Hunting comes into its own in Louisiana in the wintertime. Seasons are open on most animals and with the drop from the high temperatures of summer, early winter it is a pleasant time for the hunter to be out in the beautiful wilderness lands of the Pelican State. Animals not in hibernation come out to forage and their cover is reduced by the loss of foliage during the fall months.
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Here are 5 animals to hunt during the winter months in Louisiana and hunting regulations,
as explained by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).
1. American Woodcock
By mid-December, the migratory woodcock returns in numbers to most parts of Louisiana. Licensed hunters look forward to the opening of the season around the 15th of the month and continue hunting the woodcock through to Jan. 31 most years. The daily bag limit is three per person with a possession limit of nine birds. The damp ground of Louisiana woodlands is perfect habitat for the woodcock to overwinter and give rise to large numbers available for shooting during the season.
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2. Deer
The season for deer hunting stretches through the winter months and most hunts close towards the end of January. Populations of whitetail deer have boomed in recent years, leading to great hunting for shooters in Louisiana. There is a daily bag limit of one antlered and one antlerless deer and antlerless can only be taken at certain times. There is also a season quota of six, with no more than three antlered and four antlerless taken.
Hunting deer with dogs is restricted to the mid-season and only for a couple of weeks at a time. Deer hunting is only allowed during legal hunting hours of a half-hour before sunrise and a half-hour after sunset.
3. Duck
Like the goose, the season for duck hunting is split across all zones into two segments,
according to the LDWF. The winter schedule for hunting duck begins in the western zone in late December running to mid-January. In the eastern zone of the state, hunting opens in mid-December running until late January. Bag limits are six per person for ducks, 15 for coots and five for mergansers. Hunting is only allowed during legal shooting hours.
http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/migratory-and-waterfowl
4. Doves
These are another popular bird for shooting in the winter. Three types of dove thrive in Louisiana, the mourning, the white-winged and the Eurasian collared dove. Seasons run from early December to mid-January in the north zone, and late December to mid-January in the south zone.
As laid out by the LDWF, there is a daily bag limit of 15 for the mourning and white-winged dove, but no limit on the invasive Eurasian species provided a fully intact carcass is available for inspection.
This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.
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