The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved the duck hunting dates and remaining migratory bird hunting season dates for the 2015-2016 season at their Aug. 6 meeting.

The dates were presented by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) for the three-zone waterfowl season framework that includes the coastal,  east and west zones.

The dates and bag limits for the upcoming seasons are as follows:

DUCKS AND COOTS: 60 days

Coastal Zone: Nov. 7 – Dec. 6; Dec. 19 – Jan. 17

West Zone: Nov. 14 – Dec. 6; Dec. 19 – Jan. 24

East Zone: Nov. 21 – Dec. 6; Dec. 19 – Jan. 31 (Including Catahoula Lake)

Youth Waterfowl Weekend: Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in the Coastal Zone, Nov. 7 and Jan. 30 in the West Zone, Nov. 14 and Feb. 6 in East Zone.

Daily Bag Limits:  The daily bag limit on ducks is 6 and may include no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be females), 2 canvasback, 1 mottled duck, 1 black duck, 3 wood ducks, 3 scaup, 2 redheads, and 2 pintails.

Daily bag limit on coots is 15.

Mergansers - The daily bag limit for mergansers is 5, only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers.  Merganser limits are in addition to the daily bag limit for ducks.

Possession Limit - The possession limit on ducks, coots and mergansers is three times the daily bag limit.

 

GEESE: LIGHT GEESE (SNOW, BLUE and ROSS’) and WHITE-FRONTED

Coastal Zone: (81 days) Nov. 7 – Dec. 6; Dec. 19 – Feb. 7

West Zone: (81 days) Nov. 7 – Dec. 6; Dec. 19 – Feb. 7

East Zone: (81 days) Nov. 7 – Dec. 6; Dec. 19 – Feb. 7

Daily bag limit on light geese (snow, blue and Ross’): 20

Possession limit on light geese (snow, blue and Ross’): None

Daily Limit on white-fronted geese: 2

Possession Limit on white-fronted geese: 6

 

CANADA GEESE:

Coastal Zone: (74 days) Nov. 7 – Dec. 6; Dec. 19 – Jan. 31

West Zone: (67 days) Nov. 14 – Dec. 6; Dec. 19 – Jan. 31

East Zone: (74 days) Nov. 7 – Dec. 6; Dec. 19 – Jan. 31

Daily Limit on Canada geese: 1 per day

Possession limit on Canada geese: 3

The Canada goose season will be closed in the area described as follows:  Beginning at the Texas State Line, proceeding east along 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 to Canada goose hunting.

 

CONSERVATION ORDER FOR LIGHT GEESE (SNOW, BLUE AND ROSS’S):

Coastal Zone: Dec. 7 – Dec. 18; Feb. 8 – March 6

West Zone: Dec. 7 – 18; Feb. 8 - March 6

East Zone: Dec. 7 – 18; Feb. 8 – March 6

Only snow, blue and Ross’s geese may be taken under the terms of the Conservation Order, which allows the use of electronic calls and unplugged shotguns and eliminates the daily bag and possession limits.  During the Conservation Order, shooting hours begins one-half hour before sunrise and extends until one-half hour after sunset.  

 

RAILS: Nov. 7 – Dec. 30

King and Clapper: Daily bag limit 15 in the aggregate, Possession 45.

Sora and Virginia: Daily bag 25 in the aggregate and possession 75.

GALLINULES: Nov. 7 – Dec. 30

Daily bag limit 15, Possession limit 45

SNIPE:

Coastal Zone: Nov. 2 – Dec. 6; Dec. 19 – Feb. 28

West Zone: Nov. 2 – Dec. 6; Dec. 19 – Feb. 28

East Zone: Nov. 2 – Dec. 6; Dec. 19 – Feb. 28

Daily bag limit 8, Possession limit 24

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 Order, end at 2 p.m.

 

EXTENDED FALCONRY SEASONS FOR RAILS AND GALLINULES:

Statewide: Nov. 2 – Jan. 31

Sixteen (16) days of the total season lengths for rails, gallinules and extended falconry seasons were used during the September teal season.

 

EXTENDED FALCONRY SEASONS FOR DUCKS:

Coastal Zone: Nov. 2 – Jan. 31

West Zone: Nov. 2 – Jan. 31

East Zone: Nov. 3 – Jan. 31

To view all dates for migratory and waterfowl seasons, go to: http://www.wlf.state.la.us/hunting/waterfowl/seasons .

For more information, contact Larry Reynolds at 225-765-0456 or lreynolds@wlf.la.gov .