Louisiana WFC Approves Notices of Intent for Future Hunting and WMA Seasons
OutdoorHub 05.04.12
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, during their May 3 monthly meeting, approved two notices of intent (NOI) that included two amendments for the 2012-14 hunting seasons and the 2012-13 Wildlife Management Area (WMA) hunting season.
Notable changes to the upcoming hunting seasons include modifying the primitive firearm definition by removing the pre-1900 designation, allowing the take of rabbits, squirrels, and outlaw quadrupeds with air rifles, modifying the hunting season for lands within the Morganza Floodway from I-10 south within the protection levees of the Atchafalaya Basin and providing increased deer hunting opportunity in Area 5. In addition, the season limit for deer for the 2013-14 season was changed to allow for the take of no more than 3 antlered deer or 4 antlerless deer.
The first amendment to the original NOI for the 2012-13 General-WMA Hunting Regulations allows for changing the firearm language specific for the take of raccoon and opossum to be consistent with the firearms legal to take small game, making .22 caliber or smaller legal.
A second amendment will allow for a bird dog training area in Kisatchie National Forest, on that portion of the Vernon Unit of the Calcasieu Ranger District known as the “dove field”, to allow for bird dog training year round, except during turkey season.
Included in the Commission approvals is the list of primitive firearm calibers, smaller than .38, that will be legal for deer hunting beginning with the 2012-13 season. Those calibers include the .38-55 Winchester, .375 Winchester, .357 S&W Magnum, .38 S&W Special, .35 Winchester SL and .351 Winchester SL.
To view the full notices of intent, as presented Feb. 2, 2012 by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and subsequent amendments, please visit http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/action-items.
