Ten Deer Areas, staggered rut-timed seasons, and generous bag limits make Louisiana one of the South's most accessible whitetail states.
Louisiana's terrain ranges from bottomland hardwood swamp in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya river basins to rolling pine and hardwood uplands in the north-central and northwest parishes, to coastal marsh-edge habitat in the south.
- Agency
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF)
- Region
- Southeast
- Deer rank
- #30 of 50
- Species guides
- 4
01
Louisiana hunting license and tag costs
Deer license and tag prices as last reviewed. Other species' permits are listed in the agency fee schedule.
| License / tag | Price |
|---|---|
| Resident hunting license (basic) | approx. $15–20 (see current LDWF fee schedule) |
| Nonresident hunting license | approx. $150+ (see current LDWF fee schedule) |
| Nonresident big game/deer add-on | additional fee required for deer hunting privileges |
02
Louisiana hunting laws to know
Rules that catch hunters out most often. Not a substitute for the regulations book.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Blaze orange | Required for hunters on many WMAs during gun season; requirements vary by WMA and land type, so check current regs. |
| Baiting | Baiting/feeding for deer is legal on private land in Louisiana but prohibited on WMAs and other public hunting lands. |
| Crossbows | Legal for all hunters during archery and gun seasons, no special permit required. |
| Sunday hunting | Generally allowed statewide, including on many WMAs, though some site-specific restrictions apply. |
| Legal firearms | Centerfire rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, and handguns are legal for deer during gun season; no straight-wall-only cartridge restriction as in some Midwest states. |
| Bag limits | Most Deer Areas allow up to 6 deer per season (max 3 antlered, 4 antlerless); Deer Areas 4 and 10 have distinct caps — check current regs for your area. |
| CWD response | Louisiana monitors for chronic wasting disease and has import restrictions on carcasses from CWD-positive states; check current LDWF CWD rules before transporting deer into the state. |
| Hunter education | Required for hunters born on or after a specified cutoff date before purchasing a license, unless hunting under an apprentice/mentor exemption. |
03
Louisiana deer season structure (2025-26)
Exact opening and closing dates, either-sex days, and bag limits differ across all ten Deer Areas and change from year to year — always check LDWF's current hunting regulations pamphlet for your specific Deer Area before you hunt.
| Season | Weapon | Typical window |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | Bow / crossbow | Sept. 20 – early Oct. in earliest-opening Deer Areas; later starts in other areas |
| Youth/Special weekend | Varies | Scattered weekends ahead of or within gun season, area-dependent |
| Muzzleloader/Primitive weapon | Muzzleloader | Typically a short window in Oct.–Nov. ahead of modern gun season |
| Modern gun (either-sex and bucks-only splits) | Modern gun | Nov. – Jan., with some areas running into mid-Feb. |
| Late archery | Bow / crossbow | Often reopens after gun season closes in several Deer Areas |
What you can hunt in Louisiana
- Deer — White-tailed deer
Good · ranked #30 of 50 for deer.
- Wild Hog
Delta and bottomland hardwood populations
Access: Restrictions on public land during deer seasons — read current rules
- Mallard
Late-season wintering grounds with huge numbers of mixed puddle ducks
Access: Over-the-counter license plus duck stamp
- Raccoon
Excellent raccoon habitat in swamp and bottomland forest
Access: Over-the-counter fur-bearer license
Public hunting land in Louisiana
Louisiana has dozens of Wildlife Management Areas plus Kisatchie National Forest, giving hunters a wide spread of public bottomland, pine upland, and river-basin hunting options.
Kisatchie National Forest
National forest · North-central/northwest Louisiana
The state's only national forest, offering rolling pine-hardwood terrain across several ranger districts.
Official pageRichard K. Yancey WMA
WMA · Central Louisiana (Atchafalaya Basin edge)
One of the state's highest-harvest WMAs, with extensive bottomland hardwood habitat.
Official pageDewey Wills WMA
WMA · Central Louisiana
Large bottomland tract along the Little/Catahoula river system with consistently strong deer harvest totals.
Fort Johnson WMA (formerly Fort Polk)
WMA · West-central Louisiana
Large military-adjacent tract with multiple managed hunt segments and solid harvest numbers.
Sherburne WMA
WMA · Atchafalaya Basin
Classic Atchafalaya Basin swamp and bottomland hardwood hunting, popular with boat-access hunters.
Bodcau WMA
WMA · Northwest Louisiana
Mixed pine-hardwood public land near the Arkansas border with accessible road-system hunting.
Official Louisiana links
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF)
- Current regulations
- Buy hunting & fishing licenses
Last reviewed 2026-09.
Nearby state hunting guides
Questions
Frequently asked
- Where do I buy a Louisiana hunting license?
- Louisiana hunting licenses and tags are sold by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) through its official licensing site. Buy direct from the agency rather than a reseller, and complete hunter education first if your birth year requires it.
- When is Louisiana hunting season?
- Seasons differ by species, weapon and zone, and the Louisiana season dates change every year. Our Louisiana deer guide summarizes the 2025-26 deer season structure; for every other species, check the current Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) regulations before you plan a hunt.
- What can you hunt in Louisiana?
- Besides white-tailed deer, our species guides single out Louisiana for wild hog, mallard, raccoon. Each species guide explains tags, seasons and tactics.
- Where is public hunting land in Louisiana?
- Good starting points include Kisatchie National Forest, Richard K. Yancey WMA, Dewey Wills WMA. Confirm access rules, closures and special regulations with the managing agency before you go.
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