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When the Louisiana season closes on Jan. 2, will it be illegal to hunt on that side of the river. Would a boat blind (floating boat) be legal or all hunting activities illegal when you cross the imaginary state line?

Laws vary by state. But as a general rule, if you can navigate the water (from a traditional normal water level) and you stay in your boat at all times, you probably are legal. If you get out to wade or retrieve a bird, you could be violating the law. Also, I would assume you are launching from the MS side.

I would check with local game and fish on both sides to confirm this.

yes....on some lakes with reciprocal agreements you can hunt either season with your residence license/stamps, but you have to hunt in the area designated as that state where the season is open....example, I can hunt Eagle or Chotard in Louisiana with a Ms license while Louisiana is open....I can't hunt the Ms or Louisiana side that would be closed at any time with either license....
ST.

Magic Mallard wrote:yes....on some lakes with reciprocal agreements you can hunt either season with your residence license/stamps, but you have to hunt in the area designated as that state where the season is open....example, I can hunt Eagle or Chotard in Louisiana with a Ms license while Louisiana is open....I can't hunt the Ms or Louisiana side that would be closed at any time with either license....
ST.

This is correct.

But as a general rule, if you can navigate the water (from a traditional normal water level) and you stay in your boat at all times, you probably are legal

I believe thats wrong. You can launch in MS, then run WAY up the White River from where it dumps into the Mississippi river...although you've never set foot out of your boat, you are in Arkansas plain and simple.

If the season is CLOSED in that state, in this case he's asking about Louisiana, then it's closed in that state no matter if you launched your boat in Alaska and came all the way around South America and up the Mississippi river, or launched on the Mississippi side and ran just across the river. Once you get inside the boundaries of that state, the season is CLOSED. The imaginary "line" if you will is going to be somewhere out in the middle of the river where you're not going to be hunting anyway. There's no way you'll convince a judge you "thought" you were in Mississippi when you're hunting on the west bank of the Mississippi river which is where I would venture to say most of the Louisiana property along the Mississippi river is located.

I think your right dutch dog, if the season is closed in that state you can not hunt in that state's water. If say Mississippi season is closed and Louisiana is open I have hunted Louisiana water by launching my boat in Mississippi water and been checked by the feds and was legal with a Louisiana state stamp. Just my 2 cents worth, but I would not even get close to the state's water that is closed.

the Louisiana season isn't closed on Jan. 2. It's closed now (from Dec. 2) until Dec. 15, then it's open until Jan 27.

http://www.wlf.state.la.us/hunting/seasons/migratoryandwaterfowl

Biggs, you are so right, It will be open Jan 2, I feel like such a Tard, but that is awesome, though some of my good holes would be off limits when I head out, but not so!!

I was assuming you would be hunting in proximity to the "imaginary line", possibly off of some sand bars, oxbow, etc.

Obviously, if you are clearly in LA you are subject to their regs.

Hunt anywhere you want, anytime you want... all you got to do is convince the man.

As long as seasons are open on both sides!!!!