I have a buddy that is a GW. He was telling me that there is an air cooled HP restriction on Pass-a-Loutre WMA to 35HP. I have pretty much read regulations on most of the WMA's. But I have never seen this. I looked over the regs today and cannot find anything in the LA regs.

Does anyone know anything about this? I have been in WMA's before, one I have been checked by GW's two times and I was not told anything of course. My buddy said that he would never issue a citation to anyone with a mud motor that is over 35, when outboards and airboats of way more power are allowed.

I know he was not trying to joke, if he is wrong it was that he was mistaken.

You're not looking in the right spot. I have seen it - in fact some are 25 HP max. They're in the general hunting regulations, you have to go to the specific WMA regs.

Read under "vehicles"


http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/sites/defa ... evised.pdf

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I will take a look on my desktop PC. I seem to recall reading where the restrictions for individual WMA's are listed in the WMA section...for that site. I know some you can't make evening hunts, some you can. Some have HP restrictions, some have prop diameter limitations.


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Pass a loutre has a 36 hp restriction. As long as it is a 35-36 hp block you are fine. I was checked two years ago and had a discussion with the GW. I run an HD 5500 and as long as the model was a 35 hp then they have no issues. They can't prove you are pushing more than 35 hp. They are more looking at in board mud boats way makers etc with bigger engines.

Did not say they were stupid. I run pass a loutre all of the time. Checked several times. Only once did we talk about it. He said that if you were caught with a higher horsepower then they can write a ticket for not abiding by rules and regulations.
Then it would be up to them to prove in court if you fought the ticket. Don't see a judge ordering a dyno test.

Maybe it is time to get some laws changed so that there is equal protection for an engine that is an outboard no matter if it is air cooled or liquid cooled like regular outboards.

Yes, From what I have been told, Continental Land & Fur will bust your chops for mods. And like said above, from what I have been told, if they think you have a modded motor, kiss your lease goodbye. From their standpoint, they are only trying to mitigate the damage done over the years from when the big inboards were used and people were running them outside of the ditches. Since it's not a WMA, you don't have that "benefit" of having a 36 HP sticker on your motor to be legal. This HP restriction has been out for a long time. That's when we got rid of the V-6's and V-8's for air cooled Waymakers and heavier horse powered Go-Devils. CL&F has even said they don't want to catch anybody dragging boats/walking across canal banks anymore. This creates a low spot on the bank for tidal movement to get started and will wash out (create) a breach in the canal bank.

In the same breath, I don't think Continental helped matters when they went and started damming off a bunch of areas in an attempt to mitigate erosion. All that did was create more/stronger tidal flow through fewer openings. Our lease is now like class 1 rapids when the tide is moving compared to what it used to be years ago. We used to have well established ponds and potholes with a nice network of interconnecting ditches. Now, we basically lease a large body of water bound by pipeline and location canal banks. It's really amazing to see how much marsh has disappeared out there. Sad to think about it.


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The only reason the hp restrictions are not higher on cl&f is because Briggs hasn't come out with a higher hp motor. The restriction went from 25 to 31 when the 31 came into production. It then went from 31 to 36 when the 36 went into production. It will go up again as soon as a bigger motor is marketed. If it was really just about the marsh, it would have stayed 25.

With that said, I have to abide by Dwayne and companies rules also. They are fine folks as long as u have a lease and stay below the radar.

The trappers have to go to a special class now b4 they can burn the marsh. And have to file a burn plan of sorts. I think some bodies camp got burned down a few years ago by a marsh fire.

I forgot that the initial HP restriction was 25 HP. That's so true. I don't remember the bump to 31 or 36....just knew there has been a restriction for a long time. For the past eleven years, I have been lucky to even make it out there once or twice a year because I have been living in Illinois and Mississippi. When I went, I always just used whatever boats my brother had out there.

I haven't met Dwayne, yet. I knew his dad(Herman) when he was the overseer. I have heard mixed reviews on Dwayne....but, I haven't met him, yet. So, I really have no opinion. I just want to mind my own business and abide by the lease rules...things have been going good like that for quite some time, now. Don't want to jeopardize it, none.