Bayou
Catholic
Bayou Outdoor Guide Fall 2012 HOUMA, LA ~ OCTOBER 2012 ~ COMPLIMENTARY
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Contents
On Our Cover Bayou Outdoor Guide fall 2012
2012-13 Waterfowl Preview
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Fall and winter means duck hunting for many in South Louisiana. This cover photo of a duck hunter in the marsh was taken by outdoor writer and photographer John Flores.
Small Game Forecast
Deer Season Outlook, Preview
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12 10
Fall into redfish fever
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Index to Advertisers Associated Pump & Supply Co., Inc. .... 18 Barker Honda ........................................... 6 Charles A. Page & Sons ........................ 21 Coastal Mechanical Contractors ............. 7 Dagate’s Marine ..................................... 22 Daigle Himel Daigle ............................... 15 Dr. Neil Maki ........................................... 17 Fast Eddie’s Prop Shop ......................... 30 G & F Sporting Center ........................... 12 H & H Marine .......................................... 34 KEM Supply House, Inc. ........................ 25 Lafourche Ford Lincoln .......................... 35 LeBlanc & Associates, Inc. ...................... 9 Lirette Ford Lincoln ................................ 29
M & L Engine .......................................... 11 Marie’s Wrecker Service .......................... 5 Morrison Terrebonne Lumber ................ 20 Pirate’s Marine L.L.C.............................. 32 Pellegrin Marine ..................................... 31 Re-Bath.................................................. 16 Robert’s Repair Rental & Retail Inc. ...... 26 Robichaux Ford ...................................... 27 Southland Dodge................................... 19 Southland Mall ......................................... 2 Sunshine Equipment ............................. 33 Synergy Bank ......................................... 13 Terrebonne Marine................................. 28 Vision Communications ......................... 23
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Outdoor Guide
2012-13 Waterfowl season
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PREVIEW
By JOHN FLORES rognosticating waterfowl is about as exact as predicting a tropical storm season. Both have similarities in that we understand much of their respective science, both are typically announced at the beginning of summer and both create quite a stir emotionally. One thing for certain, the 2011 record pond counts paid huge dividends in breeding numbers in 2012. With conditions extremely wet well into summer last year, habitat conditions were perfect and produced a bumper crop of birds this year. By contrast, pond conditions were less favorable in 2012, declining 32-percent a year later. However, in spite of the fact the pond count was down, the breeding numbers during this year’s survey were the highest ever on record – dating back to when surveys began in 1955. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Waterfowl Study Leader, Larry Reynolds, said, “The population estimates coming from the breeding grounds were outstanding this spring, except for pintail, and I expect many of them over-flew the prairie for more northern breeding habitat because of dry conditions in late winter and early spring. What we saw this spring is the result of outstanding production from a very high breeding population last year that carried over into this year.” High numbers of birds at the upper end of the flyway don’t always mean an increase in the number of birds Louisiana hunters will bring home from a morning in the blind. There are too many variables – most weather related. When fall and winters are mild in the mid-continent, ducks aren’t always in a hurry to leave as long as there is an abundant food supply, water to roost and the
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • October 2012
JOHN FLORES PHOTO
ability to preen and rest away from gun pressure. It’s not until old man winter sets in covering the ground with snow, freezing lakes and ponds that they are inclined to leave. Where waterfowl are concerned, one man’s misfortune sometimes is another man’s gain. Extreme drought conditions have engulfed much of the Midwest damaging crops and leaving conditions less favorable on the prairie. During the late summer, Delta Waterfowl Vice-President, John Devney said, “It’s absolutely staggering to see the difference since the spring survey how dry it has been. What we typically find, is when it’s dry, teal don’t stick around and usually leave. Guys down there in your parts should have a lights out early teal season.” Indeed, teal started showing up
during the second week of August. One text-message I received from a young waterfowl guide on August 7, read, “Started tuning up duck and goose call – seen a group of teal today.” After a couple cold fronts (by definition only) passed through the second week of August, teal started showing up in abundance. There’s no doubt dry conditions in the Midwest will impact this year’s fall flight, where the early first split starting in November should see good numbers of ducks for hunters to target opening day. In 2012 waterfowl hunters will have three zones they can hunt, different from the traditional east and west zones they’ve hunted for the past 31 years. The former west zone has essentially been broken up into two zones, creating a coastal zone.
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2012-2013 Waterfowl Hunting Season Dates
West Zone
East Zone
Coastal Zone
Ducks, Nov. 10 – Coots and Merganzers Dec. 9; Dec. 22 –
Nov. 17 – Dec. 2; Dec. 15 – Jan. 27
Nov. 10 – Includes no Dec. 2; Dec. more than 15 – Jan. 20 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be female) 2 pintails, 1 canvasback, 1 mottled duck, 3 wood ducks, 4 scaup and 2 redheads
Jan. 20
Youth Waterfowl Hunts
Nov. 3 – 4
Light Geese (snow, blues, and Ross) Whitefronted (Specklebelly)
Nov. 10 – Dec. 9; Dec. 22 – Feb. 3
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Daily Bag Limit
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Outdoor Guide
Waterfowl Most hunters who hunt the coastal marshes will see virtually no season changes to what they’ve experienced when it comes to days in the blind. Reynolds said, “Most hunters in Louisiana are not going to see any change in their hunting opportunity from last year. Although I proposed changes to the zone boundaries in both northwest and southeast Louisiana, and I still believe those changes are the most biologically sound thing to do, they were not implemented. The survey results showed hunters in the affected parishes around Lake Ponchartrain did not support the proposed boundary changes to put all of the coastal marshes in the new coastal zone.” One of the ideas behind restructuring the east and west zone into three zones was to increase opportunity for hunters.
