The open seasons for hunting duck on Vancouver Island are Oct 12, 2024 - Jan 26, 2025, and Oct 11, 2025 - Jan 25, 2026. Hunting geese (Snow and Ross) on the island is permitted from Oct 12, 2024 - Jan 26, 2025, and Oct 11, 2025 - Jan 25, 2026. Hunting other species of geese (White-fronted) is permitted during these units and dates:
✓ 1-1, 1-2, 1-4 to 1-7:
Sept 7, 2024 - Sept 17, 2024 and Sept 6, 2025 - Sept 16, 2025
Oct 12, 2024 - Nov 24, 2024 and Oct 11, 2025 - Nov 23, 2025
Dec 21, 2024 - Jan 12, 2025 and Dec 20, 2025 - Jan 11, 2026
Feb 10, 2025 - Mar 10, 2025 and Feb 10, 2026 - Mar 10, 2026
✓ 1-4 (Ex-Dinsdale property):
Oct 12, 2024 - Oct 21, 2024 and Oct 11, 2025 - Oct 20, 2025
Dec 21, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024 and Dec 20, 2025 - Dec 31, 2025
Feb 15, 2025 - Mar 10, 2025 and Feb 21, 2026 - Mar 10, 2026
Note: Season dates do not apply for the Ex-Dinsdale property in MU 1-4. There is no September season for Canada and cackling geese in that portion of MU 1-4 known as the Cowichan Bay Seasonal No Shooting Area.
If you are interested in Canada Geese and Cackling Geese hunting, there are restrictions on firearm use and management units for open seasons.
It is believed that the best time of the day for waterfowl hunting on Vancouver Island is during the first hours of the morning after dawn. However, hunters have challenged that belief. Some duck and goose hunters find their most successful harvests happen in the afternoon or early evening. Besides the prime times, make sure you are also considering weather conditions and species-specific behaviour.
If nothing disturbs them, geese usually feed for an hour or two and leave the field about midmorning. Some of these migratory game birds return to their roost water to loaf and get a drink, but many use smaller waters for loafing. Assuming the weather is pretty consistent, ducks and geese typically make another feeding flight in the evening before returning to their roost water. But these birds can feed most of the day in fields throughout rainy or snowy weather.