§117. Migratory Bird Seasons, Regulations, and Bag Limits
A. Seasons and Bag Limits
Species
|
Season Dates
|
Daily Bag Limit
|
Possession Limit
|
Mourning and White Winged Doves and fully-dressed Eurasian and Collared Doves
|
South Zone:
Sept. 3-11
Oct. 8-Nov. 27
Dec. 17-Jan. 15
North Zone:
Sept. 3-25
Oct. 8-Nov. 13
Dec. 17-Jan. 15
|
15 (in aggregate)
|
45 (in aggregate)
|
Woodcock
|
Dec. 18-Jan. 31
|
3
|
9
|
Teal (Blue-winged, Green-winged and Cinnamon)
|
Sept. 10-25
|
6
|
18
|
King and Clapper Rails
|
Sept. 10-25
Nov. 12-Jan. 4
|
15 (in aggregate)
|
45 (in aggregate)
|
Sora and Virginia Rails
|
Sept. 10-25
Nov. 12-Jan. 4
|
25 (in aggregate)
|
75 (in aggregate)
|
Gallinules
|
Sep. 10-25
Nov. 12-Jan. 4
|
15
|
45
|
Snipe
|
Coastal Zone:
Nov. 2-Dec. 4
Dec. 17-Feb. 28
West Zone:
Nov. 2-Dec. 4
Dec. 17-Feb. 28
East Zone:
Nov. 2-Dec. 4
Dec. 17-Feb. 28
|
8
|
24
|
Ducks, Coots and Mergansers
|
Coastal Zone:
Nov. 5-6 (youth only)
Nov. 12-Dec. 4
Dec. 17-Jan. 22
West Zone:
Nov. 5 (youth only)
Nov. 12-Dec. 4
Dec. 17-Jan.22
Jan. 28 (youth only)
East Zone:
Nov. 12 (youth only)
Nov. 19-Dec. 4
Dec. 17-Jan. 29
Feb. 4 (youth only)
|
Daily bag limit on ducks is 6 and may include no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be females), 2 canvasback, 1 mottled duck, 1 black duck, 3 wood ducks, 3 scaup, 2 redheads, and 2 pintails.
Daily bag limit on coots is 15.
Daily bag limit on mergansers is 5, only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers. Merganser limits are in addition to the daily bag limit for ducks.
|
Three times the daily bag limit.
|
Light Geese (Snow, Blue, and Ross’) and White-Fronted Geese
|
North Zone:
Nov. 5-Dec.4
Dec. 17-Feb. 12
South Zone:
Nov. 5-Dec. 4
Dec. 17-Feb. 12
|
Daily bag limit on Light Geese (snow, blue, and ross’) is 20.
Daily bag limit on White-Fronted Geese is 2.
|
No possession limit on Light Geese (snow, blue, and ross’)
Possession limit on White-Fronted Geese is 6.
|
Canada Geese
|
North Zone:
Nov. 5-Dec. 4
Dec. 12-Jan. 31
South Zone:
Nov. 5-Dec. 4
Dec. 17-Jan. 31
|
1
|
3
|
B. Conservation Order for Light Geese Seasons and Bag Limits
Species
|
Season Dates
|
Daily Bag Limit
|
Possession Limit
|
Light Geese (Snow, Blue, and Ross’)
|
North Zone:
Dec. 5-16
Feb. 13-Mar. 12
South Zone:
Dec. 5-16
Feb. 13-Mar. 12
|
No daily bag limit.
|
No possession limit.
|
C. Extended Falconry Seasons and Bag Limits
Species
|
Season Dates
|
Daily Bag Limit
|
Mourning and White Winged Doves and fully-dressed Eurasian and Collared Doves
|
Sept. 15-Oct. 1
|
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.
|
Woodcock
|
Nov. 2-Jan. 31
|
Rails and Gallinule
|
Nov. 2-Jan. 31
|
Ducks
|
Nov. 3-Jan. 31
|
D. Dove Hunting Regulations
1. Shooting hours one-half hour before sunrise to sunset except on opening day of the first split on Wildlife Management Areas and on fields leased through the LDWF experimental dove field leasing program, where hunting will be from 12 p.m. to sunset, except for elbow slough and Point-Aux-Chenes wildlife management areas which will be open one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
2. There is no bag limit on Eurasian collared-doves or Ringed Turtle-doves provided that a fully feathered wing and head remain attached to the carcass of the bird. Fully dressed Eurasian collared-doves and ringed turtle doves (those without a fully feathered wing and dead naturally attached to the carcass) shall be included in the aggregate bag.
3. The following boundary divides the dove season zones: beginning at the Texas-Louisiana order on LA Hwy. 12; thence east along LA Hwy 12 to its intersection with U.S. Hwy 190; thence east along U.S. Hwy 190 to its intersection with I-12; thence east along I-12 to its intersection with I-10; then east along I-10 to the Mississippi state line.
E. Snipe Hunting Regulations. Shooting hours one-half hour before sunrise to sunset, except at the Spanish Lake recreation area in Iberia Parish where shooting hours, including the conservation end at 2 p.m.
F. Conservation Order for light geese. Only snow, blue, and Ross’ geese may be taken under the terms of the conservation order. Electronic calls and unplugged shotguns allowed. No daily bag or possession limit. Shooting hours one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.
G. Canada Goose Season Closure. The Canada goose season will be open statewide except for a portion of southwest Louisiana described as follows: beginning at the Texas State Line, proceeding east along LA Hwy. 82 to the Calcasieu Ship Channel, then north along the Calcasieu Ship Channel to its junction with the Intracoastal Canal, then east along the Intracoastal Canal to its juncture with LA Hwy. 82, then south along LA Hwy. 82 to its juncture with Parish Road 3147, then south and east along Parish Road 3147 to Freshwater Bayou Canal, then south to the Gulf of Mexico, then west along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico to the Texas State Line, then north to the point of beginning at LA Hwy. 82. Open waters of Lake Arthur and the Mermentau River, from the Hwy 14 bridge southward, will also be closed.
AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 56:115.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, LR 42:1130 (July 2016).
