Louisiana waterfowl laws

Sources

• [LA-1] LDWF 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting and WMA Regulations (PDF, "Updated August 25, 2026"), linked from LDWF's Seasons and Regulations page: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Resources/Publications/Regulations/26LAHD.pdf checked Oct 22, 2026
• [LA-2] LDWF Seasons and Regulations (Quick Reference Guide, Migratory Game Birds 2026/2027): https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/seasons-and-regulations checked Oct 22, 2026
• [MS-10] MDWFP Reciprocal Agreements (Mississippi–Louisiana agreement text, 40 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 4, Rule 3.3): https://www.mdwfp.com/enforcement-education/rules-regulations/public-waters-reciprocal-program checked Oct 22, 2026
• [FED-1] 50 CFR Part 20 (eCFR, current through Oct 20, 2026): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-20 checked Oct 22, 2026
• [FED-2] USFWS Federal Duck Stamp: https://www.fws.gov/program/federal-duck-stamp checked Oct 22, 2026
• [FED-3] 50 CFR 32.37, refuge-specific hunting rules for Louisiana national wildlife refuges (eCFR): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-32/subpart-B/section-32.37 checked Oct 22, 2026

Page numbers below are page numbers in the PDF file (the printed page numbers in the booklet differ).

1. What you need to carry (licenses, stamps, permits)

Adults 18 and older

• Basic Hunting license plus the Waterfowl license (or a combination license that covers both). You must have them on you while hunting ducks, geese and coots. [LA-1 p.8, 46] checked Oct 22, 2026
  • Basic Hunting: $20 resident, $200 nonresident, $65 nonresident 5-day. [LA-1 p.8] checked Oct 22, 2026
  • Waterfowl: $12 resident, $50 nonresident, $35 nonresident 5-day. [LA-1 p.8] checked Oct 22, 2026
  • Nonresidents born in Louisiana can buy the Non-Resident Native 10-Day licenses at $20 (Basic) and $12 (Waterfowl). [LA-1 p.8] checked Oct 22, 2026
  • The Sportsman's Paradise license ($100 resident, $400 nonresident, $120 nonresident 5-day) includes Basic Hunting, Waterfowl and the WMA Access Permit. It does not include the Federal Duck Stamp. [LA-1 p.8] checked Oct 22, 2026
  • Licenses are good for 365 days from purchase. [LA-1 p.8] checked Oct 22, 2026
• HIP certification: free, and required for licensed migratory bird hunters 18 and older. Carry proof of it. You need a separate HIP certification in every state where you hunt migratory birds. [LA-1 p.8, 46] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Federal Duck Stamp: required at age 16 and up. LDWF sells the Federal Electronic Duck Stamp for $27.72, and it is valid from purchase through the end of the season in June 2027. [LA-1 p.8, 46] [FED-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
  • A physical stamp won't be mailed before March 10, 2027. Keep the e-stamp on your phone or carry the printed receipt. [LA-1 p.8] checked Oct 22, 2026
• On LDWF lands (WMAs, refuges and wetland conservation areas): a WMA Access Permit, $20 a year or $5 for 5 consecutive days, plus a free Self-Clearing Permit each day (see section 9). [LA-1 p.8, 49] checked Oct 22, 2026

Youth 17 and under

• The adult license and waterfowl license requirement above applies at 18 and older. [LA-1 p.46] checked Oct 22, 2026
• No HIP certification is needed at 17 and under. [LA-1 p.46] checked Oct 22, 2026
• The Federal Duck Stamp is still required at 16 and 17. [LA-1 p.46] checked Oct 22, 2026
• The $5 Youth Hunting license is required for deer, turkey, trapping and WMA youth lottery hunts, not for regular duck hunting. [LA-1 p.8] checked Oct 22, 2026
• No WMA Access Permit is needed at 17 and under. [LA-1 p.8, 49] checked Oct 22, 2026

