The 2019 Michigan duck stamp features a pair of pintails painted by Paul Bridgford. The stamp is a voluntary purchase and does not replace the state waterfowl hunting license.

MARQUETTE – This weekend marks the start of the waterfowl hunting season for ducks, coots and mergansers in the Upper Peninsula.

The season runs Sept. 28 through Nov. 24, with an additional weekend hunt Nov. 30-Dec. 1. Goose season opened earlier this month and continues through Dec. 16.

Anyone 16 or older who is interested in waterfowl hunting needs a base license, a waterfowl hunting license and the federal migratory bird hunting stamp. Hunters coming from other states can purchase a seven-day or three-day small game license, which allows purchase of a waterfowl license without needing to get a base license.

For more details on license and waterfowl stamp requirements, see pages 22-24 of the 2019 Waterfowl Hunting Digest.

Duck, coot and merganser hunting for the Middle Zone opens Oct. 5. This zone includes the top half of the Lower Peninsula, with a southern boundary running through Arenac, Bay, Midland, Isabella, Mecosta, Newaygo and Oceana counties. Those same seasons open for the remainder of the state — the South Zone– Oct. 12.

For bag limits, season dates and other waterfowl hunting regulations, go to Michigan.gov/Waterfowl.

Waterfowl enthusiasts also can get the latest collector’s-edition waterfowl stamps and prints. The 2019 Michigan duck stamp print, by wildlife artist Paul Bridgford, features a pair of northern pintails.

To learn more about the waterfowl stamp program — and how the purchase of stamps and prints supports conservation efforts in Michigan — go to the Michigan Waterfowl Stamp Program webpage. The stamp is a voluntary purchase and does not replace the state waterfowl hunting license.

For more information, contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453.