Louisiana deer hunting: 2026-27 deer areas, limits and WMAs
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) sets Louisiana's 2026-27 deer seasons by deer area, 1 to 10, each with its own archery, primitive firearms and firearms dates. Archery opens September 19 in Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 and 10 and October 1 in the other six (bucks only until October 15 in Areas 5, 6 and 9). WMAs set their own dates on LDWF's individual WMA schedules. 51 WMAs have a page here with their own schedule and map.
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: LDWF's 2026-27 deer area schedules and individual WMA schedules.
WMAs with a page
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When is deer season in each Louisiana deer area?
| Deer area | Archery | Primitive firearms | Firearms, still hunt | Firearms, with or without dogs | Youth and veterans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 1 | Oct. 1-Jan. 31 | Nov. 14-20, Jan. 25-31 | Nov. 21-Dec. 11, Jan. 4-24 | Dec. 12-Jan. 3 | Oct. 31-Nov. 6 |
| Area 2 | Oct. 1-Jan. 31 | Oct. 24-30, Jan. 18-24 | Oct. 31-Dec. 9 | Dec. 10-Jan. 17 | Oct. 10-16 |
| Area 3 | Sept. 19-Jan. 15 | Oct. 10-16, Jan. 4-10 | Oct. 17-Nov. 29 | Nov. 30-Jan. 3 | Sept. 26-Oct. 2 |
| Area 4 | Oct. 1-Jan. 31 | Nov. 14-20, Jan. 25-31 | Nov. 21-Dec. 11, Jan. 4-24 | Dec. 12-Jan. 3 | Oct. 31-Nov. 6 |
| Area 5 | Oct. 16-Feb. 15; bucks only Oct. 1-15 | Nov. 14-20; bucks only Jan. 25-31 | Nov. 21-22, Nov. 27-29; bucks only Nov. 23-26, Nov. 30-Dec. 11 | Dec. 12-13, Dec. 19-20; bucks only Dec. 14-18, Dec. 21-Jan. 24 | Oct. 31-Nov. 6 |
| Area 6 | Oct. 16-Feb. 15; bucks only Oct. 1-15 | Nov. 14-20, Jan. 25-31 | Nov. 21-Dec. 11 | Dec. 12-Jan. 24 | Oct. 31-Nov. 6 |
| Area 7 | Sept. 19-Jan. 15 | Oct. 10-16, Jan. 4-10 | Oct. 17-Nov. 29 | Nov. 30-Jan. 3 | Sept. 26-Oct. 2 |
| Area 8 | Sept. 19-Jan. 15 | Oct. 10-16, Jan. 4-10 | Oct. 17-Nov. 29 | Nov. 30-Jan. 3 | Sept. 26-Oct. 2 |
| Area 9 | Oct. 16-Feb. 15; bucks only Oct. 1-15 | Nov. 14-20; bucks only Jan. 25-31 | Nov. 21-22, Nov. 27-29; bucks only Nov. 23-26, Nov. 30-Dec. 11 | Dec. 12-13, Dec. 19-20; bucks only Dec. 14-18, Dec. 21-Jan. 24 | Oct. 31-Nov. 6 |
| Area 10 | Sept. 19-Jan. 15 | Oct. 10-16, Jan. 4-10 | Oct. 17-Jan. 3 | No dog season | Sept. 26-Oct. 2 |
Either-sex unless marked bucks only. Source: LDWF's 2026-27 schedules for Deer Areas 1 to 10 (LDWF 2026-27 deer hunting regulations). Special CWD Management Zone archery seasons in Areas 1, 2 and 6 are for private land in the zone only.
Which parishes are in each deer area?
| Deer area | Parishes |
|---|---|
| Area 1 | All of Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, Madison, Richland, Tensas and West Carroll; parts of Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle, Morehouse, Ouachita and Rapides |
| Area 2 | All of Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, DeSoto, Jackson, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, Union, Webster and Winn; parts of Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Evangeline, Grant, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Morehouse, Ouachita, Rapides and Vernon (Kisatchie National Forest has its own rules) |
| Area 3 | Parts of Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Rapides, St. Landry and Vernon |
| Area 4 | All of St. Helena and Washington; parts of East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Tammany |
| Area 5 | Parts of St. Martin, Iberville, Iberia and St. Mary |
| Area 6 | All of Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana; parts of Avoyelles, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberville, Lafayette, Rapides, St. Landry and St. Martin |
| Area 7 | Parts of Iberia and St. Mary |
| Area 8 | Parts of Beauregard and Calcasieu |
| Area 9 | All of Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, Terrebonne; parts of Iberia, Iberville, Lafayette, Livingston, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa |
| Area 10 | All of Cameron and Vermilion; parts of Acadia, Calcasieu, Iberia, Jefferson Davis and Lafayette |
LDWF draws the lines inside split parishes by roads and rivers; each area's schedule page has the exact description.
