You have come to the perfect place if you want to start your coyote hunting quest in Louisiana. Many people are attracted to Louisisnas’s wild because of its substantially growing forests and wildlife. Louisiana is considered to be a paradise for anyone looking to explore the trivial sport that is coyote hunting. This article goes into an in-depth analysis of laws and regulations regarding coyote hunting in the Pelican State of Louisiana. Along the way, I will also try to answer a few frequently asked questions related to coyote hunting in Louisiana.
Coyote Hunting in Louisiana
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries regulates coyote hunting in Louisiana. This department is also in charge of wildlife management in the state. Furthermore, the department has classified coyotes alongside Armadillos and feral hogs as Outlaw Quadrupeds. This means hunting coyotes in Louisiana has neither closed seasons nor bag limits. Additionally, you can also legally use electronic calls to hunt coyotes in Louisiana.
Related: Best Scopes for Night Hunting Coyote – Ranked and Reviewed
Do you need a hunting license to hunt coyotes in Louisiana?
Residents and nonresident hunters age 16 or older must have a Basic Hunting License to hunt coyotes in Louisiana. Keep in mind, hunters must have a license and a physical form of identification on their person while hunting coyotes. License is available at a discounted rate for the military, students, and people with disabilities. Furthermore, lifetime licenses are also available for coyote hunting in Louisiana.
You can purchase a coyote hunting license online or from LDWF Headquarters at 2000 Quail Drive in Baton Rouge and many local retailers.
If you hold a Mississippi hunting license, you have the same rights and privileges as provided by law for a Louisiana hunting license holder to hunt wild game birds and quadrupeds on islands in and around the waters of the Mississippi River and other land resulting from accretion along the Mississippi River at the Louisiana and Mississippi border.
Do you need Hunter Education Certificate to Hunt in Louisiana?
if you were born on or after September 1, 1969, you must satisfactorily complete an LDWF-approved hunter education course and receive Hunter Education Certification prior to hunting coyotes in Louisiana, unless you are under the direct supervision of a qualified person. A qualified person is a Louisiana licensed hunter born before September 1, 1969, or a person 18 years of age or older who has a valid unrestricted Louisiana hunting license or proof of Hunter Education Certification. Similarly, direct supervision means the person being supervised is within normal audible voice contact and in direct line of sight of the supervising person at all times while hunting coyotes in Louisiana.
You must be at least 10 years old to receive Hunter Education Certification in Louisiana. However, even certified 10- and 11-year-olds must be supervised while hunting. Youth younger than 10 may take the course, but they are not eligible to be certified and will have to retake the course to obtain certification when they reach 10 years of age or older.
Hunter education is available to everyone, regardless of race, gender, age, or national origin. Your Louisiana Hunter Education Certification is valid for life.
How do I join LDWF-approved hunter education course?
The goal of Louisiana’s Hunter Education Course is to prevent hunting incidents and ensure the future of hunting by teaching hunters about their responsibilities and roles in conservation. The course covers firearm and hunting safety, wildlife management principles, ethics, game identification, and outdoor survival. LDWF staff and volunteer instructors teach hunter education. Volunteers undergo background checks and receive training and oversight from LDWF staff.
You can take Louisiana’s Hunter Education Course one of three ways: in the classroom, online with an additional field day component, or online only (for those age 16 and older). You’ll receive temporary Hunter Education Certification credentials upon successful completion of the course. You will receive the permanent certification via email at the address provided during registration. You can also print your card via your LDWF account. Log into your account online, and select the rifle icon under Certifications to download and print your Hunter Education Certification Card.
1. Classroom
You can take the Louisiana Hunter Education course through a classroom which will be a 10-hour course and usually held for over 2 to 3 days. It is completely free to join and is suitable for all ages. Furthermore, Instructors can also accommodate students with reading or learning disabilities. Therefore, please notify the instructor of special needs at least two weeks before the class begins. The course includes an in-person test and live-fire exercise. LDWF provides firearms and ammunition for the live-fire exercise so students should not bring their own.
You can register for a classroom course online or by calling one of our Wildlife Field Offices.
2. Online with field day
You can also take the Louisiana Hunter Education Course from the comfort of your home through an approved online course. Bear in mind, you must complete this course prior to attending a field day. You will receive a voucher confirming you have completed the online course. In order to take the 5-hour field day course (after you complete the approved online course), you must bring your voucher showing that you have completed the online course.
