Gun hunting usually begins here the Friday after Thanksgiving. For more information on season dates and special weapons seasons, contact the LDWF, 5652 Highway 182, Opelousas, LA 70570; (337) 948-0255.

Thistlethwaite aside, trophy white-tailed deer tend to appear along the historic river drainages of the Mississippi and Red River systems in Louisiana. This fact also correlates nicely with what is observed in national Boone and Crockett records for the entire North American Continent. The entire Mississippi River Basin is widely celebrated for delivering truly immense trophy whitetails in large numbers.

"Our deer records are a direct reflection of the habitat on which the animal was produced," Moreland said. "All of the top public land deer taken between 1998-2005 were killed on public lands with bottomland hardwood habitat."

The public parcels Moreland refers to include the Big Lake, Red River, Three Rivers and Thistlethwaite WMAs, and the Tensas River and Lake Ophelia NWRs.

Regarding the future, there can be no doubt that private lands along the Mississippi River will continue to rule the record books in terms of delivering trophy deer. If you're a serious trophy deer hunter intent on taking numerous trophy deer, then private lands in Tensas, Madison, East Carroll, Concordia, Avoyelles, and West Feliciana should deliver even more trophy bucks for your dollars in the future.

Be prepared however, to pay hefty lease fees and/or to be stranded on a long waiting list. An annual lease fee in these parishes can run upwards to $5,000 per member.

OUR BIGGEST BUCKS BY FIREARMS, 1995-2004
Traditional Firearms -- Typical
Rank	Hunter	Score	Parish	Year
1.	Donald Riviere	181 1/8	Avoyelles	1998
2.	Anthony Guice	179 7/8	Tensas	1995
3.	Shannon Deville	179 2/6	St. Landry	2001
4.	Jim Nick Gray	177 7/8	LaSalle	1996
Traditional Firearms -- Non-Typical
1.	Tommy Rice	228 7/8	West Feliciana	1998
2.	Kevin Collier	213 1/8	Grant	1995
Muzzleloader --Typical
1.	Ronnie Wilkinson	170 3/6	Concordia	2002
2.	Michael Willis	168 5/8	Avoyelles	1997
3.	Timmy Sims	165 1/8	Claiborne	1999
4.	Bruce Cooke	158 1/8	St. Landry	2003
5.	Reggie Bergeron	155 1/8	East Feliciana	1998
6.	Anthony Lemoine	154 4/8	Avoyelles	2003
7.	Ron Smith	152 5/8	Union	2004
8.	Clint Ladner	152 2/8	Avoyelles	2001
9.	Jason Herbert	151 2/8	Avoyelles	2000
Muzzleloader --Non-Typical
1.	William Jordan Jr.	198 4/8	Rapides	2001

Tensas River NWR offers the best chances in these parts for a public hunter to score on a wallhanger by gun, muzzleloader or bow.

For more information, including maps of this 54,000-acre hardwood paradise, write or call the Tensas River NWR, Route 2, Box 295, Tallulah, LA 71282; (318) 574-2664.

Immediately south of Tensas River NWR is Big Lake WMA, which will be forever graven in Louisiana trophy whitetail history, because in January 1994, James McMurray of Gilbert harvested the top non-typical whitetail to be ever rattled in on public lands anywhere. At 281 6/8 Boone and Crockett points, McMurray's 30-point buck ranks among the top 10 non-typical trophy whitetails ever killed on the North American continent.

Located in portions of Franklin, Madison and Tensas parishes, 12 miles east of Gilbert, Big Lake WMA consists of 19,212 acres of bottomland hardwoods. For maps, season dates and more information regarding Big Lake WMA, write or call the LDWF, P.O. Box 426, Ferriday, LA 71334; (318) 757-4571.

In Concordia Parish, Three Rivers and Red River WMAs combined make available to the deer-hunting public over 59,000 acres of bottomland hardwoods paradise. A review of the Louisiana Big Game Records for whitetails will find this parish listed in almost all categories, especially in the non-typical trophy list.

Expect these lands to deliver more trophy bucks, especially if cold temperatures fall during the rut in late December and January. Hunting during the pre-rut begins the Friday following Thanksgiving.

For more information on these lands, call or write the LDWF, P.O. Box 426, Ferriday, LA 71334; (318) 757-4571.

Lake Ophelia NWR's 17,500 acres were once part of an immense hardwood bottomland tract bordering the Mississippi River. The refuge is located in Avoyelles Parish, north of Marksville.

In the past few years, this area has produced several magnificent trophy whitetails for archers and smokepolers. Three two-day weekend lottery hunts occur each year at this area, one in December and the others in January. The balance of the season is for bowhunting.

For maps and more information, contact Lake Ophelia NWR, 401 Island Road, Marksville, LA 71351; (318) 253-7139.

And there you have it: quite a prospectus for the true trophy white-tailed deer of the Bayou State. Take these analyses, combine them with your own instincts -- et laissez les bontemps rouler! Bonne chance!