LDWF Opens First-Ever Whistling Duck Season for Louisiana Hunters This October
LAFAYETTE, La. — Louisiana duck hunters will have a new window to take the field this fall.
According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, a special statewide black-bellied whistling duck season will run October 3 through October 11, filling the calendar gap between the September teal season and the regular duck season that opens in November.
A Bird That Wasn’t Here Two Decades Ago
Black-bellied whistling ducks were not part of the Louisiana hunting landscape for most of the state’s history. Originally found from southern Texas and Mexico through Central America, the birds began pushing east into Louisiana in the mid-2000s and never stopped. LDWF estimates the population may have grown by as much as 4,000 percent between 2015 and 2024, based on the department’s annual mid-winter waterfowl inventory.
By last November, aerial surveys counted an estimated 252,000 black-bellied whistling ducks along the Louisiana coast alone, more than double the count from the prior year.
Anyone who spends time near south Louisiana water has probably noticed. Tens of thousands of the birds now live year-round in the New Orleans metro area. Southwest Louisiana rice farmers have been dealing with crop damage from the species on a regular basis.
The state formally pushed back in 2024, when Governor Jeff Landry and then-LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand harvest opportunities, citing the population surge and documented agricultural losses for rice producers in the southwestern parishes. That request set the regulatory process in motion.
What Louisiana Hunters Need to Know Before October 3
LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth described the new season as added opportunity for hunters, timed to take advantage of the species’ fall presence before it heads south for the winter.
“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,” Bosworth said. “We’re very pleased to provide this opportunity to our hunters and thank the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their approval.”
Several regulations set this season apart from a standard duck opener:
Shooting hours: Sunrise to sunset. Most migratory bird seasons start a half-hour before sunrise, so the later start is worth noting before opening morning.
Bag and possession limits: Four birds per day, twelve in possession. Both limits apply only to black-bellied whistling ducks.
Free permit required: Every hunter must obtain a free black-bellied whistling duck permit from LDWF before going afield. This is a separate requirement on top of the standard licenses and stamps already required for waterfowl hunting.
HIP and federal duck stamp: Standard waterfowl license requirements still apply in full, including Harvest Information Program registration and a valid federal duck stamp.
Reporting is mandatory: Hunters must report their effort and harvest within 15 days of the season’s October 11 close. Because this is an experimental season, LDWF needs that harvest data to evaluate the program going forward.
Species ID Matters
During this nine-day window, only black-bellied whistling ducks are legal to harvest. Knowing the bird before you go is a legal requirement, not just a courtesy.
The birds are distinctive once you know what to look for. Ducks Unlimited describes them as long-legged, long-necked ducks with a bright pink bill, chestnut-brown body, and the black belly the species is named for. In flight, they show a broad white wing stripe. They also produce a high-pitched whistling call that stands out from most other waterfowl in Louisiana skies. Hunters new to the species should put in some time on identification before the season opens.
How to Get Your Permit
Permits are free and available through LDWF. For questions about the permit process or the season, hunters can contact LDWF Waterfowl Program Manager Jason Olszak at jolszak@wlf.la.gov.
Full season details, including the permit application, are available at wlf.louisiana.gov.
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Gallery Credit: Joe Cunningham
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