Black-bellied whistling ducks: a free Black-bellied Whistling Duck Permit and post-season reporting (Oct 12–26) were required for the Oct 3–11 season, which is over for 2026. [LA-1 p.8, 36] checked Oct 22, 2026

2. Hunter education

• Anyone born on or after Sept 1, 1969 must have a hunter education certificate approved by LDWF before hunting. The minimum age to get certified is 9. [LA-1 p.12] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Exception: you may hunt without the certificate if you are under the direct supervision (voice contact and line of sight at all times) of someone who was born before Sept 1, 1969 and has a valid hunting license, or someone 18 or older with proof of hunter education. [LA-1 p.12] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Hunters 11 and younger must always hunt under direct supervision, even if certified. [LA-1 p.12] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Active and veteran members of the U.S. Armed Services and POST-certified officers can apply for an exemption. [LA-1 p.12] checked Oct 22, 2026

3. 2026-27 season dates

Louisiana has two duck zones. West Zone: from the Texas line east to LA 79 from the Arkansas line to Homer, LA 9 to Arcadia, LA 147 to Hodge, US 167 to Lafayette, then US 90 to the Mississippi line. East Zone: the rest of the state. [LA-1 p.36] checked Oct 22, 2026

• Canada goose closed area: Canada goose season is closed in part of southwest Louisiana (south of LA 82 and the Intracoastal Canal between the Texas line and Freshwater Bayou Canal), and on the open waters of Lake Arthur and the Mermentau River south of the LA 14 bridge. Read the full boundary before you hunt that area. [LA-1 p.38] checked Oct 22, 2026

Youth days

• For youths 17 and younger, with one adult 18 or older. The adult may not have a gun and may not hunt ducks. The youth may carry only one gun. [LA-1 p.36] checked Oct 22, 2026
• The youth must have hunter safety certification. For youths under 16, that is waived if the adult has hunter safety certification, a valid hunting license or proof of a hunter safety course. [LA-1 p.36] checked Oct 22, 2026
• The adult must keep visual and voice contact with the youth at all times. [LA-1 p.36] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Youths may take ducks, geese, mergansers, coots and gallinules, with regular-season bag limits except for scaup and mottled ducks (section 4). [LA-1 p.36] checked Oct 22, 2026

Veterans days

• Open to veterans discharged other than dishonorably and to active-duty military, including National Guard and Reserves on active duty (other than for training). [LA-1 p.36] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Bring proof of service (DD214, active or retired military ID, VA ID, or the veteran mark on your driver's license) plus the waterfowl licenses, HIP and Federal Duck Stamp. [LA-1 p.36] checked Oct 22, 2026

4. Daily bag and possession limits

Ducks: 6 a day in total, with no more than: [LA-1 p.36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026

• 4 mallards (no more than 2 hens) [LA-1 p.36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• 3 wood ducks [LA-1 p.36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• 2 canvasbacks [LA-1 p.36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• 2 redheads [LA-1 p.36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• 1 black duck [LA-1 p.36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• 3 pintails (no more than 1 hen) [LA-1 p.36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Scaup: 1 a day for the first 15 days of the season, then 2 a day. [LA-1 p.36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Mottled ducks: none for the first 15 days of the season, then 1 a day. [LA-1 p.36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• On youth and veterans days: 0 mottled ducks and 1 scaup if the day falls before the regular season; 1 mottled duck and 2 scaup if it falls after. [LA-1 p.36] checked Oct 22, 2026

Others [LA-1 p.35–36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026

• Coots: 15 a day. [LA-1 p.35–36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Mergansers: 5 a day, only 2 of which may be hooded. Mergansers are on top of the 6-duck limit. [LA-1 p.35–36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Teal season (closed): 6 a day, 18 in possession. [LA-1 p.35–36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Light geese: 20 a day, no possession limit. No limits during the Conservation Order. [LA-1 p.35–36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• White-fronted geese: 3 a day, 9 in possession. [LA-1 p.35–36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Canada geese: 1 a day, 3 in possession. [LA-1 p.35–36] [LA-2] checked Oct 22, 2026

