Bass Fishing
Coastal winter bass fishing tips
• Fish deeper with spinnerbaits and let them bounce on the bottom once in a while.[…]
December 2013
Deer Hunting
Habitat a major issue
One of the biggest benefits to proper deer management is a sustainable population of deer.[…]
Deer Hunting
Shoot or don’t shoot?
Someone who has never hunted property holding numbers of racks would have a heart attack on Greg Hackney’s club trying to decide if a deer was a shooter or not.[…]
Deer Hunting
Feeding frenzies
It was obvious that the bucks were feeding very heavily during September on the property in Desoto Parish (Area 2) in preparation of the upcoming rut.[…]
Deer Hunting
Missed opportunities
Nothing bums me out more than going on a deer or turkey hunt, doing everything right, have the targeted animal come into range and then miss.[…]
Deer Hunting
Take-home message
The lessons from the track record of these bucks can be summed up as follows:[…]
Sidebars
What is a ‘jo boat?’
Although Mike Branton builds his own jo boats as a hobby, the true home for these little craft is Marksville in Avoyelles Parish.[…]
Sidebars
How to access Boeuf River potholes for duck hunting
Access to pothole hunting along Beouf River is by boat, so for people not familiar with the area finding a launch is necessary.[…]
Deer Hunting
Scent Shield key to bagging bucks
Brad Doughty is an excellent deer hunter, regularly bagging big bucks on public land. However, he does it with a little help from his Scent Shield and deer calls.[…]
Sidebars
How to clean ducks using paraffin wax
Both Pat Bordelon and Mike Branton love to eat ducks. They eat them roasted. They eat them smoked. They eat them in gumbo. They eat them as bacon-wrapped roll-ups.[…]
Deer Hunting
Patterning key to sticking big bucks, gar and turkey
As passionate as Brad Doughty is about chasing trophy whitetails, he is also an avid bow fisherman in a quest for outsized alligator gar and boss gobblers.[…]
Fishing
Tippets
Persistent, strong winds have plagued fly casters this fall. Here’s hoping December brings calm to the marsh. If it does, sight-casting opportunities for the Spottail Elvis should be prime.[…]
Recipes
Cooking the kill
Hunting ducks is fun. Cooking them is a lot tougher. Waterfowl are easily the most difficult of all wild game to cook. […]
Deer Hunting
Call ’em in
Brad Doughty relies heavily on two deer calls — a bleat can and a grunt tube — to draw in bucks during the rut.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Top 4 Dularge fishing tips for December
“Remember: In these cooler months when you’re drifting and casting, you want to stop when you catch one or two keepers or you’re likely to pass up the fish,” Capt. Gerald Ellender said.[…]
Inshore Fishing
Things to know before fishing Vermilion Bay
Steve Smith is the ultimate teacher. The back of his business card is emblazoned with “Things to know before you go!!!!,’’ followed by directions to four information sources to make successful Vermilion Bay area fishing trips on your own.[…]