Features from January 2024
You need to use subtle tactics, decoy set-ups and calls the ducks haven’t heard or seen often to take late-season ducks.
Late season can be very exciting hunting, but may require more effort to adjust your technique to match the habitat and deer movement.
A day speckled trout fishing after a cold front can be just as productive as opting to wait for better conditions to make your next trip.
When the north wind wails its cold, angry screams and drives water southward, redfish and other marine creatures must find deeper refuges.
A late season squirrel hunt with dogs is a great way to teach the children to have fun in the outdoors and learn to hunt.
In fishing, it is all about landing a double digit bass. Many Louisiana anglers find them at Caney Lake, Toledo Bend and Bussey Brake.
Columns - January 2024
- The Excel 1864 Switchblade is a game changer for waterfowl hunters that want to use their boats for more than just shooting ducks.
- Inspired and designed by bass pro Tyler Rivet, the Sucka Punch presents a different profile and a hook slot on the side.
- Kayak fishing in the winter can be fun and rewarding, but common sense must be applied. Carry some type of emergency bag.
- Outdoor writing is a dangerous business. Writing about the outdoor life and putting it down on paper for everyone to see and comment on.
- The heart-felt hope is that newly elected governor Jeff Landry appoints the just-right people to the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.
- February is a great time to chase bushytails. This is when squirrel dogs get their chance, if they haven’t already.
- After multiple pizzas and plenty of trips to Chicago, I decided that a deep-dish pizza would be better suited for wild boar or venison.
Outdoor Updates - January 2024
- Ducks Unlimited was recently awarded $6.25 million from the NFWF to construct living shorelines and marsh terraces in Lafourche Parish.
- Russell Colvin was hunting his 25 acre tract in Union Parish on Nov. 2 when he shot a big 9-point trophy buck.
- On Nov. 8, Shea Harvey of Springhill shot this 11-point buck with a Howa 30.06 near Shongaloo in Webster Parish.
- William Cook was hunting on his 400 acre lease in Bienville Parish on Dec. 2 when he shot a big 13-point buck.
- Kelsie Dobernig was hunting on family land in Grant Parish when she downed a trophy 9-point buck on Nov. 7.
- Gemi Robinson was on a hunt with her dad in Bienville Parish when she shot a big buck that scored 159 3/8 on Nov. 12.
- Ralph Tucker with the 10-point buck he shot with his Thompson Center Pro Hunter 7mm mag on Nov. 15 in Union Parish
- Louisiana’s crappie harvest is vibrant, according to Robby Maxwell, an inland fisheries biologist who reported to the LWFC.
- Neal Richard shot this 10-point buck on his lease in Natchitoches Parish with his nephew's Savage 7mm 08.
- The LWFC amended a recent NOI dealing with redfish limits after a Legislative Oversight Committee kicked back the original NOI.
- Connor Triche, 12, of Madisonville used the kayak he bought with his own money to land this largemouth bass that weighed 10 pounds 2 ounces.
- Ryan Masters of Many downed this 11-point buck in Sabine Parish on Nov. 11, 2023. It was exactly 4 years after killing a similar buck.
- This year, the one and only Louisiana Sportsman Show will be held at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge March 1-3, 2024.
- On Nov. 22, Craig Domingue was hunting at his hunting club in Beauregard Parish when he bagged a giant 22-point buck.
- Casey Carrington shot a 12-point buck with his Browning X-Bolt .308 at his hunting club in Sabine Parish on Nov. 14.
- On Nov. 30, Chris Lafitte of Bossier City was hunting in north Caddo Parish when he shot a 15-point trophy buck.
- Scott McMullen and his son, Johnnie, were hunting together in Union Parish when they both shot a trophy buck that scored 157 1/8 inches.
- On Nov. 11, Clint Holt, 7, was hunting with his brother and father in East Carroll Parish when he shot this big 14-point buck.
Hot Spots - January 2024
- Ron Castille explains how to fish on the Calcasieu River from the Moss Bluff public ramp south to the Saltwater Barrier at West Lake.
- Toledo Bend bass anglers are hoping for a January with warmer weather and a rising pool level to start off 2024.
- Lake D’Arbonne is one of the top places to catch crappie this time of the year according to Jimmy Watt of Bastrop.
Field Notes - January 2024
- A section of the old Bartholomew channel was dammed off years ago. Known as “The Cut-off,” it offers fishing for bass, crappie and bream.
- Alexandria Senior High School Fishing Team members Nicholas England and Tyler Medica are on a mission to win Angler(s) of the Year.
- This will be Dale Bordelon’s 50th duck hunting season. He loves teaching about the old ways and encouraging others to pass on the traditions.
- As the rich sediment is deposited at the mouth of Neptune Pass, substantial land is being built into Quarantine Bay.
- Large speckled trout are often found along rocky shorelines and jetties where mullet and croakers congregate.