La. Admin. Code tit. 76 § XIX-113

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 5, May 20, 2024

Section XIX-113 - General and WMA Turkey Hunting Regulations

A. General Regulations. Only gobblers (male turkeys) may be taken. Taking of hen (female) turkeys, including bearded hens, is prohibited; still hunting only. Use of dogs, electronic calling devices, motorized decoys and live decoys is illegal. Turkeys may be hunted with shotguns, including muzzleloading shotguns, using shot not larger than #2 lead, #2 non-toxic, or BB steel shot, and approved archery equipment but by no other means. Shooting turkeys from a moving or stationary vehicle is prohibited. Shotguns capable of holding more than three shells prohibited. The running of coyote with dogs is prohibited in all turkey hunting areas during the open turkey season. No person shall hunt, trap or take turkeys by the aid of baiting or on or over any baited area. Baiting means placing, exposing, depositing or scattering of corn (shelled, shucked or unshucked), wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed so as to constitute a lure, attraction or enticement to, on or over any areas where hunters are attempting to take turkeys. A baited area is any area where corn (shelled, shucked or unshucked), wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed capable of luring, attracting or enticing turkeys is directly or indirectly placed, exposed, deposited, distributed or scattered. Such areas remain baited areas for 15 days following complete removal of all such corn, wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed. Wildlife agents are authorized to close such baited areas and to place signs in the immediate vicinity designating closed zones and dates of closures. No person hunting turkeys more than 200 yards from a baited area will be in violation of the turkey baiting regulation.

B. Tags

1. Prior to hunting turkeys, all turkey hunters, regardless of age or license status, must obtain turkey tags and have them in their possession while turkey hunting. Turkey tags may only be used by the hunter to whom the tag was issued. Hunters who allow their turkey tags to be used by another person, or who use tags issued to another person, are in violation of this Rule and are subject to fines and other administrative penalties, including, but not limited to, the automatic forfeiture of any remaining turkey tags for the season for which they are issued. Immediately upon killing a turkey, hunters must attach a carcass tag to or electronically tag the turkey before it is moved from the site of the kill and must document the kill on the turkey harvest report card. If using carcass tags, the date of kill and parish of kill must be recorded on the carcass tag, and the tag must remain attached to the turkey while kept at camp or while it is transported to the domicile of the hunter or to a cold storage facility. Hunters who keep the carcass or meat at a camp must also comply with game possession tag regulations. Within 72 hours of the kill, the hunter must report the kill. Hunters may report turkeys electronically, calling the validation phone number, or using the validation website.

2. Turkey hunters purchasing licenses by phone will be given an authorization number and a LDWF identification number that will serve as their license and tags until the physical license and tags arrive by mail. Turkey hunters who have purchased a license with tags, but have not yet received their physical license and tags, must immediately tag their kill with a possession tag before moving it from the site of the kill. The authorization number and LDWF identification number must be recorded on the possession tag. Hunters must retain documentation of any turkeys killed and upon receiving their physical tags and harvest report card, validate their kill as required in these regulations. The tags for turkeys killed prior to receiving the physical tags must be removed from the turkey harvest report card and discarded.

3. Tags removed from the turkey harvest report card prior to killing a turkey are no longer valid and if lost will not be replaced. Duplicate tags and turkey harvest report cards are available to replace lost report cards and attached tags. Hunters will be charged a fee for duplicate turkey harvest report cards and tags. Hunters that have killed a turkey prior to losing their remaining tag and harvest report card must remove and discard the duplicate tag to account for the original tag that was used and validated. Hunters must record any previously validated turkey on the duplicate turkey harvest report card.

C. Possession of Live Wild Turkeys. No person shall take live wild turkeys or their eggs from the wild. No person shall possess captive live wild turkeys, (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris, M.g. osceola, M.g. intermedia, M.g. merriami, M.g. mexicana) or their eggs, regardless of origin, without a valid game breeder license. No pen-raised turkeys from within or without the state shall be liberated (released) within the state.

D. Statewide Youth and Physically Challenged Season Regulations. Only youths 17 years of age or younger or hunters possessing a physically challenged hunter permit with wheelchair classification may hunt. Youth must possess a hunter safety certification or proof of successful completion of a hunter safety course. Youths must be accompanied by one adult 18 years of age or older. If the accompanying adult is in possession of hunter safety certification, a valid hunting license or proof of successful completion of a hunter safety course, this requirement is waived for youth younger than 16 years of age. Additionally, any person younger than 18 years of age shall have in their immediate possession a valid, original youth license. Adults accompanying youth may not possess a firearm or bow. Youths may possess only one firearm or bow while hunting. The supervising adult shall maintain visual and voice contact with the youth at all times, except youths 12 years old or older who have successfully completed a hunter safety course may hunt without a supervising adult. Only one gobbler (male turkey) per day may be taken and any gobbler (male turkey) taken by the hunter during this special season counts towards their season bag limit of two.

E. Shooting Hours-one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

F. Turkey Hunting Area Descriptions

1. Area A

a. All of the following parishes are open:

i. Beauregard;

ii. Bienville;

iii. Bossier;

iv. Claiborne;

Exception: see federal lands hunting schedule for Kisatchie National Forest dates.

v. East Baton Rouge;

vi. East Feliciana;

vii. Grant;

Exception: see federal lands hunting schedule for Kisatchie National Forest dates;

viii. Jackson;

ix. LaSalle;

x. Lincoln;

xi. Livingston; xii. Natchitoches;

Exception: see federal lands hunting schedule for Kisatchie National Forest dates.

xiii. Sabine;

xiv. St. Helena;

xv. St. Tammany;

xvi. Tangipahoa;

xvii. Union;

xviii. Vernon;

Exception: see federal lands hunting schedule for Kisatchie National Forest dates.

xix. Washington;

xx. Webster

xxi. West Feliciana (including Raccourci Island);

xxii. Winn.

