Louisiana Deer Season 2026–27
Louisiana doesn't have one deer season. It has ten, one for each deer area, and each one is set around when the deer in that area breed. In five of them, Areas 1, 4, 5, 6 and 9, the big weekends are coming: primitive firearms opens Saturday, November 14, 2026, and modern firearms opens Saturday, November 21. Gun season is already open in Areas 2, 3, 7, 8 and 10. All dates below come from the 2026–27 Louisiana hunting schedules published with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) regulations.
Hunting ducks in Louisiana this winter too? See our Louisiana Duck Season 2026–27 guide for season dates, bag limits and licenses.
Louisiana Deer Season 2026–27 at a Glance
| Area | Archery | Primitive Firearms | Gun (Still-Hunt) | Gun (With or Without Dogs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct. 1 – Jan. 31 | Nov. 14–20; Jan. 25–31 | Nov. 21 – Dec. 11; Jan. 4–24 | Dec. 12 – Jan. 3 |
| 2 | Oct. 1 – Jan. 31 | Oct. 24–30; Jan. 18–24 | Oct. 31 – Dec. 9 | Dec. 10 – Jan. 17 |
| 3, 7, 8 | Sept. 19 – Jan. 15 | Oct. 10–16; Jan. 4–10 | Oct. 17 – Nov. 29 | Nov. 30 – Jan. 3 |
| 4 | Oct. 1 – Jan. 31 | Nov. 14–20; Jan. 25–31 | Nov. 21 – Dec. 11; Jan. 4–24 | Dec. 12 – Jan. 3 |
| 5, 9 | Oct. 1 – Feb. 15* | Nov. 14–20; Jan. 25–31* | Nov. 21 – Dec. 11* | Dec. 12 – Jan. 24* |
| 6 | Oct. 1 – Feb. 15* | Nov. 14–20; Jan. 25–31 | Nov. 21 – Dec. 11 | Dec. 12 – Jan. 24 |
| 10 | Sept. 19 – Jan. 15 | Oct. 10–16; Jan. 4–10 | Oct. 17 – Jan. 3 | None |
*Some of these days are bucks only. See the doe day notes below. In Areas 1, 2 and 6, a new bucks-only archery season (velvet bucks legal) also ran on private land inside the chronic wasting disease (CWD) management zones in late August and September, according to LDWF. The youth and honorably discharged veterans season, open for either sex, was Sept. 26 – Oct. 2 in Areas 3, 7, 8 and 10, Oct. 10–16 in Area 2, and Oct. 31 – Nov. 6 in Areas 1, 4, 5, 6 and 9.
Which Deer Area Are You In?
Many parishes are split between two or three areas along highways and levees, so check the deer area maps and boundary descriptions before you hunt. Here's the general layout:
- Area 1 (northeast Delta): all of Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, Madison, Richland, Tensas and West Carroll, plus parts of Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle, Morehouse, Ouachita and Rapides.
- Area 2 (north and west-central pine hills): all of Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, DeSoto, Jackson, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, Union, Webster and Winn, plus parts of nearby parishes. Kisatchie National Forest has its own rules.
- Areas 3 and 8 (southwest): parts of Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Rapides, St. Landry and Vernon.
- Area 4 (Florida Parishes): all of St. Helena and Washington, plus parts of East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Tammany.
- Area 5 (Atchafalaya Basin): the land between the basin levees in St. Martin, Iberville, Iberia and St. Mary.
- Area 6 (central river parishes): all of Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana, plus parts of Avoyelles, Evangeline, St. Landry, Rapides and other neighboring parishes.
- Area 7 (south-central coast): parts of Iberia and St. Mary.
- Area 9 (southeast): all of Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John and Terrebonne, plus parts of nearby parishes.
- Area 10 (southwest coastal marsh): all of Cameron and Vermilion, plus parts of Acadia, Calcasieu, Iberia, Jefferson Davis and Lafayette.
Doe Days in Areas 5, 6 and 9
In most of Louisiana, antlerless deer are legal any day the season is open. Areas 5 and 9 mix either-sex and bucks-only days:
- Archery: bucks only Oct. 1–15, then either-sex Oct. 16 – Feb. 15, except while a bucks-only gun season is in progress.
- Primitive firearms: either-sex Nov. 14–20, bucks only Jan. 25–31.
- Still-hunt gun: either-sex Nov. 21–22 and Nov. 27–29, bucks only Nov. 23–26 and Nov. 30 – Dec. 11.
- With or without dogs: either-sex Dec. 12–13 and Dec. 19–20, bucks only Dec. 14–18 and Dec. 21 – Jan. 24.
In Area 6, archery is bucks only Oct. 1–15, and gun seasons are either-sex.
