Volume 32 Number 11 - November 2012

FEATURES:

	Catahoula PWRs — Historical look at hunting wild Louisiana hogs Hunting hogs in Louisiana is nothing new. Here’s a look at the tradition of hunting the ‘piney woods rooters’ that inhabit the Catahoula Lake region. I grew up in Winn Parish and learned how to hunt while chasing squirrels in Dugdemona swamp. Whether alone or with family members, I always kept a sharp eye out for the free-ranging hogs that roamed the woods. My father and uncles ... Terry L. Jones

	Dr. Pontchartrain — Learn from one of Lake Pontchartrain’s legends of fishing This retired Slidell physician has earned his place as a legend in one of Louisiana’s few trophy-trout lakes. Here’s why. Dr. Bob Weiss knew where some keeper trout were holding. He knew he could yank up his anchor, start his motor and high-tail it to feeding speckled trout at the L&N Bridge in the Rigolets. It would have taken him less than 10 minutes ... Todd Masson

	Keep it simple, Stupid —It’s easy to catch November specks in Venice Many anglers believe consistently catching trout is complicated, but this Venice guide says there’s no reason to over-think your approach. I can’t remember exactly where I was when someone first told me “Keep it simple, Stupid.” I do distinctly remember that I was a little insulted — being called “Stupid,” and all that. I remember bowing up and the speaker having to ... Jerald Horst

	Lazy Limits — Venice duck-hunting tactics Duck hunting is all about getting out early and watching birds flying as the sunrises, right? Not if you’re hunting the Mississippi Delta. The LSU-Ole Miss showdown wasn’t exactly a nail-biter. But our “tailgater” had Doc’s Venice houseboat fairly rocking and rolling with whoops and cheers as the Tigers put a 52-3 stomping on the Rebels. And we weren’t the only ones ... Humberto Fontova

	Mr. Sac - Tips for fishing crappie on Bayou Corne Bayou Corne is filled with sac-a-lait, and this expert shares how he fills his ice chest — every trip. Oh yeah! I passed Jambalaya Lane, turned down Gumbo Lane, passed Crawfish Stew Lane and hung a left on Sauce Piquant Lane. How could this be wrong? Only in South Louisiana! Great fishing and great food, all in the ... Jerald Horst

	Outside the Box — Tips for better spinnerbaits Do you know why you throw your favorite spinnerbait? Take some time to really figure that out, and you could catch more bass. Few bass anglers give much thought about what spinnerbait they tie on the ends of their lines. Want proof? Take a look at what’s lying on the front decks of bass boats all across the Bayou State. Odds are you’ll find 75 percent have ... Chris Ginn

	Pike’s Picks —Best fishing locations for Delacroix Follow this insider’s guide to Delacroix’s hottest fishing spots for speckled trout. “One fish. Two fish. Red fish. Blue fish. Black fish. Blue fish. Old fish. New fish. This one has a little star. This one has a little car. Say! What a lot of fish there are.” Dr. Seuss Dr. Seuss could have been counting fish in ... Rusty Tardo

	Scout’s Promise —Tips for hunting Atchafalaya Basin wood ducks This Eagle Scout provides tips on how to take more Atchafalaya Basin wood ducks. Long before daylight, Cole Romero laid flat on his back along the floor of the boat, the back of his head resting on a gear bag positioned on the front deck like a pillow. Comfortably out of the wind with his friend Michael Broussard ... John Flores

	Shoot, Don’t Shoot — Learn how to properly manage deer through proper harvest Are your club’s rules set up to properly manage your deer herd? Take this test to see if you need to make some changes. It’s time for the 2012 edition of Shoot-Don’t Shoot Sportsman, so grab a pen and paper, and mark how many times you would squeeze the trigger. How many times have you heard, “If its brown, it is going down” or “If I don’t shoot it, ... Dave Moreland

	Stick, Move and Communicate — Catch more redfish on tough fishing days Use this military philosophy to put more fish in your boat, even on tough days. As a soldier in a field-artillery unit based in Baumholder, Germany, three words drilled into my government-issue brain were shoot, move and communicate. We had to keep up with a rapidly evolving battlefield in order to support ... Chris Ginn

	Sweet Treats - Find better deer hunting on oak flats Acorns literally carpet many areas in Louisiana, but all of these nuts aren’t equal. Find the ones deer prefer, and you have found a real honey hole. Acorns crunched under my boots as my buddy and I pressed farther into the heart of Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge. It seemed to me at the time that we could have stopped and climbed up any number of trees and had a reasonable ... Chris Ginn

	The Community Scrape Scrape activity is high this time of year, particularly when deer pay visits to community scrapes. In search of vegetative foliage, five bucks — a mature 8-pointer, a 3½-year-old, two spunky spikes and a curious button buck — go single file along the forest edge, ascending a bluff. Occasionally the group stops to forage; yet one of the spikes ... Tommy Kirkland

	War of attrition — maximizing your public-land hunting The Sherburne WMA complex offers great Thanksgiving hunting options. Here are some tips to making the most of this public-lands tradition. The Friday after Thanksgiving 2011 found Lyle Savant of Central locating an active scrape near an oak flat deep within the interior of Sherburne Wildlife Management Area. The Opelousas native, having scouted the area six weeks before ... Chris Berzas