LDWF Votes to Expand Feed Ban Area

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Includes food plots!!

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Hopefully they ban water holes, falling acorns and licking branches too. For God sakes man, it's time.

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On April 3, 2025, a group of Louisiana deer hunters gathered outside the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Baton Rouge, where the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LDWFC) was set to meet at 9 a.m. The hunters, many of whom are morbidly obese and hail from rural parishes like LaSalle and Catahoula, were there to protest a potential emergency declaration that could ban deer feeding, food plots, and other baiting practices. Most of these hunters rely on crossbows, a preferred tool for their hunts due to its accessibility and effectiveness in the dense Louisiana woods. Their message was clear: they’re fighting for their livelihoods and the ability to feed their families.

The LDWFC’s meeting was called to address the growing concern over Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Louisiana’s deer population. CWD, a neurodegenerative disease affecting white-tailed deer and other cervids, was first detected in the state in 2022 in Tensas Parish. This past hunting season, another case was confirmed in a wild deer harvested in Catahoula Parish. According to a March 17 report from the LDWF, CWD leads to severe symptoms like weight loss, emaciation, and excessive salivation, and is always fatal to the animal. While the LDWF report states that CWD is not contagious to humans, both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) advise against consuming deer known to be infected, despite no proven cases of human harm from CWD-infected deer.

The LDWFC’s agenda included an update on CWD and a potential declaration of emergency to amend CWD control areas, which many hunters fear will lead to a statewide ban on baiting practices. For these crossbow hunters, such a ban isn’t just a regulatory change—it’s a direct threat to their way of life. “We’re not out here for sport,” said Tommy Boudreaux, a lifelong hunter from LaSalle Parish, his camouflage jacket stretched tight across his broad frame as he leaned on his crossbow. “We hunt to put food on the table. Baiting helps us get deer so we can feed our families. Without it, we’re sunk.”

Deer hunting is a significant economic driver in Louisiana. Economists estimate that the industry contributes $385 million to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Hunters spend over $56 million annually on land purchases and leases, with more than $6 million going toward plantings and food plots. In rural areas like LaSalle Parish, the economic ripple effects are even more pronounced. Local businesses—gas stations, grocery stores, and feed shops—rely heavily on the influx of hunters during the season. One LaSalle business owner, who asked to remain anonymous, said that over one-third of his yearly revenue comes from hunting season sales of corn and other feed. “If they ban baiting, I might as well close up shop,” he said.

The protesters, many of whom have hunted with crossbows for generations, argue that the LDWFC’s potential ban is an overreach. They point to the lack of definitive evidence that CWD poses a risk to humans and question why such drastic measures are necessary. “They’re telling us it don’t hurt people, but they wanna take away our way of life anyway,” said Boudreaux, his voice thick with frustration. “We’re not scientists, but we know these woods. We know our deer. We’re not the problem.”

The economic stakes are high. A ban on baiting could make hunting with crossbows even more challenging, as these hunters often rely on food plots to draw deer into range. For many, crossbows are a necessity due to physical limitations or the dense terrain of Louisiana’s hunting grounds, where a steady shot at close range is critical. Without baiting, their ability to harvest deer—and sustain their families—could be severely compromised.

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Second this state will explode in population and trophy quality fast! 5 years from today we will be a premier trophy destination.

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Second this state will explode in population and trophy quality fast! 5 years from today we will be a premier trophy destination.

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Second this state will explode in population and trophy quality fast! 5 years from today we will be a premier trophy destination.

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Second this state will explode in population and trophy quality fast! 5 years from today we will be a premier trophy destination.

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how you figger?

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There has been no scientific research showing CWD kills deer.

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