Apex Predator

The Broken Bridge Buck

My brother joined me for a few days of hunting Red River Wildlife Management Area during the bucks-only season. Rain was in the forecast, but he drove up early for a morning hunt, and we decided to tough it out in our ground blinds.[…]

Deer Hunting

Back-to-back public-land bucks

I took some time off of work to enjoy the great outdoors. I was rewarded with some very exciting hunts, seeing both deer and hogs. I saw a nice buck on an afternoon hunt, but despite drawing back twice could not get an open shot.[…]

Deer of the Year

Young hunter kills second trophy buck in 2012-13 season

Miller Holt may never kill another buck in his life. No matter — the 6-year-old has already accomplished over a five-week period what few deer hunters ever have the opportunity to do in a lifetime.

After killing a 168 ⅛-inch 14-pointer on Nov. 16, the young hunter knocked down a 9-point deer on Dec. 23 that scored 149 6/8 inches Boone & Crockett.[…]

Deer Hunting

Why a January rut?

Studies conducted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries indicate that whitetails in parishes along the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers have a tendency to start pre-rut activities from mid-December, while the peak of the rut will often occur in January.[…]

Deer of the Year

Long shot puts 165-class Lincoln Parish deer on the ground

As a pastor, 37-year-old Rev. Gevan Spinney has often had to counsel people with problems. The probability of having success with some difficult situations, no doubt, could be considered long shots at best.

On the morning of Nov. 16, Spinney took another long shot, one he later verified by his range finder at 347 yards —a shot that brought down a trophy 12-point buck that scored 165 7/8 inches Boone & Crockett.[…]

Columns

Thoughts on the science of trail cameras

Things have really changed over the past 40-odd years when it comes to deer hunting. There would certainly be some debate regarding certain aspects of the sport, but for the most part — in my humble opinion — we as deer hunters have never had it better than we do right now, especially here in the Deep South.[…]

Columns

Pay it forward

I consider myself blessed in many ways. Among those blessings are the many great memories of childhood hunting adventures. Dad, my grandfathers and uncles made sure I got to tag along on lots of great hunts as a kid.[…]

Deer of the Year

Persistence pays off with 150-class Bienville Parish buck

For the better part of a year, Judd Chapman’s trail cameras showed the image of a buck he wanted. After reading everything he could get his hands on, studying topographic maps and relying on photos from strategically placed trail cameras to determine the location of the buck’s sanctuary, Chapman hit the jackpot on Dec. 14 when the 150-class 13-point buck made a fatal mistake.[…]

Deer Hunting

Above It All

The 7-point buck presented a perfect 40-yard broadside shot. Ben Fontenot had been waiting for this moment for a long time. A whitetail deer, his whitetail deer, the first he would shoot, was within his sights.

Fontenot expertly lined up his scope, and he held the crosshairs right behind the buck’s shoulder. All he had to do now was send a round from his .270 downrange and then go collect his deer, but something went wrong.

“My battery started going dead,” he said. “We had to get out of the blind and go back to get another one. I was nervous as all get out by the time we got back to my blind — didn’t know if I was going to get to kill that deer.”

But the buck did come back out. Only this time, it wasn’t in a good position. Try as he might, Fontenot couldn’t get his rifle lined up with the deer. It was too far to the side. In the commotion of repositioning his blind and his rifle, the deer left again.[…]