Michigan Waterfowl License & Gear Checklist (2026)

Always verify current regulations with the Michigan DNR before you hunt. License prices and requirements below come from the DNR's 2026 waterfowl regulations summary, checked November 11, 2026. This is a guide, not legal advice.

This page is two checklists in one: what you legally need in your pocket and in your gun, and what we'd actually pack for a public-land or managed-area duck hunt in Michigan. The first half is strictly regulations. The second half is a practical packing list.

Part 1: Licenses and stamps

Resident, 16 or older

You need all of these to hunt ducks or geese:

• [ ] Base license — $11 (ages 16–64), $5 (65+). The 2026 base license is valid through March 31, 2027. The DNR notes hunters who are 16 years old, including nonresidents, can buy a base license for $6.
• [ ] Michigan waterfowl license — $12. It includes your HIP registration. Nine dollars of each license goes to wetland protection and restoration, and $1.93 to managed waterfowl areas.
• [ ] HIP endorsement — free, and handled automatically when you buy the waterfowl license; you'll answer a few survey questions about last year's migratory bird harvest, and "Migratory Bird Hunter" prints on your license. You must carry a current-year HIP endorsement.
• [ ] Federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp (federal duck stamp) — $25, plus a $5 service fee when bought from a license agent, online or in the DNR Hunt Fish app.

Nonresident, 16 or older

• [ ] Base license ($151) or a nonresident small game 3-day ($50) or 7-day ($80) license, either of which lets you buy a waterfowl license without a base license.
• [ ] Michigan waterfowl license ($12, includes HIP).
• [ ] Federal duck stamp ($25 + fee).

Youth

• 9 and under: licensed through the Mentored Hunting Program ($7.50 mentored youth license) plus a free migratory bird youth endorsement (includes HIP). No federal stamp or Michigan waterfowl license needed. Must hunt with a qualified mentor 21 or older.
• 10–15: base license ($6), base apprentice license or inclusive mentored license, plus the free migratory bird youth endorsement. No federal stamp or Michigan waterfowl license needed. Must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or designated adult 18+.
• 16: base license (or apprentice/inclusive mentored) plus Michigan waterfowl license, federal duck stamp and HIP.

Hunter education

If you were born on or after Jan. 1, 1960, you must show a hunter education certificate or a previous hunting license (other than an apprentice license) to buy a license. Mentored hunters are exempt, and an out-of-state hunter ed certificate counts.

About the electronic duck stamp

• A 2026 electronic federal duck stamp bought after July 1, 2026 is valid until June 30, 2027, and doesn't need to be signed.
• The physical stamp is mailed after March 10, 2027. A physical stamp bought at a post office must be signed.
• In the field you must be able to show the electronic stamp on your phone.
• E-stamp sales are final and nonrefundable; lost stamps aren't refunded.

Not required (but nice)

• The Michigan waterfowl stamp (a pair of canvasbacks by Adam Oswald in 2026) is voluntary. Proceeds fund Michigan Duck Hunters Association projects, and 10% goes to matching DNR funds for buying wetlands.
• Coot, rail, Wilson's snipe and woodcock hunters don't need the waterfowl license or the federal stamp.

Carry with you

• [ ] All licenses, plus the ID you used to buy them (Michigan or nonresident driver's license, state ID or DNR Sportcard — a Sportcard is $1 and only needed if you don't have a state ID).
• [ ] Veterans hunting the veterans days or veterans preference draws: documentation of status (military ID, DD-214, etc.).

Buy everything at a license agent, at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or in the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app.

Part 2: Legal equipment checklist

These are the equipment rules from the DNR summary that apply to every Michigan waterfowl hunt.

• [ ] Shotgun 10-gauge or smaller (or bow/crossbow).
• [ ] Plugged to three shells total. A gun that can hold more must have a one-piece filler that can't be removed without disassembling the gun.
• [ ] Only one firearm per hunter.
• [ ] Non-toxic shot only, statewide — steel, bismuth, tungsten-iron, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-matrix or other USFWS-approved lead-free shot. You can't even possess lead loads while waterfowl hunting. No single-projectile shotshells.
• [ ] Shell count for managed areas and Shiawassee NWR: 25 or fewer.
• [ ] Calls: mouth calls only. Electronic calls are illegal.
• [ ] Decoys: mechanical or electronic (spinning-wing) decoys are legal statewide if they don't produce bird sounds — but banned at Harsens Island and Shiawassee River SGA. No live decoys.
• [ ] Hunter orange: not required for waterfowl hunting.
• [ ] Blind tag with your name and address (public land: or driver's license / Sportcard number); 3-inch waterproof letters for blinds on public waters.
• [ ] Firearm cased and unloaded in a vehicle; unloaded in barrel and magazine in a boat under power; unloaded in the barrel when afield outside legal hours.
• [ ] No bait, and remember an area stays "baited" for 10 days after bait is removed.

