Accepting the Challenge
March 13, 2019
Cantrelle files suit against Parish Council
March 15, 2019
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries wants your land this fall.
And they’re willing to pay you — very handsomely for the use.
LDWF announced this week that it’s looking for private landowners and fanners around the state who would be willing to lease their land on the opening day of dove season — a sacred day for hunters around the state.
The opening day is one of the busiest days off the year for hunters around Louisiana. — a time when hunters take to the land to test their luck against the popular bird.
This year, the season begins Sept. 7.
LDWF pays landowners based on the size of their field The pay is handsome, ranging from $950 to $2,500 for the day based on the acreage of the field being leased,
Minimum acreage required to be considered is 50 acres.
“On some of our wildlife management areas across the state, we plant dove fields and they’re very popular on opening weekend,” said Dr. Jeffrey Duguay, the LDWFs Research and Survey Program Manager. “But we’re limited on how many fields we have and demand is greater than supply on that day. So we’d like to en-hat more private landowners and farmer a from throughout the state to increase opportunity for dove hunters.
The project is hands-off for landowners — LDWF does almost all of the work.
In the release announcing the plan, LDWF says they will handle all of the details of the lease, including having personnel on hand on the opening day of the season to issue permits to hunters and direct them on where they can and can’t go.
Landowners will be leasing the land to LDWF for just one day — the open of the season.
“Our staff takes care of all the logistics for that day ” Duguay said.
LDWF also offers assistance to private landowners and farmers with wildlife management activities through its Private Lands Technical Assistance Program.
Biologists are able to assist landowners with dove field establishment as well as a wide variety of other wildlife man-agement practices.
For more information on the dove leasing program, contact Dr. Duguay at jduguay@wlf.la.gov or at 225-766-2358,