How many deer can you take in Louisiana?
LDWF's daily limit is one antlered and one antlerless deer, except during bucks-only seasons and on Floy Ward McElroy WMA and some federal lands, where it is one deer a day. The season limit is six deer, no more than three antlered or four antlerless, except Deer Area 1 (six, no more than two antlered or five antlerless), Deer Area 4 (four, no more than two of each) and Deer Area 10 (three, no more than two of each). Every deer must be tagged before it is moved and validated within 72 hours.
A legal antlered deer has at least one visible antler of hardened bony material broken naturally through the skin, or velvet-covered antlers 3 inches or longer (new for 2026-27).
Source: LDWF 2026-27 deer hunting regulations.
When is turkey season in Louisiana?
Louisiana's 2027 spring turkey seasons on private land are April 3 to May 2 in Area A, April 3-25 in Area B and April 3-18 in Area C, after a youth and physically challenged hunt March 26-28 on private land. WMAs, national wildlife refuges and other federal lands have their own dates, and WMA turkey seasons are closed unless an area's schedule opens them (LDWF 2027 turkey seasons).
Source: LDWF 2027 turkey seasons.
What do you need to hunt a Louisiana WMA?
LDWF requires a WMA Access Permit to use any WMA, refuge or conservation area (it is included in the Lifetime, Louisiana Sportsman's and Senior Hunt/Fish licenses) and a Self-Clearing Permit for all activities on a WMA, filled out on the LDWF app, web portal or at the WMA's stations. Hunters may enter no earlier than 4 a.m. and must check out and leave no later than two hours after sunset unless an area says otherwise. On WMAs, deer seasons are for legal antlered deer and turkey seasons are closed unless the area's schedule says otherwise; drones are prohibited.
Source: LDWF 2026-27 WMA regulations.
Where can you hunt public land in Louisiana?
51 LDWF WMAs have a page here, each with its 2026-27 schedule and map. The largest are Atchafalaya Delta WMA (137,695 acres), Pass-a-Loutre WMA (115,000 acres), Maurepas Swamp WMA (112,615 acres) and Fort Polk-Vernon WMA (105,545 acres). See every WMA.
Questions hunters ask
When does deer season open in Louisiana in 2026?
Archery opens September 19, 2026 in Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 and 10 and October 1 in Areas 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9, bucks only until October 15 in Areas 5, 6 and 9. Primitive firearms and firearms dates differ by deer area; the table above has each area's dates. WMAs set their own dates on LDWF's individual WMA schedules.
How many deer can you kill in Louisiana?
One antlered and one antlerless deer a day, six a season, no more than three antlered or four antlerless, with lower season limits in Deer Areas 1, 4 and 10 and one deer a day on Floy Ward McElroy WMA and some federal lands (LDWF 2026-27 deer regulations).
What do you need to hunt a Louisiana WMA?
A WMA Access Permit (or a license that includes it), the hunting licenses and deer tags for what you hunt, and a Self-Clearing Permit for every visit. Some WMAs add lottery hunts, mandatory deer check days or closed areas on their own schedules.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Louisiana WMAs?
Only where a WMA's own schedule lists a dog season. Private land completely surrounded by a WMA may not take deer with dogs, by LDWF's WMA regulations.
Why are there no harvest numbers on the Louisiana pages?
LDWF publishes its deer harvest reports as file downloads on its own website, and they are not on these pages yet. These pages carry LDWF's seasons, rules and boundaries for 2026-27.
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Where these numbers come from
- Seasons and limits: LDWF 2026-27 deer hunting regulations; LDWF 2027 turkey seasons; LDWF's individual WMA schedules (A to K, L to Z).
- Maps: LDWF Wildlife Management Area boundaries, September 2025; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 parish boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. LDWF's seasons and regulations are the final word on every rule.