By Connor Gilbert

There is nothing quite like getting that last-minute phone call or text from one of your hunting or fishing buddies with an offer to join them on a trip the next day. It’s like the opening-day feeling all over again, going to bed knowing you will be outdoors the following morning.

I was lucky enough to get that call back in late January for a waterfowl hunt on the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area through one of Louisiana’s many lottery hunts. These lottery hunts are currently open until September 30 and span the entire waterfowl season, with most dates falling on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Lottery marsh hunts at White Lake Conservation Area are also available through the lottery system, and both opportunities give individuals without boats, land or private access a chance to experience waterfowl hunting on public lands.

The morning of January 27th was one of the coldest days of the new year. With sub-30 temperatures I had two things in mind: first, wearing enough layers to sustain the terrain and second, that the birds had to be flying at daybreak after taking a beating from the cold overnight.

This hunt was different from any guided hunt or hunt with family I had experienced. It was my first public-land hunt where the planning, preparation and work were entirely up to me and my . I spent much of the night mapping the Sherburne management unit we had been selected for, trying to find the right spot to set up and hoping to put us in the best position to harvest a few birds.

After very little sleep, we headed to Sherburne. Breaking through ice as we walked across the shallow flooded fields before the sun even began to peek over the horizon. I ended up with bruises on my knees from the ice, but the constant movement kept us warm while we set up the spread.

Just minutes before shooting light, birds were already zooming left to right across the landscape. After being away from the shotgun for a while, it took a couple of attempts to shake off the rust. Once I found my rhythm again, I was finally able to connect on a blue-winged teal and put one in the bag. 

The birds flew fast just like the time, but the memories that stuck with me were putting in the work, figuring it out with friends and harvesting waterfowl on public land. It was my first experience hunting a public area through the lottery system, and it is one I will never forget.

If you have never applied for an LDWF lottery hunt, this is a great opportunity to give public-land hunting a try. Applications for the 2026-27 waterfowl lottery hunts are open through September 30, including opportunities on Sherburne WMA and at White Lake Conservation Area.

You may not get drawn, but you can’t get it if you don’t try. For me, one lottery application turned into a frozen January morning, two friends, a blue-winged teal and a hunt I will remember for years to come.

APPLY HERE, and find more information HERE.