Louisiana Residents – Check Your Hunting and Fishing Licenses
We are on the cusp of what will apparently be a more typical July Fourth Holiday weekend than we certainly saw last year. Gone are most of the enhanced COVID-19 restrictions and back are the barbeques, fireworks, and patriotic music. But if the Fourth of July is just days away, that means something else of importance to Louisiana hunting and fishing enthusiasts needs to be addressed.
Unless you purchased or renewed your Louisiana hunting or fishing license during the month of June then that license that you hold in your wallet, tackle box, or electronically on your phone has likely expired. No, it's not some crazy government conspiracy, it's just the way the license cycle unfolds in Louisiana.
Every year at the end of June, June 30th to be precise, Louisiana hunting and fishing licenses expire. No, it doesn't matter if you bought yours on May 15th and only got six weeks' use out of it. If you're going to hunt or fish legally in state-controlled waters or on state-controlled lands you're going to need to get that new license.
The good news is that you can actually do all of that online now at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife website. Another convenience factor in renewing or purchasing your first-time license online is this. You can carry an electronic copy of it on your phone. That will make it very easy to present to an LDWF Agent should you be asked to do so.
You may have heard that license fees in the state are going to increase. That is a fact but those increases won't be felt by you and me until next year. Oh, and yes you can, in fact, still get a lifetime license too.
Oh, one more word to the wise, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents have announced plans for increased patrols over the upcoming holiday weekend. With anticipated large crowds expected to be on the water, it will be paramount to you and your guests' safety that you know the rules of safe boating.
And if you're not sure where to go to "land that lunker" we can think of a few places you might try. Okay, most of these places we'd be going to just to enjoy the scenery.
16 Photos from Lake Martin, Louisiana