Minimum entry B&C scores for the state's three-year Big Game Recognition program are as follows: typical/gun -- 130; non-typical/gun -- 165; typical/ archery -- 90; non-typical/ archery -- 100; typical/ muzzleloader -- 110; non-typical/ muzzleloader -- 130.

For more information regarding the Louisiana Big Game Records and trophy whitetail hunting in Louisiana, write or contact: David Moreland, Louisiana Big Game Records Chairman, LDWF, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000; (225) 765-2358.

The Louisiana Big Game Records can be downloaded in their entirety from the LDWF's Web site; the full URL is www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/biggamehunts.

According to Moreland, the LDWF will initiate a deer registry for youth hunters beginning with the 2007-08 season. Youth hunters, 15 years of age or younger, can register their deer, buck or doe, large or small, with the LDWF. The LDWF will recognize these youth hunters, especially those who may have killed their first deer. This registry will be located on the department Web site -- www. wlf.louisiana.gov -- on the page containing the Louisiana Big Game Records. Youth hunters can also mail photographs of their deer to the Big Game Program at LDWF, PO Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA, 70898, Attention: LA Big Game Records.

TROPHY HABITAT: RIVERS RUN THROUGH IT
Deer hunters have only to analyze the Louisiana Big Game Records for Whitetails in order to get a perspective of where to find trophy whitetails.

Louisiana's 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 and 2007 were killed on public lands with bottomland hardwood habitat."

Upon viewing the records from 1914 to 1959 (prior to deer management), you will gather that the majority of trophy whitetails recorded fell along the Mississippi River delta. Of the 16 trophy deer taken during that period, 13 were clearly noted as having come from the river-basin parishes of Madison, Tensas, Concordia and Pointe Coupee.

One of those trophies is the all-time No. 1 typical taken in Louisiana; harvested in Madison Parish in 1943 by Don Broadway, it scored 184 6/8 B&C points. Another impressive whitetail trophy taken at this time was a 184 2/8 B&C typical taken in 1914 by Dr. H.B. Womble in Franklin Parish.

Regarding non-typical trophies taken during the same period, Dr. Joseph Shields harvested a 252 2/8 B&C non-typical in 1948 in Concordia Parish. Two other Concordia Parish non-typicals are noteworthy -- one at 216 7/8 B&C points and the other scoring at 214 7/8 B&C points.

Two other trophies arguably could have been harvested from river basin stock -- a 218 4/8 B&C non-typical taken by Drew Ware in St. Martin Parish (Atchafalaya River Basin); and a 170 3/8 B&C trophy taken by Stephen M. White, Sr. in 1945 in Morehouse Parish (Ouachita River Basin).

Reviewing all of the records listed from 1914 to the present, another river system appears to have delivered its share of trophy whitetails to Louisiana records. The Red River, coursing through parts of Caddo, Bossier, Red River, Natchitoches, Grant, Rapides, Catahoula and Avoyelles parishes, is associated with some 93 trophies listed -- 41 of which were taken by modern firearms, 27 by bow and 25 by muzzleloader.

A recent addition to the harvest is a 180 B&C typical taken by Shane Spears in Grant Parish. It will be ranked as the new No. 7 typical in Louisiana Big Game Records.