Possession: 3 times the daily limit for ducks, coots and mergansers. [LA-1 p.36] checked Oct 22, 2026

5. Shooting hours

• Statewide: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset for ducks, geese and teal. [LA-1 p.35] checked Oct 22, 2026
• WMAs and other public lands: waterfowl hunting ends at 12 noon on all WMAs and public lands except Atchafalaya Delta and Pass-a-Loutre WMAs, which have their own hours. This is new for 2026-27. [LA-1 p.6, 56] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Conservation Order: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. [LA-1 p.38] checked Oct 22, 2026

6. Guns and shot

• Nontoxic shot only for ducks, geese, brant, swans and coots. You may not even have other shot with you while hunting them. [LA-1 p.46] [FED-1 §20.21(j)] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Shotgun capacity: 3 shells at most. A plugged gun is legal only if the plug can't be removed without taking the gun apart. The Conservation Order is the exception. [LA-1 p.42] [FED-1 §20.21(b)] checked Oct 22, 2026
• No shotgun larger than 10 gauge, and no rifle or pistol for migratory birds. [LA-1 p.42] [FED-1 §20.21(a)] checked Oct 22, 2026
• On WMAs: no chambered round in a gun in a vehicle, ATV or boat under power. Shot larger than BB lead or F steel isn't allowed except in deer gun seasons or WMA hog gun seasons. [LA-1 p.54] checked Oct 22, 2026

7. Banned methods

• Bait: you may not hunt over an area you know or reasonably should know is baited. An area stays baited for 10 days after all the bait is gone, and it's your job to check before each hunt. [LA-1 p.42] [FED-1 §20.21(i)] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Recorded or electronic calls: banned, except for light geese during the Conservation Order. [LA-1 p.38, 42] [FED-1 §20.21(g)] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Boats: no shooting from a motorboat or sailboat unless the motor is completely off and/or the sail is furled and it has stopped moving. No using a boat or vehicle to drive, rally or chase birds. [LA-1 p.42] [FED-1 §20.21(e), (h)] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Live decoys and sinkboxes are banned. [LA-1 p.42] [FED-1 §20.21(c), (f)] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Motorized or spinning-wing decoys: we found no Louisiana or federal ban for waterfowl in the sources checked (the guide bans motorized decoys for turkey only [LA-1 p.34]). Not confirmed (check the official source). checked Oct 22, 2026

8. Boats and motors

• Internal-combustion boats banned noon to 4 a.m., Nov 1–Jan 31, on all of Manchac WMA and on marked parts of Bayou Macon, Bodcau, Boeuf, Buckhorn, Dewey W. Wills, Richard K. Yancey and Russell Sage WMAs. The WMA maps show where. [LA-1 p.49] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Some WMAs set their own motor limits in their individual listings, such as bans on mud boats or air-cooled motors over 36 total horsepower. Check the listing for the area you plan to hunt. [LA-1 p.59, 67] checked Oct 22, 2026
• No gun with a round in the chamber in a boat under power on a WMA (section 6). [LA-1 p.54] checked Oct 22, 2026

