Furbearers
Skunk in Louisiana: 2026-27 trapping, hunting and limits
Nov 20–Mar 31; limits, harvest, licenses and places to hunt skunks.
Photo: Jenni (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Louisiana skunk in brief
For 2026-27 the skunk 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 skunks: No limit stated.
- Season shape (skunk): Trapping Nov 20-Mar 31.
- Limit (skunk): No limit stated.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana trapping regulations, checked November 4, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Where skunks may be hunted in Louisiana
No zone applies to skunks; 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.
Every skunk season row
1 row for skunks from the 2026-27 LDWF tables; the status column compares each with November 4, 2026.
| Season | Zone | From | To | Days | Now | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Statewide | Nov 20, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | 132 | No limit stated. |
Skunk season notes
- Skunk 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 skunks
For skunks 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 skunk bag
Louisiana sets the skunk limit in these rows; WMA schedules can be stricter on an area.
| Row | Limit |
|---|---|
| Trapping | No limit stated. |
From 2026-2027 Louisiana trapping regulations, checked November 4, 2026.
Skunk: 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.
Where to hunt skunks on public ground
32 public places carry skunks 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.
Weapons and field rules for skunks
| Rule | Legal arms | Banned |
|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Skunk: Traps and snares; nutria by rifle sunrise-sunset for licensed trappers; firearms to dispatch. | Not for skunk: 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 (skunk): 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 skunks.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana trapping regulations and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30, checked November 4, 2026.
Field rules for skunk hunters
- Reporting skunks: No validation applies to skunks; 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.
Cypress knees and moss-draped trees reflected in still swamp water. Photo: Tim Wilson (CC BY 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)
Skunk questions
What license sells skunk pelts?
Skunk 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 can I hunt skunks in Louisiana?
LDWF opens skunks on November 20, 2026; the final row ends March 31, 2027. Next up: November 20, 2026.
What does a skunk hunter buy before going out?
What a skunk 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 skunks need no Basic Hunting License.
Which guns and bows may be used on skunks?
Trapping rules for skunks: Traps and snares; nutria by rifle sunrise-sunset for licensed trappers; firearms to dispatch.
Where are skunks open to the public?
Try Kisatchie NF, Kisatchie NF, Calcasieu District and Kisatchie NF, Winn District; 32 public areas name skunks in all. Check the area schedule before a trip.
How are skunks tagged or reported in Louisiana?
No validation applies to skunks; a Self-Clearing Permit is the WMA record of the day.
Is there a Sunday rule for skunks?
Sundays are open for skunks on private land; a few public areas limit the days of the week in their schedules.
What dates apply to trapping skunks?
The skunk 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.
Other photos on this page: Tim Wilson (CC BY 2.0); Nick Shields (CC BY 2.0); Megan Romer (CC BY 2.0).