Louisiana Deer Season 2023-2024 Latest Dates & Rules

Louisiana Deer Season 2023-2024 invites outdoor enthusiasts to discover the scenic landscapes and abundant game that make the state a prime hunting destination. Experience the excitement of hunting in the varied landscape of Louisiana, where the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has thoughtfully split the state into 10 regions, each with its own Deer hunting season. From the rolling hills of the north to the swampy bayous of the south, the season dates vary, but are typically open from the middle of September to about the middle of February, with opening days falling on Saturdays. Thus as a hunter, you should always be aware of the most up-to-date laws and limits, from maps and permits to the exact requirements for taking down deer. To make your next hunting trip more enjoyable, make sure to go over the detailed guide provided before embarking.

Louisiana Deer Hunting Season

Discover the unique hunting opportunities in Louisiana, where the state boasts five diverse deer season types to cater to every hunter’s preference. From the adrenaline-fueled Archery season that starts in September and extends into January to the Primitive Firearms season offering brief yet exciting hunting trips in October or November and January. The first of two Firearms seasons is a still-hunt-only affair, open for 2-6 weeks in October or November, while the second season allows for hunting with or without dogs, starting in early December and lasting four weeks. A special season is dedicated to Youth and Honorably Discharged Veterans, usually held in the fall and lasting one week.

Here is a complete list of Louisiana Deer Season in all the 10 different areas:

Area-1

Area-2

Area-3

Area-4

Area-5

Area-6

Area-7

Area-8

Area-9

Area-10

Reporting a Harvest

• Make sure you have paper deer tags or electronic deer permit before hunting.

• Tag the deer immediately after harvesting with paper tag or electronic tag indicating date and area of kill.

• Field dress and transport the deer away from harvest site, tag must remain attached.

• Within 72 hours of harvest, validate the harvest with LDWF through text-to-tag, website or phone.

Hunters Education

Hunting in Louisiana comes with certain obligations, including completing a Hunter Education course approved by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). Unless you were born before September 1, 1969 or hunt with someone who was born before that date and has a valid hunting license, taking this course is mandatory. The course covers everything from hunting laws and regulations to firearms safety and can be completed either in person, online with a field day, or 100% online for those 16 years and older. With this course, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the hunting culture in Louisiana and equip yourself with the knowledge to safely pursue your passion.

Types of Deer  Season in Louisiana

Hunters in Louisiana must follow specific rules for hunting devices and methods during different hunting seasons.

1. Archery season allows for archery devices such as traditional, compound, and crossbows with a minimum draw weight of 30 pounds. No firearms are allowed.
2. Primitive firearms season allows for muzzleloading and single-shot rifles, pistols, and shotguns with specific calibre and ammunition requirements. No other modern firearms are allowed.
3. Firearms (still-hunt) season allows for modern firearms, including rifles, pistols, and shotguns with specific calibre requirements. Dogs are not allowed.
4. Firearms (with or without dogs) season allows for the use of modern firearms as described in the Firearms (still-hunt) season, with the exception that dogs may be used.
5. Youth and Honorably Discharged Veterans Season restrict hunting to youths 17 years or younger and resident honorably discharged veterans, allowing for archery and primitive and modern firearms. Youth hunters must complete a hunter education course or be accompanied by an adult with a completed hunter education course.

Louisiana Deer Regulations

• Prior to deer hunting, all hunters must obtain either a carcass or electronic deer tag for the current season.

• Hunters must tag the deer immediately upon harvesting, with the appropriate tag, and record the date and parish of kill.

• The tag must remain attached until the harvest is validated (within 72 hours).

• Basic Hunting License, Deer License and Deer Tag are required for persons 18 and older hunting deer, Youth Hunting License and Deer Tag for persons 17 and younger.

• Prohibited activities include using scents with natural deer urine, taking spotted fawns, using firearms smaller than .22 caliber, hunting while swimming or from a boat with a motor.

• Daily limit is one antlered and one antlerless deer, season limit is six deer (not to exceed three antlered or four antlerless).

• Possession tags must have information about the person who harvested the deer and its sex.

• Positive evidence of sex identification must remain on any deer taken in Louisiana until it is tagged, stored at a cold storage facility, or has become food.

