New Duck Hunting Season Offers Potential Tool for Louisiana Rice Farmers
By Anna Holmes
Louisiana Farm Bureau News
A steadily growing population of black-bellied whistling ducks is creating challenges for Louisiana rice farmers, but a new experimental hunting season could provide farmers and sportsmen with another tool to help manage the species.
The black-bellied whistling duck, which is classified as a migratory waterfowl species, has become a year-round resident in Louisiana. According to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Waterfowl Program Manager Jason Olszak, the species has spread into southern Louisiana over the past 25 years at an estimated rate of about 5% per year.
For rice farmers, the growing population has become particularly noticeable around planting time.
Allen McLain, a Vermilion Parish rice farmer, said he began seeing large numbers of the birds about five to 10 years ago. The ducks congregate in freshly planted fields, where young rice plants are especially vulnerable.
“They’ll go in and they’ll just start walking, smashing,” McLain said. “Not the whole plant, but then it just kills everything that’s there. That’s killing and hurting our bottom line.”
The damage can force farmers to replant crops, adding cost and time during an already busy season.
Louisiana Farm Bureau became involved after the issue was raised through its Rice Advisory Committee, where McLain serves as the committee chair. Farm Bureau Commodity and Public Policy Director Andy Brown said farmers were reporting real financial losses, prompting the organization to work with the LSU AgCenter, LDWF, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USA Rice and other partners to better understand the problem.
“Farmers are telling us it’s costing them real dollars,” Brown said. “They’re having to replant rice crops, and they don’t have the time or the finances to do that.”
After years of research, discussions and collaboration, Louisiana will introduce an experimental black-bellied whistling duck season this fall. The season will run Oct. 3-11, with a four-bird daily bag limit.
Olszak said the season was intentionally designed to begin with low bag limits because researchers have trend data on the species, but not a precise population estimate.
“We come into this a bit conservatively,” Olszak said. “Let’s assess this, exactly how many we can harvest with this season structure. And then at the end of this evaluation, maybe we can expand that.”
Olszak said increased participation and harvest, while minimizing the harvest of other waterfowl species, will help determine whether changes should be made to the season in the future.
The season will also provide LDWF with valuable information. Hunters must have a valid federal duck stamp and Louisiana hunting license, obtain a free black-bellied whistling duck permit and report their hunting effort and total harvest after the season.
The new season is not intended to serve as a complete solution to agricultural damage, but it could provide another way to put pressure on a growing population while giving hunters an additional opportunity in Louisiana’s outdoors.
For Brown, the season represents a significant step in a long-term effort to address the issue.
“This is another step in a long plan,” Brown said. “But this is a huge step for us.”
McLain said the season could also offer a new opportunity for families and young hunters to experience Louisiana’s outdoors.
“I think it would be great if they could bring an extra kid out with them and let them really just enjoy it,” McLain said.
For more information, visit the links below for details on the black-bellied whistling duck hunting season and listen to the full podcast episode.
LDWF: Special Black-Bellied Whistling Duck Season Announcement
LDWF: Season Information and Free Permit
Louisiana Outdoors Licensing Portal
Louisiana 2026–2027 Hunting and WMA Regulations
Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks: A Farm Problem Becomes a Hunting Opportunity Podcast