Register for a field day course online or by calling one of our local education offices. You have one full calendar year (365 days) after you complete the online course to complete a field day course. The course fee is $29.95, paid to the online course provider.
3. Online only (for those over 16)
You can also take a Louisiana-centric online hunter education course. This online course features local hunters, LDWF staff, and the terrain and conditions unique to Louisiana. This course is completely online and does not require any in-person activities. The course fee is $29.95, paid to the online course provider, and is only available for students 16 years of age and older.
Coyote Hunting seasons in Louisiana
There is no closed season for hunting coyotes in Lousiana. That means, holders of a hunting license may take coyotes, feral hogs, and armadillos year-round during legal daylight shooting hours. Keep in mind, shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
In the case of private property, the landowner or his lessee may hunt coyotes during night-time hours year-round. However, if you are not the owner, you will need written permission from either the landowner, lessee, or the estate agent. Keep in mind, if you want to hunt coyotes at night you should notify the sheriff of the parish of your intentions to hunt coyotes within 24 hours prior to the attempted hunting of the coyote.
While hunting coyotes at night, you can use artificial lights, infrared, laser sighting devices, or night vision devices.
Bag Limits for Coyote Hunting in Louisiana
Since coyotes are classified as Outlaw Quadrupeds, there are no bag limits for hunting coyotes in Louisiana. You can hunt coyotes in Louisiana all year round without having to worry about the time or bag limits.
Where to hunt Coyotes in Louisiana?
Louisiana offers quality coyote hunting habitat spanning its mix of bayous, wetlands, prairies and pine forests. Decent public land access exists, with stable coyote populations on some wildlife management areas and national forests.
The northwest part of the state contains excellent terrain for targeting coyotes on lands like the Red River Wildlife Management Area spanning over 61,000 acres. Nearby, the Indian Bayou Area offers thousands more acres of fields, forests and brushlands holding coyotes.
Centrally, the Fort Polk Wildlife Management Area and Peason Ridge Wildlife Management Area total over 100,000 acres of land used for military training purposes but also open to public hunting a majority of the year and maintaining populations of coyotes for hunters to target.
Legal Ways to Hunt Coyotes in Louisiana
All rifles are legal for hunting coyotes in Louisiana. Moreover, you can hunt coyotes using legal archery gears or a shotgun not larger than a 10 gauge from the shoulder. However, you may not use a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells while coyote hunting in Louisiana.
Hunting, standing, loitering, or shooting coyotes or game birds while on a public road or public road right-of-way is illegal. Furthermore, it is also illegal to use spotlights or shining lights from public roads for coyote hunting in Louisiana.
Keep in mind, You can not bait, hunt coyotes over bait, or possess a bait on any WMAs. There is an exception if the bait is kept in a vehicle traversing a WMA road or parked on a WMA road. Bait is defined as any substance used to attract coyotes via ingestion.
Can you use dogs to hunt coyotes in Louisiana?
Yes, you can use dogs to hunt coyotes in Louisiana. However, you can not use dogs to chase coyotes during open turkey season in turkey hunting areas. Coyote hunting in Louisiana is restricted to “chase only” when using dogs during still-hunting segments of the firearm and archery-only-seasons for deer.
Can you hunt coyotes from vehicles in Louisiana?
It is illegal to hunt coyotes or participate in coyote hunting in Louisiana with the aid of an aircraft or from any other moving vehicle. Bear in mind, hunting coyotes from a stationary vehicle does not have any regulations, thus, perfectly legal. However, it is not legal to use spotlights or shine a spotlight from a vehicle.
Additionally, firearms having live ammunition in the chamber, magazine, cylinder, or clip when attached to firearms or crossbows cocked and in the ready position are not allowed in or on vehicles, boats under power, motorcycles, ATVs/UTVs, ATCs, or in camping areas on WMAs.
Important Notice: The articles published on this website are only for informational purposes and we do not promote hunting/ killing animals. If you are willing to hunt please refer to Authorized sources for correct and updated information. Writer/ Website owner will not be responsible for any consequences due to information provided on this website. You can refer to relevant Government sources for updated information.
