Henderson, Louisiana: public land within reach

Parish rules around Henderson

Season caps show antlered and antlerless in brackets; Turkey says Closed where LDWF lists no Turkey Area.

St. Martin Parish is split among Deer Areas (Area 5 about 50%, Area 9 about 34%, Area 6 about 16% of the parish by GIS), along roads and rivers rather than the parish line. (Deer Area 5, Deer Area 9, Deer Area 6; LDWF Deer Area map.) Deer Area 5 opens to still-hunt gun hunters on November 21, 2026, after a bow season that began October 1, 2026. The youth and veteran deer segment in Deer Area 5 is October 31 to November 6. Season limits by area: Area 5: 6 deer, no more than 3 antlered or 4 antlerless; Area 9: 6 deer, no more than 3 antlered or 4 antlerless; Area 6: 6 deer, no more than 3 antlered or 4 antlerless; the daily limit is one antlered and one antlerless deer. Gobbler hunting in St. Martin Parish: Turkey Area C (part), Area C April 3 to April 18, and no hunting within 200 yards of bait. St. Martin Parish belongs to Bear Area 1 and Bear Area 2, with Area 1: 8 permits (5 landowner, 3 general); Area 2: 4 permits (3 landowner, 1 general). (Bear Area 1, Bear Area 2) The East duck zone covers St. Martin Parish; split dates are East zone November 21 to December 6 and December 19 to January 31. For mourning doves, St. Martin Parish uses the South zone (South: September 5-20, October 17-November 29, December 12-January 10). For the gator lottery, St. Martin Parish counts as Recreational Zone D.

Deer Areas, limits and dates from the 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting and WMA Regulations (LDWF map); GIS shares from the LDWF DeerManagementAreas layer; turkey from LDWF, bear from LDWF, ducks and doves from LDWF, CWD from LDWF, alligator zones from LDWF. Checked November 4, 2026.

Henderson close-up on Sherburne WMA

Closest state-managed ground with a full schedule: Sherburne WMA, 8.9 miles from town. LDWF describes it this way: "Sherburne WMA is located in the Morganza Floodway system of the Atchafalaya Basin between the Atchafalaya River and the East Protection Guide Levee." The hunting section reads: "Deer, squirrel, and woodcock hunting are good; rabbit hunting is fair." For a sense of the deer, the 2024 managed hunts there returned 61 deer from 641 hunter efforts. Some hunts on Sherburne WMA are by lottery only, applied for on LouisianaOutdoors.com. From the area rules: "South Farm: No hunting allowed on South Farm EXCEPT lottery hunts and EXCEPT open migratory game bird hunting is allowed during early teal season, statewide youth waterfowl seasons, and any open goose seasons that occur after the close of Duck Season"

From the LDWF area page and the 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting and WMA Regulations; managed-hunt deer from the LDWF deer report 2024-25. Checked November 4, 2026.

Henderson processors and gun shops

Deer processors come from the LDWF processor map layer, the Hunters for the Hungry list and directory listings; preserves partly from the LDWF preserve list. Southern Deer Processing (11 mi) takes donated deer for Hunters for the Hungry. Mounts: Basin Taxidermy in Breaux Bridge is the nearest taxidermy listing, 1.3 mi off. Short on shells? Bayou Teche Guns in Arnaudville is 9.4 mi away. Processing options within 35 miles of Henderson number 11.

Processing shops

Mount makers

Outdoor stores

Preserves

Processors from the LDWF deer processor and Hunters for the Hungry map layers, the Hunters for the Hungry list and Yellow Pages; preserves from the LDWF preserve list and Yellow Pages; taxidermists and shops from Yellow Pages and store locators (services.json). Listings without coordinates are placed at their town. Checked November 4, 2026; hours were not checked.

Dates within reach of Henderson

Some 30 miles around Henderson take in 9 dates still ahead; the kinds are DU banquet, DU bingo night, LDWF youth lottery, NWTF banquet and hunter education course. LDWF lottery rows (1) admit drawn applicants alone.

Upcoming

Chapter banquet coming up close to here? List it

LDWF offices and agents for Henderson

The Lafayette office is the LDWF location closest to Henderson, 16 miles off. Call the LDWF Lafayette Field Office at (337) 262-2080 about WMAs near Henderson. Scott Dupre captains the enforcement agents of Region 4, St. Martin Parish among them. Part of St. Martin Parish answers to Region 6 instead.

Offices and field office parish lists from the LDWF Contact Us page, enforcement regions and captains from LDWF local law enforcement contacts (counties.json, services.json). Checked November 4, 2026.

Henderson, answered

Answers from places.json, lands.json, counties.json, services.json and the 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting and WMA Regulations; tagging from LDWF, hunter orange from LDWF, baiting from LDWF, WMA permits from the LDWF license list, CWD from LDWF. Checked November 4, 2026.

Leaving Henderson to hunt

Orange or pink during firearm deer dates, a tag on the animal before it moves and validation within 72 hours keep a Louisiana deer hunt legal.