A. Purpose. These regulations are to govern the purchasing, selling and holding in captivity of live foxes and coyotes for chasing with hounds. These regulations will prohibit the importation and exportation of any species of foxes or coyotes to or from Louisiana in an effort to prevent possible disease and parasite contamination of native wild canids. Humans are subject to infection with the liver being the most common site of larval growth. The infection is termed alveolar hydatid disease (AHD). The number of deaths per number of infected individuals has been 50-75 percent. These regulations are also enacted to allow the sport of fox/coyote hunting with dogs within enclosed areas. The regulations provide general rules including licensing, permits, fees, live trapping, sale and purchase of animals, holding cage requirements, enclosure requirements, acclimation requirements and report requirements.B. Definitions Acclimation Pen- an area which is built within or adjacent to fox/coyote hunting preserves which will contain game and exclude hounds and which will allow game to become acclimated to an enclosed environment.
Bill of Sale- receipt showing the amount of game purchased, the date of purchase, and the person from whom the game was purchased.
Bona Fide Resident- any person who has resided in the state of Louisiana continuously during the 12 months immedi a. If registered to vote, he is registered to vote in Louisiana.b. If licensed to drive a motor vehicle, he is in possession of a Louisiana registration for that vehicle.c. If owning a motor vehicle located within Louisiana, he is in possession of a Louisiana registration for that vehicle.d. If earning an income, he has filed a Louisiana state income tax return and has complied with state income tax laws and regulations.e. As to a corporation or other legal entity, a resident shall be any which is incorporated or otherwise organized under and subject to the laws of Louisiana, and as to which the principal place of business and more than 50 percent of the offices, partners, or employees are domiciled in Louisiana.ately prior to the date on which he applies for any license and who has manifested his intent to remain in this state by establishing Louisiana as his legal domicile as demonstrated with all of the following, as applicable.
Box Trap- a drop-door type of trap that upon the game's entry into the device encloses and detains the game.
Closed Season- that period of time of the calendar year not specifically included in the open season.
Department- the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Enclosure-(see fox/coyote hunting preserve).
Fox/Coyote Hunting Preserve- an area which is completely enclosed by adequate fencing to contain game and hounds which is built and maintained for the purpose of training or chasing game with hounds.
Fox/Coyote Hunting Preserve Operator- anyone acting as an agent of the owner in caring for or managing the maintenance and/or business of the preserve.
Game- any red fox or grey fox or coyote stocked in a fox/coyote hunting preserve for the purpose of dog training and/or chasing with hounds.
Hunting Preserve Owner- anyone who legally has possession or has legally leased property on which the enclosure is established.
LDWF-Approved Applicant-a person who has no Class 3 or greater wildlife or fish violations during the past three years, who has a minimum of two years of trapping experience and who is at least 15 years old.
Landowner- any person who owns land on which traps are set.
Licensee-any bona fide resident and lawful holder of an effective license duly issued under the authority of the department.
Nongame Quadruped- alligators, beavers, bobcats, coyotes, grey foxes, minks, muskrats, nutrias, opossums, otters, raccoons, red foxes, skunks and other wild quadrupeds valuable for their furs or skins.
Nongame Quadruped Breeder- any person properly licensed to engage in the business of raising, exhibiting and selling nongame quadrupeds.
Nongame Quadruped Exhibitor- any person properly licensed to engage in the business of raising and/or exhibiting nongame quadrupeds.
Nontarget Animal- any animal other than red fox, grey fox or coyote.
Permittee- any person who has obtained a valid permit from the department for trapping coyotes during the closed season.
Person- includes any individual person, association, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity recognized by law.
Possess- in its different tenses, the act of having in possession or control, keeping, detaining, restraining, holding as owner, or as agent, bailee, or custodian for another.
Raising- the production of red fox, grey fox, or coyotes in controlled environmental conditions or in outside facilities.
Rearing-(see raising).
Relaxing Lock- locking device on a snare that loosens and tightens in response to the game's action.
Resident-(see bona fide resident).
Snare- wire device used for taking nongame quadrupeds.
Soft CatchTM-trap (manufactured by Woodstream Corporation), no modifications.
Take- in its different tenses, the attempt or act of hooking, pursuing, netting, capturing, snaring, trapping, shooting, hunting, wounding, or killing by any means or device.
Transport- in its different tenses, the act of shipping, attempting to ship, receiving or delivering for shipment, transporting, conveying, carrying, or exporting by air, land, or water, or by any means whatsoever.
Trap- any device used in the capture of birds, quadrupeds or fish.
Trapper- any person properly licensed by the department engaged in the trapping of nongame quadrupeds.
