Overview
Known For
Louisiana is a duck hunter’s paradise because it is one of the most important wintering areas for ducks in the United States. Waterfowl use the state’s coastal bays and marshes, flooded swamps, agricultural fields, inland lakes, river backwaters, and oxbows during migration and winter.
Terrain
Louisiana has relatively low flatlands on the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River’s alluvial plain. There are some hills near its border with Arkansas, but no point is higher than 1,000 feet above sea level.
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Louisana Hunting Seasons
East Zone. Light Geese (Snow, Blue, and Ross’).
Louisana Hunting Regulations
Deer
Hunter Orange & Blaze Pink
Any person hunting any wildlife during the open firearms deer hunting season and possessing buckshot, slugs, a primitive firearm, or a centerfire firearm shall display on their head, chest and/or back a total of not less than 400 square inches of “Hunter Orange” or “Blaze Pink.” EXCEPTIONS Persons hunting on privately owned land may wear a Hunter Orange or Blaze Pink cap or hat in lieu of the 400 square inches. Not required of persons hunting deer from elevated stands on property that is privately owned. However, anyone hunting deer on such lands where hunting with firearms is allowed shall be required to display the 400 square inches or a Hunter Orange or Blaze Pink cap or hat while walking to and from elevated stands. Not required of archery deer hunters hunting on lands where firearm hunting is not allowed by agreement of the landowner or lessee. WARNING: Deer hunters are cautioned to watch for persons hunting other game or engaged in activities not requiring “Hunter Orange” or “Blaze Pink.”
Archery Legal Gear
Legal Gear for Archery Season includes: Traditional bow, compound bow, crossbow, or any bow drawn, held or released by mechanical means. Either-sex deer may be taken in all areas open for deer hunting EXCEPT when a Bucks Only season is in progress. In such cases, archers must conform to the bucks only regulations.
Primitive Weapons Legal Gear
Legal Gear for Primitive Firearms Season includes: Rifles or pistols, .44 caliber minimum, or shotguns 10 gauge or smaller, all of which must load exclusively from the muzzle, use black powder or approved substitute only, take ball, shot, or bullet projectile only, including saboted bullets. All of the above may be fitted with magnified scopes. Single shot, breech loading rifles or single shot, breech loading pistols, .35 caliber or larger, having an exposed hammer that use metallic cartridges loaded either with black powder or modern smokeless powder. All of the above may be fitted with magnified scopes. Single shot, breech loading shotguns, 10 gauge or smaller, having an exposed hammer, loaded with buckshot or slug.
Shooting Hours
Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Consult Wildlife Management Area and Federal Land schedules for specific regulations and dates on those areas.
Daily Limit
One antlered and one antlerless deer per day EXCEPT when a Bucks Only season is in progress and EXCEPT on Floy Ward McElroy WMA and EXCEPT on some Federal Lands where the daily limit is one deer per day (see specific Federal Lands Regulations for details).
Season Limit
Season limit is six, not to exceed three antlered OR four antlerless deer, EXCEPT Deer Area 4 season limit is three (not to exceed two antlered or two antlerless deer), and EXCEPT Deer Area 10 season limit is three (not to exceed two antlered or two antlerless deer). Deer harvested on property enrolled in DMAP may not count in the season or daily bag limit for hunters. See DMAP Regulations (LAC 76:v.111) for more information.
Migratory Birds
Woodcock – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 3 Possession Limit: 9
Shooting & Hawking Hours
1. Ducks, Geese, Teal, Rail, Gallinule, Snipe and Woodcock: One-Half Hour before sunrise to sunset, EXCEPT:
- Shooting hours for Snipe at the Spanish Lake Recreation Area in Iberia Parish, including the Conservation Order, shall end at 2 p.m.
2. Mourning Dove: One-Half Hour before sunrise to sunset EXCEPT: For opening day of the first split on WMAs and LDWF leased dove fields where shooting hours will be 12 p.m. (noon) to sunset, EXCEPT: for Elbow Slough WMA, which will be open one-half hour before sunrise to 12 p.m. (noon) on opening weekend of the first split.
