New Early Archery Season to Open on Private Lands in CWD Management Zones

Baton Rouge, Aug 26, 2026 - Deer hunters on private land inside Louisiana's Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Zones will have nine additional days of archery hunting this year under the 2026-2027 hunting regulations. The new early archery season is open for antlered bucks, including bucks still in velvet, and applies in the CWD Management Zones within Deer Areas 1, 2 and 6. The Season will begin Aug. 29 in Deer Area 2, and Sept. 12 in Deer Areas 1 and 6.

The opportunity is limited to private lands inside a designated CWD Management Zone. It does not open the whole deer area, and it does not apply to wildlife management areas, national forest lands, national wildlife refuges or other public lands.

The season is bucks only. A legal buck is a deer with at least one visible antler of hardened bony material broken naturally through the skin, or an antlered buck with velvet-covered antlers 3 inches or longer.

The season gives hunters inside CWD Management Zones additional harvest opportunity, particularly private-land hunters who have given up other allowances because of disease mitigation measures. Increased harvest is a recommended practice when managing deer populations inside a management zone. The early season will also let LDWF measure hunter interest and participation in an August and September archery season in Louisiana.

Before You Hunt:

Zone boundaries, not parish or deer area lines, determine where this season is open. Hunters should confirm that their property falls inside a CWD Management Zone before hunting. Current maps can be viewed at LDWF’s CWD webpage.

Carcass movement restrictions apply to deer harvested inside a CWD Management Zone. Whole carcasses may not be moved out of the zone. Hunters may remove meat that is cut and wrapped or boned out, quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached, antlers, clean skull plates with antlers, cleaned skulls without tissue attached, capes, tanned hides, finished taxidermy mounts and cleaned cervid teeth. Approved parts must carry a possession tag listing the hunter's name, address, LDWF license number, parish of harvest, date of harvest and sex of the deer. LDWF maintains a waiver system allowing uncleaned deer heads to be transported to Louisiana taxidermy businesses for taxidermy purposes.

LDWF recommends testing deer harvested inside a CWD Management Zone and provides testing for hunter-harvested deer at no charge.

Deer hunters 18 and older are required to have a basic hunting license. To purchase a hunting license, go to the LDWF Licensing webpage. For LDWF hunting rules and regulations, go to the LDWF website.

For more information, contact Brad Kennon, Deer Program Manager at rkennon@wlf.la.gov 318-343-4044.