9. WMA and public-land rules

• WMA Access Permit: required for everyone 18 and older using LDWF lands, including refuges and wetland conservation areas. It's not needed if you're only traveling straight through without stopping. [LA-1 p.8, 49] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Self-Clearing Permit: required for all activities on WMAs. Check in (by app, website or station) before each day's activity, up to one day ahead. Carry the check-out part and turn it in right after you leave. [LA-1 p.49] checked Oct 22, 2026
  • Not needed for boaters who come in by water from outside the WMA and never step onto WMA property. [LA-1 p.49] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Hours on the area: don't enter before 4 a.m. and check out within 2 hours after sunset, unless the WMA listing says otherwise. [LA-1 p.49] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Noon closing: waterfowl hunting ends at 12 noon on all WMAs except Atchafalaya Delta and Pass-a-Loutre. [LA-1 p.56] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Waterfowl sanctuaries on Biloxi, Boeuf and Russell Sage WMAs are closed to all access from Nov 1 through the last day of the Conservation Order in that zone. [LA-1 p.56] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Blinds: no permanent blinds. Any blind frame (wood, plastic, metal, wire, mesh or webbing) has to come off the WMA within 2 hours after legal shooting time ends each day. [LA-1 p.52] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Decoys: no unattended decoys. LDWF confiscates them. [LA-1 p.52] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Hunter orange: waterfowl hunters on WMAs are exempt from the hunter-orange and blaze-pink rules. [LA-1 p.54] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Drones: not allowed on WMAs. [LA-1 p.49] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Lottery hunts: some WMAs hold waterfowl lottery hunts, and wheelchair-confined hunters have reserved waterfowl areas on some WMAs. Contact the field office for each area. [LA-1 p.50] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Each WMA has its own listing with extra closures and dates. Read it before you go. [LA-1 p.56] checked Oct 22, 2026
• National wildlife refuges set their own rules, which can be stricter than state rules. Check the refuge's own hunt page before you go. [FED-3] checked Oct 22, 2026

10. Wanton waste, tagging and transport

• Make a reasonable effort to retrieve every bird you shoot or cripple, and keep it in your custody. [LA-1 p.44] [FED-1 §20.25] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Keep one fully feathered wing attached while you carry the birds home or to a processor. [LA-1 p.46] [FED-1 §20.43] checked Oct 22, 2026
• A box of birds you ship must be marked with the sender, the person receiving it, and the number of birds by species. [LA-1 p.46] checked Oct 22, 2026

11. Reciprocity on the Mississippi and Pearl rivers (Louisiana–Mississippi)

• Under the Mississippi–Louisiana agreement, resident hunting licenses from either state are valid on the Mississippi River where it forms the state line, on the other state's lands and waters on your side of the main channel, and on the listed state-line lakes. [MS-10] checked Oct 22, 2026
• The same is true between the top banks of the Pearl and East Pearl rivers where they form the boundary, plus the listed lakes. [MS-10] checked Oct 22, 2026
• You follow the bag limits, possession limits, gear and equipment rules of the state where you're hunting. [MS-10] checked Oct 22, 2026
• The agreement names only resident licenses. Whether nonresident licenses are covered is Not confirmed (check the official source). checked Oct 22, 2026
• LDWF's 2026-27 guide doesn't print the agreement. Whether LDWF publishes its own copy is Not confirmed (check the official source). checked Oct 22, 2026

12. Penalties

• Breaking a state migratory bird rule is also a federal violation. [LA-1 p.46] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Fine amounts for waterfowl violations: Not confirmed (check the official source). checked Oct 22, 2026

FAQ

• Do I need a WMA permit to duck hunt public land in Louisiana? On LDWF lands, yes: a WMA Access Permit ($20 a year or $5 for 5 days) if you're 18 or older, plus a free Self-Clearing Permit each day. [LA-1 p.8, 49] checked Oct 22, 2026
• What time does duck hunting end on Louisiana WMAs? 12 noon on all WMAs and public lands, except Atchafalaya Delta and Pass-a-Loutre, which have their own hours. [LA-1 p.56] checked Oct 22, 2026
• When does the 2026-27 East Zone duck season open? Nov 21, 2026 (Nov 14 in the West Zone). [LA-1 p.35] checked Oct 22, 2026
• How many mallards can I shoot in Louisiana? 4 a day, no more than 2 hens. [LA-1 p.36] checked Oct 22, 2026
• Do kids need a license to duck hunt in Louisiana? Hunters 17 and under don't need the Basic or Waterfowl license or HIP. They do need the Federal Duck Stamp at 16 and 17, and hunter education or direct supervision. [LA-1 p.12, 46] checked Oct 22, 2026

This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. The official regulations are the final word.

See something wrong or out of date? Report a correction.