The kinds of mast crops best to hunt over are going to depend on your location. Red oaks are the hot tickets in some areas, while white oaks are like addictive drugs for deer in others. Nowadays, however, it's impossible to mention acorns without mentioning feral hogs.

Deer and hogs do not mix. If you are hunting over a feeder and you have hogs regularly hitting it, chances are good that the deer are dodging it. In fact, during the hunting season that is the primary complaint I hear from hunters calling into my outdoors radio show. Hogs also can drive deer away from natural food sources like acorns. This creates a situation in which scouting can pay off big-time.

Hogs are like deer in that they have their preferences. If you can determine which mast crops hogs are targeting and then find a secondary source nearby, your chances of bagging a big buck increase dramatically.

Nearly all of the river bottom systems in the state are loaded with hogs and their population growth shows no signs of slowing down.

WHERE TO GO
According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, many bottomland areas are available to public hunters throughout the state.

The LDWF points to Sherburne Wildlife Management Area as a good site. It's in the Morganza Flood Way system of the Atchafalaya Basin in the lower and upper portions of Pointe Coupee, St. Martin, and Iberville parishes between the Atchafalaya River and the East Protection Guide Levee.

Officials from the LDWF report the Sherburne WMA, Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lands combine to form a 44,000-acre tract. The LDWF owns 11,780 acres, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 15,220; the Corps owns the remaining 17,000.

As is described on the LDWF Web site, access to the area is via State Route 975, which connects with U.S. Highway 190 at Krotz Springs on the north, and Interstate 10 at Whiskey Bay on the south. Entrance to the interior of the area is possible through a series of all-weather roads, ATV trails, and Big and Little Alabama bayous. There are two private boat launches on the northern portion of Big Alabama Bayou, one public launch of the northern portion of Little Alabama Bayou, and one public launch on the southern portion of Big Alabama Bayou.

To the west, Sabine Island WMA is located in west-central Calcasieu Parish between Vinton and Starks and is home to some nice bucks.

The LDWF describes access as most viable by taking SR 109 north from Vinton or south from Starks and then taking the Nibblets Bluff Park Road to the west. The area is surrounded by water and access can only be gained by boat.

The ownership of 8,743-acre Sabine Island is divided between the State Land Office and the Calcasieu Parish School Board. The WMA's topography varies from low terrain subject to annual flooding for prolonged periods to winding ridges laced throughout the tract. Access within is made possible via numerous bayous and sloughs. The Sabine River forms the southern and western boundaries; Old River and Big Bayou border the east and north.

The forest cover is composed of two major timber types. A cypress and tupelo mix covers approximately 85 percent, with the remainder classed as pine and hardwood. In the pine-hardwood portions, white oaks, willow oak and sweetgum are found mixed with loblolly pine."

The Pearl River WMA is located approximately six miles east of Slidell and one mile east of the town of Pearl River. Access is available via car from Old U.S. 11 or by boat.

The LDWF, which owns the tract, puts the Pearl River WMA size at 35,031 acres.

This is a soggy area with flat terrain, poor drainage, and subject to annual flooding. The forest cover varies from mixed age hardwood stands in the northern 60 percent, to cypress and tupelo on 25 percent to the south and an intermediate type marsh on the extreme southern 15 percent.

Because of the difficulties and dangers involved, few deer hunters visit these three areas. However, those who learn the ins and outs of these dark, damp bottoms more often than not bring home bucks worthy of hanging on the wall.