Louisiana: tag and validate deer, turkey by smartphone

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Hunters in Louisiana can now use their smartphones to tag and validate deer and turkey immediately after killing one, the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said.

This must be done before moving the deer or turkey, and either the tag itself or a picture of the hunter’s harvest tags on the smartphone is needed, according to a news release.

An account at https://LouisianaOutdoors.com is needed.

A process called E-tag can be used through a mobile device that has access to the internet.

Text to Tag allows tag validation in areas where cell service is available but there is limited or no internet access. The service is free, but hunters must enroll ahead of time.

Details, including step-by-step instructions, are on the department’s website at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/electronic-tags.

The smartphone validations were enabled Tuesday.

For hunters using paper tags, there’s a new reporting phone number -- 225.267.9998. The 844 number is no longer in service.