The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has announced that the 2024-25 Louisiana deer hunting season will begin Saturday (Sept. 21) in Deer Areas 3, 7, 8, and 10 when archery season opens.
Seasons in the other state deer areas will begin in October. To see exact opening dates in all areas, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/seasons-and-regulations.
Deer hunters are required to have a basic hunting license and deer license, or an equivalent combination. A youth hunting license and deer tags are required for those 17 or younger hunting turkey. To purchase a hunting license, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/hunting-licenses-permits-tags.
Prior to hunting deer, all deer hunters, regardless of age or license status, must obtain deer tags. They must have the tags in their possession while hunting deer and immediately after harvesting a deer, the hunter must tag the deer with the appropriate carcass or electronic tag before moving it from where it was killed. Hunters must record required information for tagged deer and validate tags within 72 hours of harvesting a deer. Hunters may validate deer by utilizing text-to-tag tagging through the LDWF web portal or the LDWF web portal via LA Wallet or by calling the validation toll free number. Hunters harvesting deer on DMAP lands should follow the instructions provided to them by LDWF. To obtain deer tags and to validate tags online, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/deer-tags.
Many LDWF Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) offer deer hunting during the state-wide deer season, due to the different deer ruts, deer season opportunities are wide ranging. WMAs in west Louisiana offer great early season opportunities. Similar late season success is best on bottomland hardwood WMAs near the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. For a complete list of WMAs open to deer hunting and more information on WMA deer hunting, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Resources/Publications/Regulations/2023-2024-LDWF-Hunting-Regs-LR.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.
For more information on deer hunting in Louisiana, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/subhome/deer or contact LDWF Deer Program Manager Johnathan Bordelon at jbordelon@wlf.la.gov.