Furbearers
Mink in Louisiana: 2026-27 trapping, hunting and limits
Mink in Louisiana: every 2026-27 season row with its source.
Photo: brian gautreau (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Louisiana mink in brief
For 2026-27 the mink calendar runs November 20, 2026 to March 31, 2027; LDWF splits it into 1 row by segment, area or zone. The LDWF limit line for mink: No limit stated.
- Season shape (mink): Trapping Nov 20-Mar 31.
- Limit (mink): No limit stated.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana trapping regulations, checked November 4, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Where mink may be hunted in Louisiana
No zone applies to mink; trapping runs statewide and WMAs set their own trapping windows.
Statewide does not always mean every parish: 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 trapping regulations and Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 56, checked November 4, 2026.
Mink calendar statewide
These are the private-land and statewide rows for mink; WMA schedules can be shorter.
| Season | Zone | From | To | Days | Now | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Statewide | Nov 20, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | 132 | No limit stated. |
Mink row details
- Mink note: WMA trapping seasons differ (see the WMA table in the trapping regulations).
From 2026-2027 Louisiana trapping regulations, checked November 4, 2026.
Harvest figures for mink
For mink the harvest gap is complete: no parish table and no survey row.
From LDWF Big and Small Game Harvest Survey 2025-26, checked November 4, 2026.
The Louisiana mink bag
Limits for mink: general rows first, then rows that print a different bag.
| Row | Limit |
|---|---|
| Trapping | No limit stated. |
From 2026-2027 Louisiana trapping regulations, checked November 4, 2026.
Mink: licenses and stamps
Basic Hunting License for everyone 18+ hunting birds or quadrupeds; youths 17 and under need the $5 Youth License only for deer, turkey, trapping and lottery hunts; residents born before June 1, 1940 exempt (proof of age).
| Name | Who buys | Price | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | – |
| Youth Hunt and Trap | Resident | $5 | 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.
Public areas open to mink
31 public places carry mink in their 2026-27 schedules or species lists; the biggest are below.
| Area | Type | Parishes | 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 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Catahoula District | Forest district | Grant, Rapides | 122,860 | – |
| Fort Polk-Vernon WMA | WMA | Vernon | 105,545 | Yes |
| Kisatchie NF, Kisatchie District | Forest district | Natchitoches | 102,489 | – |
| Fort Polk North WMA | WMA | Natchitoches, Sabine +1 | 74,309 | Yes |
| Richard K. Yancey WMA | WMA | Concordia | 70,872 | Yes |
| Dewey W. Wills WMA | WMA | Catahoula, LaSalle +1 | 63,984 | Yes |
| West Bay WMA | WMA | Allen | 59,189 | Yes |
| Clear Creek WMA | WMA | Vernon | 52,559 | Yes |
| Russell Sage WMA | WMA | Caldwell, Morehouse +2 | 38,208 | Yes |
| Red Dirt NWMP | Forest preserve | Natchitoches | 38,000 | – |
| Catahoula NWMP | Forest preserve | Grant, Winn | 36,000 | – |
| Pearl River WMA | WMA | St. Tammany | 35,619 | Yes |
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 mink hunting
| Rule | Legal arms | Banned |
|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Mink: Traps and snares; nutria by rifle sunrise-sunset for licensed trappers; firearms to dispatch. | Not for mink: traps with teeth (Title 56, section 121.1); traps set more than one day before the season or left after it. |
- Night-vision, laser and IR sights (mink): Prohibited for game, except private-land nighttime take of outlaw quadrupeds, nutria and beaver and permitted visually impaired hunters.
The pamphlet is not the official law; Title 56 and Commission rules govern every method for mink.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana trapping regulations and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30, checked November 4, 2026.
Field rules for mink hunters
- Reporting mink: No validation applies to mink; a Self-Clearing Permit is the WMA record of the day.
- Who needs the course: 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.
Orange sunset behind silhouetted cypress trees in the Atchafalaya Basin. Photo: Kevin Crosby (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Flooded cypress woods draped in Spanish moss. Photo: Nick Shields (CC BY 2.0)
Wide buttressed trunks of bald cypress in a duckweed swamp. Photo: Megan Romer (CC BY 2.0)
Mink questions
What does a mink hunter buy before going out?
What a mink hunter pays: Basic Hunting $20 resident, $200 nonresident; Trapper $40 (fee list: $25) (resident); Youth Hunt and Trap $5 (resident). Youths 17 and under hunting mink need no Basic Hunting License.
What methods does LDWF allow for mink?
Trapping rules for mink: Traps and snares; nutria by rifle sunrise-sunset for licensed trappers; firearms to dispatch.
Where are mink open to the public?
Try Kisatchie NF, Kisatchie NF, Calcasieu District and Kisatchie NF, Winn District; 31 public areas name mink in all. Check the area schedule before a trip.
How are mink tagged or reported in Louisiana?
No validation applies to mink; a Self-Clearing Permit is the WMA record of the day.
Is there a Sunday rule for mink?
Sundays are open for mink on private land; a few public areas limit the days of the week in their schedules.
When does mink trapping open?
The mink trapping window is November 20, 2026 to March 31, 2027; Traps and snares only (no toothed traps; check daily; set no earlier than one day before opening); nutria also by rifle sunrise-sunset by licensed trappers.
What license sells mink pelts?
Mink trappers pay $40 (resident 18+), $5 (youth) or $160 (nonresident) under the trapping regulations, while the LDWF fee list page shows $25, $5 and $200.
When is mink season in Louisiana for 2026-27?
LDWF opens mink on November 20, 2026; the final row ends March 31, 2027. Next up: November 20, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Kevin Crosby (CC BY-SA 2.0); Nick Shields (CC BY 2.0); Megan Romer (CC BY 2.0).