Public Rambling: Hog season wrap-up

Focus on fishing begins now on Atchafalaya Delta WMA, Aucoin says

Hog season has come and gone on the Atchafalaya Delta WMA, and only one more hog was taken by rifle since my last column, when I shot a 75-pounder during the final week of the season.

That hog brought my total to four, including the three that I took with my bow. So my final tally was two bucks and four hogs, while my buddy Randy Levingston had a fine season with a hog, two does and three bucks.

Ironically we saw deer on every hog hunt in February and March — as many as 10 in a day. In January, we struggled to see even one deer on a hunt — go figure.

Spring has sprung and our thoughts turn to fishing now. My grandson Baylor Allen, who is 6 years old, absolutely loves fishing. He and I made a Sunday afternoon catfishing trip to Fool’s Point near Berwick, where we caught 21.

As much as I love to fish, I get even more enjoyment out of watching him hook up and reel in a fish. The excitement he shows is absolutely contagious.  Plus, the conversations we have are wonderful.

I try to set as good an example as possible for my little buddy. Getting to teach him about the outdoors is something I do not take lightly. I want him to enjoy it every bit as much as I have. But at the same time, I want him to know that hunting and fishing is not the end-all. Honesty, integrity and ethics can never be taught too early, in my opinion.

Baylor loves to be involved in all things hunting and fishing. When we bring in a hog or deer, I always stop by his house so he can see them first. Lately he has asked to come with us to my Dad’s house so he can watch us clean the animals. When he and I caught those catfish, he was right there with me, watching and learning as I cleaned each one.  It’s still too early for him to begin hunting, but what a glorious day that will be when Baylor can accompany his Pop on a hunt.

Soon we’ll make a trip to Bayou Dularge to catch some bull reds. Of course, he loves catching them — and it’s amazing to see such a little guy battle those huge fish. It doesn’t matter whether it is a bull red, a black drum or a hardhead — he likes to catch them all. He also loves to mess with the live crabs we use for bait. But I’m afraid one day he will learn a painful lesson about those bait crabs, but he has been warned…repeatedly.

Randy and I made a recent trip for bull reds in Dularge, where we caught 23- and 27-pound bulls back to back. The rest of the afternoon was gafftops and hardheads. The 50-plus oyster boats trolling around may have affected the fishing that day — I have never seen so many oyster boats in one area.

Looking forward to more fishing with Baylor, my son-in-law Sam, Randy and my Dad in the coming weeks. Catfish, rat reds, bull reds and black drum will be the main targets, and updates will be posted soon.