Mourning, White-winged, Fully Dressed Eurasian Collared, & Ringed Turtle Doves – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 15 in the aggregate Possession Limit: 45 in the aggregate
King & Clapper Rails – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 15 in the aggregate Possession Limit: 45 in the aggregate
Sora & Virginia Rails – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 25 in the aggregate Possession Limit: 75 in the aggregate
Snipe – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 8 Possession Limit: 24
Canada Geese – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 1 Possession Limit: 3
Light Geese (Snow, Blue, Ross’) – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 20 Possession Limit: No Limit
White Fronted Geese – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 3 Possession Limit: 9
Small Game
Quail – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 10 Possession Limit: 30
Rabbit – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 8 Possession Limit: 24
Bobcat – Bag Limit
One per calendar year.
Squirrel – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 3 Possession Limit: 9
Raccoon – Bag Limit
A licensed hunter may take raccoon or opossum, two per person per day, during daylight hours only, during the open hunting season
on WMAs. Nighttime experimental raccoon hunting: All nighttime raccoon hunting, where allowed, is with dogs only.
Turkey
Legal Gear
Shotguns, including muzzleloading shotguns, using shot not larger than #2 lead, #2 non-toxic, or BB steel shot, and being no larger than 10 gauge. Traditional bow, compound bow, and crossbow, or any bow drawn, held or released by mechanical means.
Daily Limit
One gobbler per day.
Season Limit
Two gobblers per season.
Shooting Hours
Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Consult Wildlife Management Area and Federal Land schedules for specific regulations and dates on those areas.
Waterfowl
Conservation Order for Light Geese
No bag or possession limit. See “Geese” section for more details.
Non-Toxic Shot Regulations
No person shall take migratory game birds while possessing shot other than steel or other approved shot. This restriction applies only to ducks, geese, brant, swans and coots.
Teal (Blue-winged, Green-winged, Cinnamon) – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 6 Possession Limit: 18
Gallinules – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 15 Possession Limit: 45
Ducks – Bag Limit
Daily bag limit on ducks is 6 and may include no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 females), 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, 2 redheads, 1 mottled duck, 1 black duck and 1 pintail. Only 1 scaup may be taken for the first 15 days of the season with 2 per day allowed for the remainder.
Coots – Bag Limit
The daily bag limit for coots is 15.
Mergansers – Bag Limit
The daily bag limit for mergansers is 5; only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers. Merganser limits are in addition to the daily bag limit for ducks.
*Season dates and regulation data provided by 
Louisiana Licenses, Permits and Regulations
Louisiana hunting licenses, permits, and regulations for resident and non-resident hunters can be purchased on the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website. Click below to view the website.
Hunting GPS Maps
Every Louisiana hunter should have hunting GPS maps on hand. Louisiana hunting maps are available from onX Hunt. With a paid membership you can access Satellite, Topo, or Hybrid Basemaps, over which you can view maps of hunt areas, along with State, Forest Service, and other public and private property boundaries. You can view trails and roads, and even download maps to the Hunt App for use offline. Click below to get onX Hunt for Louisiana.
Hunt Areas
Louisiana’s hunt areas are 10 distinct regions with different rules, regulations, season dates, and quotas. Deer hunters in Louisiana can harvest up to six deer in some regions, not to exceed more than three antlered or four antlerless deer. Other regions only allow up to three deer in a season, with no more than two antlered or two antlerless deer. Click below to view Louisiana’s hunt areas in more detail through an interactive map.
Hunting Layers
LA Private Lands
Over 1,900,000 parcels mapped by the onX team, this layer helps you know who the property owners are in Louisiana. Tap any parcel to learn more info about the owner and acreage.
LA Gov Lands
onX has the most accurate maps of Gov Lands, covering over 3,400,000 acres in Louisiana. Not all Gov Lands offer access opportunities, check regulations before recreating.
LA Possible Access
onX has mapped 2,200,000 acres of possible access lands in Louisiana including timber and land conservation groups. Research rules on these private lands before recreating.
LA Game Mgmt Units
Louisiana Game Management Units
Includes 3 Sublayers
- LA Deer Hunt Units
- LA Turkey Hunt Areas
- LA Waterfowl Hunt Areas
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