Louisiana › Species › Feral Hog
Outlaw quadrupeds
Feral hog in Louisiana: 2026-27 seasons, limits and where to hunt
Dates, limits, licenses, legal hours and public land for feral hogs.
Photo: USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Feral Hog in Louisiana, 2026-27
Every month of 2026-27 is open for feral hogs, within the hour, land and gear rules below. On limits, the species summary reads "No limit". One more note on feral hogs: 2025-26 survey: 422,000 hogs by 78,000 hunters.
- Dates and methods (hog): Outlaw quadruped: year-round daylight; nighttime on private land; traps with bear escape opening.
- Bag rule (hog): No limit.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30, LDWF feral hog page and LDWF Big and Small Game Harvest Survey 2025-26, checked November 4, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Parishes and land for feral hogs
Statewide, year-round daylight rules cover feral hogs; on WMAs the area schedule decides which days and gear are legal.
Local closures are possible: a parish governing authority may, with the secretary's consent, close or curtail open seasons for up to one year by ordinance.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30 and Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 56, checked November 4, 2026.
Feral Hog dates, 2026-27
Each hog row with its zone, length in days and limit, as LDWF printed it.
| Season | Covers | Opening | Closing | Span | Today | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year-round, daylight | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | Year-round | No limit. | |
| Night take, private land | Private land | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | Year-round | No limit. |
Feral Hog row details
- Hog note: cage/corral traps need a Basic Hunting License and a 22×22 in. (or 25 in. diameter) top opening; snares need a trapping license.
- Hog note: live transport/holding needs Board of Animal Health registration.
- Hog note: landowner, or lessee/agent with written permission and landowner contact information; one-half hour after official sunset to one-half hour before official sunrise; notify the parish sheriff within 24 hours before (or immediately after) the take.
- Hog note: not allowed for persons with a class 3+ wildlife conviction in the last 5 years.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30 and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 31, checked November 4, 2026.
How many feral hogs are taken in Louisiana
The deer survey also estimates feral hogs: statewide only, from licensed hunters, with no parish split.
From LDWF Big and Small Game Harvest Survey 2025-26, checked November 4, 2026.
Feral Hog: limit rows
Limits for feral hogs: general rows first, then rows that print a different bag.
| Bag row | What it allows |
|---|---|
| Crow, pheasant, outlaw quadrupeds | No limit. |
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30, checked November 4, 2026.
Licenses and permits for feral hogs
Licenses for feral hogs are sold at LouisianaOutdoors.com, LDWF headquarters and license vendors, and can be shown on LA Wallet.
| License | Who | Price | Valid | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Hunting | Resident | $20 | 365 days from purchase | – |
| Basic Hunting | Nonresident | $200 | 365 days from purchase | – |
| Basic Hunting | Native nonresident, 10 days | $20 | 10 consecutive days | – |
| Basic Hunting | Nonresident, 5 days | $65 | 5 days | – |
| Trapper | Resident | $40 (fee list: $25) | Through June 30 | – |
| Trapper | Nonresident | $160 (fee list: $200) | Through June 30 | – |
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 8, LDWF hunting licenses page and LDWF fee list, checked November 4, 2026.
Louisiana public land with hog seasons
33 areas are open to feral hogs; each WMA follows its own schedule in the pamphlet.
| Place | Type | Parishes | Size (acres) | Lottery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kisatchie NF | Nat. forest | Grant, Natchitoches +5 | 607,483 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Calcasieu District | Forest district | Rapides, Vernon | 183,020 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Winn District | Forest district | Winn, Natchitoches +1 | 166,792 | – |
| Atchafalaya Delta WMA | WMA | St. Mary | 137,695 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Catahoula District | Forest district | Grant, Rapides | 122,860 | – |
| Pass-a-Loutre WMA | WMA | Plaquemines | 115,000 | – |
| Fort Polk-Vernon WMA | WMA | Vernon | 105,545 | Yes |
| Kisatchie NF, Kisatchie District | Forest district | Natchitoches | 102,489 | – |
| Tensas River NWR | Refuge | Madison, Tensas | 80,904 | Yes |
| Fort Polk North WMA | WMA | Natchitoches, Sabine +1 | 74,309 | Yes |
| Upper Ouachita NWR | Refuge | Morehouse, Union | 56,553 | – |
| Delta NWR | Refuge | Plaquemines | 49,389 | – |
| Salvador WMA | WMA unit | St. Charles | 36,447 | – |
| Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA | WMA | Lafourche, Terrebonne | 33,488 | Yes |
| Kisatchie NF, Caney District | Forest district | Claiborne, Webster | 32,322 | – |
From this site’s public land records (LDWF area pages, the 2026-27 WMA schedules and federal rules), checked November 4, 2026.
Methods that apply to hog hunting
| Season | Legal gear | Illegal gear |
|---|---|---|
| Deer modern firearms | Hog: Centerfire .22 cal+, rimfire .30 cal+, shotguns with buckshot or slug, handguns, pre-charged pneumatic devices (.30 cal+, 150 gr+, 800 fps or 215 ft-lb). | Not for hog: smaller calibers or bird shot; night-vision or laser/IR sights. |
- Feral hog traps and snares (hog): Cage/corral traps need a Basic Hunting License and a 22×22 in. or 25 in. diameter top opening (bear escape); snares need a trapping license.
- Night-vision, laser and IR sights (hog): Prohibited for game, except private-land nighttime take of outlaw quadrupeds, nutria and beaver and permitted visually impaired hunters.
