BATON ROUGE — The 2026 statewide September teal hunting season begins Saturday and runs through Sept. 27, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced on Monday.

Harvest of black-bellied whistling ducks, or species other than teal (blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon) is not legal during the September teal season. Teal may also be harvested during the regular duck season, which begins in November.

All waterfowl hunters 16 years and older, even those who are not otherwise required to purchase a license, must have a Federal Duck Stamp. Hunters can visit the LDWF Federal Duck Stamp webpage for more information.

Those 18 and older hunting teal are required to have (in addition to a federal duck stamp) a basic hunting license, waterfowl license and must be HIP certified. Youth 17 and under do not need a hunting license. To purchase a hunting license, go to the LDWF licensing webpage.

Many LDWF Wildlife Management Areas throughout the state offer teal hunting opportunities. The most popular include: Pass-a-Loutre WMA, Atchafalaya Delta WMA, Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA, Sherburne WMA, Dewey Wills WMA and Russell Sage WMA.

For a complete list of WMAs open to teal hunting and more information on WMA teal hunting, go to the LDWF Hunting Seasons and Regulations webpage.

All visitors to LDWF WMAs 18 years or older must have either a WMA Access Permit, Senior Hunting/Fishing License, Louisiana Sportsman’s Paradise License or Lifetime Hunting/Fishing License. 

For more information on teal hunting in Louisiana, see the LDWF waterfowl webpage or contact Jason Olszak at jolszak@wlf.la.gov.