The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) wants all turkey hunters to validate their harvested turkey to support the department’s turkey program. During the 2016 turkey season, which begins this month, Louisiana turkey hunters have the added incentive provided by the Validate to Gobble Up Prizes contest.
 
Any hunter who validates his or her turkey tag information within seven days after harvest will be automatically entered for an end of season drawing for prizes.
The grand prize provided by Bowie Outfitters is a Mossberg Model 535 Triple Play 12 gauge shotgun. Additionally, two other winners will be selected to receive Louisiana lifetime hunting licenses provided by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation. The lifetime license recipients will have the option of gifting their prize to a relative or friend if they already possess a lifetime license.
 
There are no entry forms to complete and no entry fees. Hunters need only validate each tag for each turkey harvested during the 2016 season, as required by Louisiana hunting regulations, and each validated tag equates to an entry in the prize drawing.
 
Turkey harvest validation, or reporting, provides parish-level data on the season harvest numbers, sex ratios and calendar information that illustrate trends in the state’s turkey harvest. That information plays a critical role in setting season lengths and bag limits. If harvest data is under-reported, LDWF biologists and managers cannot make accurate determinations on hunting success and turkey population parameters.
 
Prior to hunting wild turkeys, all turkey hunters, regardless of age or license status, must obtain turkey tags and have tags in possession when hunting turkey. Immediately upon harvesting a wild turkey, the hunter must tag the turkey with the appropriate license tag before it is moved from the site, and the hunter must document the harvest on the attached report card portion of the turkey tag license.
 
The hunter must record the date of harvest and the parish on the carcass tag. The tag must remain attached to the turkey while kept at camp, or while it is transported to the domicile of the hunter, or to a cold storage facility. Hunters who keep the carcass or meat at camp must also comply with the game possession tag regulations.
 
Additional rules and eligibility for the Validate to Gobble Up Prizes contest are available on the Department’s website; http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/validate-gobble-prizes-sweepstakes .
 
For more information, contact Cody Cedotal at ccedotal@wlf.la.gov or 225-765-2354.