Minnesota's waterfowl season will open a half-hour before sunrise Sept. 27, under a similar season structure to last year, with similar bag limits and with season dates that vary for north, central and southern zones.

The daily bag limit remains six ducks per day. The mallard bag limit remains at four per day, including two hen mallards. The wood duck bag limit remains at three per day. The only bag limit change from 2013 is the canvasback limit, which decreases from two to one per day.

Youth Waterfowl Day will be Sept. 13. Hunters ages 15 and under may take regular season bag limits when accompanied by an adult age 18 or older. The accompanying adult can't hunt that day and does not need a license. Canada geese, mergansers, coots and moorhens may be taken from a half-hour before sunrise to 4 p.m. Motorized decoy restrictions are in effect. Five geese may be taken statewide

A change has been made to the south duck zone (south of highway 212.) Hunting opens there for three days from Sept. 27 through Sept. 29, and then closes. The season then reopens from Oct. 11 through Dec. 6.

In the north duck zone (north of Highway 210), the season will run Sept. 27 through Nov. 25. And in the central duck zone, the season will run from Sept. 27 through Oct. 5, and from Oct. 11 through Nov. 30.

Canada goose hunting is open in the three duck zones, and also in an intensive harvest zone. An August Canada goose management harvest will open in that intensive harvest zone this Saturday and run through Aug. 24. The bag limit is 10 per day. A $4 permit is required. This is the second year Canada goose harvest has been allowed during August due to high populations of Canada geese and agricultural crop depredation.

The early September Canada goose season will open statewide on Sept. 6 and run through Sept. 22. Bag limits for Canada geese are 10 per day in the Intensive Harvest Zone and five per day in the remainder of the state. A $4 permit is required to hunt Canada geese during the September season.

Additional details on the duck, goose, sandhill crane, and other migratory bird hunting seasons will be available in the 2014 Minnesota Waterfowl Hunting Regulations, available in mid-August in booklet form and online at www.mndnr.gov/hunting/waterfowl.