That the land along the Mississippi River is a haven for high numbers of first-quality whitetails is due largely to varying habitat types, including hardwood bottomland forests. Other areas of private and public lands consist of mixed pine and hardwoods managed by timber companies throughout the region.

According to the LDWF's deer study leader Scott Durham, Louisiana is losing much of the beloved whitetail's precious habitat.

Union WMA's 11,113 acres delivered grand numbers of whitetails to public hunters in 2006. This WMA is in Union Parish, approximately four miles west of Marion, is leased from Plum Creek Timber Company and managed by the LDWF.

The habitat here is chiefly rolling hills with several streamside management zones. The forest cover is dominated by loblolly pine mixed in some stands with hardwoods consisting of Southern red oak, white oak, hickory, post oak, sweetgum, cherrybark oak, Arkansas oak, cow oak, and red maple. Beech and water oak occur along SMZs.

"We had the highest harvest rates ever recorded here during managed gun hunts in 2006," said deer study leader Durham. "This area was due, especially since we have conducted much research here regarding deer management and prescriptions that have generalized to our DMAP programs."

Last season, managed hunts here produced 294 whitetails for 1,836 hunting efforts -- statistics approximating an incredible 6.2 hunting efforts per harvested deer. Managed hunting dates here begin usually at the end of October, with days scattered in November and December.

Deer hunters in Region 2 will also see season framework changes on Bayou Macon's 6,900 acres. The general deer lottery hunts had been eliminated, and either-sex gun hunts will occur here in mid-November.

Historically, Bayou Macon WMA's bottomland hardwoods have been great in delivering good numbers of deer to public hunters. During the WMA's 2006 lottery gun hunt, 63 whitetails were taken by 318 hunters, or 5.1 efforts per harvested deer.

Russell Sage WMA's 16,835 acres lie just east of Monroe in Ouachita, Richland and Morehouse parishes. This area also conducts a three-day either-sex gun hunt just after Thanksgiving. LDWF records here indicate that 79 whitetails were taken by 604 hunting efforts, or approximately 1 deer per 7.7 hunting efforts.

For more information regarding Union WMA, Bayou Macon WMA and Russell Sage WMA, contact Region 2 at (318) 343-4044.

REGION 3
Alexander State Forest WMA, near Alexandria in central Rapides Parish, covers 7,875 acres consisting of loblolly pine forests with scattered hardwoods in creek bottoms and SMZs.

In 2006, two blackpowder-only hunts resulted in the taking of 12 and 21 deer respectively by 117 and 144 hunters on two different weekends in October and November, which works out in efforts per deer to 9.7 and 6.9, respectively.

The season at this public parcel 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.

Camp Beauregard WMA, in Rapides Parish, contains 10,000 acres of mixed pine-hardwood habitat owned by the Louisiana National Guard. In 2006, 54 whitetails were taken by 334 hunters, which comes to 6.2 efforts per harvested deer. This area schedules two muzzleloader-only weekends in late November and mid-December. A bucks-only gun season starts after Christmas and runs through early January.

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

REGION 4
This area arguably encompasses some of Louisiana's finest habitat for high-quality white-tailed deer. Private hunting clubs along the Mississippi River here have historically been leaders in terms of managing for whitetails.

In the public-land category of venues, 68,000-acre Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge, in Tensas and Madison parishes, offers outstanding deer hunting. According to refuge biologist Stanley Howarter, approximately 676 whitetails were taken last season, a figure including lottery, blackpowder, physically-challenged and archery efforts.