The deer herd is considered quite robust; creditable animals are taken here annually. Last season's managed hunts here produced 64 whitetails for 640 efforts (one deer per 10 hunting efforts). The 4,084-acre Loggy Bayou WMA, in the southernmost part of Bossier Parish, is very popular, especially with area bowhunters. The 2004-05 harvest records at Loggy Bayou indicated that 70 whitetails were taken by hunters. Managed gun hunts for whitetails usually occur in the three days following Thanksgiving; a special muzzleloader segment usually follows the gun hunt, and archery hunting makes up the balance.

For maps or more information regarding Jackson-Bienville and Loggy Bayou WMAs, write contact the LDWF, P.O. Box 915, Minden, LA 71055; (318) 371-3050.

DISTRICT 2
Private and public lands in this district vary with regard to supporting adequate numbers of deer. Lands along the Mississippi River are havens for high numbers of very nice whitetails. The reason? Massive hardwood forests. Other areas of private and public lands consist of mixed pine and hardwoods managed by timber companies.

Only 6,900 acres in size, Bayou Macon WMA's bottomland hardwoods were great for numbers of white-tailed deer. On state Highway 2 between the towns of Lake Providence and Oak Grove in East Carroll Parish, the area customarily offers two managed gun hunts: a two-day either-sex lottery hunt in late November, and a two-day either-sex muzzleloader segment in early December. During 2004's lottery gun hunt, only nine hunting efforts were necessary to harvest one whitetail.

Russell Sage WMA's 17,280 acres lie in Ouachita, Richland and Morehouse parishes, just east of Monroe. A three-day either-sex gun hunt just after Thanksgiving was quite popular with hunters last season. Records here indicate that 48 whitetails were taken in 458 hunting efforts, or approximately one deer out of 10 hunting efforts during the managed gun hunt.

SUCCESS RATES ON LOUISIANA'S WMA HUNTS
#	Area	Hunter Efforts	Total Harvest	Success Rate (%)
1	Ouachita	229	63	27.5
2	Boeuf	1,113	202	18.1
3	Camp Beau regard	405	58	14.3
4	Buckhorn	655	93	14.2
5	Peason Ridge	715	88	12.3
6	Sicily Island Hills	293	35	11.9
7	Bayou Macon	319	37	11.6
8	Pomme De Terre	412	47	11.4
9	Big Lake	1,093	116	10.6
10	Dewey Wills	818	86	10.5
11	Russell Sage	458	48	10.5
12	Jackson-Bienville	640	64	10.0
13	Attakapas	533	49	9.2
14	Red River/Three Rivers	4,180	381	9.1
15	Union	1,580	142	9.0
16	Boise-Vemon	1,916	169	8.8
17	Maurepas Swamp	612	47	7.7
18	Fort Pok	2,249	172	7.6
19	Alexander State Forest (ml)	619	45	7.3
20	Tunica Hills (ml)	760	54	7.1
21	Grassy Lake	1,092	71	6.5
22	Spring Bayou	611	34	5.6
23	Ben's Creek	512	28	5.5
24	Thistlethwaite	1,385	74	5.3
25	Sabine	305	16	5.2
26	Sherburne	2,945	150	5.1
27	West Bay	1,412	70	5.0
28	Pearl River	515	19	3.7
29	Sandy Hollow	162	4	2.5
30	Loggy Bayou	N/A	70	--
Totals		28,540	2,532	8.9
Note ml -- muzzleloader only)			Data Courtesy of LOWF

For more information regarding Bayou Macon WMA and Russell Sage WMA, contact District 2 at (318) 362-3160.

DISTRICT 3
Camp Beauregard WMA, in Rapides Parish, covers 10,000 acres of mixed pine-hardwood habitat; it's owned by the Louisiana National Guard. Here, 58 whitetails were taken by 406 hunters, or roughly one deer per seven hunting efforts during two muzzleloader segments in 2004. These usually occur in late November and early January.

Another notable area, popular thanks to its proximity to Alexandria, is Alexander State Forest WMA in central Rapides Parish. Sited 10 miles south of Alexandria off U.S. Highway 167 and a mile east of Woodworth, the WMA hosted managed hunts in 2004 that produced 45 deer for 619 muzzleloader hunters. The season here is rather short, with a three-day bucks-only gun hunt after Thanksgiving and four days of muzzleloader hunting for deer of either sex in October and November. Bowhunting makes up the balance of the season.

For more information on District 3 WMAs, contact the LDWF in Pineville at LDWF, 1995 Shreveport Highway, Pineville, LA 71360; (318) 487-5885.

DISTRICT 4
This district is a paradise for those partial to bodacious deer with antlers to match. Private hunting clubs along the Mississippi River here have historically been leaders in terms of managing for white-tailed deer. As for public lands, Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge in Tensas and Madison parishes is an established place of pilgrimage for hunters seeking antlers of quality.

According to refuge biologist Stanley Howarter, approximately 704 whitetails were taken by gun last season, a figure including lottery and blackpowder efforts. "There has been recent concern over the deer herd here," he said. "Many local, experienced hunters here report seeing fewer deer here than what was observed 10 years ago. Also, our percentage of 8-pointers taken is the lowest it has been since 1989.

"Our main problem here is that we haven't aggressively managed timber, and farming practices have been reduced in and around the refuge. Whitetails are being affected by these changes at this time."