TAKING RESIDENT GAME

METHODS OF TAKING RESIDENT GAME ON WMAs

• On Wildlife Management Areas the daily limit shall be one antlered deer and one antlerless deer (when legal) per day. Season limit is six, (all segments included) by all methods of take.
  
• Moving deer or hogs on a WMA with organized drivers and standers, drivers or making use of noises or noise-making devices is prohibited.
  
• Baiting or hunting over bait is prohibited on all WMAs (hogs included).
  
• Unmarked hogs may be taken on some WMAs by properly licensed hunters from the beginning of archery season on the area until Feb. 28 and only with guns/ammunition or bow and arrow legal for specified seasons in progress. Proper licenses and permits are required for hunting. Hogs may not be taken with the aid of dogs, EXCEPT on Pearl River and Red River WMAs (see individual WMA seasons for more details).
  
• Hunters who kill deer on WMAs that require daily permits must have the deer checked at the check station on the same day of the kill. Deer may not be skinned or have any external body parts removed, including but not limited to feet, legs, tail, head or ears before being checked out.
  
• Deer hunting on WMAs is restricted to still hunting only. No WMA will be open for deer during the early still hunt season unless so specified.
  
• Hunting from utility poles, high tension power lines, oil and gas exploration facilities or platforms is prohibited.
  
• Construction of and/or hunting from permanent tree stands or permanent blinds on WMAs is prohibited. Any permanent stand or permanent blind will be removed and destroyed. A permanent blind is any blind using non-natural materials or having a frame which is not dismantled within two hours after the end of legal shooting time each day. Blinds with frames of wood, plastic, metal poles, wire, mesh, webbing or other materials may be used but must be removed from the WMA within two hours after the end of legal shooting time each day. Blinds made solely of natural vegetation and not held together by nails or other metallic fasteners may be left in place but cannot be used to reserve hunting locations. All decoys must be removed from the WMA daily. Permanent tree stands are any stands that use nails, screws, spikes, etc. to attach to trees and are strictly prohibited. Portable deer stands (those that are designed to be routinely carried by one person) may not be left on WMAs unless the stands are removed from trees and left in a non-hunting position (a non-hunting position is one in which a hunter could not hunt from the stand in its present position). Also, all stands left must be legibly tagged with the user's name, address, phone numberand Big Game Hunting License number (or Lifetime License number). No stand may be left on any WMA prior to the day before deer season opens on that WMA and all stands must be removed from the WMA within one day after the close of deer hunting on that WMA. Free standing blinds must be disassembled  when not in use. Stands left will not reserve hunting sites for the owner or user. All portable stands, blinds, tripods, etc. found unattended in a hunting position or untagged will be confiscated and disposed of by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. LDWF not be responsible for unattended stands left on area.
  
• Unattended decoys will be confiscated and forfeited to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and disposed of by the Department. This action is necessary to prevent pre-emption of hunting space.
  
• It is illegal to save or reserve hunting locations using permanent stands or blinds.
  
• Stands or blinds attached to trees with screws, nails, spikes, etc. are illegal.
  
• Tree climbing spurs, spikes or screw-in steps are prohibited.
  
• Spot-lighting (shining) from vehicles is prohibited on all WMAs.
  
• Horses and mules may be ridden on wildlife managements areas except where prohibited and except during gun seasons for deer and turkey. Riding is restricted to designated roads and trails. Hunting and trapping from horses and mules is prohibited EXCEPT for quail hunting or as otherwise specified.
  
• All hunters (including archers and small game hunters) EXCEPT waterfowl hunters and mourning dove hunters on WMAs must display 400 square inches of ?Hunter Orange? and wear a ?Hunter Orange? cap during open gun season for deer. Hunters participating in special dog seasons for rabbit and squirrel are required to wear a minimum of a ?Hunter Orange? cap. All other hunters and archers (while on the ground), EXCEPT waterfowl hunters, also must wear a minimum of a ?Hunter Orange? cap during special dog seasons for rabbit and squirrel. ALSO, all persons afield during hunting seasons are encouraged to display ?Hunter Orange.?
  
• ARCHERY SEASON FOR DEER: The archery season on WMAs is the same as outside and is open for either-sex deer EXCEPT as otherwise specified on individual WMAs. Archery season restricted on Atchafalaya Delta and closed on certain WMAs when special seasons for youth or handicapped hunts are in progress.
  
• Either-sex deer may be taken on WMAs at any time during archery season EXCEPT when bucks-only seasons are in progress on the respective WMAs. Archers must abide by bucks-only regulations and other restrictions when such seasons are in progress.
  
• MUZZLELOADER SEASON FOR DEER: Either-sex unless otherwise specified.
  
• Deer Hunters hunting from concealed ground blinds must display a minumum of 400 square inches of "Hunter Orange" above or around their blinds which is visible from 360 degrees.