Begin your deer season in the western part of the state in mid-September with plans to hit these WMAs. The rut starts earlier here than anywhere else in the state, which launches around the end of September in some locations and ends near mid-November.
Here are the best public tracts of land in that part of the state:
• Clear Creek WMA
• Sabine Island WMA
• West Bay WMA
• Fort Polk WMA
After that action cools down, head up to Northwest Louisiana to catch the tail end of that area’s rut, which winds down in late November and into December:
• Kisatchie National Forest
• Loggy Bayou WMA
• Bodcau WMA
As December turns to January, you’ll want to be in the Mississippi River Delta to catch the late rut that extends until February.
Public land along the river is plentiful, with ample locations to hunt trophy whitetails in the peak of the rut. Follow these parcels of public land from north to south to round out the season:
• Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge
• Richard K. Yancey WMA
• Tunica Hills WMA
• Sherburne WMA
