The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) adopted notices of intent for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 hunting seasons, 2026-27 general and Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) hunting seasons and rules and regulations, 2027 general and WMA turkey hunting season and rules and regulations, and 2026-27 migratory bird hunting season and rules and regulations at its January meeting Tuesday (Jan. 6) in Baton Rouge.
The notices of intent include proposed hunting season dates and regulation changes from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) for the upcoming hunting seasons and provide for a public comment period.
Some of the proposed changes include:
- A black-bellied whistling duck season to run from Oct. 3-11, 2026. The daily bag limit would be four with a possession limit of eight. All hunters participating in the season in October would be required to have a free black-bellied whistling duck hunting permit from LDWF and would be required to report effort and harvest within 15 days of the black-bellied whistling duck season closure.
- Areas designated, marked and depicted on WMA maps as Waterfowl Sanctuary, and depicted via “Waterfowl Sanctuary” signage on Biloxi, Boeuf and Russell Sage WMAs are closed to all public access and activity beginning Nov. 1 through the final day of the Conservation Order for Light Geese in each location’s respective waterfowl zone.
- Proposed youth squirrel season on private lands on the fourth Saturday (Sept. 26 this year) of September for two days.
- Deer Area 1 – Special archery season opens the second Saturday of September (Sept. 12 this year) and closes after nine days only within the CWD Control Area for antlered bucks only with or without velvet. Bucks with velvet covered antlers must have antlers 3 inches or longer.
- Deer Area 2 – Special archery season opens the last Saturday of August (Aug. 30 this year) and closes after nine days only within the CWD Control Area for antlered bucks only with or without velvet. Bucks with velvet covered antlers must have antlers 3 inches or longer.
- Bucks Only and Legal Antlered Deer are defined as a deer with at least one visible antler of hardened bony material, broken naturally through the skin or antlered bucks with velvet covered antlers three inches or longer.
- Disabled veteran licensee or properly licensed disabled hunters that meet the requirements of R.S. 56:3000.H (1, 2, 3 or 4) may hunt deer with any legal weapon during the primitive firearms season in each deer hunting area.
- Set hunting seasons for Bogue Chitto and Flatwoods Savannah WMAs.
Public comment will be accepted through 4 p.m. on March 5, 2026. It will also be accepted at LWFC monthly meetings from now through March 5. Comments may be submitted directly to Dr. Jeffrey Duguay, LDWF Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA. 70898-9000 or 225-765-2353 or by e-mail at jduguay@wlf.la.gov.
LDWF will also hold a Zoom public meeting to be announced at a later date.
For more information, contact Dr. Jeffrey Duguay at 225-765-2353 or jduguay@wlf.la.gov.