Louisiana Announces Dates For Exclusive Whistling Duck Season

For the first time ever, Louisiana duck hunters will be permitted to hunt black-bellied whistling ducks, also known as "Mexican Tree Ducks" or "Mexican Squealers" during a special season dedicated exclusively to them.

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In an announcement from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, we learn that this fall, from October 3rd through 11th, Louisiana hunters will be permitted the exclusive harvest of these waterfowl during a special nine day state-wide season.

Of this first ever opportunity for Louisiana duck hunters, LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth said, "We felt that with the growing abundance of the species in the state, it is appropriate to provide a special season to our hunters. It’s a chance for our state’s duck hunters to enjoy additional opportunity during a time between the September teal season and regular duck season, which opens in November. We’re very pleased to provide this opportunity to our hunters and thank the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their approval."

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This season, exclusive to black-bellied whistling ducks, will come with a few differences from other Louisiana duck seasons. One of those variations will be the "legal shooting hours", which, for this season, will be sunrise to sunset. Hunters will recall that during other duck seasons, hours are from thirty minutes prior to sunrise to sunset.

Another difference will be in the bag limit for this species which will be four ducks with a possession limit of twelve during this experimental season. Additionally, all hunters will be required to obtain a free black-bellied whistling duck hunting permit from LDWF with the additional requirement of reporting their effort and harvest within 15 days of the black-bellied whistling duck season closure.

All license requirements normally required for hunting waterfowl apply to this season as well including Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration and the federal duck stamp.