The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved today revised duck and goose hunting zones that will go into effect with the 2016-17 duck and goose hunting seasons. There will be no changes to the current zone alignment for the 2015-16 waterfowl seasons.
Public comment collected by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) over the last 30 days provided a variety of suggestions from duck hunters statewide which were taken into consideration prior to the Commission vote. The proposed zone changes presented to the public, and based on Commission input at their Oct. 2 meeting, offered major changes in the boundaries to the coastal and east zones.
Based on public comment, the Commission modified the proposed changes to maintain a coastal zone that aligned more closely with existing zone boundaries and pushed the east zone boundaries further west below Alexandria.
The approved zone boundaries for 2016-21 duckseasons are as follows:
East Zone: The area of the state between the Mississippi State line and the line going south on Hwy 79 from the Arkansas border to Homer; then south on Hwy 9 to Arcadia; then south on Hwy 147 to Hodge; then south on Hwy 167 to Turkey Creek; then south on Hwy 13 to Eunice; then west On Hwy 190 to Kinder; then south on Hwy 165 to Iowa; then west on I-10 to its junction with Hwy 14 at Lake Charles; then south and east on Hwy 14 to its junction with Hwy 90 in New Iberia; then east on Hwy 90 to the Mississippi State line.
West Zone: The area between the Texas State line and the line going east on I-10 from the Texas border to Hwy 165 at Iowa; then north on Hwy 165 to Kinder; then east on Hwy 190 to Eunice; then north on Hwy 13 to Turkey Creek; then north on Hwy 167 to Hodge; then north on Hwy 147 to Arcadia; then north on Hwy 9 to Homer; then north on Hwy 79 to the Arkansas border.
Coastal Zone: Remainder of state.
In the same discussion at today’s meeting, LDWF presented the Commission with a proposal to set zones for goose hunting because of a potential conflict with traditional goose hunting dates that the revised duck zone changes presented. The Commission approved the proposed goose hunting zone alignment.
The boundaries for hunting geese during the 2016-17 through 2020-21 hunting seasons are as follows:
North Zone: Portion of the state north of the line from the Texas border at Hwy 190/12 East to Hwy 49; then south on Hwy 49 to I-10; then East on I-10 to I-12; then East on I-12 to 1-10; then East on I-10 to the Mississippi State line.
South Zone: Remainder of state.
Duck and goose hunting zones approved by the Commission today will take effect in the 2016-17 hunting season. Zones for duck hunting can be changed every five years, and zones for goose hunting can be changed yearly.
The waterfowl zone items were presented to the Commission as a Declaration of Emergency since any zone changes have to be communicated by LDWF to the US Fish and Wildlife Service by Dec. 1, 2015. LDWF will present the 2016-17 waterfowl season framework to the Commission in January with all other hunting season dates and regulations proposed at the same time.
For more information, contact Larry Reynolds at 225-765-0456 or lreynolds@wlf.la.gov.