Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. General Regulations. Only adult gobblers
(male turkeys) may be taken. An adult gobbler is defined by having one of the
following: wing feathers that have white barring all the way to the tip, tail
feathers that are the same length, beard that is longer than 6 inches, or a
spur that is at least 1/2-inch long. Properly licensed youth under 18 years of
age may take one juvenile male turkey (jake) with a beard less than six inches
per season. Any turkey harvested during the youth season are part of the season
bag limit of two. 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;
EXCEPTION: 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.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
56:115.