- Suppressors (hog): Legal with ATF registration; persons convicted of a class four or greater hunting violation may not hunt with a suppressor for five years.
- Baiting (hog): Banned on WMAs, for turkey (200 yd) and migratory birds; restricted seasonally in CWD Management Zones; allowed for bear permit holders Nov 1 to close.
Statewide, no hog may be shot from a public road or right-of-way, or across one.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 25 and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30, checked November 4, 2026.
Feral Hog checklist from LDWF
- Blaze orange, hog hunters: The orange rule (La; R.S. 56:143: 400 square inches hunter orange or blaze pink; cap/hat alternative on privately owned, legally posted land; class one violation.) applies during firearm deer seasons; On privately owned land a hunter orange or blaze pink cap or hat may be worn instead; not required in elevated stands on private land (but required walking to and from stands where firearms are allowed) or for archers where the landowner bars firearm hunting.
- Tags and feral hogs: No tag, check station or call-in applies to feral hogs; WMA users fill in the free Self-Clearing Permit each day.
- Night take: Landowner, or lessee/agent with written permission and landowner contact information; one-half hour after official sunset to one-half hour before official sunrise; notify the parish sheriff within 24 hours before (or immediately after) the take; Not allowed for persons with a class 3+ wildlife conviction in the last 5 years.
- Trap rules: Cage/corral traps need a Basic Hunting License and a 22×22 in. or 25 in. diameter top opening (bear escape); snares need a trapping license.
- Feral Hog: hunter education: Anyone born on or after Sept 1, 1969 must complete an LDWF-approved hunter education course before hunting, unless under direct supervision (voice and sight) of a licensed hunter born before Sept 1, 1969 or an 18+ adult with proof of hunter education.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 26, 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 24 and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 12, checked November 4, 2026.
Hours for feral hogs across Louisiana
Sunrise on the Sabine comes later than on the Pearl, so the hog hours below are computed parish by parish.
The hog hours rule: one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
| Date | Season point | Parish | First sun | Last sun | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Caddo Parish | 7:13 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Ouachita Parish | 7:06 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Rapides Parish | 7:04 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Calcasieu Parish | 7:05 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | St. Tammany Parish | 6:52 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Caddo Parish | 6:08 a.m. | 8:26 p.m. | 5:38 a.m. to 8:56 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Ouachita Parish | 6:01 a.m. | 8:19 p.m. | 5:31 a.m. to 8:49 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Rapides Parish | 6:06 a.m. | 8:17 p.m. | 5:36 a.m. to 8:47 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Calcasieu Parish | 6:12 a.m. | 8:18 p.m. | 5:42 a.m. to 8:48 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | St. Tammany Parish | 5:58 a.m. | 8:05 p.m. | 5:28 a.m. to 8:35 p.m. |
Rules from the 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations and La. R.S. 56:116.1; sunrise and sunset worked out with the NOAA solar formula (Central Time); checked November 4, 2026. Legal hours for all 64 parishes.
Late light on cypress trunks and duckweed in a Louisiana swamp. Photo: jc.winkler (CC BY 2.0)
Long highway bridge crossing a calm swamp in golden evening light. Photo: Ray Devlin (CC BY 2.0)
Lone cypress trees in open water under a cloudy sky in the Atchafalaya Basin. Photo: NatalieMaynor (CC BY 2.0)
Feral Hog questions
What gear is legal for hog hunting?
Deer modern firearms rules for feral hogs: Centerfire .22 cal+, rimfire .30 cal+, shotguns with buckshot or slug, handguns, pre-charged pneumatic devices (.30 cal+, 150 gr+, 800 fps or 215 ft-lb).
Is blaze orange or pink required for feral hogs?
The orange rule (La. R.S. 56:143: 400 sq. in. hunter orange or blaze pink; cap/hat alternative on privately owned, legally posted land; class one violation.) applies during firearm deer seasons. On privately owned land a hunter orange or blaze pink cap or hat may be worn instead; not required in elevated stands on private land (but required walking to and from stands where firearms are allowed) or for archers where the landowner bars firearm hunting.
Which WMAs and refuges have feral hogs?
Start with Kisatchie NF, Kisatchie NF, Calcasieu District and Kisatchie NF, Winn District, the largest of 33 public areas for feral hogs. Public land dates are often shorter.
Are there daily hour limits for feral hogs?
Hours for feral hogs: one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. On December 21, 2026 sunrise and sunset in East Baton Rouge Parish are 6:57 a.m. and 5:07 p.m. (NOAA solar formula).
What paperwork follows a hog harvest?
No tag, check station or call-in applies to feral hogs; WMA users fill in the free Self-Clearing Permit each day.
Can feral hogs be hunted seven days a week?
Yes, on statewide dates. Public land is the exception: some WMA and federal schedules for feral hogs name the days.
What are the night rules for feral hogs?
Landowner, or lessee/agent with written permission and landowner contact information; one-half hour after official sunset to one-half hour before official sunrise; notify the parish sheriff within 24 hours before (or immediately after) the take. Not allowed for persons with a class 3+ wildlife conviction in the last 5 years.
What days are open for feral hogs this season?
There is no closed season.
Is there a limit on feral hogs in Louisiana?
No limit.
What permits go with hog hunting?
Hog hunters buy: Basic Hunting $20 resident, $200 nonresident; Trapper $40 (fee list: $25) (resident). Residents who hunt feral hogs can fold Basic Hunting into the $100 Sportsman’s Paradise license.
Other photos on this page: jc.winkler (CC BY 2.0); Ray Devlin (CC BY 2.0); NatalieMaynor (CC BY 2.0).