• Dogs may be used for tracking and retrieving deer as long as they are on a leash and wearing a collar with the owner’s contact information.

• Gun owners must wear 400 square inches of “Hunter Orange” or “Blaze Pink” during deer hunting season. Hunting deer with bows is an exception.

• During Primitive Firearms Season, you may use any legal firearm to pursue a deer, but you must have a valid Deer or Senior License to do so. The use of dogs in hunting is prohibited, as is the use of any weapon other than a rifle, pistol, or shotgun of a specified caliber, loaded with black powder or an allowed replacement.

• A Deer or Senior License is required for hunting deer with archery gear during Archery Season. Prohibited activities include possession of poisoned or drugged arrows, hunting with a bow with less than 30 lbs. draw weight, and hunting with a bow or crossbow fitted with specific sights designed to enhance vision at night.

• Dogs are permitted during archery season, but only on hunts. Equipment such as compound bows, crossbows, and conventional bows that are pulled, held, and released mechanically are all acceptable during Archery Season. Except during Bucks Only season, any deer of either sex may be taken in any deer-hunting zone.

• Physically Challenged Season on Private Land: restricted to individuals with Physically Challenged Hunter Permit, from Oct 1-2, either-sex deer may be taken.

• Season on Private Land for Youth and Honorably Discharged Veterans: limited to local youngsters under the age of 17 and resident veterans with an honorable discharge. Archery equipment, prehistoric weaponry, and contemporary firearms are all within the law.

• Underage hunters must be with an adult (18+) and have hunter safety certification or proof of training.

• Minors may carry one legal firearm on a hunting excursion, whereas adults cannot bring any weapons. Veterans with an honorable discharge must have a hunting license and a copy of their discharge papers or a VA certificate to hunt. U.S. Veterans Driver’s License from the Louisiana OMV or a Form 214 from the Department of Defense.

LA Deer Hunting License

Get a thorough hunting license in Louisiana to unleash your inner hunter. This license is necessary for everyone wishing to participate in the state’s hunting activities. You may easily get your license at the LDWF website, the Baton Rouge office, or your neighborhood sporting goods or hunting supply shop. Non-resident licenses with choices for one-year or five-day validity are required for out-of-state hunters. Take advantage of special savings for children, seniors, and former service members, or choose the all-inclusive “Sportsman’s Paradise” license for avid hunters and anglers. A lifetime license is available for both residents and non-residents for people who want to hunt yearly, saving you money over time. People with impairments may also get a customized license, and it is also available for those who need it.

Purchase the required deer permit for Archery, Primitive Firearms, and Firearms seasons, and don’t forget the WMA Access Permit for those seeking a unique hunting experience in the state’s Wildlife Management Areas. Choose from a one-year or five-day WMA permit and be aware of each WMA’s specific guidelines, seasons, and limits on the quantity and type of deer that can be harvested.

Deer CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) in Louisiana

• It is a contagious, fatal, degenerative disease found in deer species, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose.

• Louisiana became the 29th state in the US to detect CWD in the wild population in 2022.

• CWD can spread through deer-to-deer contact or infected bodily fluids, urine, faeces, and tissues.

• Importing any cervid carcass into Louisiana is restricted, and certain areas within Louisiana have further restrictions on transporting whole carcasses.

• The meat from a deer must be boned out, cut, and wrapped, with no spinal column or head transported away from the harvest area, except for finished taxidermy mounts. Antlers, skull plates, hides, and cleaned teeth are allowed.

• The Centers for Disease Control says there is no evidence that CWD can infect humans. Still, caution is recommended when handling deer in infected regions, and deer should be tested before consumption.

• Wearing gloves while handling and processing deer is recommended, and any deer that is CWD-positive should not be consumed.

• Harvesting an adult buck deer can be tested for CWD, with the submitter eligible to win a $1000 gift card if they provide the GPS coordinates of the harvest site.

• Report any deer with symptoms of CWD to the LDWF and note its location.

FAQs related to Louisiana Deer Hunting Season

Dates & Regulation source: WLF Louisiana

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John Lewis

John Lewis, the passionate founder of HuntingSeasons.org, is committed to promoting responsible hunting and a profound love for the wilderness. With years of expertise, his platform serves as a reliable guide for hunting enthusiasts, advocating ethical practices and nature preservation.

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