Hunting season is well under way in Louisiana and there is no better place than the Sportsman’s Paradise to enjoy pursuing deer, waterfowl, squirrels or whatever your favorite game is. With that in mind, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) would like to encourage college students to purchase a license and explore the great outdoors.
“Louisiana is home to the best universities in the country. And as we attract the best and brightest to the state, we want to encourage students to take full advantage of our great hunting and fishing opportunities that can’t be found anywhere else,” said LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan. “And to all the students who now call Louisiana home, we invite you to explore our many WMAs and see what all our Sportsman’s Paradise has to offer.”
In addition, fall is the perfect time for fishing in Louisiana as the state offers a wide array of options, including freshwater, estuarine and salt water species to pursue.
For non-resident students to qualify for student licenses at resident rates, you:
- Must be a non-resident
- 18 years old and up
- Enrolled in an accredited Louisiana college or university full-time or public/private high school (part or full-time).
If you’re not a Louisiana resident, are 18 and older and are a full-time student enrolled in an accredited college or university with a physical campus in Louisiana, you may purchase recreational fishing and hunting licenses for the cost of resident licenses.
To purchase a license at the reduced rate, you must provide LDWF with verification of your full-time status. You must have your student identification card indicating current full-time status in your possession while fishing or hunting under your student license.
If you’re not a Louisiana resident, are 18 years of age or older, and enrolled full- or part-time in a public or private high school in Louisiana, you may purchase recreational hunting licenses for the cost of resident licenses.
To purchase a license at the reduced rate, you must provide LDWF with verification of your enrollment status in a Louisiana high school. You must have your student identification card indicating current enrollment status in your possession while hunting under your student license.
To purchase a student license:
- Download and complete the application here.
- In-Person: Student Licenses are available from LDWF Headquarters at 2000 Quail Drive in Baton Rouge during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Mail: You can also mail your application with all required documents and a check, money order, or cashier’s check for your license fees to:
LDWF
Attn: Sports License
PO Box 98000
Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000
For more information, visit https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/special-licenses-and-permits or call 225.765.2887.
Students who are Louisiana residents can purchase their licenses at https://louisianaoutdoors.com/,
Squirrel and rabbit hunting, now open in Louisiana until Feb. 28, is a perfect gateway into the sport. Squirrel and rabbit hunting are relatively inexpensive and there are many LDWF public lands on which hunting opportunity is available. Hunting on an LDWF WMA requires a WMA access permit and you must check in and out of the WMA.
Deer and waterfowl hunting are also available on many of LDWF’s WMAs.
For a complete list of WMAs and public lands open to squirrel and rabbit hunting and more information on WMA squirrel and rabbit hunting, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Resources/Publications/Regulations/2024-2025-Hunting-Regulations.pdf.
All visitors to LDWF WMAs must have either a WMA Access Permit, Senior Hunting/Fishing License, Louisiana Sportsman’s Paradise License or Lifetime Hunting/Fishing License. Go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/wmarefugeconservation-area-licenses-and-permits for more information.