Louisiana

Sportsman’s Paradise. Coastal marsh waterfowl, trophy alligator tags, and bottomland hardwood deer.

Public Access & WMAs

Public Lands to Hunt in Louisiana

Official Regulatory Authority

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF)

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) manages more than 1.6 million acres across 50 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), refuges, and conservation preserves. In addition, Louisiana hosts over 600,000 acres within the Kisatchie National Forest and expansive federal National Wildlife Refuges. From the ancient bald cypress brakes and tupelo swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin to the coastal salt marshes and northern pineywoods, Louisiana offers legendary waterfowl, whitetail deer, and small game hunting.

Atchafalaya River Basin | 180,000+ Acres Combined

Atchafalaya Delta & Sherburne WMAs

Located in St. Mary and Iberville parishes within the nation's largest river swamp. Features freshwater and brackish marshlands, wax myrtle passes, and bottomland hardwoods. Renowned for world-class duck and goose shooting, swamp whitetail deer, and feral hogs accessed primarily by boat.

Catahoula Lake & River Bottoms | 63,901 Acres

Dewey W. Wills Wildlife Management Area

Located in LaSalle, Catahoula, and Rapides parishes along Catahoula Lake. Dominant forest of overcup oak, nuttall oak, and sweetgum provides premier hunting for giant Louisiana whitetail bucks, gray squirrels, and canvasback and mallard waterfowl.

Mississippi River Mouth Delta | 115,000 Acres

Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area

Located at the very mouth of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish. An isolated coastal marsh wilderness accessible only by boat, offering world-class public decoy hunting for gadwall, pintail, teal, and redheads, alongside coastal hog hunting.

Central Louisiana Pineywoods | 604,000 Acres

Kisatchie National Forest

Louisiana's only national forest, spanning 7 parishes in central and northern Louisiana. Vast longleaf pine savannahs, sandstone hills, and hardwood creek branches offer exceptional still-hunting and dog hunting for whitetail deer, wild turkey, and quail.

North Louisiana Bayou Bottoms | 85,000+ Acres Combined

Bodcau & Boeuf Wildlife Management Areas

Bodcau WMA (33,700 acres) in Bossier and Webster parishes and Boeuf WMA (51,000 acres) in Caldwell Parish offer expansive bottomland hardwood river corridors for whitetail deer, feral hog, squirrel, wood duck, and mallard hunting.