Duck season starts on Saturday | Louisiana outdoors

The first shots of the duck season came on this muggy weekend when young West Zone hunters caught the injured birds for the first time.

On Saturday, the 60-day competition will begin in earnest as the West Zone receives the first of three divisions in the 60-day season. On the same day, in our state’s eastern waterfowl zone, hunters 17 years of age and younger and honorably discharged hunters have a special one-day season. The Eastern Zone will open with the first division on November 16.

While zones, daily catch, species-specific regulations, and all other rules related to waterfowl seasons are described in the 2024-2025 Louisiana Hunting Regulations booklet, below are the licensing requirements for all waterfowl hunters.

First, if you are 16 and older, you need a federal duck stamp. Most post offices have them. You can also purchase them from a license dealer or use the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website.

Need more? Try this wildlife and fishing website: wlf.louisiana.gov/page/federal-duck-stamps

What’s more, there’s something new: Rep. Garret Graves (R, Los Angeles) pushed a bill through Congress – the New Modernization Act – to create a federal electronic duck stamp that would allow hunters to obtain a stamp online for immediate use by downloading it to a cell phone or printing a receipt. The law makes the tag valid from the time of purchase until the end of the waterfowl season you are hunting, including the conservation order season for blue geese, snow geese and Ross geese. Hunters, if requested, will receive a physical stamp after March 10.

If you are 18 or older, you need a basic state hunting license. The exemption (without the need to have a license) is available to hunters born before June 1, 1940 and who have a lifetime hunting permit.

All hunters need a state waterfowl stamp.

If you are 18 years of age or older, all migratory waterfowlers and migratory bird hunters must have proof of completion of the Harvest Information Program questionnaire – HIP certification. There is no fee. In most cases, you meet HIP requirements by earning a basic state license or federal duck stamp.

If you don’t have a place to hunt, Wildlife and Fisheries offers several popular waterfowl hunting destinations – Wildlife Management Areas – some of which are among the best areas in North America.

Try wildlife management areas such as Pass-a-Loutre near Venice on the Mississippi River, the Atchafalaya Delta, Pointe-aux-Chenes, Sherburne, Biloxi Marsh, Dewey Wills, and Russell Sage.

Check your hunting brochure for rules and regulations regarding equipment and hunting time restrictions.

State Wildlife and Fisheries in Baton Rouge has maps of these WMAs, and detailed information can be obtained on the agency’s website: wlf.louisiana.gov/page/seasons-and-regulations.

Furthermore, remember that federal and state wildlife agents are on patrol during waterfowl season, so be aware that hunting hours on private lands are one-half hour before sunrise and sunset (more restrictive on state and federal lands). hunt with non-toxic scales; your shotgun must be limited to holding no more than three rounds; and make sure you don’t exceed daily and possession limits. Also remember that when you come home you must have the wing fully feathered and the head on the duck. This is the law.

Students

This has already been done and done when it comes to our college and high school students in the state making friends with people from out of state.

Because one thing usually leads to another – when it comes to a love of the outdoors – especially hunting and fishing – we usually extend an invitation to our visiting students.

OK, what about licenses?

There is a special category for them, including all game animals and fish.

Full-time or part-time non-resident students, 18 years of age or older, enrolled in an accredited public or private college, university, or secondary school may obtain student licenses at resident fees.

You must provide Wildlife and Fisherie with a student ID indicating current status and have that student ID with your student hunting/fishing license if inspected by state or federal law enforcement.

Licenses can be purchased in person online or during office hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the state headquarters on Quail Drive in Baton Rouge.

Need more? Call (225) 765-2887.

What’s up

It’s not about water levels, and in the days before the season opens in the Western Zone, it’s clear whether you have water to have ducks.

Much like last year’s summer and fall drought, the last 30 dry days (prior to Thursday and Friday) have hit the marshes and farmlands hard, to the point where rice and soybean fields are mostly dry, and anyone wanting an open day — even with the first splitting – pumping water is a success.

The same is true for some coastal marshes, where even late last week’s rain wasn’t enough to flood the marshy landscape.

Rain is in the forecast this week, giving hope that enough water from the sky will improve waterfowl habitat in coastal areas west of the Atchafalaya Basin.

Even with low water levels in the Mississippi River, areas on the eastern side of the Panhandle appear to have enough suitable habitat to provide a solid opening weekend.

What’s at the bottom

Reports of migrating ducks from every neighborhood indicate that the Blue-winged Teal is dominating the action.

Mixed in are early gray ducks, pintails, spoonbills, and the ubiquitous tree ducks, a species that seems to have established itself in large numbers in our state.

Word has come from the central parishes that Lake Catahoula is full of ducks, mostly turquoise ducks, and that’s because there is water there, not a lot of water, but enough water and food to accommodate the ducks for the opening of the Eastern Zone on November 16th.

We’ll have a better handle on migrating waterfowl numbers when state biologists release their first flyover survey next week.

Good hunting.