Seasons and Regulations | Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Go Hunting
Seasons and Regulations

Regulations Brochures

Hunting: 2026-2027	View Hunting Regulations (PDF)	Hunting Regulations Interactive Flipbook
Recreational Fishing: 2026	View Recreational Fishing Regulations (PDF)	Recreational Fishing Regulations Interactive Flipbook
Commercial and For-Hire Fishing: 2026	View Commercial and For-Hire Fishing Regulations (PDF)	Commercial and For-Hire Fishing Regulations Interactive Flipbook
Trapping: 2025-2026	View Trapping Regulations (PDF)	Trapping Regulations Interactive Flipbook
Alligator: 2025	View Alligator Regulations (PDF)	Alligator Regulations Interactive Flipbook

Quick Reference Guide - Hunting Seasons

Image of the East/West Waterfowl Zone map — Waterfowl Zone Map

Image of the North South Dove Zone map — Dove North/South Border Zone Map

Season	Dates	Daily Bag Limit	Possession Limit
Dove (Mourning, White-winged, Fully Dressed Eurasian, and Collard Doves)	North Zone: September 5 - 27 October 10 - November 15 December 19 - January 17 South Zone: September 5-20 October 17 - November 29 December 12 - January 10	15 in aggregate	45 in aggregate
Rails and Gallinules	September 19-27 November 7 - January 6 *Extended Falconry:** October 31 - November 6 January 7 - January 31	King and Clapper: 15 in aggregate Sora and Virginia: 25 in aggregate Gallinules: 15	King and Clapper: 45 Sora and Virginia: 75 Gallinules: 45
Snipe	October 31 - January 10 January 25 - February 28	8	24
Woodcock	December 18 - January 31 *Extended Falconry:** November 1 - December 17	3	9
Teal (Blue, Green, and Cinnamon)	September 19-27	6	18
Black Bellied Whistling Ducks (Special Permit Required)	October 3-11	4	12
Ducks, Coots, Mergansers	East Zone: Regular season: November 21 - December 6 and December 19 - January 31 Youth and Veterans: November 14 and February 6 West Zone: Regular season: November 14 - December 6 and December 19 - January 24 Youth and Veterans, November 7 and January 30 *Extended Falconry: East Zone: Nov. 5 - Nov. 20 Dec. 7-Dec.18 West Zone:** Nov. 5-Nov. 13 Dec. 7-Dec. 18 Jan. 25-Jan. 31	Ducks: Daily bag limit on ducks is 6 and may include no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 females), 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, 2 redheads, 1 black duck and 3 pintails (no more than 1 female). Only 1 scaup may be taken for the first 15 days of the season with 2 per day allowed for the remainder. No mottled ducks may be taken for the first 15 days of the season with 1 per day allowed for the remainder. Coots: 15 Mergansers: 5 (only 2 of which may be hooded)	3 times the daily bag limit
Light Geese (Snow, Blue, Ross), White-fronted Geese (Specklebelly), and Canada Geese	East Zone: November 14 - December 6 December 19 - February 7 West Zone November 14 - December 6 December 19 - February 7	Light Geese: 20 White-fronted Geese: 3 Canada Geese: 1	Light Geese: None White-fronted Geese: 9 Canada Geese: 3
Conservation Order for Light Geese*	East Zone: December 7-18 February 8 - March 7 West Zone: December 7-18 February 8 - March 7	None	None

*Falconry daily bag and possession limit for all permitted migratory game birds must not exceed 3 and 9 birds, respectively, singly or in aggregate, during the extended falconry seasons and regular hunting seasons.

*Only snow, blue, and Ross’s geese may be taken under the terms of the Conservation Order, which allows the use of electronic calls and unplugged shotguns and eliminates the daily bag and possession limits. During the Conservation Order, shooting hours begin one-half hour before sunrise and extend until one-half hour after sunset.

Area A	Area B	Area C	Notes
April 3-May 2*	April 3-25*	April 3-18*	Youth & Physically Challenged Hunt (restricted to youth and wheelchair-confined physically challenged hunters - Areas A, B and C on private land only): March 26-28 Seasons open in Areas A, B and C, on private lands only. * See separate WMA, National Wildlife Refuge, and Federal Lands Schedules for season dates on those areas.

Dates	Daily Bag Limit	Possession Limit
November 21 - February 28	10	30

Dates	Daily Bag Limit	Possession Limit
October 3 - February 28	8	24

Season	Dates	Daily Bag Limit	Possession Limit
Fall	October 3 - February 28	8	24
Spring*	May 1-23	3	9
Squirrel Youth (private lands only)**	Sept. 26-27	8	16
Spring squirrel season is CLOSED on the Kisatchie National Forest, some national wildlife refuges, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property and some state WMAs (check WMA season schedule). *NOTE: Select state wildlife management areas and other public lands will be open for youth squirrel hunting (check WMA and public lands season schedules).


Area	Archery	Primitive Firearms	Firearms (Still-Hunt only)	Firearms (With or Without Dogs)	Youth and Honorably Discharged Veterans
1	Either Sex: October 1 - January 31 Bucks Only in CWD Zone (with or without velvet): Sept 12-20	Either Sex: November 14-20 January 25-31	Either Sex: November 21 - December 11 January 4-24	Either Sex: December 12 - January 3	Either Sex: October 31 – October 6
2	Either Sex: October 1 - January 31 Bucks Only in CWD Zone (with or without velvet): August 29-Sept 6	Either Sex: October 24-30 January 18-24	Either Sex: October 31 - December 9	Either Sex: December 10- January 17	Either Sex: October 10-16
3	Either Sex: September 19 - January 15	Either Sex: October 10-16 January 4-10	Either Sex: October 17 - November 29	Either Sex: November 30 - January 3	Either Sex: September 26 - October 2
4	Either Sex: October 1 - January 31	Either Sex: November 14-20 January 25-31	Either Sex: November 21 - December 11 January 4 - January 24	Either Sex: December 12 - January 3	Either Sex: October 31 - November 6
5	Either Sex: (unless a Bucks Only Firearms Season is in progress) October 16 - February 15 Bucks Only: October 1-15	Either Sex: November 14 - 20 Bucks Only: January 25 - 31	Either Sex: November 21 - 22 November 27-29 Bucks Only: November 23-26 November 30-December 11	Either Sex: December 12-13 December 19-20 Bucks Only: December 14-18 December 21 - January 24	Either Sex: October 31 - November 6
6	Bucks Only in CWD Zone (with or without velvet): Sept 12-20	Either Sex: November 14 - 20 and January 25 - 31	Either Sex: November 21 - 11 December 11	Either Sex: December 12 - January 24	Either Sex: October 31 - November 6
7	Either Sex: September 19 - January 15	Either Sex: October 10-16 January 4-10	Either Sex: October 17 - November 29	Either Sex: November 30 - January 3	Either Sex: September 26 - October 2
8	Either Sex: September 19- January 15	Either Sex: October 11-17 January 5 - 11	Either Sex: October 18 - November 30	Either Sex: December 1 - January 4	Either Sex: September 27 - October 3
9	Either Sex: (unless a Bucks Only Firearms Season is in progress) October 16 - February 15 Bucks Only: October 1 - 15	Either Sex: November 14-20 Bucks Only: January 25-31	Either Sex: November 21-22 November 27 - November 29 Bucks Only: November 23-26 November 30- December 11	Either Sex: December 12-13 December 19-20 Bucks Only: December 14-18 December 21 - January 24	Either Sex: October 31 - November 6
10	Either Sex: September 19 - January 15	Either Sex: October 10-16 January 4-10	Either Sex: October 17 - January 3		Either Sex: September 26 - October 2

DAILY BAG LIMITS: 1 antlered and1 antlerless (when legal)
POSSESSION LIMIT:6 per season, not to exceed 3 antlered OR 4 antlerless per season EXCEPT Deer Area 4 limit 4/season (not to exceed 2 antlered or 2 antlerless deer), and Deer Area 10 limit 3/season (not to exceed 2 antlered or 2 antlerless deer).

Season	Harvest Limit
Experimental year-round season	One per calendar year

Season	Daily Limit
Year-round	Two raccoons and two opossums

Dates	Limit
September 1 - January 1	None

Recreational Fishing Seasons

Commercial Fishing Seasons

Recreational Shrimp, Oyster, and Crab Fishing Seasons Recreational Saltwater Finfish Seasons Freshwater Finfish and Crawfish Seasons

Commercial Shrimp Season Commercial Oyster Season Commercial Saltwater Finfish Seasons