"Many hunters had already switched from DMAP to LADT," he said, "because all they were really interested in was the chance to harvest a doe anytime during the season and had no real interest in managing the deer on the property they hunt. With the current system in effect, they can harvest a doe anytime during the season without having to keep records, and as a result, our LADT numbers have dropped.

"On the other hand, those hunting clubs who are genuinely interested in managing their property for deer are staying in DMAP. They get more interaction with biologists and are willing to collect the data we require because they're serious about quality management on their property.

"Last year we had over 800 DMAP members and over 1,100 LADT members. Currently, there are 619 DMAP clubs and 823 LADT clubs. The ones who are staying in are those who are really interested in having a high-quality situation on the land they hunt."

Although statewide deer numbers are stable overall, the population is flourishing in some areas, while growth is not as dramatic in others. Said LeBlanc, "One thing is for certain: Deer need a variety of habitat types to do well. In the Florida parishes, timber harvest has stepped up and as the forest canopy is opened by the harvest of mature trees, sunlight comes in and plants that are attractive to deer spring up, creating a banquet for the deer.

"On the other hand, deer and most other species of wildlife don't do as well where one type of tree is allowed to dominate. The ideal situation is to allow for a mixed pine/hardwood component where deer do well as opposed to a pine monoculture or towering hardwoods that allow little sunlight through to the ground.

"Deer need plenty of browse plants but they also need hard mast, particularly acorns, to add body fat to prepare the animals for winter and the rigors of the breeding season," LeBlanc explained.

There is another element that is impacting the deer somewhat across the state, another four-legged creature that has bullied its way onto the outdoor scene and competing for food and space that deer ordinarily use. Feral hogs are becoming a factor that hunters and professional game managers have to deal with.

"I just got back from a feral hog symposium in Mobile, Ala., where research is ongoing on these animals. Hogs are fun to hunt and fine to eat . . . as long as they're on somebody else's property," LeBlanc said, chuckling. "It's very hard to get rid of the hogs on your property, and we have found that your best bet is to try and control them by taking out as many small young pigs as you can.

"Where hog trapping is ongoing, we're suggesting that smaller mesh be used in the traps to keep the younger ones from escaping. These young pigs are not as savvy as the older ones, and therefore easier to lure to a trap. Get these little ones out of the population, and hopefully you'll reduce the next generation of feral hogs on your property."

Now that Louisiana is two years removed from the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we asked LeBlanc to assess the situation today in the storm-ravaged areas as it relates to the deer population. "Surprisingly, there has been a good recovery in the area hit by Katrina, with a greater impact today in southwest Louisiana where Rita came ashore," said LeBlanc. "Deer are tough animals, and they have survived other storms down through the years. "For example: When Hurricane Camille hit the Pass-à-Loutre area years ago, we feared the worse for the future of deer in that area. The deer came back, however, and things were going well until Katrina hit.

"We are already seeing good recovery in that area," he continued, "and in one particular area the storm may have actually helped in improving the deer population. In the Pearl River wildlife management area, millions of dollars worth of timber, mostly mature hardwoods, wound up on the ground, creating an impenetrable tangle and profusion of dead trees.

"While the deer lost a lot of the hard mast element there, the canopy opened by the storm has created a lush growth of foods that deer eat. In addition, this area is now extremely difficult to hunt, which has removed much of the pressure on the deer herd there, allowing them to replenish themselves."

LeBlanc noted that while Rita may have wrought devastation less spectacular than that of Katrina, which hit metropolitan areas, it caused its own sorts of problems for wildlife. "The storm surge inundated the marsh and low-lying areas with salt water," he noted. "Ordinarily, this scalds native plants for a while, but rains that follow help reduce the salinity and return the area more to normal. The problem with Rita was that, following the saltwater surge, a drought hit the area, which left a high level of salinity, since it wasn't diluted by rainwater.

"Deer live on the ridges and higher areas in the marsh, but the effect of Rita followed by the drought has greatly reduced the desirable habitat there."