The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) wants all deer hunters to validate their harvested deer to support the department’s Deer Management Program. During the 2015-16 deer season now in progress, Louisiana deer hunters have the added incentive provided by the Validate to Win Contest.
 
Any hunter who validates his/her deer tag information within seven days after harvest will be automatically entered for an end of season drawing for prizes, including a deer rifle package and lifetime hunting licenses. The grand prize rifle package, provided by Bowie Outfitters, will be the winner’s choice of a Remington 700 or Thompson Center breech loading rifle in the winner’s choice of caliber, with a scope and case to go with it.
 
Additionally, four 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 deer harvested during the 2015-16 season, as required by Louisiana hunting regulations, and each validated tag equates to an entry in the prize drawing. For those hunters who have already reported their harvest data since the archery season kicked off the 2015-16 deer season, their validated tag information qualifies those hunters for the drawing.
 
“We’re encouraging deer hunters to supply the vital information we need to manage the state’s deer population,” said Jimmy Anthony, assistant secretary, Office of Wildlife. “It is every successful deer hunter’s obligation and requirement to validate their deer harvest.”
 
Deer 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 deer 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 deer population parameters. 
 
Prior to hunting deer, all deer hunters, regardless of age or license status, must obtain deer tags and have tags in possession when hunting deer. Immediately upon harvesting a deer, the hunter must tag the deer 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 deer tag license.
 
The hunter must record the date of harvest and the parish on the carcass tag. The tag must remain attached to the deer 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. Within seven days, the hunter must validate the harvest using the toll free validation phone number 866-484-4805 or the web link: www.la.wildlifelicense.com.
 
For more information, contact Johnathan Bordelon at 225-765-2344 or jbordelon@wlf.la.gov .