Loggy Bayou WMA, in the southernmost sector of Bossier Parish, has always been a hunting location highly regarded by area archers. A mere 4,213 acres in size, it comes highly recommended by wildlife division leader Moreland for serious bowhunters. Archery dates here run Oct. 1-Jan. 31 (either-sex), interrupted by a very limited gun season and muzzleloader segment. Strategies here include finding the corridors along which whitetails move to and from feeding areas. A well-kept secret: Stay in your stand throughout the day, as it has noted on more than one occasion that the deer here will move at midday --’ most particularly from bedding sites in small pine stands to specific hardwoods in the thick areas.

For maps, or for more information regarding Jackson-Bienville and Loggy Bayou WMAs, contact the LDWF at (318) 371-3050.

THE FLORIDA PARISHES
In these eight parishes north of Lake Pontchartrain and east of the Mississippi River, habitat features vary widely, ranging from the fertile, high ridges of Tunica Hills to the west to the vast swamp of the Pearl River Basin in the east.

Stretching over 5,783 acres in West Feliciana Parish, Tunica Hills WMA is extremely popular with bowhunters from Baton Rouge and the surrounding area. The archery season here follows the state season, interrupted only by a youth gun hunt (usually held on a weekend in early November) and the muzzleloader season, which runs from the day after Thanksgiving to Dec. 3.

According to Moreland, quality can be looked for here, as some deer killed at this area have reached Pope & Young status. More trophies are expected here during both the archery and the muzzleloader segments.

Bowhunting here during the early season centers on food sources near creek bottoms. Browse activity is an early key to finding whitetails. The rut here ranges from December to mid-January.

For more information regarding maps or any other matter concerning Tunica Hills WMA, contact the LDWF at (225) 765-2800.

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There you have it: a Bayou State bowhunting preview for the 2006-07 archery season. Keep your blades sharpened and your strings waxed in hopeful anticipation of a storm-free season this coming fall and winter.

Find more about Louisiana fishing and hunting at: LAgameandfish.com