Louisiana DWF Youth Hunts on Red River WMA Provide Opportunity

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries 02.21.13

Twenty youth hunters were selected through a pre-season lottery application process for four deer hunts on Red River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) during the 2012-13 hunting season.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) coordinated the lottery process which provided the young hunters the option of both morning and afternoon hunts, and the opportunity to harvest one antlered and one antlerless deer per day.

During hunts scheduled in December and January, box stands were placed in strategic locations within a limited access area on the WMA located in Concordia Parish and the youth were accompanied by an adult on each hunt. A drawing was held the morning of the hunt to determine which stand each hunter would occupy.

Hunters, ranging in age from eight to 17 years old, were also treated to a chicken and sausage gumbo prepared on site by LDWF staff and sponsored by the Quality Deer Management Association – Central Louisiana.

LDWF staff gave the youth hunters a brief safety lesson prior to each hunt, transported hunters to and from stands, and assisted in locating downed deer. The Red River youth hunters enjoyed very good success, with seven of the 20 harvesting a deer. Four antlerless and three antlered deer were harvested. In addition, six hunters had the opportunity to shoot, but missed their targets. Bears and hogs were also observed from stand locations by several youth hunters.

To apply for WMA youth hunts, visit the LDWF website – www.wlf.la.gov – each August for applications that will be posted prior to the opening of the hunting season or contact a Wildlife Division field office near you. For more information, contact Tony Vidrine or Johnathan Bordelon 337-948-0255.

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.