Franklin Parish Hunting

Franklin Parish WMAs, refuges and nearby areas

About 1.7% of Franklin Parish, near 6,682 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.

Franklin Parish WMAs, refuges and forest land

Franklin Parish neighbours with public ground

• Boeuf WMA16 miles, WMA, Caldwell Parish
• Buckhorn WMA18 miles, WMA, Tensas Parish
• J.C. "Sonny" Gilbert WMA21 miles, WMA, Catahoula Parish
• Tensas River NWR23 miles, national wildlife refuge, Madison Parish
• Floy Ward McElroy WMA26 miles, WMA, Richland Parish
• Russell Sage WMA27 miles, WMA, Caldwell 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.

Bear, alligator and CWD in Franklin Parish

Franklin Parish carcass and feeding rules

By the official zone map dated June 2, 2026, some of Franklin Parish falls in the CWD Management Zone. Zone feeding rules for 2026-27: allowed September 1 to March 31, closed April 1 to August 31. Carcass rules bar heads and spines from leaving the zone; take out boned meat, clean quarters and antlers instead. Anywhere in Louisiana, out-of-state deer must arrive as deboned meat, quarters without spine or head, antlers or cleaned parts. Franklin Parish has no CWD detection on record; the 55 Louisiana cases come from four other parishes.

Franklin Parish black bear season

Only lottery permit holders may take a bear in Bear Area 4, which covers Franklin Parish, between December 5 and 20, 2026 (Area 4: 19 permits (14 landowner, 4 general, 1 WMA)). 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.

Franklin Parish alligator rules

The parish falls in Recreational Zone B (1,250 opportunities), alongside Union, Lincoln, Jackson, Caldwell, Ouachita, Morehouse, Richland, Tensas, Madison, East Carroll and West Carroll. 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.

Events in Franklin Parish

Held within the Parish: 1 date still ahead and 2 published results, namely UKC nite hunt and hunter education course.

On the way

Results on file

Know a local hunt, class or contest we lack? Add it

Franklin Parish agents, towns and processors

Captain Kurt Hatten heads Region 2 in Monroe, which covers Franklin Parish. Measured from the centre of the parish, the closest LDWF office is Monroe Field Office, Monroe, roughly 39 miles away.

Towns of Franklin Parish

More communities in Franklin Parish:

• Wisner744
• Baskin208

Inside the parish we found 3 deer processors and 4 gun and outdoor stores but no taxidermists 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, Franklin Parish area

Mounts, Franklin Parish area

Sporting goods, Franklin 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.

Franklin Parish hours on key season dates

Whistling ducks in the October season may be taken only from sunrise to sunset in Franklin Parish.

The light goose conservation order runs to half an hour after sunset.

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.

Parishes near Franklin Parish

Four parishes nearby and three statewide references.

Franklin 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.