Louisiana Sportsman

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July 10, 2026

Working the duck beat

December 15, 2017 Keith LaCaze

Working migratory game bird seasons — particularly duck seasons — was always one of my favorite parts of the job. […]

Delta’s dirty dozen

December 15, 2017 Jerald Horst

1) Learn to use a pintail whistle, but don’t overuse any call. In fact, calling really doesn’t seem to make a lot of difference.[…]

Why hunt Delta National Wildlife Refuge?

December 15, 2017 Jerald Horst

Woody and Chip Crews went from a longtime private waterfowl lease in Terrebonne Parish to the extreme opposite — public hunting in Plaquemines Parish. The father-son team offers their views on why anyone would want to hunt on Delta National Wildlife Refuge.[…]

Mottled duck telemetry study underway in Southwest Louisiana

December 14, 2017 John Flores

The mottled duck’s ongoing population struggles, which prompted officials to reduce the daily limit to one bird eight years ago, now are the reason for a telemetry study designed to help researchers locate their nests to determine nesting success. […]

Reynolds: December duck survey ‘disappointing’ so far

December 13, 2017 Patrick Bonin

Like lots of other Louisiana duck hunters, Larry Reynolds had high hopes for this year’s December aerial waterfowl survey. […]

DIY duck blind dog stand

December 1, 2017 Darren Digby

When constructing and preparing land-based duck blinds in the marsh, we go to great lengths to ensure the hide is both comfortable and functional. But adding a retrieving dog to the mix brings additional considerations and challenges. The dog must be integrated into the hunt, but in a safe way that also hides him from circling birds. […]

Ducks down on the Delta

December 1, 2017 Jerald Horst

At exactly 6:09 a.m. what was obviously a hen gray duck hovered close in over the coot decoys. Chip Crews chopped it down with one shot.

Dawn would be late coming under the leaden skies.[…]

Tips for legal, safe duck hunts

November 24, 2017 Keith LaCaze

Duck, coot and merganser seasons kick off in November. Louisiana is divided into three zones: coastal, west and east. […]

Top 5 tactics for early season success

November 15, 2017 Darren Digby

Landing zones – Though creating defined landing zones is often a favorite decoy pattern for hunters, it only takes observing a raft of puddle ducks one time to realize they will plop down just about anywhere — regardless of an available zone.[…]

A big spread of mixed decoys is needed early in the season, but less so as dabbling ducks pair off later in the season.

Tips for opening-day spreads

November 15, 2017 Patrick Bonin

Lively discussions about decoy spread strategies have probably gone on since wood carvers starting crafting lifelike dekes in the 1800s.[…]

LDWF begins lead study of mottled ducks on Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge

November 13, 2017 John Flores

For years now, it’s been widely documented that mottled duck populations have been declining on the Texas Gulf coast, while they have remained somewhat stable in Louisiana. […]

Duck numbers down ahead of opening day

November 10, 2017 Patrick Bonin

Duck hunters heading out to blinds for opening day of duck season in Louisiana’s west and coastal zones Saturday morning didn’t exactly get the news they were hoping for from the just-released November aerial survey conducted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.[…]