Louisiana Either-Sex Deer Hunts Attract Hunters to WMAs

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries 12.20.13

Each year, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ (LDWF) Wildlife Division schedules either-sex firearms deer hunts on many of the state Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) .

Excellent weather throughout the hunting season this year has provided favorable conditions for hunter success. This year 25,360 hunter efforts were tallied during these hunts on the 37 managed hunts that provided opportunities. Richard K. Yancey, Fort Polk, Dewey W. Wills, Sherburne and Boeuf WMAs attracted the greatest numbers of hunters with Richard K. Yancey drawing 5,128.

The total deer harvest for the 37 managed hunts was 2,651 which included 1,322 bucks and 1,329 does.

These opportunities are greatly anticipated by many hunters across the state, and out-of-state as well. It is a time when deer hunters and their families can enjoy the outdoors and have the opportunity to harvest deer of either-sex.

Wildlife Division personnel were able to collect valuable data during these hunts which help them manage each WMA’s deer herd. WMA hunter efforts were consistent with past years while having a slightly higher success rate. To view the full list of WMAs and data collected, go to http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/deer/seasons and scroll down to the Documents section.

WMAs are distributed across the state and within a reasonable drive from any location. WMA habitats for these hunts range from upland hardwood and pine sites to bottomland hardwoods. To view a complete list of state WMAs, visit http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/wma .

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division(LDWF) is the fish & game regulatory agency of Louisiana. It has jurisdictionanywhere in the state, and in state territorial waters. The agency enforces both state and federal laws dealing with hunting, fishing, and boating safety. The agency also enforces criminal laws in rural areas including DWI enforcement both on highways and waterways. Most of the Department’s Wildlife Agents also carry Federal law enforcement commissions issued from the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Department of Commerce - U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). These federal commissions allow these state officers to enforce federal migratory waterfowl laws and federal marine fisheries laws in state and federal waters off the coast of Louisiana. Besides their traditional role as a “game warden”, Louisiana Wildlife Enforcement Agents also have a number of other responsibilities, including conducting board of health inspections on some portions of the state’s commercial fishing industry. Agents are trained in and conduct numerous search and rescue operations, both in remote land areas and on the state’s waterways. Agents ensure that hunters, anglers, boaters, dealers, breeders, farmers, and transporters are in compliance with regulations governing equipment, quotas, licenses, and registrations. Agents also assist other State departments and law enforcement agencies in the coordination of educational and professional endeavors, as well as national and state emergency alerts by the Federal Office of Emergency Preparedness. In addition, agents perform search and rescue missions alone or in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies.