13 Louisiana Hunters Issued Violations on Opening Weekend of Turkey Season

LOUISIANA (KPEL-FM) - If you are hunting turkey in Louisiana, please know the rules and regulations. Officials with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries aren't messing around, and they'll hand you a ticket.

That happened to 13 hunters during the 2025 turkey hunting season opening weekend in the Bayou State.

Turkey season opened statewide on Saturday, April 5, and LDWF game wardens were out and about checking hunters for things like licenses, tags, and hunting over baited areas.

READ MORE: 6 Meats That Are Illegal in Louisiana

Here is the list of hunters who were cited last weekend across the state:

• Preston Thompson, 46, of Baton Rouge, for hunting turkeys over a baited area, and hunting turkeys without a basic hunting license, turkey license, and without turkey tags in St. Helena Parish.
• James Puckett, 47, of Kentwood, for hunting turkeys over a baited area in Tangipahoa Parish.
• Sam Campo, 57, of Houma, for failing to tag a turkey.
• William D. Coker, 66, of Glenmora, for hunting turkeys over a baited area in Rapides Parish.
• Joshua C. Johnson, 49, of Glenmora, for possession of an illegally taken turkey and failing to tag a turkey in Rapides Parish.
• Shady Johnson, 30, of Glenmora, for hunting turkeys without turkey tags in possession in Rapides Parish.
• James Lensing, 38, of Lake Providence, for hunting turkeys over a baited area in Morehouse Parish.
• Keegan Lewis, 39, of West Monroe, for hunting turkeys over a baited area in Ouachita Parish.
• Michael Chain, 42, of Bastrop, for hunting turkeys over a baited area in Morehouse Parish.
• Donnie Goleman, 71, of Bastrop, for hunting turkeys over a baited area in Morehouse Parish.
• Michael Alexander, 26, of Ruston, for hunting turkeys while under hunting license revocation in Lincoln Parish.

LDWF also wants to remind hunters that jakes (juvenile male turkeys) are off-limits -- unless you're a properly licensed youth 17 and under, who may harvest one jake per season.

Adult hunters may harvest one adult gobbler per day but only two gobblers per season.

Turkey hunting in Louisiana continues through early May in some areas. Below are the dates for the three sections in Louisiana:

• Area A: April 5 - May 4
• Area B: April 5 - April 27
• Area C: April 5 - April 20

For a complete list of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) open to turkey hunting and more information on WMA turkey hunting, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Resources/Publications/Regulations/2024-2025-Hunting-Regulations.pdf.

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