"There is continued concern over the perception of less deer here than ever before," he conceded. "Many local, experienced hunters here report seeing fewer deer here than what was observed in the last 10 years.

"We have plans to be a bit more aggressive with regard to managing timber here. Yet hunters also have to realize that farming practices have been reduced in and around the refuge. We have harvested timber here recently in the Crystal Road area as well as portions near Little Fork. We are planning another timber harvest for 360 acres in 2007."

Lottery gun hunts here admit 2,500 for either-sex deer hunts offered during two separate weekends; as a matter of course, fewer than that 2,500 actually show up for the lottery weekends.

"There will be changes in our calendar this year," said Howarter. "We are moving our lottery gun hunts to the first and third weekends in December, and our muzzleloader segment is scheduled for early January."

For more information, contact the Tensas River NWR, 2312 Quebec Road, Tallulah, LA 71282; (318) 574-2664.

On state Highway 128 in Tensas Parish, Buckhorn WMA delivered 58 whitetails to approximately 576 deer hunters in 2007. This 11,262-acre hardwood bottomland is noted for substantial numbers of whitetails and enjoyable hunting opportunities. The gun season here runs for three days following Thanksgiving.

For maps and more information regarding Buckhorn WMA, contact the LDWF office at P.O. Box 1640, Ferriday, LA 71334; telephone (318) 757-4571.

REGION 5
Private lands in this district have historically been ranked in the moderate range for deer harvests, but changes are in store for deer hunters in southwest Louisiana.

"Hurricane Rita's effects will probably be great for increasing the habitat available for our deer herd here," said biologist manager John Robinette at Region 5 headquarters in Lake Charles. "Although we had severe hardwoods damage in the area, the forest canopy has opened up as a result, with hunters already reporting seeing many more whitetails than ever before."

West Bay WMA, in north central Allen Parish three miles west of Oakdale on Highway 10, has always been a popular WMA for the state's western pine woods deer hunters. During managed gun hunts in 2007, some 80 whitetails were taken in 1,226 efforts, or 15 hunting efforts per deer. Harvests here were up from last season's, and hunters may find even more deer at this popular WMA in 2007.

Clearcuts with pine and hardwoods intermingled throughout should have this WMA all but crawling with deer. Managed hunts here are usually scheduled during late October and run through November and parts of December. For maps and more information regarding West Bay WMA, contact the LDWF Region 5 office, 1213 North Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles, LA 70601; (337) 491-2575.

REGION 6
America's greatest river basin swamp is home to both Sherburne WMA and the adjacent Atchafalaya NWR, its 44,000 acres lying in portions of Pointe Coupee, St. Martin and Iberville parishes in south-central Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin.

The gun seasons here usually begin the weekend after Thanksgiving, with a couple of other either-sex days in December. A bucks-only season is usually scheduled in late December through mid-January.

Last season, hunters harvested 283 whitetails here for approximately 11.7 hunter efforts (combined hunts).

According to LDWF biologist manager Tony Vidrine, the usual 2 1/2-year-old deer harvested on these lands averaged 145 pounds or so. Harvested bucks a year older average about 175 pounds.

Hunt food sources in October and November; hunt active scrapes during the later rutting period, usually observed here in December and January. In these locations little visited by the public, deer numbers can really be high.

For more information regarding maps or any other concerns, contact the LDWF Region 6 office, 105 Avenue of the Acadians, Opelousas, LA 70570; (337) 948-0255.

REGION 7
Consisting of 5,783 acres in West Feliciana Parish, Tunica Hills WMA is very popular with primitive-weapons hunters in the area. Last season, some 12 whitetails were taken by 371 hunter efforts.

The managed either-sex muzzleloader hunt is ordinarily scheduled for the weekend after Thanksgiving running into early December.

Pearl River WMA, six miles east of Slidell, covers roughly 35,000 acres. In 2007, nine whitetails were taken in 330 hunting efforts. Managed hunts here begin the day after Thanksgiving. You'd better have a boat to access much of the huntable area at this WMA.

For more information on Tunica Hills WMA and/or Pearl River WMA, contact the LDWF, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000; (225) 765-2360.