Why is La. a sportsman's paradise? 365 answers

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Why is La. a sportsman's paradise? 365 answers

Published Monday, June 18, 2007

By JOE MACALUSO

The (Baton Rouge) Advocate via AP

BATON ROUGE, La. - Sportsman's Paradise. There are 365 reasons why those last two words have been on our state's license plates for nigh on six decades.

Louisiana outdoor activities are available year-round, fishing mostly. Add months of hunting seasons, sprinklings of birding, camping and hiking programs in ever-expanding opportunities at state parks and other public venues, and you've got the dishes for a full outdoors menu.

With few exceptions, notably red snapper among a handful of deep-water, saltwater species, fishing fills the daily bill for Louisiana sportsmen.

There are no closed seasons in the state's freshwater areas, which include the country's largest overflow swamp, the Atchafalaya Basin and one of the country's premier reservoirs, Toledo Bend.

Mix in tens of thousands of miles of bayou and river shorelines, the enhanced fishing in the Red River system and brackish-water marshes - a mix of freshwater and saltwater estuaries near the state's coast - and veteran Capital City area anglers know they're never more than two hours away from at least one spot where someone is catching bass, bluegill, sac-a-lait - south Louisiana's French name for crappie - and catfish.

That's just the half of it: The other half starts in the brackish-water estuaries and extends tens of miles into the Gulf of Mexico. In this vast, fish-rich environment, it's possible to tackle species from speckled trout, redfish up to 50 pounds, flounder then, moving to a larger boat, tackle busters like yellowfin and bluefin tuna, grouper, amberjack, tarpon and all Atlantic and Caribbean billfish species.

Even though numbers have dropped in recent seasons, a large number (sometimes as many as 4 million) of North America's duck population overwinters in Louisiana, mostly in the coastal marshes.

Geese come to spend the fall and winter here, too.

Combining that migration with the movement of other birds from the north and the south, and, from fall though spring, Louisiana becomes a premier birding paradise.

Resident game abounds, too. Deer, squirrel and rabbit are found on Louisiana tables. By the time the spring turkey and squirrel seasons come around, hunters are able to stay afield nearly every day from Labor Day Weekend in September until the Sunday of the Memorial Day Weekend.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries owns or manages more than 1 million acres for public use. Add in national forests and federal refuges, and public lands total nearly 2.5 million acres that are open sometime during the year to outdoor activities.

WHO NEEDS LICENSES: With exceptions for active-duty military and the disabled, all residents and nonresidents 16 and older must have Basic Hunting and/or Basic Fishing licenses. If you were 60 years old as of June 1, 2000, you do not need either license. If you reached 60 after that date, then an all-inclusive $5 Senior License is required.

There are more specific licenses and stamps to cover saltwater fishing and deer, waterfowl (state and federal stamps) and turkey hunting.

The LDWF also sells a Lifetime License that can cover all activities.

The department handles license sales through nearly 500 vendors throughout the state, via telephone (888) 765-2602, or its Web site, http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS: If born after Sept. 1, 1969, prospective hunters must successfully complete a state-approved Hunter Safety Course to obtain a hunting license. Courses are taught through the LDWF.

Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1988, must successfully complete an approved Boating Safety Course. These courses are taught by the LDWF, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary units and the U.S. Power Squadron.

The state department issues annual hunting and fishing pamphlets outline dates, creel and bag limits for all species in the state.

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