve bismuth-tin, tungsten-matrix, tungsten-iron, copper-clad iron, and other alternatives; each type must contain less than 1 percent residual lead.11eCFR. 50 CFR 20.21 – What Hunting Methods Are Illegal If you hunt waterfowl in the morning and switch to upland birds later, swap out any lead loads before returning to a waterfowl area.
Shooting Hours
Legal shooting hours for most migratory game birds run from half an hour before sunrise to sunset. The September Canada goose season extends those hours to half an hour after sunset. During the regular fall and winter season, standard sunrise-to-sunset hours apply.6New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 2025-2026 New York Hunting and Trapping Guide – Migratory Game Birds
Tagging Harvested Birds
New York does not require per-bird check-in for Canada geese the way it does for deer and turkey. Your harvest data goes to the state through the HIP survey when you re-register the following year. Federal tagging rules still apply, though. If you leave harvested geese anywhere other than your own home, or hand them to another person for cleaning, processing, shipping, storage, or taxidermy, you must attach a signed tag stating your address, the total number and species of birds, and the date they were killed.12eCFR. 50 CFR 20.36 – Tagging Requirement A taxidermist has to keep that tag with the specimen through mounting and reattach it to the finished mount until the bird is returned to you.13U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 3-200-8 Migratory Bird Taxidermy
Penalties for Violations
Violating migratory bird rules in New York can trigger both civil and criminal penalties under state Environmental Conservation Law. Fines can reach $500 per animal for certain offenses, and repeat violations carry steeper consequences.14New York State Senate. New York Environmental Conservation Law 71-0925 – Civil Penalties for Violations of Fish and Wildlife Law Federal penalties under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act can stack on top, because Canada geese are federally protected. A conviction can also lead to license revocation and seizure of equipment. The most common violations officers catch are hunting without a valid HIP registration, exceeding bag limits, and possessing lead shot in the field.