NATCHEZ &8212; Louisiana hunters will find that rules for deer season have undergone some signifigant changes this year.

The bag limit will remain the same with each hunter being allowed a total of six (three antlered, and three antlerless deer) per season.

In an effort to simplify things for both hunters and state officials, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has eliminated doe days, making it legal to harvest a deer of either sex any day during the legal hunting season.

&8220;With the old regulations and specific doe days it was difficult on both the hunters and the game wardens to know when and where it was legal to harvest a doe,&8221; Region Four Wildlife Management Officer John Leslie said. &8220;With the new regulations and 2006-07 Deer Tag Harvest Card, the whole process has been simplified.&8221;

The Deer Tag Harvest Card is another change hunters will have to become accustomed to, but it too will simplify the process.

Prior to their first hunt, hunters regardless of age or licencse status are expected to obtain a Deer Tag Harvest Card. The old system of tags has been replaced with a new scorecard that will be kept throughout the season. The cards will be available inside hunting pamphlets, at license vendors or through your regional department of wildlife

office.

Hunters will be expected to fill out the card immediately upon harvesting of the animal and will need to have their card on their person at all times.

At the end of the season the cards are to be mailed in to state offices, regardless of whether or not a deer has been harvested.

Deer Management Assistance Program and Louisiana Anterlerless Deer Tag Program participants will still be expected to tag their deer with metal hock tags as they have in the past, and as in the past does harvested on those properties will not count against the hunter&8217;s season bag limit.

The one exception will be that antlered deer taken on those properties will count against the seasonal bag limit of three.

The cards will be available in the same places as licenses where available in the past.

As for the effect that a season-long doe hunting will have on the deer population throughout the state, wildlife biologists and officials are not worried about negative backlash.

&8220;We have been keeping very good records for the past forty years,&8221; Leslie said. &8220;Based on those studies the deer population is strong enough to sustain a season-long doe hunt.&8221;

As for rest of the regulations regarding the use of dogs, muzzleloaders and primitive weapons, or the wearing of hunter&8217;s orange no signifigant changes have been made since last season.

Pamphlets explaining the upcoming season&8217;s regulations in full detail are expected to arrive any day now, and will be available at locations that cater to the needs of hunters.

Louisiana&8217;s deer season begins Oct. 1, which is the first day of archery season.

Anyone seeking further information on the new regulations can go to www.wlf.state.la.us/hunting/regulations/deerhunting/ or contact the local LDWFP office at 318-757-4571.