C. Licenses, Permits and Fees. The licenses and fees required for activities authorized by these regulations are as prescribed under provisions of Title 56. 1. An annual special permit may be issued to a Department of Wildlife and Fisheries approved applicant [authority granted by Louisiana laws pertaining to Wildlife and Fisheries, R.S. 56:123(C)] for the trapping of coyotes only, outside of the annual trapping season. In order for the permittee to sell live coyotes, he must also possess a nongame quadruped breeder's license (R.S. 56:262.1) and a valid trapping license;2. A nongame quadruped exhibitor's license may be issued permitting the applicant to breed and/or exhibit such animals provided he meets the rules and regulations of the department;3. A nongame quadruped breeder license may be issued permitting the applicant to breed, propagate, exhibit, and sell such animals alive.D. General Rules 1. No person shall take, possess, purchase or sell live foxes or coyotes, except as provided in these regulations and R.S. Title 56.2. No person shall hold in captivity any live foxes or coyotes, except as provided in these regulations and R.S. Title 56.3. Fox/coyote hunting preserves shall be of a type and construction such that it will insure the normal containment of foxes, coyotes and hounds.4. Fox/coyote hunting preserves shall contain an adequate number of escape areas which are houndproof. These may be provided by maintaining thickets, brush piles, windrows, or where natural cover is insufficient, by providing manmade escapes such as culverts or houndproof feeding stations.5. Licensees shall be required to make available to the game: a. food that is palatable, uncontaminated and nutritionally adequate to ensure normal growth and maintenance;b. water which is fresh, uncontaminated and available at all times.6. No person shall transport, possess, purchase or sell any live foxes or coyotes taken outside the state of Louisiana. Live foxes and coyotes obtained from outside the state of Louisiana prior to the enacted date of these regulations and in possession of properly licensed persons shall be exempt.7. No person shall transport from the state or offer for sale out of state any live foxes or coyotes.8. Acclimation pens shall be constructed adjacent to or within an enclosure to insure the containment of foxes and coyotes and the exclusion of hounds. This requirement may be waived for "training enclosures" or in enclosures where running is discontinued for a minimum of two weeks while foxes/coyotes adjust to the enclosure environment.9. No person may engage in the business of raising or exhibiting or otherwise possessing fox or coyotes for the purpose of operating a fox/coyote hunting preserve unless he or she has acquired and possesses a valid nongame quadruped breeder or exhibitor license.10. A licensed trapper may offer for sale such live animals to any licensed nongame quadruped breeder or exhibitor during the open trapping season. During any such transactions, a bill of sale must be provided by the trapper to the nongame breeder or exhibitor and retained for a period of one year.11. Permittees (trapping coyotes during the closed trapping season) will be required to use only either a padded (4 9/16-6 1/2 inch inside jaw width at hinge posts), offset, laminated or wide (4 5/8-6 3/8 inch inside jaw width at hinge posts) or unmodified (5 inch inside jaw width at hinge posts) foot-hold trap, or a box-type trap, or a cable restraint with a relaxing lock.12. Permittees trapping coyotes during the closed trapping season and licensed as a nongame quadruped breeder may offer for sale such coyotes. During any such transaction, a bill of sale must be provided by the seller to the purchaser and retained for a period of one year by the purchaser.13. It shall be unlawful to trap coyotes during the closed trapping season without a permit issued by the department.14. Permittees will be required to check traps daily.15. Permittees will be required to have in possession written permission from the landowners or lessee where traps are set.16. Permittees shall release all nontarget species in a manner so as to keep stress or injury minimal.17. It shall be unlawful to sell native wild foxes or coyotes outside the state of Louisiana.18. Trappers and permittees who hold game for more than one day for sale shall confine animals at a rate of no more than one fox per 9 square feet and one coyote per 17 square feet. The cage must be high enough for each animal to easily sit or stand. The cage must be escape-proof and offer protection from adverse weather.19. Fox/coyote hunting preserves shall be exempt from the commission action which prohibits the running of coyotes during the open turkey season.20. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has the authority to conduct disease investigations at any time and, pending the results of the disease investigations, has the authority to quarantine fox/coyote hunting preserves if deemed necessary. The department also has the authority to prohibit the release of animals that are diseased or have been exposed to diseased animals.21. Neurological or sick animals shall be humanely euthanized and shall not be moved or sold in an effort to prevent the spread of disease. Licensees shall be required to immediately report to the department the occurrence of any disease contracted by captive fox or coyotes. These diseases include but are not limited to rabies, canine distemper, sarcoptic mange or Echinococcus infections.22. Animals held under any non-game quadruped breeder, non-game quadruped exhibitor, or coyote trapping license shall not be physically altered, except for medical treatment by a Louisiana licensed veterinarian, or mutilated in any way.E. Report Requirements 1. Report forms provided by the department must be completed and filed with the department by all persons who have been issued a nongame quadruped breeder or exhibitor license or who have been issued a special permit allowing the trapping of coyotes only in the closed season in accordance with this Subsection. Reports shall include but not be limited to the information specified in R.S. 56:262.1(d). Failure to complete these forms properly and completely will result in nonrenewal of the nongame quadruped breeder or exhibitor license.2. All licensed nongame quadruped exhibitors will be required to include information regarding numbers of animals by species in captivity, number of known losses (death or escape), number of animals by species purchased and the sources of game purchases.3. All licensed nongame quadruped breeders will be required to include information regarding numbers of animals by species in captivity, numbers of losses, numbers of animals by species purchased and the sources of game purchases, and number of sales by species and the person who bought the game.F. Penalty for Violation. Violation of these regulations will be a Class 2 violation with the following exceptions. 1. Violation of the license requirements for nongame quadruped breeders and nongame quadruped exhibitors shall be a Class 3 violation (see §113.C.1 and D.2. of this Chapter).2. Violation of the reporting requirements shall be a Class 3 violation (see §113E.1-3 of this Chapter).3. Violation of the regulations pertaining to import of foxes and/or coyotes into the state or export of foxes and/or coyotes from the state shall be a Class 4 violation (see §113.D 6-7 of this Chapter).La. Admin. Code tit. 76, § V-113
Promulgated by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, LR 17:205 (February 1991), Amended LR 49512 (3/1/2023), Amended LR 491568 (9/1/2023).AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 56:262.