99-249
11/4/99

Although the seasons for blue, snow and white-fronted (specklebelly) geese opened Oct. 30 in the East Zone, the bulk of the 1999-2000 Louisiana waterfowl season is set to open Nov. 13. The season dates were approved by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission in September.

At the recommendation of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the commission approved a 60-day duck season. This year, there are concurrent duck and coot season dates for the entire state. In addition, seasons for two categories of geese -- blue and snow geese and white-fronted geese -- were split into two zones: East and West.

The season dates and regulations follow:

Ducks and Coots
Statewide: Nov. 13-28, 1999; Dec. 11, 1999-Jan. 23, 2000
Youth Waterfowl Day: Dec. 4, 1998 in west zone, Jan. 29, 2000 in east zone.
Shooting Hours: One-half hour before official sunrise to official sunset statewide.
Daily Bag Limits/Ducks: Six. May include no more than four mallards (no more than two of which may be females), three mottled ducks, one black duck, two wood ducks, one pintail, one canvasback, three scaup and two redheads.
Daily Bag Limit/Coots: 15.
Daily Bag Limit/Mergansers: Five, only one of which may be a hooded merganser. Merganser limits are in addition to the daily bag limit for ducks.
Possession Limits for ducks, coots and mergansers are twice the daily bag limit.

Geese
Blue and snow geese: Nov. 13, 1999-Feb. 27, 2000 (West Zone); Oct. 30, 1999-Feb. 13, 2000 (East Zone).
White-fronted (specklebelly) geese: Nov. 13, 1999-Feb. 6, 2000 (West Zone); Oct. 30, 1999-Jan. 23, 2000 (East Zone).
Shooting Hours: One-half hour before official sunrise to official sunset.
Daily Bag Limit/Blue and Snow Geese: 20.
Daily Bag Limit/White-fronted (Specklebelly) Geese: Two.
During the Canada goose season (Jan. 18-26), the daily bag limit for Canada geese is one and the daily bag limit for white-fronted (specklebelly) geese is two.
Possession Limit is twice the daily bag limit. There is no possession limit for blue and snow geese.

Canada Geese
Jan. 18-26, 2000.
Shooting Hours: one-half hour before official sunrise to official sunset.
Daily Bag Limit: 1
Possession Limit is twice the daily bag limit.

The Canada goose season will be open statewide except for a portion of southwest Louisiana. The closed area is described as follows:
Beginning at the Texas state line, proceeding east along Hwy. 82 to the Calcasieu Ship Channel then north along the Calcasieu Ship Channel to its junction with the Intracoastal Canal, then east along the Intracoastal Canal to its juncture with La. Hwy. 82, then south along La. Hwy. 82 to its juncture with Parish Road 3147, then south and east along Parish Road 3147 to Freshwater Bayou Canal, then south to the Gulf of Mexico, then west along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico to the Texas state line, then north to the point of beginning.

A special permit is required of everyone, regardless of age, to participate in the Canada goose season. They may be obtained by mail or in person at any LDWF Wildlife Division District office. A non-refundable $5 administrative fee will be charged.

Return of Canada goose harvest information listed on the permit is mandatory. Failure to submit this information to LDWF by Feb. 15, 2000, will result in the hunter not being allowed to participate in the Canada goose season the following year.

For more information, contact Robert Helm at 225/765-2358 helm_rn@wlf.state.la.us