Borel recommends hunting rubs and scrape lines after the opener but during the pre-rut period. “During the rut and afterwards, you want to concentrate your efforts on does,” he explained, “since bucks will concentrate their efforts on tending them at this time.”

For more information, contact Tensas River NWR at (318) 574-2664.

Covering portions of the south-central parishes of Pointe Coupee, St. Martin and Iberville, Sherburne Wildlife Management Area and the adjacent Atchafalaya NWR aggregate to nearly 42,000 publicly accessible acres in what’s aptly termed “America’s Greatest River Basin Swamp” --’ the Atchafalaya Basin. The archery season here begins Oct. 1 (bucks only until Oct. 15) and runs to Feb. 15. Both areas offer some fine bowhunting during the early and late periods of the archery season; in fact, the Feb. 15 extension also serves archers using the area well, since prime rutting conditions are also in place here at that time.

LDWF biologist manager Tony Vidrine notes that some 25 deer are annually checked out by archers here. The quality of the hunt here is reportedly high, with bowhunters on their stands very frequently seeing deer.

Hunt food sources early in October, and look out for does during the later rutting period. A boat and/or pirogue may be necessary for bowhunting the Bayou des Ourses (Bear Bayou) swamp, or bottomlands located on both sides of Big and Little Alabama bayous. Deer can be really plentiful in these difficult-to-access locations.

To get more information, obtain maps or address any other concerns, contact the LDWF’s District VI office at (337) 948-0255.

In terms of trophy whitetails, Thistlethwaite WMA --’ 11,000 acres of hardwoods habitat in St. Landry Parish --’ probably contains more bragworthy whitetails per acre than any other WMA in the Bayou State. A few miles north of Washington, it’s a firm favorite of bowhunters, especially in the late season. The season here begins Oct. 1 (bucks only Oct. 1-15) and ends Feb. 15.

It’s no secret that the bowhunting pressure here is extremely heavy, especially since three Pope & Young caliber whitetails have been taken in years past, and many others have been observed out of bow range. Buck harvests here are limited by a sort of slot limit applying to antler points: A legal buck here must either be a spike (2-pointer) or have at least 4 antlered points on one main beam; a buck whose number of points falls between these two marks may not be harvested.

After opening day, whitetails will chiefly go nocturnal until the rut, when the hefty animals again show themselves. The Feb. 15 extension should also work well here, since deer movement continues through that period.

For maps of or more information on Thistlethwaite WMA, contact the LDWF’s District VI office, (337) 948-0255.

COASTAL MARSH AND RICE BOWL
Stretching along the Gulf Coast from the Texas border on the west to the Mississippi border on the east, Louisiana’s coastal marshes encompass over 3 million acres. The habitat here annually proves itself supportive of whitetails.

Lacassine NWR, just southwest of Lake Arthur in Cameron Parish, allows only bowhunting, usually during October. Last fall, the season was closed following Hurricane Rita’s destructive rampage through southwest Louisiana.