New duck and goose zones approved

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved revised duck and goose hunting zones that will go into effect with the 2016-17 duck and goose hunting seasons, and almost all of St. Landry Parish will remain in the East Zone.
There will be no changes to the current zone alignment for the 2015-16 waterfowl seasons.
With the changes, the area west of La. 13 and south of U.S. 190 will be part of the east zone, and the area west of La.13 and north of U.S. 190 will be in the west zone. Part of St. Landry was in the coastal zone, but none of the parish will be in the coastal zone when the changes got into effect.
Public comment collected by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries over the last 30 days provided a variety of suggestions from duck hunters statewide which were taken into consideration prior to the Commission vote. The proposed zone changes were presented to the public, and based on Commission input at their Oct. 2 meeting, offered major changes in the boundaries to the coastal and east zones.
Based on public comment, the Commission modified the proposed changes to maintain a coastal zone that aligned more closely with existing zone boundaries and pushed the east zone boundaries further west below Alexandria.
Zones for duck hunting can be changed every five years, and zones for goose hunting can be changed yearly.
The waterfowl zone items were presented to the Commission as a Declaration of Emergency since any zone changes have to be communicated by LDWF to the US Fish and Wildlife Service by Dec. 1. LDWF will present the 2016-17 waterfowl season framework to the Commission in January with all other hunting season dates and regulations proposed at the same time. 
The approved zone boundaries for 2016-21 duck seasons are as follows:
East Zone: The area of the state between the Mississippi State line and the line going south on La. 79 from the Arkansas border to Homer; then south on La. 9 to Arcadia; then south on La. 147 to Hodge; then south on La. 167 to Turkey Creek; then south on La. 13 to Eunice; then west U.S. 190 to Kinder; then south on La. 165 to Iowa; then west on I-10 to its junction with La. 14 at Lake Charles; then south and east on La. 14 to its junction with U.S. 90 in New Iberia; then east on U.S. 90 to the Mississippi State line.
West Zone: The area between the Texas State line and the line going east on I-10 from the Texas border to La. 165 at Iowa; then north on La. 165 to Kinder; then east on U.S. 190 to Eunice; then north on La. 13 to Turkey Creek; then north on La. 167 to Hodge; then north on La. 147 to Arcadia; then north on La. 9 to Homer; then north on La. 79 to the Arkansas border.
Coastal Zone:  Remainder of state.
In the same discussion of the zone changes, the department presented the Commission with a proposal to set zones for goose hunting because of a potential conflict with traditional goose hunting dates that the revised duck zone changes presented.  The Commission approved the proposed goose hunting zone alignment. 
The boundaries for hunting geese during the 2016-17 through 2020-21 hunting seasons are as follows:
North Zone: Portion of the state north of the line from the Texas border at La. 190/12 East to I-49; then south on I-49 to I-10; then East on I-10 to I-12; then East on I-12 to 1-10; then East on I-10 to the Mississippi State line.
South Zone: Remainder of state.