La. Admin. Code tit. 76 § XIX-117

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

Section XIX-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. 2-Sept. 17 Oct. 14-Nov. 26 Dec. 16-Jan. 14 North Zone: Sept. 2-Sept. 24 Oct. 7-Nov. 12 Dec. 23-Jan. 21	15 (in aggregate)	45 (in aggregate)
Woodcock	Dec. 18-Jan. 31	3	9
Teal (Blue-winged, Green-winged and Cinnamon)	Sept. 15-Sept. 30	6	18
King and Clapper Rails	Sept. 15-Sept. 30 Nov. 11-Jan. 3	15 (in aggregate)	45 (in aggregate)
Sora and Virginia Rails	Sept. 15-Sept. 30 Nov. 11-Jan. 3	25 (in aggregate)	75 (in aggregate)
Gallinules	Sept. 15-Sept. 30 Nov. 11-Jan. 3	15	45
Snipe	West Zone: Nov. 2-Dec. 3 Dec. 16-Feb. 28 East Zone: Nov. 2-Dec. 3 Dec. 16-Feb. 28	8	24
Ducks, Coots and Mergansers	West Zone: Nov. 4-Nov. 5 (youth and veterans only) Nov. 11-Dec. 3 Dec. 11-Jan. 7 Jan. 13-Jan. 21 East Zone: Nov. 11 (youth and veterans only) Nov. 18-Dec. 3 Dec. 16-Jan. 28 Feb. 3 (youth and veterans only)	Daily bag limit on ducks is 6 and may include no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 females), 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, 2 redheads, 1 black duck and 1 pintail. Only 1 scaup may be taken for the first 15 days of the season with 2 per day allowed for the remainder. No mottled ducks may be taken for the first 15 days of the season with 1 per day allowed for the remainder. Daily bag limit on coots is 15. Mergansers-The daily bag limit for mergansers is 5, only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers, 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	East Zone: Nov. 4-Dec. 3 Dec. 16-Jan. 28 West Zone: Nov. 4-Dec. 3 Dec. 11-Jan. 7 Jan. 13-Jan. 28	Daily bag limit on Light Geese (snow, blue, and ross') is 20. Daily bag limit on White-Fronted Geese is 3.	No possession limit on Light Geese (snow, blue, and ross') Possession limit on White-Fronted Geese is 9.
Canada Geese	East Zone: Nov. 4-Dec. 3 Dec. 16-Jan. 28 West Zone: Nov. 4-Dec. 3 Dec. 11-Jan. 7 Jan. 13-Jan. 28	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')	East Zone: Dec. 4-Dec. 15 Jan. 29-Mar. 3 West Zone: Dec. 4-Dec. 10 Jan. 8-Jan. 12 Jan. 29-Mar. 3	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. 4-Jan. 31
Rails and Gallinule	Nov. 4-Jan. 25
Ducks	Nov. 4-Jan. 31

D. Dove Hunting Regulations

1. Shooting hours 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 head 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 border 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.

H. Statewide Youth Waterfowl and Veterans Season Regulations.

1. Only youths 17 years of age or younger 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. Youths may possess only one firearm while hunting. The supervising adult shall maintain visual and voice contact with the youth at all times.

2. Veterans refers to those persons who served in the active military, naval or air service who were discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable, and members of the Armed Forces on active duty including members of the National Guard and Reserves on active duty (other than for training). Veterans and active duty military personnel must possess a valid proof of service such as DD214 form, Active Military ID, Retired Military ID, Veterans Administration ID, or Veterans designation on their Driver's License as well as mandatory waterfowl license(s), HIP certification, and Federal duck stamp to participate on these hunt days.

La. Admin. Code tit. 76, § XIX-117

Promulgated by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, LR 25:2264 (November 1999), amended LR 26:2634 (November 2000), LR 27:2270 (December 2001), LR 28:2376 (November 2002), LR 29:2512 (November 2003), LR 30:2875 (December 2004), LR 31:3167 (December 2005), LR 32:2272 (December 2006), LR 33:2470 (November 2007), LR 35:90 (January 2009), LR 35:2481 (November 2009), LR 36:2583 (November 2010), LR 37:3541 (December 2011), LR 38:2944 (November 2012), LR 40:99 (January 2014), LR 40:1556 (August 2014), LR 41:980 (May 2015), LR 421130 (7/1/2016), Amended LR 431427 (7/1/2017), Amended LR 441306 (7/1/2018), Amended LR 45966 (7/1/2019), Amended LR 46991 (7/1/2020), Amended LR 47937 (7/1/2021), Amended LR 481899 (7/1/2022), Amended LR 491268 (7/1/2023).

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