Pull out the hunting licenses and guns, duck hunting season is just around the corner. The first phase of waterfowl season is Nov. 17 to 25, with the second Dec. 8 to Jan. 27. Shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to sunset.

The daily bag limit for waterfowl is six. Be careful what you shoot, the daily limit cannot consist of more than one black duck, one mottled duck (Florida duck), one fulvous whistling-duck, one pintail, two canvasbacks, two redheads, two wood ducks, two scaup, four scoters and four mallards (no more than two females).

The daily bag limit for coots is 15. For mergansers, the daily bag limit is five (only two of which may be hooded mergansers). The daily bag limit for light geese (snow geese and Ross geese) is 15.

The Canada goose season is Nov. 17 to 25, with the second Dec.1 to Jan. 30. Canada geese may be taken only in specified waters of Lake Seminole in Jackson County. The daily bag limit is five, and shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to sunset.

The FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have designated Feb. 2 and 3 as Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days. During this period, only children under 16 years old, supervised by an adult, may hunt waterfowl, coots and common moorhens. Shooting hours, daily bag limits and species restrictions are the same as regular waterfowl seasons.

In the September 2007 issue of FS, we covered the outlook for duck hunting opportunities at many popular marshes around the state. Keep your eyes out for the upcoming November 2007 issue, in which we’ll tell how to put together a Cast and Blast trip on coastal waters, hunting ducks and fishing for reds in the same day.

Recognize that different counties and their lakes throughout Florida often have specific hunting rules as well. Make sure you know the rules of the lakes and counties you’re hunting. If hunting migratory birds, make sure to have Migratory Game Bird Permit. Check all the laws in the 2007-2008 Florida Hunting Regulations Handbook at www.myfwc.com/hunting.