On the national scale, Louisiana's counties score low, and Avoyelles leads at 94. West Feliciana follows at 90, and Madison and Tensas share a displayed score of 80 in third and fourth place. Orleans is Not rated because it is mostly inside city limits. The county order compares documented big-buck history per estimated bow-huntable acre on a national scale. That gives hunters a specific county comparison, while leaving permits and the actual property to be checked separately.
KEY FINDINGS
- Avoyelles leads Louisiana at 94. West Feliciana is second at 90. Madison and Tensas share a displayed score of 80 in third and fourth place.
- On the national scale, Louisiana's counties score low. The median rated county scores 37.
- All 64 Louisiana counties are included, and 63 are rated. The score is a relative Buck Index, not an official county harvest rate.
- Orleans is Not rated because it is mostly inside city limits.
Louisiana county finder
Where does your county rank?
Derived FDR scores on a national 0 to 100 scale. History: 2011 through 2025. Captured October 17, 2026. Order uses the underlying rate before rounding. Zero is a valid score. Not rated means the county has no qualifying bow-huntable acreage or is mostly inside city limits. Counties marked metro sit inside a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
10 of 64 entries shown
| State rank | County | Buck Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avoyelles | 94 |
| 2 | West Feliciana | 90 |
| 3 | Madison | 80 |
| 4 | Tensas | 80 |
| 5 | Concordia | 78 |
| 6 | East Feliciana | 76 |
| 7 | St. Landry | 71 |
| 8 | East Baton Rouge | 71 |
| 9 | Ascension | 70 |
| 10 | St. Mary | 69 |
01County comparison
Avoyelles leads, with West Feliciana next
Avoyelles holds first place at 94 and West Feliciana second at 90. Madison and Tensas share a displayed score of 80 in third and fourth place. The national scoring frame matters: Avoyelles's 94 sits on a 0 to 100 scale built for the whole country, so the score reads against that wider comparison.
The denominator is estimated bow-huntable habitat. A county with less qualifying acreage can rank high when its documented big-buck history is concentrated relative to that acreage. The score does not identify which parcel produced that history or whether a hunter can gain access to it.
02County comparison
Fourteen counties share a displayed score of 35
Fourteen counties share a displayed score of 35 in places thirty-sixth through forty-ninth. Acadia ranks thirty-sixth at 35, and Iberville forty-ninth at 35.
Lincoln is twenty-ninth at 40, and Bienville thirtieth at 38. Franklin and De Soto share a displayed score of 37 in thirty-first and thirty-second place.
03County comparison
Union, Calcasieu and Cameron land in different bands
Union ranks twenty-fourth at 50. Calcasieu ranks fifty-ninth at 27, and Cameron sixty-second at 24.
Union's 50 is above Cameron's 24 under this measure, a documented difference in county history after the acreage adjustment. Reading that gap as a cause, rather than a measured difference in history per acre, would need evidence beyond the score.
04County comparison
Check the county against the current rules
The state wildlife agency's seasons and regulations page is the starting point for current rules. This report does not allocate harvest totals to counties. Before a county becomes a trip, check the current rules for the exact ground being considered.
Start with a county you can actually hunt, then compare the substitutes that fit the same trip. Morehouse and Rapides share a displayed score of 44 in twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh place, so a move between them changes the rank number while leaving the displayed Buck Index at 44. Access may make that decision long before the index does.
05Basis of this report
Sources and method
FDR derived this October 17, 2026 snapshot from the 2011 through 2025 history window, estimated bow-huntable acreage and national scaling, 0 to 100. The scores are sensitive to reporting and modeled-area choices. The 0 to 100 display is not harvest odds, population density or guaranteed access.
Compare the other states in the FDR county report series.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR scores on a national 0 to 100 scale. History: 2011 through 2025. Captured October 17, 2026. Order uses the underlying rate before rounding. Zero is a valid score. Not rated means the county has no qualifying bow-huntable acreage or is mostly inside city limits. Counties marked metro sit inside a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR county scores and interpretations are independent analysis. A county ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
Keep reading
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