Louisiana · Public Land · 2026 Edition
Louisiana Public Hunting Land 2026: WMAs & Access Rules
2 wildlife management areas tracked here, from 112,615 to 137,695 acres. A hunting license covers you on Louisiana WMA land the same as anywhere else in the state — but read the access rules below before you assume that's all you need.
01 — Wildlife management areas
| Area | County | Acres | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area | Ascension, Livingston, St. John the Baptist, St. James, Tangipahoa | 112,615 | Deer, Squirrel, Rabbit, Waterfowl |
| Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area | St. Mary | 137,695 | Waterfowl, Deer, Squirrel |
Maurepas Swamp is flooded cypress-tupelo swamp encircling three sides of Lake Maurepas, boat-access only via the Blind River and the Reserve Flood Relief Canal — deer, squirrel and rabbit share the ground with respectable duck hunting. Atchafalaya Delta, further south in St. Mary Parish at nearly 138,000 acres, is built almost entirely around waterfowl — teal and gadwall dominate the bag, with mallard, pintail, canvasback, redhead, scaup and widgeon rounding it out on the Mississippi River's active delta. This list is a starting point, not LDWF's full inventory of more than 1.6 million acres of wildlife management areas statewide.
02 — Access rules beyond your hunting license
Everyone 18 or older needs a WMA Access Permit (annual or 5-day) to set foot on any LDWF-managed wildlife management area, refuge or conservation area — a separate product from the hunting license itself, though a Senior, Sportsman's Paradise or Lifetime license substitutes for it. Hunters 17 and under are exempt from the WMA permit requirement entirely.
03 — Where to go next
Verified · Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries · Last verified 2026-08-08
Publisher's note. WMA list and access rules read from LDWF, retrieved 2026-08-08. Review due 2027-08-01. This is a starting list, not the agency's full WMA inventory — confirm current rules for a specific area before you hunt it.