Exception: see federal lands hunting schedule for Kisatchie National Forest dates.

b. Portions of the following parishes are also open:

i. Allen-north of US 190 east of Kinder, west of US 165 south of Kinder;

ii. Calcasieu-north of I-10;

iii. Caldwell-west of Ouachita River southward to Catahoula Parish line;

iv. Catahoula-south and west of the Ouachita River from the Caldwell Parish line southward to LA 8 at Harrisonburg, north and west of LA 8 from Harrisonburg to the LaSalle Parish line, also that portion lying east of LA 15;

v. East Carroll-that portion east of the main channel of the Mississippi River;

vi. Evangeline-north and west of LA 115, north of LA 106 west of LA 115 to US 167, west of US 167 south to LA 10, north of LA 10 west of US 167 to LA 13, west of LA 13 south of LA 10 to Mamou and north of LA 104 west of Mamou;

vii. Jefferson Davis-north of US 190 from junction with LA 26 to Kinder, west of US 165 and north of I-10 west from junction of US 165;

viii. Madison-that portion east of the main channel of the Mississippi River;

ix. Morehouse-west of US 165 from the Arkansas line to the junction of LA 140 at Bonita, north and west of LA 140 to junction of LA 830-4 (Cooper Lake Road), west of LA 830-4 to US 165 at Bastrop, south of US 165 to junction of LA 3051 (Grabault Road) south of LA 3051 to junction of LA 138, west of LA 138 to junction of LA 134, north of LA 134 to the Ouachita Parish line;

x. Ouachita-all west of the Ouachita River. That portion east of the Ouachita River lying north of US 80;

xi. Rapides-all west of Red River and north of LA 28 east from Pineville, LA east to LaSalle Parish line;

xii. Tensas-that portion east of the main channel of the Mississippi River.

Exception: see federal lands hunting schedule for Kisatchie National Forest dates.

2. Area B

a. All of the following parishes are open:

i. Caddo;

ii. DeSoto;

iii. Red River.

3. Area C

a. All of the following parishes are open:

i. Ascension;

ii. Concordia;

iii. Franklin;

iv. Iberville;

v. Pointe Coupee;

vi. West Baton Rouge.

b. Portions of the following parishes are open:

i. Avoyelles-that portion bounded on the east by the Atchafalaya River, on the north by Red River to the Brouillette Community, on the west by LA 452 from Brouillette to LA 1, on the south by LA 1, eastward to Hamburg, thence by the west Atchafalaya Basin protection levee southward;

ii. Caldwell-all east of the Ouachita River;

iii. Catahoula-all of the parish except for that portion located in area A;

iv. Iberia-east of the west Atchafalaya Basin protection levee;

v. Madison-that portion lying east of US 65 from East Carroll Parish line to US 80 and south of US 80;

vi. Richland-west of LA 17 from Franklin Parish line to Ringle Road, south of Ringle Road to Ferguson Road, south of Ferguson Road to Little Road, south of Little Road to Big Creek, east of Big Creek to Franklin Parish line and that portion south of US 80 and east of LA 17;

vii. St. Landry-that portion bounded on the west by the west Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee and on the east by the Atchafalaya River;

Exception: the Indian Bayou area; see federal lands hunting schedule for Indian Bayou area dates.

viii. Tensas-that portion west of the main channel of the Mississippi River;

ix. Upper St. Martin-all within the Atchafalaya Basin; in addition, that area bounded on the North by LA 352; on the West by LA 349, to LA 3039, to LA 347, to the Catahoula Hwy. (LA 96), to LA 679, to LA 345; and on the south by LA 3242;

Exceptions: Indian Bayou area, see federal lands hunting schedule for Indian Bayou dates.

4. Turkey season dates on wildlife management areas, national wildlife refuges, Kisatchie National Forest and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land located within areas A, B, and C may vary from the season set for the parish in which they are located. Seasons for these lands are specified in LAC 76:XIX.115.

G. WMA Turkey Hunting Regulations

1. WMAs with youth turkey hunts are closed to all activities except turkey hunting by authorized youth hunt participants, shooting range use, and fishing on the day(s) of the youth hunt.

2. Rules Specific to Certain WMAs

a. Sandy Hollow. No turkey hunting within 100 yards of food plots identified by two yellow paint rings around the nearest tree.

La. Admin. Code tit. 76, § XIX-113

Promulgated by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, LR 25:2263 (November 1999), amended LR 26:2634 (November 2000), LR 27:2270 (December 2001), LR 28:2375 (November 2002), LR 29:2512 (November 2003), LR 30:2874 (December 2004), LR 31:3167 (December 2005), LR 32:2272 (December 2006), LR 33:2469 (November 2007), LR 35:91 (January 2009), LR 35:2478 (November 2009), LR 36:2581 (November 2010), LR 37:3535 (December 2011), LR 38:2941 (November 2012), LR 40:96 (January 2014), LR 40:1554 (August 2014), Amended by LR 41977 (5/1/2015), Amended LR 421127 (7/1/2016), Amended LR 431426 (7/1/2017), Amended LR 441303 (7/1/2018), Amended LR 45964 (7/1/2019), Amended LR 46988 (7/1/2020), Amended LR 47934 (7/1/2021), Amended LR 481897 (7/1/2022), Amended LR 491266 (7/1/2023), Amended LR 50422 (3/1/2024).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 56:115.