Part 3: Practical public-land packing list

This is our general list. It's not a regulation, and you'll adjust it to how you hunt.

Core

• [ ] Waders (the DNR recommends them for managed areas)
• [ ] Decoys, decoy bag, anchors and spare line
• [ ] Mouth calls and lanyard
• [ ] Shells — non-toxic, counted
• [ ] Blind bag with licenses in a dry bag
• [ ] Headlamp with spare batteries (you'll walk in before shooting light)
• [ ] Phone with offline maps and public-land boundaries

Weather and comfort

• [ ] Waterproof outer layer and insulating mid-layers
• [ ] Gloves (one pair for decoys, one dry pair for shooting)
• [ ] Hand warmers, thermos
• [ ] Face cover

Dog

• [ ] Dog vest for cold water, first-aid kit, towel
• [ ] Clean the dog of mud and plant debris before leaving — the DNR asks this to slow invasive species

Boat (if used)

• [ ] A U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFD for each person (the DNR notes the Coast Guard requires at least one wearable per person); a throwable for boats 16 feet and over. Check the DNR life-jacket rules for the details, including boats under 16 feet, before you go.
• [ ] Push pole for shallow marsh zones
• [ ] Navigation lights and spotlight
• [ ] Recreation Passport on your vehicle if you launch at a state park, recreation area or designated state boating access site

After the shot

• [ ] Cooler and ice — the DNR recommends keeping waterfowl below 45°F until processed
• [ ] Disposable gloves for cleaning birds (DNR handling guidance)
• [ ] Zip bags and a marker for tagging birds you leave with someone else
• [ ] Leave one fully feathered wing on each bird for transport

I don't have a personal brand list or a "never leave without it" add-on to include here. Use the official checklist above — licenses, non-toxic shot, and the rest — and only buy gear you'd actually use.

Part 4: The night before

• [ ] Check the season dates for your zone and today's shooting hours (half-hour before sunrise; sunrise during early teal). → Season dates page
• [ ] For managed areas, read the manager's update and confirm the draw time. → Managed areas guide
• [ ] For recreation areas, confirm there's no closure for your date and check for posted safety zones. → SE Michigan public-land guide
• [ ] For big water, check wind and file a float plan. → Late-season diver guide
• [ ] Count your shells and check your plug.

Want this on one page you can print? Grab our free 2026–27 Michigan Waterfowl Season & Managed Area Cheat Sheet.

Disclaimer: Always verify current regulations and license requirements with the Michigan DNR (michigan.gov/waterfowl) before every hunt. Prices are the DNR's published 2026 fees. The Marsh Brief is independent and not affiliated with the DNR or USFWS. Last verified November 11, 2026.

Sources

• Michigan DNR, 2026 Waterfowl Hunting Regulations Summary (license types and fees, youth/mentored/apprentice rules, hunter education, HIP, waterfowl license, federal duck stamp and e-stamp, Michigan waterfowl stamp, ID requirements, equipment rules, non-toxic shot, decoys and calls, blinds, transport, game handling, invasive species): https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/laws/regulations/waterfowl — retrieved Nov. 11, 2026
• Michigan DNR, Waterfowl hunting page (license requirements): https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/hunting/waterfowl
• Michigan DNR, Life jacket rules: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/boating/rules-and-regs/life-jacket-rules
• Michigan DNR, Recreation Passport: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/rec-pp
• Michigan DNR, Wildlife Conservation Order Chapter XIII (managed-area shell limits and decoy bans): https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/-/media/Project/Websites/dnr/Documents/Orders/Wildlife-Conservation-Order/ChapterXIII.pdf
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Shiawassee NWR hunting (25-shell limit): https://www.fws.gov/refuge/shiawassee/visit-us/activities/hunting