News Breaker

Previous 1 234 5 6...20 Next

	Jackson Bienville WMA gives up 150-class buck January 07 at 12:00 pm Brad Doughty got his big Christmas present one day late last month. On Dec. 26, Doughty downed a big 11-point deer on Jackson Bienville Wildlife Management Area that scored just more than 150 inches Boone & Crockett. Taking such a quality buck on public land is commonplace for the Downsville resident, who only deer hunts on public land — and with good reason. “There are some big, mature deer there,” Doughty said. “For the past 13 years, I’ve only hunted public management areas, mainly D’Arbonne, Union and Jackson Bienville (WMAs). The past few years, I have mostly hunted Jackson Bienville because it seems this area has more really good bucks.

	Follow these tips for late-season duck limits January 04 at 12:00 pm Ducks hunters across Louisiana knew this season could be a tough one, especially in Southeast Louisiana where Hurricane Isaac came through and stripped out most of the submerged aquatic vegetation that attracts and holds ducks. The first split in many areas was better than expected, especially in areas that retained some of the feed that Isaac didn’t kill or areas that had a freshwater source and were able to regenerate some feed before the ducks arrived. Most of that feed is now gone and the second split has been bleak, with very slow hunting in most areas. Even hunting around frontal passages has been difficult. So with several weeks left in the season, is it time to hang it up and wait for next year? For a dedicated duck hunter, the answer is “no” — but you will have to change your tactics to succeed in filling limits of these Houdini ducks!

	Big deer dubbed 'Bambi' killed in Winn Parish January 03 at 5:00 pm You have to hand it to Steve Burnum and his 16-year-old son Leyton for sticking with the mission of downing a big buck they’d known about since 2008. Their persistence in patterning the deer for five hunting seasons finally paid off when Steve put the crosshairs on him late on New Years Eve. The buck, an 11 point, was rough scored by Burnum at 155 3/8 inches, and was estimated to be 7 ½ years old. Burnum hunts on a postage stamp-sized piece of land in Winn Parish, not more than 15 acres total. “I live on five acres north of Calvin in Winn Parish, and I hunt my land as well as a tiny sliver of land a friend allows me to hunt that joins my property,” he explained. “Lamar Evans leases 40 acres from Weyerhaeuser Company, and a blacktop road slices off about 10 acres that joins my home property. For the past 12 years, Lamar has allowed me to hunt that sliver while he hunts the 30 acres across the blacktop.”

	246-inch buck shot on Giles Island December 21, 2012 at 9:50 pm Jimmy Riley knows bucks. It’s his job, since he’s the head guide at Giles Island Hunting Club, one of the South’s premier outfitters, and a star on Mossy Oak’s “Deer Thugs” on the Pursuit Channel. But even he was stunned at the antler dimensions of a Giles Island Buck killed Thursday (Dec. 20)by client Joshua Bruce of Alexandria, La. “I measured him at 242 6/8 inches gross,” said Riley. Say what?

	Second-split opening disappointing for many hunters December 20, 2012 at 5:00 pm Where are all of the ducks? This is the question that has been reverberating throughout South Louisiana after a generally weak opening weekend for the eastern and coastal zones’ second split. The duck numbers in the state have increased since November, but are still pretty low for December? According to the December waterfowl survey released by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the overall duck population was estimated to have dropped a 15 percent from last December – even though migrant birds have arrived since November.

	Deer-tag validation system experiencing problems, LDWF ready to take hunters' calls December 10, 2012 at 3:54 pm Hunters have been experiencing some problems validating their deer tags with the toll-free voice recognition system, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).

	Ban on hunting deer with dogs lifted for Kisatchie National Forest December 06, 2012 at 3:00 pm The ban on hunting deer with dogs has been lifted from the season that runs Dec. 15-23, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced Tuesday (Dec. 4). However, permits are required of hunters using dogs to chase deer, the federal agency said. The “with or without dogs” portion of the 2012-2013 hunting season within the Catahoula, Winn and Kisatchie Ranger Districts and the Evangeline Unit of the Calcasieu Ranger District is scheduled for Dec. 15-23.

	Three Jennings men cited in killing of Thistlethwaite WMA spotted fawn December 04, 2012 at 5:00 pm Three Jennings men were cited in connection with the killing a spotted fawn during a Nov. 23 hunting trip to Thistlethwaite Wildlife Management Area, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries said. Agents cited 22-year-old Samuel T. Herndon for taking a spotted fawn, intentional concealment of wildlife and failing to comply with deer tagging or harvest card requirements, the LDWF said.

	Alleged deer hunting violations land father and son in Avoyelles Parish Jail November 30, 2012 at 7:00 am Agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division arrested a father and son for alleged deer hunting violations in Avoyelles Parish. Agents arrested Gregory S. Gautreaux, 44, of Turkey Creek, and his son Gregory R. Gautreaux, 21, also of Turkey Creek on Nov. 20 and booked them into the Avoyelles Parish Jail. Gregory S. Gautreaux was cited for selling deer meat, possession of an illegally taken deer, failing to comply with deer tagging regulations, hunting without resident hunting or big game licenses, careless operation of a vehicle and driving under a suspended license. Gregory R. Gautreaux was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, hunting without resident hunting and big game licenses, failing to wear hunters orange, hunting on a wildlife management area (WMA) without a WMA hunting permit, hunting with a gun in a bow hunting area, illegal access of an WMA and no WMA self-clearing permit.

	Two waterfowl-hunting zones close next week November 28, 2012 at 12:42 pm Split waterfowl-hunting dates and the newly created third hunting zone has left some duck hunters confused as to when the first split ends for their zone. And two of the three waterfowl zones close down after this weekend. The two hunting closures for the first split are the Coastal and Eastern zones as defined by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries. Hunting in the Western Zone continues through Dec. 9, LDWF regulations stipulate.

	Aerial Waterfowl Survey finds 20 percent fewer ducks in area than last November November 20, 2012 at 4:00 pm In what may come as bad news for local duck hunters the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has found a drop in the number of ducks estimated to be in the coastal region of the state by 20 percent over the beginning of the season last year. LDWF’s count comes from a Nov. 7-9 aerial survey in which a manual count was executed during an aircraft flyover of the region of the state south of Highway 90. The biggest trends reported in the survey were a large decline in blue-winged teal from 451,000 to only 33,000 and far fewer coots from a record high 1.84 million to 555,000.

	2013 Louisiana Sportsman Big Buck Contest planning under way November 13, 2012 at 3:00 pm Plans are already in the works for the 2013 edition of the Louisiana Sportsman Big Buck Contest, which is slated for March 15-17 at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales. In addition to category prizes, all deer entered in the contest — no matter how big or small — will be included in a random drawing for a Yamaha 350 Grizzly.