Hunters question deer season dates

Deer season dates were the hot topic of discussion at a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries public comment meeting in Opelousas Thursday night.
“I see a theme forming here,” said Maria Davidson, one of the department’s large carnivore specialists, as she led a presentation on the proposed 2015-17 resident game hunting season dates, wildlife management areas general rules and regulation changes, and the 2016 turkey season and turkey hunting areas.
More than 100 hunters attended the meeting, one of several being hosted throughout the state, and several department staff members were also on hand to help answer questions. Comments gathered at the meetings will be given to the department staff based on what the comment regards, and the comments are taken into consideration when planning upcoming hunting seasons and any possible regulation changes. The meeting was held at the Opelousas Civic Center.
Several hunters want to have the deer seasons start later or run later in their respective areas, mainly due to current season dates falling in pre rut and seeing more deer signs late in the season, while others questioned if the department would ever consider point restrictions on bucks.
Hunter Ryan Fontenot expressed concern over the high number of doe days during the seasons.
“I don’t agree with that,” Fontenot said. “What are the stats showing? Is deer population increasing? I know it’s not happening where I hunt, but is it happening across the state?”
“It (the high number of doe days) takes away the sport of it. People are also giving tags to others.”
While Davidson did not have deer population numbers at hand, she did provide hunters with deer harvest information.
“Deer harvest numbers are down 20 percent statewide,” Davidson said. “The harvest numbers have been down for the last three years.”
Carlton Boudreaux, who hunts deer in Area 9, asked why regular season hunters only had 11 days to try and fill their doe tags.
“It’s restricted based on herd vulnerability,” Davidson said. “Thats the basic answer for that area.”
Area 6 deer hunter David Turner suggested moving some days from the early primitive weapons season and adding them to the regular season, which garnered a round of applause from the crowd.
Waterfowl hunters also weighed on issues ranging from national wildlife refuge waterfowl hunting days to the waterfowl zones to season dates.
“Why do the refuges not follow the outside waterfowl days?” asked Lastie Cormier.
“We are working toward that,” Davidson said. “There has been a lot of public comment about that. It’s a work in progress, and it probably will be for a long time.”
Wayne Buller said that he would like to see specklebelly goose seasons set later, and fellow waterfowler Kim Voorhies said he would like to see the duck seasons also set for later dates.
“I hunt in the Atchafalaya Basin, and the ducks get there late,” Voorhies said. “They get there in late December and don’t leave until early February.”
Voorhies also expressed his desire to hunt alligators on state land within the basin and brought up a growing problem he is seeing in the basin area
“People are taking down state land department signs and putting up posted signs,” Voorhies said. “I called the state lands department, and nothing was done.”
Voorhies is worried that someone will be hurt by those claiming to own the land should a confrontation arise about trespassing.
A department staff member suggested getting boat numbers on a vessel in the event of such an incident and reporting the number and operator to the authorities.
Scott Sebastian, a coastal zone waterfowl hunter, voiced his support for early duck season dates.
“A week was taken out of the first split and moved to the second split based on public comment,” Sebastian said. “That moved a productive week to a non-productive week.”
“It also hurts rice lake hunters to hunt early. The zones should separate rice lake and marsh hunters. Part of the rice belt is in the Coastal Zone.”
“That (possible changes in the zones) will be addressed next year by Larry Reynolds (department Waterfowl Study Leader),” Davidson replied. “These new waterfowl zones will reach their five year mark and will be looked at and possibly restructured. LDWF will be sending out questionnaires to hunters in the next few months.”
One hunter voiced his frustration with not being able to hunt rabbits using dogs at Thistlewaite WMA, which is leased from the Thistlewaite heirs. Davidson directed the question to another department staff member who informed the hunter that using dogs for hunting was not in the lease agreement for the property.
“Why not add it to the lease agreement?” asked hunter Murphy Clark. “Can’t it be negotiated? When the lease was resigned a few years ago, did you ask to put it in the lease?”
When the staff member answered in the negative and told Clark that his comment would be routed to the department’s WMA staff, Clark was not pleased.
“I’ll be dead by the time y’all get that in the lease,” Murphy said.
Many of the hunters were in favor of expanding opportunities to hunt hogs, and hog hunting enthusiast Gary Vidrine asked if hunters would be allowed to hunt hogs with shots larger than rimfire.
“That is actually under review right now,” Davidson said.
Public comment on proposed changes will be taken under consideration as notices of intent by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at meetings prior to April 2. Comments may also be mailed to Steve Smith, LDWF Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000, or via email to ssmith@wlf.la.gov. For more information, call Steve Smith at 225-765-2359 or email ssmith@wlf.la.gov.
“There are no changes to most of the regulations,” Davidson said.
No changes will be made to resident small game seasons, turkey seasons and youth and veteran deer season dates on private lands except calendar adjustments. The only change to the deer areas will be the absorption of Area 5, which includes only West Carroll Parish, into Area 1. The addition of pistols to primitive gear has also been proposed. The department is also considering allowing utility-tasked vehicle that do not exceed the WMA regulations for all-terrain vehicle size to be used on ATV trails at WMAs.
Locally, five more days will be added to the either sex season at Sherburne WMA, and experimental hog trapping at the WMA will be removed.
Hunting changes and additions and fishing regulation changes were also proposed for several WMAs in other parts of state, Kisatchie National Forest, Barataria Bay and at Tensas, Cameron Prairie, Lacassine, Black Bayou, Bouge Chitto and Sabine National Wildlife Refuges.
To view the full notices of intent and all proposed hunting season dates and regulations changes, visit www.wlf.louisiana.gov/action-items.