Registration is open for the Introduction to Squirrel Hunting Workshop Jan. 29-30, 2027, at Dewey W. Wills Wildlife Management Area (WMA), the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced. The event is open to eight applicants who will be selected by lottery.
To register, go to the LDWF lottery application page on the website.
To qualify for this workshop, applicants must be 18 years of age or older by the date of the hunt and must be hunter education certified or exempt from hunter education. Selected participants will be notified by email and phone by Dec. 11.
It is designed to introduce novice hunters to small game hunting on Louisiana’s WMAs. Participants will be paired with LDWF staff to learn safe, ethical and effective hunting practices. This two-day, overnight event combines classroom learning, firearm safety, field experience and opportunities to hunt with an instructor on Dewey Wills WMA. Registration will close on Dec. 5.
A novice hunter is an individual with limited or no previous experience in hunting, who is still learning essential skills such as identifying game, using firearms safely, navigating terrain and understanding hunting regulations and ethics.
Selected applicants will be required to have a valid Basic Hunting License and a WMA Access Permit (the WMA Access Permit can be purchased separately but is also included in the Lifetime License, Louisiana Sportsman Paradise License, or Senior Hunting and Fishing License).
The selected hunters will need to wear a hunter orange cap and bring a shotgun (these can be provided by LDWF if necessary).
For more information, please email HunterEducation@wlf.la.gov.
