I believe you only have to have the plug in if you are hunting migratory birds. DO NOT take my word as the official law though.

aaaahahahahahahahahahahahaha lololololololinternetwardenslololololollolol

It is illegal to hunt or shoot deer
with firearms smaller than .22 caliber
center-fire or a shotgun loaded with
anything other than buckshot or rifled
slug. Handguns may be used for hunting.


This was copied out the regs and I couldn't find anything about the plug while deer hunting.... I'm thinking that you can hunt deer without a plug. Please let me know if anyone finds anything else.

hey kenney i sent you an email, but here is the just of it, any legal questions you may have, it is better to ask them to the correct place, this open forum isn't the place


this is the place:

Region 4 Opelousas Office (Saint Landry, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Saint Martin, Iberia and Lafayette parishes): 337-948-0257

Just called the office and talked to an agent... You CAN NOT have an unplugged shotgun anytime. He said that all shotguns needs to be plugged. No matter if every hunting season is closed and you are shooting hogs, it has to have a plug.

see even i was wrong, good thing my plug is always in, i thought that you didn't need a plug in the gun when seasons were closed, but there you go that is why i don't seek info on the law from anyone but the law,


ps crow tastes bitter yet sweet

That is correct for the special Goose season after all other migratory bird seasons are closed, you are allowed to remove the plug and use mechanical calls as stated in the law.... but apparently that the only time... as far as home defense, you are not in the woods hunting... I still think if I go out to my lease and target practice and have an unplugged gun it's not illegal and if I'm shooting pigs when nothing else is open it's legal, but that's not what the dude said. Let's not get our pantie sin a wad, basically if it's open season for deer, rabbit, squirrels, turkey, ect... you have to have a plug and that answered my main question and I've never been checked out of season riding my lease working or looking.

Also after a major hurricane when martial law is declared , it's ok to remove your plug . As long as you only shoot 3 looters at a time ...

That's the way it's always been . Until the goose problem arose . Too many geese so they started allowing goose creeping and plug less shotguns . And like already said I think it's only during a special goose season , which I think is after regular duck season , but not totally sure . As far as hunting hogs without plugs I really don't know .

If you have a shotgun that has a fixed plug that you can't disassemble and it holds more than three shotgun shells ... I wouldn't try to hunt with it . That sounds like a military shotgun and I wouldn't hunt with that anyway . I really don't think the police will check to see if you have a plug If a home invasion accurs and you shoot one of the intruders ...

I think you were told wrong information by whoever talked to you. I have hunted my whole life with the plug in so it has never been a problem. But it has always been my understanding that you can hunt deer without the plug!

And that seems to make sense because my rifle will hold more than three cartridges!!!

Im not saying that any of you guys are wrong as I have never looked up the law on this. But what I can add is that the plug issue is not only for migratory birds. Ive been checked several times deer, squirrel, rabbit and turkey hunting with a shotgun and one of the first questions Ive always been asked is to unload my gun and hand it to him with 3 shells. They close the breach and try to put 3 in the magazine and as long as the 3rd one doesn't slide in you are good to go. Ive encountered this in more than one parish and by more than one warden. Just my 2 cents!!

Listen guys, you CAN NOT hunt deer with an unplugged shotgun. PERIOD. My step-dad got a ticket doing it.

The only time it is really of any help is running dogs. IMO

Just found this in the hunting regulations:

Shotguns larger than a 10 gauge
or capable of holding more than three
shells shall be prohibited. Plugs used
in shotguns must be incapable of
being removed without disassembly

I have an email request in to the LDWF to get an official answer and have them quote the law to me. This seems to be a confusing topic for all of us and I would love to get clarification. Mike, this might be an awesome article for the Louisiana Sportsman, if we all are confused, I know others are!! What you say 'ole boy????

Please go read page 21 of the hunting regulation booklet titled:

Methods of taking Quadrupeds &
resident game Birds

http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/publication/34342-revised-2011-2012-la-hunting-regulations-booklet/2011-2012_hunting_regs_low-res.pdf

Kenney,

I'm not trying to be a know-it-all, but I don't see the confusion, the hunting regulations clearly state that you can not hunt quadripeds with a gun that is capable of holding more than 3 shells. A hog is a quadriped, albeit an outlaw qudriped, but still a quadriped none the less.

Fuuny story, when my step-dad got his ticket, he called wildlife and fisheries and asked the lady who answered the phone what a quadriped was, and she had to put him on hold and go get her supervisor.

Mike ... That's only in Livingston parish where you can hunt deer without a plug , right ?

Too funny !!

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.... The paragraph says..... 'Shotguns larger than a 10 gauge or capable of holding more than three shells shall be prohibited.'

This is clear as crystal to me now..thanks.

Now I know that I can be at the camp and practice for home invasion with an unplugged shotgun, but if I want to take a ride and get rid of hogs, I can't use the unplugged shotgun!!

Kenny u are reading the migratory game rules. Perfectly legal to hunt hogs or deer with unplugged guns, why do u think they even make plugs if u cant use em? People that dog hunt or hunt off horses do it all the time. I myself, have emptied my gun at least 6 times and i didnt ride a horse very often, and killed a couple.lol But then i've missed one 4 times with a bow and 3 times with a muzzleloader!!!!! Once took me 11 shots with '06 and 9 with buchshot!!!!!!!lol

My buddy huntr, go back and read up a couple of comments!!!

