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Hammond area parish
Ascension Parish Hunting
Ascension Parish hunting in one page: Deer Area 9, Turkey Area C, East duck zone, South dove zone, public acres, processors and contacts.
Photo: ClayJar.com (CC BY 2.0)
Ascension Parish at a glance
For wildlife staff, Ascension Parish belongs to the Hammond field office of LDWF, a district covering the Florida Parishes and the southeast: Pearl River and Lake Maurepas swamps, the Lake Pontchartrain basin, Delta marsh and the pine flats north of Lake Pontchartrain. Parish government sits in Donaldsonville. Census counted an estimated 133,534 people in 2024, 5.6% up from the 2020 base of 126,499.
The parish covers 290 square miles of land and 13 square miles of water, so water makes up 4% of its total area. Drive out of Ascension Parish in any direction and you reach Assumption Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, Iberville Parish, Livingston Parish, St. James Parish and St. John the Baptist Parish.
Population from the Census Vintage 2024 estimates; area from the 2024 Census gazetteer; neighbours from Census adjacency; seat from the list of Louisiana parishes; LDWF offices from the LDWF Contact Us page. Checked November 4, 2026.
Ascension Parish deer area, dates and bag
LDWF lists Ascension Parish among the whole parishes of Deer Area 9, so there is a single deer schedule here. Expect different dates on public tracts, which LDWF schedules one by one.
| Area | Parish coverage | Share | Season cap | Max antlered | Max antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 9 | Whole parish | 100% | 6 | 3 | 4 |
When each deer segment opens in Ascension Parish
| Area | Archery | Primitive | Still-hunt gun | Gun, dogs allowed | Youth and veterans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 9 | Oct 1–Feb 15 | Nov 14–Nov 20 Jan 25–Jan 31 | Nov 21–Dec 11 | Dec 12–Jan 24 | Oct 31–Nov 6 |
The daily limit is one antlered plus one antlerless deer; across the season the cap is 6 deer, with at most 3 antlered and 4 antlerless. Velvet bucks are new this season: velvet antlers of three inches or more now make a deer legal as antlered. Carcass tags go on before the deer is moved, and validation is due within 72 hours through text, web, LA Wallet or a phone call. Any legal weapon may be used in primitive segments by youths, seniors 65 and up and qualifying disabled hunters. WMA deer are not extra: they come off the same season limit.
Areas and limits from the 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, deer and the LDWF Deer Area map; segment dates from the area schedules (Area 9); shares from the LDWF Deer Management Areas layer; tag and weapon rules from pamphlet p. 22 and p. 23. Checked November 4, 2026.
Ascension Parish public land map
About 10.4% of Ascension Parish, near 19,214 acres, is mapped public hunting land, the largest part WMA land. Map-measured acres differ from the acres an agency publishes, so use the area pages for official numbers.
| Kind | Acres mapped |
|---|---|
| WMA land | 19,214 |
Ascension Parish public ground by area
Maurepas Swamp WMA
Species listed: deer, waterfowl, small game, raccoon and squirrel. Maurepas Swamp WMA is mostly flooded cypress tupelo swamp. Managed-hunt deer, 2024: 44.
Ascension Parish neighbours with public ground
- Elm Hall WMA23 miles, WMA, Assumption Parish
Every WMA visit needs the free daily Self-Clearing Permit, and adults also carry the WMA Access Permit, $20 yearly or $5 for five days. WMA rules ban bait, open the gates at 4 a.m. at the earliest and end waterfowl hunting at noon.
Acres from the LDWF WMA layer, USFS ownership, USFWS refuge layer and LDWF federal layers; areas from the LDWF WMA, refuge and conservation area list and each area page; permits from pamphlet p. 6 and WMA rules. Checked November 4, 2026.
Every dated season in Ascension Parish
Ducks follow East or West zone splits and doves the North or South zone, which is why one parish can show two sets of bird dates.
| Quarry | Season part | Zone | Begins | Ends | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Area 9 | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 15, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Area 9 | Oct 16, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth and veterans | Area 9 | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Primitive Firearms | Area 9 | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Still-hunt firearms | Area 9 | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Still-hunt firearms | Area 9 | Nov 23, 2026 | Nov 26, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Still-hunt firearms | Area 9 | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Still-hunt firearms | Area 9 | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, dogs allowed | Area 9 | Dec 12, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, dogs allowed | Area 9 | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, dogs allowed | Area 9 | Dec 19, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, dogs allowed | Area 9 | Dec 21, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Primitive Firearms | Area 9 | Jan 25, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Challenged hunters | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Lottery permit hunt | Bear Area 1 | Dec 5, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Lottery permit hunt | Bear Area 7 | Dec 5, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Youth and challenged | Turkey A, B, C | Mar 26, 2027 | Mar 28, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring | Turkey Area C | Apr 3, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Feral hogs | Night take, private land | Private land | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Feral hogs | Year-round, daylight | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Alligator | Recreational lottery | Zones A-H | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Youth (private lands only) | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Fall | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Spring | Statewide | May 1, 2027 | May 23, 2027 | |
| Rabbits | Season | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Quail | Season | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Season | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Doves | Segment 1 | South zone | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Doves | Segment 2 | South zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Doves | Segment 3 | South zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Whistling ducks | Special season | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Youth and veteran day | East zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Split 1 | East zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Split 2 | East zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Ducks and coots | Youth and veteran day | East zone | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 6, 2027 | |
| Snow and blue geese | Regular season | East zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Snow and blue geese | Conservation Order | East zone | Dec 7, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | |
| Snow and blue geese | Regular season | East zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| Snow and blue geese | Conservation Order | East zone | Feb 8, 2027 | Mar 7, 2027 | |
| Specklebellies | Regular season | East zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Specklebellies | Regular season | East zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| Canada geese | Regular season | East zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Canada geese | Regular season | East zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| King and clapper rails | Season | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| King and clapper rails | Season | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 6, 2027 | |
| Sora and Virginia rails | Season | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Sora and Virginia rails | Season | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 6, 2027 | |
| Gallinules | Season | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Gallinules | Season | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 6, 2027 | |
| Snipe | Season | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Snipe | Season | Statewide | Jan 25, 2027 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Season | Statewide | Dec 18, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Crows | Season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Year-round, daylight | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Armadillo | Year-round, daylight | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Nutria | Recreational hunting | Private land | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Year-round hunting | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Year-round, day and night | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Year-round, day and night | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Foxes (chase) | Chase only (hunting) | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 |
From the LDWF seasons and regulations and the 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting and WMA Regulations (Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries), checked November 4, 2026.
What Ascension Parish hunters take
The deer reports name just 20 parishes a year, and Ascension Parish misses both published lists, so this page shows no parish harvest.
| Year | Deer rank | Total deer | Forest acres per deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Not in top 20 | — | Not in top 20 |
| 2022-23 | Not in top 20 | — | Not in top 20 |
Across the state, reported deer reached 143,527 in 2024-25, while survey estimates for 2025-26 run to 276,200 deer.
Survey respondents broke their effort down by Deer Area for 2025-26: Area 9: 1,343 days and 42 deer. LDWF does not expand these raw figures.
Ascension Parish WMA either-sex hunts, 2024
| Managed hunt | Efforts | Deer taken | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maurepas Swamp | 346 | 44 | 24 | 20 |
The 2026 turkey report maps validated harvest by parish: 1 for Ascension Parish against 4,024 in all, read from the image.
Parish deer from the Annual Louisiana Deer Report 2024-25 and 2022-23 (top-20 tables only; the 2023-24 report link is dead); statewide and WMA figures from the 2024-25 report; survey from the 2025-26 harvest survey; turkey from the 2026 Wild Turkey Program report (Figure 5 map, read by eye); records from the Big Game Records page. Checked November 4, 2026.
Bear, alligator and CWD in Ascension Parish
Ascension Parish and the CWD Management Zone
Ascension Parish lies beyond the CWD Management Zone, which sits in northeast and central Louisiana. Anywhere in Louisiana, out-of-state deer must arrive as deboned meat, quarters without spine or head, antlers or cleaned parts. Ascension Parish has no CWD detection on record; the 55 Louisiana cases come from four other parishes.
Ascension Parish black bear season
Only lottery permit holders may take a bear in Bear Area 1 (part) and Bear Area 7 (part), which covers Ascension Parish, between December 5 and 20, 2026 (Area 1: 8 permits (5 landowner, 3 general) and Area 7: 2 general permits). A Bear Area edge crosses the parish along roads or rivers. Expect a $50 lottery application, a $25 Bear License and required training if drawn. Bait is legal for permit holders from November 1; dogs are not, and cubs or females with cubs are protected.
Ascension Parish alligator rules
The parish falls in Recreational Zone G (400 opportunities), alongside West Feliciana, East Feliciana, St. Helena, Tangipahoa, Washington, East Baton Rouge and Livingston. The recreational season runs October 1 to 31, 2026; each winner gets two hide tags per zone, and tags must be reported within 72 hours. Licensed commercial hunters work East or West zones through December 31.
CWD from the June 2, 2026 CWD map, pamphlet p. 12 and the LDWF CWD page; bear from the LDWF black bear lottery page and lottery hunts page; alligator from the LDWF recreational alligator page. Checked November 4, 2026.
Birds in Ascension Parish: turkey, waterfowl, doves
Spring gobblers in Ascension Parish
Gobbler hunters in Ascension Parish follow Turkey Area C: April 3 to April 18, 2027. The special youth hunt is March 26 to March 28, 2027, and no hunter may tag more than two gobblers. A baited spot is off-limits for turkeys within 200 yards, and stays so 15 days after removal.
Ascension Parish waterfowl zone
East Zone duck splits: November 21 to December 6, 2026 and December 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Youth and veterans hunt November 14, 2026 and February 6, 2027. The early teal season is September 19 to September 27, 2026; whistling ducks had their first season October 3 to October 11, 2026, by free permit.
Ascension Parish dove zone
Doves in the South Zone: September 5 to September 20, 2026, October 17 to November 29, 2026 and December 12, 2026 to January 10, 2027 (15 daily, 45 in possession).
Turkey from pamphlet pp. 30-31 and the LDWF turkey map; waterfowl from pamphlet p. 34 and p. 36; doves from p. 34; baiting from p. 12. Checked November 4, 2026.
Ascension Parish LDWF contacts, towns and services
Captain Will Roberts heads Region 7 in Baton Rouge, which covers Ascension Parish. Measured from the centre of the parish, the closest LDWF office is Baton Rouge Headquarters, Baton Rouge, roughly 18 miles away.
Town pages in Ascension Parish
| Town | Population | Land within 10 mi | Land within 25 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donaldsonville | 6,945 | 1 | 2 |
| Sorrento | 1,589 | 1 | 3 |
More communities in Ascension Parish:
- Gonzales13,837
- Darrow
- Lemannville
- Prairieville
Inside the parish we found 2 taxidermists and 6 gun and outdoor stores but no deer processors and guides and preserves. Sources are LDWF processor maps, Hunters for the Hungry, chain store locators and Yellow Pages, so phone first.
Deer cut and wrap, Ascension Parish area
Mounts, Ascension Parish area
Sporting goods, Ascension Parish area
Guide services, Ascension Parish area
Offices from the LDWF Contact Us page and LDWF local law enforcement page; towns and places from the 2024 Census gazetteer and Census population estimates; services from LDWF processor layers, Hunters for the Hungry, store locators and Yellow Pages listings. Checked November 4, 2026.
Ascension Parish shooters: ranges and match dates
This guide finds 1 range inside Ascension Parish, from club benches to indoor lanes.
Of the 6 LDWF ranges, Waddill Outdoor Education Center Ranges is closest, about 21 miles from the Ascension Parish centre. See the range
Dates in this parish
| Day and event | Discipline | Enter |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 21-22, 2026 | Gun show | Calendar |
| Jan 2-3, 2027 | Gun show | Calendar |
| Feb 27-28, 2027 | Gun show | Calendar |
| Apr 3-4, 2027 | Gun show | Calendar |
Ranges from the LDWF shooting ranges page, ranges’ own sites and directory listings, checked November 4, 2026.
Ascension Parish hours on key season dates
Whistling ducks in the October season may be taken only from sunrise to sunset in Ascension Parish.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer hours | Duck hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Area 9 archery opens | 6:56 a.m. | 6:50 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 7:20 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 6:50 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Area 9 gun opens | 6:34 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Dec 5, 2026 | Bear lottery hunt opens | 6:45 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Area 9 dog season | 6:50 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 6:56 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. |
| Apr 3, 2027 | Spring turkey opens | 6:52 a.m. | 7:23 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 7:53 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. |
Hours rules from the 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting and WMA Regulations and La. R.S. 56:116.1; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Central Time); checked November 4, 2026. Legal hours for every parish.
Ascension Parish FAQ
Does one deer calendar cover all of Ascension Parish?
Yes, Deer Area 9 covers the whole parish.
Are velvet bucks legal in Ascension Parish?
Yes, from 2026-27 velvet antlers of three inches or more count as legal antlered deer.
Can I hunt turkeys over bait in Ascension Parish?
No; not within 200 yards of bait, and not for 15 days after it is removed.
Can bear hunters use dogs in Ascension Parish?
No; still hunting only, with bait allowed from November 1.
Is Ascension Parish in the East or West duck zone?
East.
Where is the dove line near Ascension Parish?
LA 12, US 190, I-12 and I-10.
Where do I check CWD rules for Ascension Parish?
The LDWF CWD page and the June 2, 2026 zone map.
How many gator tags does a Ascension Parish winner get?
Two hide tags per zone.
How many public hunting areas are in Ascension Parish?
1 area on our list.
Which LDWF field office covers Ascension Parish?
The Hammond field office, (985) 543-4777.
How much hunter orange is required in Ascension Parish?
400 square inches of orange or blaze pink in firearm deer seasons; a cap is enough on private land.
Answers from the 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, LDWF seasons and regulations, hunter orange rule, tagging rules, Sunday hunting, hunter education, the Annual Louisiana Deer Report and the sources above. Checked November 4, 2026.
Ascension Parish season reminders
Validate every deer and turkey tag within 72 hours, and keep proof of sex with the carcass until it is tagged.
Sources: 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, LDWF hunting, Census and the sources in each section. Checked November 4, 2026.
Other photos on this page: spycup (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain).