Beep. Beep. Beep.

Please pick the beep you like best. You will be hearing it again shortly.

A beep is a short, high-pitched sound intended as a signal, summons, or warning. It also replaces words unsuitable for a family digital publication. For example: “Oh, BEEP! I dropped the hot casserole after taking it out of the microwave when it BEEPED.”

Beep is an example of onomatopoeia. That is a large word describing a small noise that is slowly driving me crazy.

The microwave beeps when the food is ready. Mine continues beeping until I open the door or push stop. Apparently, it fears I will forget the sumptuous frozen dinner it has prepared. Nothing says fine dining like a plastic tray and an appliance demanding that you come get it.

The oven beeps when it reaches the selected temperature. It beeps when the cooking time is nearly over. It beeps when the cooking time is over. Then it beeps until I acknowledge its contribution to the meal. I have known preachers who needed less affirmation.

The house alarm beeps when I turn it on, when I turn it off, and when the power fails. When the power returns, it beeps to tell me the power failed. I know. I was here. The lights went out.

Every button beeps. Then the system beeps to announce that I have thirty seconds to leave the house. Suddenly, I am a contestant on a game show, gathering my keys and trying to escape before the horn announces that I have lost.

Seeking peace, I retreat to the BEEPING car.

My Toyota has a mystery beep. Sometimes I turn off the engine, open the door, and receive a beep of disapproval. I don’t know what I have done. Perhaps I have disappointed it. Perhaps it is saying goodbye. Perhaps somewhere in Japan an engineer is laughing.

The car beeps when I get too close to something, when something gets too close to me, and when I change lanes without signaling. It has become a backseat driver with factory authorization.

It beeps when the gas runs low. At the station, the pump beeps when it accepts my card and again when I select the fuel. I suspect the car and pump are talking about me.

This morning, the car beeped as I got out. The office alarm chimed as I entered. A chime is a beep that attended finishing school. Then my computer beeped about something Microsoft wanted.

Oh, BEEP.

Eventually, we stop listening. We have to. Every machine believes its announcement deserves our immediate attention.

But I wonder whether that habit follows us into our relationships.

Someone starts telling a story we have heard before. A lonely person calls at an inconvenient time. A worried friend needs more reassurance than we think necessary. We hear the first few words and mentally reach for the mute button.

I can confess to occasionally wanting people to come equipped with one.

Jesus heard a great deal of noise, too. Crowds pressed around him. People demanded answers, healing, attention. Yet when blind Bartimaeus cried out and others told him to be quiet, Jesus stopped and called for him.

The crowd heard an interruption. Jesus heard a man.

That gives me something to confess. I can become so occupied with doing the Lord’s work that I resent someone the Lord loves for interrupting it.

Christian love takes shape in these ordinary moments: listening to the story, answering the call, asking one more question—and staying long enough to hear the answer. The person before me bears God’s image and is someone for whom Christ died. That deserves my attention.

Lord, help me recognize the difference between a noise I can ignore and a neighbor I am called to love. Give me the patience to stop, the grace to listen, and a heart willing to be interrupted.

The microwave can wait.

Somebody may need to be heard.

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On October 21, 2015, flying cars were supposed to fill the skies, teenagers were supposed to ride hoverboards, and nobody was supposed to worry about tying their shoes.

At least, that’s what Hollywood told us.

The date became famous thanks to the 1989 movie Back to the Future Part II, when Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled from 1985 to October 21, 2015, in a time-traveling DeLorean. The movie imagined a future filled with extraordinary technology, strange fashion choices and inventions that seemed almost impossible at the time.

Now, on October 21, 2026, we’re 11 years beyond the future Hollywood imagined. And while some predictions were surprisingly accurate, others missed the mark completely.

For starters, where are the flying cars?

In the movie, ordinary automobiles had been converted into flying machines, allowing drivers to soar above traffic instead of sitting in it. Anyone who has spent time waiting at a railroad crossing or sitting behind a slow-moving vehicle on a two-lane Louisiana highway can probably appreciate that particular invention. Unfortunately, flying cars haven’t become an everyday transportation option.

Then there were hoverboards.

Marty famously escaped a group of bullies on a floating skateboard that glided above the pavement without wheels. The real world eventually introduced devices marketed as hoverboards, but most were simply two-wheeled, self-balancing scooters. Engineers have demonstrated actual hovering prototypes, though nothing approaching the convenient transportation imagined in the movie.

Self-lacing shoes were another memorable prediction.

Nike eventually developed shoes with automatic lacing technology, proving that at least one of Hollywood’s stranger ideas could become reality. But the movie also predicted several technologies that now seem completely ordinary.

Video calling was a major feature of the fictional 2015. Today, people routinely use FaceTime, Zoom and other video communication services to talk with family, attend meetings and conduct business. Large, flat-screen televisions appeared throughout the movie, along with voice-controlled technology and fingerprint identification systems. All three have become familiar parts of modern life.

Perhaps the funniest prediction involved fax machines.

The filmmakers imagined a future where fax machines were everywhere, even delivering personal messages inside people’s homes. Instead, smartphones, email and internet messaging largely replaced the technology. And speaking of smartphones, the movie somehow overlooked what would become one of the most influential inventions of modern life.

Marty’s futuristic world had flying vehicles, holographic advertisements and automated clothing, but nobody was walking around staring at a tiny computer in their hand. The filmmakers also imagined a 2015 filled with unusual clothing, including jackets that automatically adjusted their size and dried themselves. That particular invention might still be useful during a humid Louisiana summer.

The movie’s predictions were never intended to be a serious scientific forecast. They were an entertaining interpretation of what life might look like three decades into the future. Yet the comparison raises an interesting question.

In 1989, the idea of carrying a device capable of instantly accessing nearly all the world’s information, taking photographs, navigating highways and communicating with someone across the planet might have sounded just as ridiculous as a flying DeLorean. Today, that device is probably sitting in your pocket.

So, as October 21 rolls around again, it’s worth remembering that the future rarely looks exactly the way we imagine. We may not have flying cars or real hoverboards parked in our garages, but we have technology that would have seemed extraordinary just a few decades ago. And somehow, despite all that progress, we still haven’t figured out how to avoid getting stuck behind a tractor on a country road.

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For nearly a century and a half, Quaker Oats has been a breakfast staple. I remember being excited to eat oatmeal because we would eventually work our way down to the prize inside the cylindrical cardboard container, which was usually a plastic cup or tumbler. It was a clever bit of advertising.  In the 1960s, the Quaker Oats Company was looking to expand into the candy market. Quaker habitually spent millions of dollars advertising its products in newspapers, magazines, and television commercials, but the advertising team knew they had to come up with a unique way to showcase their new product line in addition to their normal advertising campaigns. It had to be big, but what? Numerous ideas were discussed and discarded. They eventually settled on an idea they kept coming back to. They decided to fund the production of a film in which their candy would be the focus. The name of the candy line would even be in the title of the film.

But there was one huge problem. The ad men had set into motion an advertising campaign before they had a product. As newspapers announced the upcoming film and candy line, the research and development team struggled to create a candy that they thought had the perfect combination of texture and taste to beat its rivals. Once they settled on the recipe, the company had to build the machinery to produce the candy in large quantities. It was a race to the finish. Quaker wanted its candy to be on grocery store shelves when the film came out to maximize sales, but it was not to be. When the film debuted on June 30, 1971, Quaker had only a fraction of the candy it had hoped to produce, and what little was available went to specialty shops rather than grocery stores.

Quaker spent an estimated $3 million on the film, and it was a moderate box office success. Quaker expected the film to eventually fade into oblivion, but it is now revered as a classic. It has spawned two feature films, an animated version, stage musicals, theatrical adaptations, and theme park rides. It has become a profitable franchise.  However, the candy the film was made to showcase fared far worse. Quaker Oats president Robert D. Stuart, Jr. announced that the “costs of introducing the [candy] line have had an adverse effect on Quaker’s profits.” The candy sold well, but not well enough. In December 1972, Quaker sold the candy line it had spent millions of dollars to create. A series of companies bought and sold the candy line because, like Quaker, they were unable to make it profitable, or at least profitable enough. Last month, the candy line’s current owner, Ferrero, announced that it was reviving the recently acquired candy line in a limited edition. Ferrero announced, “we’re inviting the young at heart to experience the imagination and unexpected delights that have made the brand so beloved, reimagined through a collection of delicious new treats. And who knows? You might be the next Golden Ticket winner.”  The film the Quaker Oats Company funded to advertise its failed candy line, the Willy Wonka candy line, was called Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Sources:

1.     The Los Angeles Times, April 18, 1971, p.610.

2.     The Cleveland Press, July 21, 1971, p.61.

3.     The Journal Times (Racine, Wisconsin), December 29, 1972, p.20.

4.     “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_willy%20wonka.

5.     “The Wait is Over: A New Chapter of the Wonderful World of Wonka Arrives,” September 22, 2026, Ferrero, https://www.ferrero.com/us/en/news-stories/news/a-new-chapter-of-the-wonderful-world-of-wonka-arrives.

© 2026 Brad Dison. All rights reserved. Remember This? is distributed for licensed publication only.

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James R. “Rickey” Young
January 3, 1947 — October 19, 2026
Service: Friday, October 23, 2026, 11am at Southern Funeral Home, Winnfield. 

Willis Elton Jones, Jr.
March 1, 1954 — October 16, 2026
Service: Friday, October 23, 2026, 2pm at Southern Funeral Homes, Winnfield. 

Winn Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $95. Contact your funeral provider or bill@journalservicesllc.com. Must be paid in advance of publication. Notice of Deaths shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to WinnNewsLa@gmail.com

October 6, 2026
Bennett Barnes, of Winnfield, was arrested for criminal trespassing and possession with intent to distribute Schedule I.

October 7, 2026
Casey Estes, 40, of Dodson, was arrested for criminal trespassing.
Richard Foquo, 48, of Winnfield, was arrested for direct contempt of court.

October 8, 2026
Andrew Smith, 43, was arrested for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, illegal use of dangerous weapons, and aggravated second-degree battery.

October 9, 2026
Billy Finn, 29, of Winnfield, was arrested for criminal trespassing, simple criminal damage to property, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

October 13, 2026
Robert Snelling, 42, of Winnfield, was arrested for criminal trespassing.

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Arrest Report

No Report Provided for the week

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By Journal Staff

The Winn Chamber of Commerce has named Winn Community Health Center its 2026 Business of the Year, honoring the health care provider for its ongoing service and investment in Winn Parish.

Health center leadership expressed gratitude following the announcement, emphasizing that the honor reflects the dedication of its staff and the trust of the local community.

“This recognition means so much to our entire organization,” the health center said in a statement. “Every day, our team works to make a positive difference in the lives of our patients and the community we are proud to serve.”

The organization extended its appreciation to staff members, patients and regional supporters, noting that the annual award represents a shared achievement across the parish.

“To our dedicated employees, our patients who trust us with their care, and the community that continues to support us, thank you,” the center stated. “This award belongs to all of you.”

Winn Community Health Center reaffirmed its long-term commitment to expanding health care access throughout the area, adding that it remains proud to call Winn Parish home as it continues to grow and invest in community wellness.

About Trinity CHC

Founded in 2009, Trinity Community Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center delivering primary, dental, and behavioral health care across six Central Louisiana parishes and more than 30 area schools. The center leverages modern health technology, including electronic records and an online patient portal, to ensure accessible, high-quality care throughout the region.

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Early voting for the Nov. 3 election will be held Oct. 20-27 at the Winn Parish Registrar of Voters Office inside the Winn Parish Courthouse.

Early voting will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day during the early voting period, with the office closed Sunday, Oct. 25. Voters should enter the courthouse through the Main Street entrance.

Winn Parish Registrar of Voters Bryan E. Kelley said the ballot includes several candidate races as well as 10 proposed constitutional amendments.

With multiple items appearing on the ballot, voters are encouraged to review their sample ballot before arriving at the polls. State law limits voters to six minutes in the voting booth.

Sample ballots are available through the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website. The GeauxVote app also allows voters to view their sample ballot, update voter registration information and follow election results.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

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WINN PARISH, La. — Winn Parish will see hot and sunny conditions through the middle of the week before a noticeable cool-down arrives heading into the weekend.

Wednesday will be sunny and hot with a high near 95 degrees. Winds will be calm before becoming southerly around 5 mph during the afternoon. Wednesday night will be clear with a low around 63.

Thursday will remain sunny and warm with a high near 94. Clear skies are expected Thursday night as temperatures fall to around 63.

A change will begin Friday, although the day will remain sunny with a high near 89. Temperatures will drop significantly Friday night, with mostly clear skies and a low around 53.

Saturday will be much cooler and sunny, with a high near 76. Saturday night could bring some of the coolest temperatures of the period, with a low around 48 under mostly clear skies.

Sunday will remain sunny as temperatures begin to rebound, with a high near 83.

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ST. MAURICE, LA — Descendants of founding Winn Parish families gathered on Sunday, October 11, 2026, for the annual St. Maurice Cemetery Homecoming, celebrating community heritage, honoring departed loved ones, and reviewing major preservation efforts on the historic grounds.

St. Maurice holds a distinguished place in regional history as an early Red River steamboat landing and one of the earliest settlements in Winn Parish. The gathering took place inside the historic St. Maurice Methodist Church sanctuary, a landmark originally erected in 1874 by John E. Jones and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Board member Mark Swafford opened the morning assembly with prayer, welcoming families and guests. Board member Tonia Lonadier coordinated attendee recognitions, highlighting the generations of family lines tied to the historic grounds, while a solemn time of remembrance honored those interred over the past year. Current officers serving the association include, Mark Swafford, Melissa Ward, Tonia Lonadier, and Casey Gorum.

Melissa Ward presented the association’s annual report, outlining milestones achieved since incorporating the St. Maurice Cemetery Association, Inc. in 2024 following the acquisition of the historic church and cemetery. To comply with Louisiana Cemetery Association regulations and protect family lineages, the board spearheaded a comprehensive survey utilizing GPS coordinates and aerial drone photography to create an accurate master plot map.

Financially, the association remains strong. Over $10,000 was collected for the general maintenance fund this year, securing ongoing mowing and perpetual grounds care. Additionally, a Dedicated Project Fund established for the historic 1874 sanctuary funded key restorations to the historic 10-foot windows, door framing, and exterior signage.

Casey Gorum reviewed guidelines for family plots and monument care, reminding families that all burials and headstone placements are conducted by permit only. Attendees were asked to complete a standardized reservation form to reconcile unrecorded family spaces with the master plot map.

Representing the Winn Genealogical and Historical Association (WGHA), President Troy Rogers attended to connect with kinfolk and gather parish oral histories. Among those sharing stories was Mr. Harold Bray, who recounted an extraordinary family account passed down through his grandmother, Eva Crawford, highlighting early medical history in Winn Parish.

A Piece of Winnfield History: Ava Crawford’s Grit and the Town’s First Tetanus Shot.

As told by Harold Bray at the 2026 St. Maurice Cemetery Homecoming.

Around 1917, long before grass lawns were commonplace across Winn Parish, front yards were hard-packed dirt swept tidy with brooms and garden rakes. That year, a 12-year-old girl named Ava Crawford—daughter of the Winn Parish Sheriff—suffered a painful mishap when she fell onto an iron rake, driving two or three deep puncture wounds straight into her knee.

In those days, barnyard puncture wounds carried a terrifying danger: lockjaw, or tetanus. The family quickly carried young Ava inside to the living room and sent for the local physician.

What happened next was an extraordinary stroke of good timing. Ava’s brother, Frank Crawford, was working for the local pharmacist in Winnfield. Recognizing the urgent risk of infection, the doctor sent young Frank racing to the drugstore. As providence would have it, an unfamiliar medical shipment had just arrived on the pharmacy counter. The doctor opened the package, reviewed the enclosed literature, and discovered it was the very first shipment of tetanus antitoxin to reach the community. Reading the instructions on how to administer the serum right there in the living room, he gave young Ava the first documented tetanus shot in Winnfield history.

The antitoxin saved her life, but the severe puncture trauma caused her knee joint to lock up completely. Ava walked with a stiff, unbending leg, swinging it outward with each step, but she resolutely refused to let the injury define her future.
Determined to walk normally again, she took rehabilitation into her own hands with a unique brand of turn-of-the-century physical therapy. Ava would walk over to the high curb outside the Winn Parish Courthouse, sit down with her stiff leg extended out over the ledge, and have her brother Frank bounce up and down on her knee. Through sheer grit—and the unmistakable sound of internal joint adhesions snapping free—she forced the knee to regain mobility. The joint eventually unfroze completely, allowing Ava to live an active, normal life until arthritis set in during her later years.

Following the business meeting, attendees gathered under the shade trees for a traditional homecoming dinner on the grounds.

Cemetery Guidelines & Contributions:

All burials and monument placements at St. Maurice Cemetery require authorization. For permit inquiries, contact Board Secretary Melissa Ward at Melissaward83@gmail.com. Walk-ins and wheelchairs are always welcome on the grounds.

Memorial donations may be mailed to:

St. Maurice Cemetery Association, Inc.
c/o Melissa S. Ward, Secretary
162 Alma Swafford Rd
Natchitoches, LA 71457

(Please note on the check memo line whether contributions are designated for Cemetery Maintenance or the Church Building Project Fund).

This report and oral history account were compiled and transcribed using AI-assisted technology from on-site recordings gathered at the 2026 St. Maurice Cemetery Homecoming.

Photo Caption: ​Framed by the boughs of a native Winn Parish shortleaf pine, the historic St. Maurice Methodist Church (built in 1874 by John E. Jones) stands in bright autumn sunlight during the annual cemetery homecoming on Sunday, October 11, 2026.

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For many people, applying for a loan can feel like being reduced to a number.

A credit score may be part of the lending process, but it does not always tell the full story of a person’s financial situation.

Someone may have experienced a job change, medical expense, divorce, unexpected repair or other setback that affected their credit. Another person may simply have a limited credit history because they have not used traditional financial products very often.

That does not mean their current financial need is any less real.

Better Finance believes that is why a conversation still matters.

For more than 60 years, the company has worked with customers in Northwest Louisiana by taking the time to understand why they need financing, what their circumstances are and whether a loan can be structured appropriately.

That personal approach can be especially important for people who feel overlooked by larger or more automated financial systems.

Today, many lending decisions begin online. An applicant enters information, a computer reviews the data and a decision may be made with little or no personal interaction.

Technology can make financial services more convenient, but convenience and understanding are not always the same thing.

Sometimes a borrower needs the opportunity to explain the situation.

Perhaps a vehicle needs to be repaired so someone can continue getting to work.

Perhaps several existing payments have become difficult to manage.

Perhaps a family faces a medical expense, school expense or household need that was not part of the monthly budget.

The circumstances can be very different from one customer to the next.

Better Finance’s approach is to begin by listening.

That conversation does not guarantee that every loan will be approved. Responsible lending requires evaluating whether a loan is appropriate and whether the borrower can reasonably handle the repayment.

But it does mean the customer has an opportunity to discuss the need with someone who understands that financial lives are rarely as simple as a single number on a report.

For consumers who do not have a strong relationship with a traditional bank or financial institution, that conversation can be particularly valuable.

A past financial problem does not necessarily describe where someone is today.

A limited credit history does not necessarily describe someone’s ability to work, earn an income or meet future obligations.

And an unexpected financial need does not always arrive at a convenient time.

Better Finance has built its business around personal relationships and local lending, with financing available for qualified borrowers for a variety of needs.

The first step does not have to be complicated.

Sometimes it simply starts with explaining what you need and asking what options may be available.

Better Finance: Let’s Have a Conversation.

To learn more about Better Finance and its lending options, visit CoushattaFinance.com or contact the Better Finance office in Coushatta.

This is a paid advertorial provided on behalf of Better Finance. Loan approval, terms and availability are subject to Better Finance lending requirements and applicable laws.

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WINNFIELD, La. — The Kiwanis Club of Winnfield named Troy Rogers its 2025–2026 Kiwanian of the Year during the club’s annual installation banquet held Monday evening, October 5, at Mama’s Iron Skillet.

The prestigious award was announced and presented by outgoing Club President Mary Lou Blackley, who commended Rogers for his dedication, versatility, and hands-on service across the club’s many initiatives.

“He just kind of jumps in anywhere and everywhere we need him,” Blackley stated during the presentation. She highlighted his willingness to spearhead public relations, keep the community informed through photos and news updates, recruit guest speakers, and help cook at the annual scholarship meal. Blackley also recognized Rogers’ extensive civic outreach, serving as an active bridge between Kiwanis and local community partners, including area fire departments, law enforcement, and Masonic organizations.

In addition to receiving the Kiwanian of the Year honors, Rogers was formally installed as President-Elect for the upcoming 2026–2027 Kiwanis year by Lt. Governor Kim Futrell. Under the club’s leadership track, Rogers will work alongside incoming President Ethel Howell before stepping into the presidency next term.

Accepting the award, Rogers expressed heartfelt gratitude to the membership for the honor, thanking fellow club members for their partnership in promoting the club’s activities and supporting the community’s youth.

For community members who want to make a lasting local impact and excel in civic service, the Kiwanis Club of Winnfield warmly invites you to get involved. The organization accomplishes great things for the area and is always actively seeking energetic new members, including young professionals and leaders eager to lend their ideas and enthusiasm to youth projects.

The Kiwanis Club of Winnfield meets weekly at Mama’s Iron Skillet, dedicated to the motto of serving the children of the world, one child and one community at a time.

​(L–R): Immediate Past President Mary Lou Blackley pins Troy Rogers with his official pin as incoming President-Elect, alongside District 11 Lieutenant Governor Kimberly Bruce Futrell, who presided over the installation ceremony during the Winnfield Kiwanis Club banquet on October 5.

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When a team on a two-game losing streak enters district play with the first two games on the road, it could spell trouble.

But Winnfield put all those fears to rest this past week when they thumped Red River by a score of 68-39.

Now the Tigers (4-2, 1-0 District 4-2A) will look to capitalize on that momentum when they hit the road for the final time this season in a Week 7 trip to Lakeside (3-3, 0-1).

The Warriors, coached by the North Webster veteran John Ware, have beaten teams they are supposed to with big victories over North Caddo, Plain Dealing, and East Beauregard.

But they bumped their heads on their ceiling in the first week of district play in a 42-15 loss at reigning district champion Mansfield.

Now Winnfield wants to move into that district title discussion, and a second road win would put the Tigers in that conversation.

Winnfield’s Wing-T rushing attack steamrolled Red River with the Tigers’ rushing yards likely topping 400 yards (no official stats available).

The young running back corps impressed as Preston Wilson burst on the scene in his first career start with three touchdowns and around 200 yards while Braylen Butler also crossed the 100-yard mark.

Wilson, Butler and Kenneth Richard are all sophomores, although Richard left the game with a leg injury after scoring his one touchdown.

Add Dalton Powell in the mix, who also scored a touchdown in picking up Richard’s work load.

Quarterback Nickalas Mockosher got in on the action with two rushing scores of his own, including a 50-yard quarterback sneak in which he sliced through the Red River defense.

Winnfield’s defense, who had handcuffed opponents not named Jena pretty well this season, did surrender 39 points to Red River, the Bulldogs’ season high.

The Tigers didn’t have an answer for Lathyn Lewis, who scored five touchdowns, including one punt return for a touchdown.

Winnfield did force three turnovers and several other failed fourth-down conversions to keep Red River from getting close.

Lakeside doesn’t have someone like Lewis, but the Warriors can grind out touchdowns with efficient drives while their stout defense has held five of its six opponents to 24 or fewer points.

Whomever wins third and fourth down and forces more turnovers is the likely winner.

Winnfield moved up into home playoff territory at No. 13 in the Division III Non-Select rankings while Lakeside is seeking to improve its No. 21 standing.

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BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana hunters using firearm suppressors will not face state penalties for lacking federal tax stamps or registration papers following recent changes to federal law, wildlife officials announced Monday.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries issued guidance clarifying how enforcement agents will address suppressors in the field after major federal shifts removed long-standing registration mandates.

Congress recently reduced the federal tax on suppressors to $0, and a federal court in Texas ruled in August that the federal government could no longer enforce specific registration requirements. On Oct. 9, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced it would no longer require agency approval or registration to possess a suppressor.

While Louisiana state law permits hunters to use suppressors, state statutes previously relied on the federal tax stamp as proof that the device was possessed legally.

LDWF officials said enforcement agents will adjust their field inspections accordingly. Agents will not cite hunters or seize equipment simply because an individual does not possess an ATF tax stamp or registration paperwork, provided the suppressor is legally owned and attached to a firearm permitted for the active hunting season.

Officials emphasized that standard hunting regulations and restrictions remain in effect. Agents will continue checking licenses, harvest tags, season dates, legal hunting hours, bag limits and approved methods of take.

Key rules that remain unchanged include:

• Suppressors remain legal for taking game birds, wild quadrupeds, outlaw quadrupeds, nutria and beaver.
• Firearms must still meet legal specifications for the specific season and game pursued; attaching a suppressor does not make an otherwise illegal firearm lawful.
• Individuals legally prohibited from possessing firearms may not possess suppressors.
• Anyone convicted of a class four or greater hunting violation remains barred from hunting with a suppressor for five years following the conviction date.
• Machine guns remain fully regulated under federal law.

Hunters with questions or seeking local contact information for enforcement agents may visit wlf.louisiana.gov/page/contact-local-law-enforcement.

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