John K. Flores: Dove, teal lotteries are fast approaching

July and August are tough months to get through if you’re a hunter who enjoys dove and waterfowl hunting. These two months are the hottest of the year and other than keeping the grass mowed, much of a wing shooter’s time is spent indoors watching unfulfilling outdoor channel reruns on television.
That said, if you “fit the bill” when it comes to chasing feathered things in the early autumn, you’ll want to put in for two special Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries lottery hunts that have July deadlines.
One of those hunts is the Elbow Slough Wildlife Management Area dove hunt. Elbow Slough WMA is a 160-acre management area located within what’s known as the Red River floodplain. Its shallow water habitat is primarily used for wintering waterfowl where a portion or roughly 50 acres of field, typically consists of brown-top millet and wild grasses. In short, dove love that sort of thing.
Since it’s a lottery hunt, you and 59 other lucky hunters (Note: 30 each day of opening weekend) will be dropped off by LDWF staff and spread out a safe distance from one another. You’ll need to bring steel shot on your hunt, as non-toxic shotshells are required on all state WMAs. Shooting hours on Elbow Slough is one half-hour before sunrise till noon opening weekend
After the opening weekend lottery hunt, Elbow Slough is open for dove as season dates and regulations apply for the WMA.
Besides the Elbow Slough lottery hunt, there are other department managed dove hunting opportunities throughout the state. Interested hunters should monitor the LDWF website during August, leading up to the season, to look for specific fields where the department has negotiated private land agreements for public hunting.
The second lottery opportunity for hunters with a July deadline is the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area September teal hunt. I always refer to White Lake WCA as the crown jewel of the Mississippi Flyway.
The property is 71,905 acres in size, where 75% is freshwater marsh. The property was donated to the state of Louisiana by British Petroleum in 2002. Shortly after the donation, lottery hunts became available to the public.
The teal hunt can be special. A typical hunt starts when hunters arrive at the White Lake WCA boat launch at the end of La. 91 south of Gueydan. Hunters are then transported from the launch by party barge to the White Lake WCA Lodge boat dock. From the boat dock, hunters climb into vintage mud boats that transport them to the marsh, where hunters and gear are transferred to a blind. You never get your feet wet!
White Lake WCA has a rich history dating back to 1929, when a portion of the property was first owned by Elizabeth M. Watkins. It would later be owned by Yount-Lee Oil Co., Wright Morrow, Stanolind Oil and Gas Co., and Amoco, which eventually became B.P.
Dignitaries like President Lyndon B. Johnson, Vice President Dick Cheney, and even the despot and former Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi spent time at White Lake.
There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to duck loads and steel shot. Teal are not big ducks. Moreover, during the early teal season in September they are not in full winter plumage, where extra heavy 3-inch and 3-1/2-inch loads in No. 2, 3, and 4 shot size is required.
Kent Cartridge makes a specific load for teal called “TealSteel.” Hevi-Shot also makes a teal specific shot-shell called “Hevi-Teal.”
Both are 3-inch, 1-1/4 ounce, 12-guage loads that push steel out the barrel at 1350 and 1500 feet per second respectively. What’s more, both rounds can be purchased in No. 5 or No. 6 shot size.
There is still time to apply. The deadline for both the Elbow Slough WMA dove and White Lake WCA teal lotteries is July 27, 2025. There is a $5 application fee, along with a $3.50 transaction fee for both hunts.
Successful White Lake teal hunt applicants will be required to pay an additional $250 to participate. Hunters that are selected are allowed to bring a single guest.
For more information on the Elbow Slough WMA lottery dove hunt, you can contact David Hayden at 318-487-5353 or dhayden@wlf.la.gov.
For more information on the White Lake WCA lottery teal hunt, you can contact Lance Ardoin at (337) 536-6061 or lardoin@wlf.la.gov.
John Flores is the Morgan City Review’s outdoor writer. He can be contacted at gowiththeflo@cox.net.