First of all, i'm not ur buddy, whoever u are, second of all what comment? and third its very COMMON for u to be wrong!!!!!!!

Guys, I'm trying to help and you are not listening. I don't doubt you have done all these things huntr, but it still doesn't mean it was legal.

In some states, such as Arkansas (and maybe Livingston Parish), you CAN hunt deer with an unplugged shotgun. But not in Louisiana!

No one wants actual substantiated information on this site. Get used to it.

Huntr, go up 6 post from your first comment and read what the link says!!! 'Quadrupeds'.

And trust me, I know we arent buddies!!! And as for me being wrong...... Well you still havent proven that one yet Mr bucks dont chase at night!!!

With alldue respect, many states allow unplugged shotguns for deer. The island i hunted on for 35yrs was run by a deputy sherriff. 250 members, kids, wives and guests were not breaking the law.

i miss tizzy...he would know!

I stand corrected, despite what was legal in the last centurylol, currently to the people that matter most, ldwf agents, it is illegal to hunt with unplugged shotgun. sorry for the ancient history lesson and incorrect info.

Got to watch those sheriffs ... Just because they do something doesn't mean we can .

Takes a real man to admit something like that , and you sir are the real deal . Besides I don't think they even had hunting pamphlets 35 years ago , so it really doesn't matter anyway .

Yes indeed.......

...why does any 'seasoned' hunter need a military or un-plugged shotgun in the woods and call himself a 'sportsman' ???...(I could never understand the panic of gimmee,gimmee,gimmee) ???...cheers

I wish someone would explain to me the reasoning behind the plugged shotgun thing. If you deer hunt with an AR-15 and you have a 30 round mag for it, you can have that mag full and it is ok. Why is it so much worse to have 4 shells in a shotgun? And FYI - Mississippi is another state that is LEGAL to deer hunt without a plug.

Choupic, sometimes i agree with u, but if u knew Josh Clement u would know thats absurd. He was very strict, we couldnt even shoot does or spikes less than 3inches. He never used a shotgun 742 30-06 for him. I have hunting pamphlets going back to at least '72=73. As of '85-86 season that rule was not in the pamphlet. Of course we still had a bear saeson then, with unplugged guns of course. Admiral, seasoned hunter is an oxymoron, kinda like government intelligence.lol I had a 742 with a 10rd clip, and used them all more than once.lol

Man it just gets worse, according to '77-78 pamphlet, hunting with unplugged shotgun is illegal. But since i started hunting with a rifle in '65, maybe i'm safe. My first deer with a rifle was a 6pt with a winchester 30-30. After the first shot he ran right under my tree and circled to my left. I shot till i ran out of bullets, then trailed him up and tried one more at his neck. That one hit him thru the right ear,lol and he just looked at me and layed over. I hit him right behind the front shoulder the first shot, then never touched him in 6 more tries.

I hate to say it cause it's so uncommon ... But I think drew actually got this one right ! Way to go drew !

Yeah huntr to those old timers , shooting a doe was out of the question . Glad times have changed . And when you were saying you shot at a deer 11 times with the 30 Ot 6 and 9 times with your shotgun , for a minute there I thought you were gonna say you pulled a couple tomahawks out of your back pack ! Lol .. You never said if you actually got him or not . Did you ?

Hey thats good news, our island was half mississippi and we hunted both sides with either license. Well i was riding my appaloosa and came across alonghorn 3pt.lol in the water. I got off, tied my horse, and started shooting, 1100 auto. Everytime he would jump, i would shoot him. He swam across miss. river chute. I found a beaver dam about 150yds long and rode my horse over it. Then i got off, sneaked up on him laying in a treetop and finished him off, then dragged him 3 miles to camp. The one with a rifle i was standing on a large limb when 2 big bucks ran up on me. I shot 3 times at the wide one before knocking him down. When i got up near him he jumped up and ran off. I chased and shot 1/2 mile fore i got him.7pt.

Not that I hunt deer with an shotgun or ever unplug mine but it is good to know the law. On page 17 it says no unplugged shotguns for hunting 4 legged animals!!!

Lots of confusion over this law hope it clears it up for a bunch of people and prevents a few tickets.

But yeah to me this is the stupidest law ever. Why can I hunt with more than three rounds with my 30-06 but not a shotgun???

Mike - about the only reasoning I can come up with is shotguns come with the plug in. Maybe it's the modification that brought the law to pass??????? Either way it's obsurd. And like I said, Mississippi doesn't have that law. When I hunt with my buddy at his lease I remove my plug and have to remember to put it back in before I leave.

drew-b question: Maybe drew-b got it right huh Choupic

In MS and AL the plug only has to be in for migratory birds. Last year I spoke with 2 LDWF enforcement agents that told me that in LA the plug must be in for any hunting. I'm not sure if there are exemptions for hogs, but I'd suggest you call the LDWF and have them put you through to an agent in your parish so that you can ask them directly.

Mr. Drew-b, are you insane? The exact people who would issue you the citation are not the best source for citation inquiries? I believe common sense would beg to differ. Even if they are wrong, they would still issue you the citation which you would have to hassle with for days.

So that's a yes. Particularly because you were dead wrong in this case and would have HYPOTHETICALLY hunted with an unplugged gun, gotten a citation, fought it, and lost because you were too pompous to listen to the LDWF agent who already told you that it was illegal.