What is a buck in Louisiana? You would think it was obvious. However, the answer may surprise you.
The definition of a buck in Louisiana up until the 2026-27 season was “a deer with at least one visible antler made of hardened bony material, broken naturally through the skin.” The definition of visible is “capable of being seen.” In the case of an antlerless deer, this is oftentimes not true.
I have shot several deer that I thought were does. Upon inspection, each had a tiny nub completely covered by hair. I checked with a game warden before tagging one of the deer, and I was instructed to use a buck tag due to the wording of the rule and his interpretation. I strongly disagreed but had no choice in the matter. I tagged each of those deer as a buck.
How can we have a rule where it is impossible to know the sex of a deer from the stand? The hunter has to literally walk up to his harvested deer to find out what he or she just shot.
How do other states handle this?
I researched our neighboring states to see their rules of what constitutes an antlerless deer.
Arkansas – A doe or buck having less than 2 inches of hardened bony antler.
Florida – Any deer whose antlers are less than 5 inches in length.
Tennessee – Both antlers are less than 3 inches in length.
South Carolina – A deer with less than 2 inches of antler visible above the hairline.
Mississippi – Male or female deer which do not have hardened antler above the natural hairline.
Alabama – All deer without one or more antlers visible above the natural hairline.
How can we fix this?
My goal is to bring some common sense and fairness to the Louisiana definition of a legal buck. The fix is so simple. All it takes is a rewording of the rule. I first talked to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Program Manager Dr. Jeffrey Duguay about this subject back in January 2025. He agreed with my concerns. I then submitted a proposal that stated, “Legal antlered deer: Deer with at least one visible antler, of hardened bony material, at least 3 inches, visible above the natural hair line, broken naturally through the skin.”
Putting in the work
When the notice of intent (NOI) for the 2026-27 season came out, I was initially very excited. A change had been made to the definition of a buck. The new definition was as follows: “Deer with at least one visible antler, hardened bony material, broken naturally through the skin, or antlered bucks with velvet-covered antlers 3 inches or longer.” I was so disappointed! The 3-inch velvet-covered antlers portion was added because of the new special early season for several areas where bucks might still have velvet. This addition did nothing for the rest of the hunters and areas in the state, nor addressed my concerns.
Later, I sat in on a statewide Zoom call and submitted my proposal again. No change.
My next step was to speak with David Moreland, former Louisiana deer study leader and a contributor to this magazine. We had a great conversation. He provided me with his opinion as a state biologist, which was very informative. Next, I spoke with Johnathan Bordelon, Louisiana’s deer program manager. Again, a great conversation. Both of these nice gentlemen educated me as to how the process works. But neither of them have the power to change the rule.
While writing this article, I again submitted a proposal. I sent a copy to Duguay and Bordelon. Both of them contacted me and agreed to discuss my proposal at their upcoming meeting with staff about potential revisions to the general and WMA hunting regulations for the 2027-28 season. They said they would update me on their discussions. Any recommendations would still need to be approved by the the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.
Next steps?
Obviously, I am very passionate about getting this rule reworded to a more concise, fair and easily enforceable version than what now exists. I am not disparaging whomever was the original author of the rule. I just know that a different version will offer all deer hunters a much better chance of being able to identify whether a deer is a buck or a doe from the stand.
Proposals and comments for the next NOI can be sent to Dr. Jeffrey Duguay at 225-765-2353 or jduguay@wlf.la.gov
Are these bucks or does?
