Louisiana DWF Advises Hunters to Call Field Offices for Tag Validation Problems

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries 12.10.12

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is advising hunters to call a local LDWF field office when problems are encountered with the phone-in, deer tag validation process.

Some hunters have experienced difficulty with the voice recognition system linked to the toll-free phone number 866-484-4805 that collects information on harvested deer and validates the individual’s deer tag, the final step in reporting harvest data to LDWF.

Wildlife Division staff at field offices around the state will accept and record tag validation information (date and parish of harvest) from hunters to complete the process as needed. Hunters having difficulty are encouraged to call the field offices during normal work hours for personal assistance with validating their harvest. LDWF field offices are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays, in the following locations:

Monroe ph. 318-343-4044
Minden ph. 318-371-3050
Pineville ph. 318-487-5885
Lake Charles ph. 337-491-2575
Hammond ph. 985-543-4777
Opelousas ph. 337-948-0255
Baton Rouge ph. 225-765-2346

Deer hunters have seven days to validate each tag used for a deer harvested this season. Hunters also have the option to validate their deer tags seven days a week, any time of the day, on-line via www.la.wildlifelicense.com.

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division(LDWF) is the fish & game regulatory agency of Louisiana. It has jurisdictionanywhere in the state, and in state territorial waters. The agency enforces both state and federal laws dealing with hunting, fishing, and boating safety. The agency also enforces criminal laws in rural areas including DWI enforcement both on highways and waterways. Most of the Department’s Wildlife Agents also carry Federal law enforcement commissions issued from the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Department of Commerce - U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). These federal commissions allow these state officers to enforce federal migratory waterfowl laws and federal marine fisheries laws in state and federal waters off the coast of Louisiana. Besides their traditional role as a “game warden”, Louisiana Wildlife Enforcement Agents also have a number of other responsibilities, including conducting board of health inspections on some portions of the state’s commercial fishing industry. Agents are trained in and conduct numerous search and rescue operations, both in remote land areas and on the state’s waterways. Agents ensure that hunters, anglers, boaters, dealers, breeders, farmers, and transporters are in compliance with regulations governing equipment, quotas, licenses, and registrations. Agents also assist other State departments and law enforcement agencies in the coordination of educational and professional endeavors, as well as national and state emergency alerts by the Federal Office of Emergency Preparedness. In addition, agents perform search and rescue missions alone or in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies.