In addition to the dove hunting opportunities available on several Wildlife Management Areas, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has leased one field in Beauregard Parish for public use.
The Beauregard Parish field – approx. 800 acres – can be accessed by taking U.S. 190 about 3 miles west of DeRidder. A permit station will be located south of U.S. 190 near the railroad tracks. This field will be open to hunting Sept. 5 and 6. Hunting on Sept 6 begins 30 minutes before sunrise.
The following rules will apply to all leased fields:
1.Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
2.Shot larger than size 7 1/2 is prohibited (size 7 1/2 , 8, 9 are allowed)
3.All trash – including shell hulls – must be picked-up.
4.Only legal doves may be taken.
5.All hunters must have a daily permit. This permit is available at the field and will be issued on a first-come first-served basis. If hunters have formed a line prior to the time permits are issued, permits will then be issued to those in line in order of arrival.
6.There is a $10.00 fee per hunter, 16 years of age and older. Hunters under 16 will be admitted free, but they must check-in and have a permit.
7.When a predetermined number of hunters are admitted, the field will be closed. Additional hunters may be admitted when someone leaves the field and surrenders his/her permit. Use of vehicles, including ATVs, may be restricted and will vary from field to field. Check with Department personnel about restrictions when you check-in.
8.These leased fields are open to the public September 5th only. Entrance at any other time is trespassing.
These leased fields have been made available through the cooperation of the landowners. Future access to these fields and other private property is dependent on the conduct of the hunters using these fields.
Please abide by the above regulations and hunt ethically and safely.
Other fields will be listed as leased, check out http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/seasons/migratoryandwaterfowl/ for up-to-date information.
The Wildlife Management Areas offering opening-day hunting include:
Bayou Pierre WMA, Red River Parish – 100 ac. sunflower, millet, and 1 year-old winter wheat. September 5th (opening day) is limited to successful lottery applicants only.
Big Colewa WMA, West Carroll Parish – 20 ac. sunflower
Boeuf WMA, Caldwell Parish – 60 ac. sunflower and sorghum on Topan tract (north of LA Hwy. 4) and 20 ac. of sorghum and sunflower in Crowe field (south of Duty Ferry).
Buckhorn WMA, Tensas Parish – 30 ac. sunflower and sorghum (intersection of LA Hwy 128 and 573).
Camp Beauregard, Rapides Parish – <10 ac. millet.
Elbow Slough WMA, Rapides Parish – 16 ac. millet. Open Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesday only – Sept. 5-20 and Oct. 10-Nov. 8. Steel shot size 6 and smaller only. Parking only permitted in parking lot south of Hwy. 3170, next to check-in station. No more than 50 dove hunters at a time will be allowed on opening day.
Loggy Bayou, Bossier Parish, 20 ac. millet, sunflower, oats. September 5th (opening day) limited to youth hunters only.
Point Aux Chenes, Pointe Farm Unit, Terrebonne Parish – 80 ac. (50 acres millet and 30 acres sunflower) Opening weekend shooting hours are noon to sunset. After opening weekend, shooting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise until 12:00 noon. Hunting will be permitted each day during the September split and each day of the second and third splits (AFTER the last youth deer hunt day). Gates will be opened on Saturdays during the first and second segments EXCEPT during waterfowl season and Youth Deer Hunt weekends. Parking will be allowed in designated areas only; but note that last year’s storms deposited large amounts of soil in parking areas so parking areas may become sloppy after rains.
Red River WMA, Concordia Parish – 80 ac. Originally planted to sunflower, millet, and sorghum at Union Point (1 mile north of intersection of LA Hwy 15 and 910), but drought resulted in crop failures’ manipulating naturally occurring vegetation and 70 ac. sunflower and sorghum at Yakey tract (30 miles south of Vidalia and adjacent to LA Hwy 15).
Sandy Hollow WMA, Tangipahoa Parish – North Tract: 40 ac. millet. South Tract: 14 ac. millet. During 1st split, entire area is open only on Sept. 5 and Sept. 12-20. On Sept. 5, tract north of La. Hwy. 10 is open only to youths younger than 16 and supervising adult. Adults with youth are permitted to hunt.
Sherburne WMA, Point Coupee Parish, 63 ac. browntop millet (2nd split hunting is usually better on this area, so additional acreage will be cut and prepared for 2nd split)
Floy McElroy WMA, Richland Parish; 20 ac. sunflower. Youth only hunt on September 12 and 13. No hunting at any other time. Only youth 15 years old and under with an accompanying adult will be admitted. Only the youth may hunt. The gate on LA Hwy 137, 2 miles north of Rayville will open at 11:30 a.m. on September 12 and 13. Shooting will be allowed from 12 p.m. to sunset. No ATVs allowed.
Other WMA dove hunting opportunities: Additional opportunities can be found on upland pine dominated WMAs such as West Bay, Jackson-Bienville, Sabine, Bens Creek, and Clear Creek. Doves will often congregate in new clear-cuts to feed on native grass seeds and goatweed.
For specifics on the current dove situation, you should contact the nearest department office to the dove fields.
Minden: 318-371-3050
Monroe: 318-343-4044
Pineville: 318-487-5885
Ferriday: 318-757-4571
Lake Charles: 337-491-2575
Opelousas: 337-948-0255
Baton Rouge: 225-765-2360
