American alligator
Lottery recreational huntRecreational Alligator Zones A–H — eligible authorized property
Resident lottery selection, awarded-zone tags, licenses and written land permission required; assisting nonresidents have additional rules.
THE SEASON ATLAS / LALouisiana
Louisiana
hunting seasons.
Explore 2026 & 2027 season sources, publication status, and game species for your next hunt.
LA / UNITED STATES
PLAN WITH THE SEASONS
Your 2026 field calendar.
2026–27 regulations available
The agency has published 2026 regulations. Only selected dates are transcribed here; verify the original rules and each public property before hunting.
Official 2026 information ↗5 verified date entries
Selected agency dates are indexed below. This is not a complete legal calendar. Unit rules, tags, sex and age restrictions, closures, and special hunts can change which dates apply. Use the source beside each entry.
White-tailed deer
ArcheryDeer Area 1 — general calendar; public-land schedules differ
Either sex subject to tags and area rules; check the individual WMA, refuge or federal-land schedule.
Black-bellied whistling duck
Special permitted seasonStatewide, subject to property restrictions
Only this duck species; special permit and mandatory reporting required. Four daily; check public-land shooting hours.
White-tailed deer
Firearms, still hunting onlyDeer Area 1 — general calendar; public-land schedules differ
Either sex subject to tags and area rules; dogs are not part of this segment. Individual property schedules govern.
American woodcock
General huntingStatewide, subject to property restrictions
Three daily, nine in possession; required licenses and migratory-bird requirements apply.
Louisiana game species & hunting information.
These species and groups appear in agency hunting resources. Their presence in the state does not mean every public area offers a hunt. “Native” describes origin, “reintroduced” describes restoration, and “migratory” describes movement; these are not population counts. Origin is left unverified when the reviewed source does not establish it.
Big game
White-tailed deer
Origin not verifiedDeer-area calendars, tags, sex restrictions and separate public-land schedules apply. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Wild turkey
Origin not verifiedAdult gobblers only, with a limited youth exception; public-land seasons differ from the private-land calendar. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Black bear
Origin not verifiedRestricted bear-area hunting requires the applicable lottery permit and compliance with current bear rules. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Other game
American alligator
Origin not verifiedRecreational hunting requires lottery authorization, zone tags, licenses and eligible land permission; it is separate from commercial harvest. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Crow
Origin not verifiedAgency crow-hunting category; dates and legal methods apply. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Coyote
Origin not verifiedAgency permits licensed hunting subject to property, method and public-land restrictions. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Feral hog
Origin not verifiedAgency permits licensed hunting subject to property, method and public-land restrictions. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Armadillo
Origin not verifiedAgency permits licensed hunting subject to property, method and public-land restrictions. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Beaver
Origin not verifiedRestricted nuisance take by landowners or their authorized designees; this is not a general public-land hunting opportunity. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Eurasian collared-dove
Origin not verifiedTake is restricted to dove seasons; identification and possession conditions apply. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Ringed turtle-dove
Origin not verifiedTake is restricted to dove seasons; identification and possession conditions apply. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Small game
Rabbit
Origin not verifiedAgency-listed hunting target; local access, methods and limits apply. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Squirrel
Origin not verifiedAgency-listed hunting target; local access, methods and limits apply. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Upland birds
Quail
Origin not verifiedAgency-listed hunting target; local access, methods and limits apply. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Pheasant
Origin not verifiedRegulation-listed hunting category; this is not a claim of a self-sustaining wild population. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Furbearers
Bobcat
Origin not verifiedHunting is regulated separately from trapping; species limits and public-land restrictions apply. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Raccoon
Origin not verifiedHunting is regulated separately from trapping; species limits and public-land restrictions apply. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Opossum
Origin not verifiedHunting is regulated separately from trapping; species limits and public-land restrictions apply. Population origin not verified.
Agency species information ↗Nutria
IntroducedLDWF documents importation from South America for fur farming. Hunting and nuisance take have separate rules.
Agency species information ↗Migratory birds
Mourning dove
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗White-winged dove
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗King rail
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Clapper rail
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Sora rail
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Virginia rail
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Gallinules
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Snipe
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗American woodcock
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Blue-winged teal
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Green-winged teal
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Cinnamon teal
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Black-bellied whistling duck
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Ducks
MigratoryAgency duck-hunting category; excludes closed species. Species-specific limits, seasonal restrictions and local closures apply; some populations are resident.
Agency species information ↗Coot
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Mergansers
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Light geese
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Greater white-fronted goose
MigratoryManaged under migratory-bird regulations; resident populations may also occur. Species limits and local closures apply.
Agency species information ↗Canada goose
MigratorySouthwest closure and Lake Arthur/Mermentau River exclusions apply; check official boundaries. Managed under migratory-bird rules; resident populations may occur.
Agency species information ↗Check the details.
Then head for the horizon.
Confirm the unit, season, license, method, bag limit, and current closures with Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Public-land rules may be more restrictive than statewide seasons.