Bag Limits and Tags
According to the 2026–27 deer regulations, the daily limit is one antlered and one antlerless deer, except when a bucks-only season is in progress. Season limits depend on your area:
- Most areas: six deer, no more than three antlered or four antlerless.
- Area 1: six deer, no more than two antlered or five antlerless. This is new for 2026–27.
- Area 4: four deer, no more than two antlered or two antlerless.
- Area 10: three deer, no more than two antlered or two antlerless.
Every hunter, regardless of age or license status, has to carry deer tags. Licenses now come with one antlered tag, two either-sex tags and three antlerless tags, so they work in any area, according to LDWF. Also new this year, a buck with velvet-covered antlers 3 inches or longer counts as a legal antlered deer.
Tagging and Validating Your Deer
Tag the deer immediately, before you move it from where it fell. Then write the date and parish on the tag, or report it electronically. You have 72 hours to validate. You can text "Report" to 225-267-9988, use the LDWF web portal or LA Wallet, or call 225-267-9998. According to LDWF's text-to-tag page, if you have no signal, you can use the paper tag and validate later. Keep the tag on the deer at camp and on the way home or to the cooler.
Hunter Orange or Blaze Pink
During an open firearms deer season, anyone hunting with buckshot, slugs, a primitive firearm or a centerfire gun must wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange or blaze pink on the head, chest or back. On private land, a cap or hat is enough. Hunters in elevated stands on private land are exempt, but they must wear orange or pink walking to and from the stand. Archers are exempt only on land where the owner or lessee doesn't allow firearm hunting. Wildlife management areas (WMAs) have stricter rules: everyone, including archers, wears 400 square inches plus an orange or pink hat during firearms season.
When Is the Rut in Louisiana?
Louisiana's rut swings more than most Southern states', and that's why the season dates are so different. LDWF estimates breeding dates from fetal measurements across the state and publishes them on its estimated deer breeding periods map. In general, the north and west-central parishes breed earliest. The Florida Parishes, the Atchafalaya Basin and the river bottoms breed weeks later, into the winter. LDWF also notes that peak buck movement comes one to two weeks before peak breeding, so plan your vacation days just ahead of your area's peak. For the rest of the South, see our Southeast deer rut dates guide.
Thanksgiving Week in Louisiana
Thanksgiving is Nov. 26, and gun season is open that week in every area. In Areas 5 and 9, Monday through Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23–26) are bucks only, and Friday through Sunday (Nov. 27–29) are either-sex again. In Areas 3, 7 and 8, the still-hunt season closes Nov. 29, and the with-or-without-dogs season starts Nov. 30. Heading out of state? See our Mississippi guide and Thanksgiving week hunting guide.
Louisiana Deer Season FAQ
When does gun season open in Louisiana in 2026?
It depends on the area. It opened Oct. 17 in Areas 3, 7, 8 and 10 and Oct. 31 in Area 2. It opens Nov. 21 in Areas 1, 4, 5, 6 and 9.
When does deer season end in Louisiana?
Archery runs through Feb. 15, 2027, in Areas 5, 6 and 9, and through Jan. 31 or Jan. 15 elsewhere. The last firearms day ranges from Jan. 3 to Jan. 31, depending on the area.
How many deer can you kill in Louisiana?
Six per season in most areas, no more than three antlered or four antlerless. Area 1 allows two antlered and five antlerless. Area 4 is limited to four deer and Area 10 to three.
How long do I have to validate a deer in Louisiana?
72 hours. Tag the deer before you move it, then validate by text, online, through LA Wallet or by phone.
Can I use a modern rifle during primitive firearms season?
Only if you're 17 or younger, 65 or older, or a qualifying disabled veteran or disabled hunter. Everyone else needs a legal primitive firearm.
Gear Up for the Season
Every Hunt One More® design is built around faith, service and time in the field. Grab The Lord Is My Guide® tees and hoodies for those long sits in the stand, and put a Hunt One More decal on the truck before opening day.
Trust the process. Trust the hunt. And when the sun's going down, hunt one more.
Keep Reading on Camp Talk
- North Carolina Deer Season 2026–27
- Mississippi Deer Season 2026–27
- Arkansas Deer Season 2026–27
- Virginia Deer Season 2026–27
- Tennessee Deer Season 2026–27
- Georgia Deer Season 2026–27
- Alabama Deer Season 2026–27
- Southeast Deer Rut Dates 2026
Season dates and bag limits come from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries 2026–27 regulations. This guide is for planning only. WMAs and federal lands have their own schedules. Always confirm current regulations, license requirements and bag limits with LDWF before you hunt.