Wildlife Management Areas Closed in Louisiana

(KMDL-FM) This is not the news that Louisiana sportsmen wanted to hear, with deer season just getting started across the Bayou State. Because of the ongoing federal government shutdown, several Wildlife Management Areas in the state are now closed for public activities. This could certainly curtail hunting plans for several thousand Louisiana sportsmen.

Rhett Noonan via Unsplash.com

Before we get to the not-so-good news about WMAs in Louisiana, we do have some positive news to report. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife has confirmed that deer season has been reopened on the Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area.

Get our free mobile app

Hunting on the Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area had been suspended because of a benchmark flood. Wildlife officials have confirmed, despite the online gauge used to determine water levels being offline, that the water level had dropped below the benchmark.

Which Louisiana WMAs Are Currently Closed Because of Government Shutdown?

Now the bad news, two WMAs in Louisiana have officially been closed to public activities until further notice. The reason for the closure is because of the ongoing federal government shutdown. The two WMAs affected by this closure are the Fort Polk-Vernon and Fort Polk North Wildlife Management Areas.

The Fort Polk-Vernon WMA is located in central Vernon Parish near Leesville. The Fort Polk North-WMA is in the northern part of Vernon Parish. It also extends into portions of southeastern Sabine Parish and southwestern Natchitoches Parish. These closures, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife, are until further notice.

What Are The Deer Season Dates For All of Louisiana?

For information on other WMAs across the state, you can find that via the Louisiana Department of Wildlife website. The LDWF site also has updated details on Louisiana's Deer Seasons and information on hunting seasons for different species as those seasons open and close through the fall and winter months.