Reynolds said, “The new west zone proposed dates are intended to allow additional early-season hunting, and the staggering of the second split openers allows additional hunting days for hunters
‘
Prognosticating waterfowl is about as exact as predicting a tropical storm season
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willing to travel to hunt different zones. The public comment suggests that not everybody is happy with the zone arrangements or the season dates. I expected that from the new west zone and the conflict
in the coastal and east zones are the same traditionally. Some want to hunt earlier and some want to hunt later. It’s impossible to please everyone and sometimes even – it seems – impossible to please even the majority. But, I’m confident that this new zone configuration provides the foundation for us to move forward in providing season dates that better suit hunters in northwest Louisiana without compromising opportunity for northeast or coastal hunters.” The outlook for the 2012-2013 waterfowl season with another liberal 60-day season looks to be shaping up into a good one. Moreover, the new three zone state configuration looks to provide plenty of opportunities for waterfowl hunters to take advantage of. It’s probably a good idea that they do take advantage this season. As drought conditions persist in the upper Midwest and prairie, it could have a dramatic impact next year, where one man’s misfortune could become a problem for all of us.
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Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • October 2012
Outdoor Guide
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By JOHN FLORES :05 p.m. – I down the last sip of my coffee. In no hurry, I notice my brother is getting antsy. Who wouldn’t? After traveling 1,200 miles from Michigan to duck hunt and possibly shoot his first deer, I could feel his emotions by his body language. When someone’s foot flips up and down nervously in the air, there usually is a root problem. 4:10 p.m. – I tell father-in-law I’ll be back shortly. Leaving pop’s wharf, with brother in tow, we head down the bayou for a 10-minute boat ride. 4:20 p.m. – Anxious brother and I walk the marsh and get settled in to one of my deer stands. I lean over and whisper to him, “In about 20-minutes after things settle down look toward the back in that line of willow trees and you’ll see deer.” 4:30 p.m. – I pull out my pocketknife and an apple from my pocket and start slicing bites. 4:38 p.m. Like clockwork, my brother taps me on the shoulder and mouths quietly, while using his two fingers pointing at his eyes first then away from him toward what he was looking at, “I see deer!” I smile, nodding to him with a cheek full of apple and sort of mouth “shoot,” while doing a little sign language of my own pretending to squeeze a trigger at the same time. 4:42 p.m. As the report from my brother’s shotgun settles across the marsh I see deer running everywhere, except the doe he was aiming at. 5:15 p.m. The high-pitched whine from my outboard has me in a zone as I wind my way toward home at 4,200 RPMs. Suddenly, my brother motions for me to stop. After I shut down the outboard, the boat sort of drifts quietly with the falling tide, when my brother smiling at me says, “I didn’t believe you. You kept telling me you were seeing deer every night at the same time and I didn’t believe you!” If you hunt deer long enough, you’ll come to realize there is a handful of minutes in the stand that are “must” minutes when you better be sitting. Since most of those minutes are on the downward side of autumn equinox they become fewer and fewer the closer to Christmas you get. Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • October 2012
In the twilig That handful of minutes can be found both in the morning and late afternoon. And, if you’ve done your homework, finding success during those moments can be almost guaranteed. Quite a number of years ago, I discovered those magic moments by accident more than anything after making several afternoon hunts in a row. By looking at my watch when I first spotted deer – or as people refer to in the south when deer “come out” – I noticed the sun was dangerously close to setting and twilight was falling over the marsh giving me about 15 minutes – perhaps 20 – to work with, if I was lucky. Through the long shadows, I strained to see. By the hands of my watch I seemed to always be running out of time. The fastest 15-minutes in the world are morning and afternoon break time at work, the 15-minutes after hitting the snooze on an alarm clock, and when deer come out just before dark. During those few days the deer seemingly punched a time clock for both first and second shifts. I on the other hand seemed to be two hours early showing up for work; it become so routine I almost ruined my oldest son. When his Pawpaw found him on the steps of the back porch when he woke up at 7 a.m. to let the dog out, he said, “Hey boy,
what you doing here? I thought you and your dad were hunting deer this morning.” My son replied, “We are, they just aren’t moving this morning!” My son was the recipient of having just enough success during those critical moments that his judgment became impaired. The
way he figured it was, why sit for hours and wait for deer? If it isn’t happening during those twilight periods, you might as well go eat breakfast and drink coffee. The fact is, not all deer are harvested during those sweet moments I’m referring to. What’s more, when the rut is on and pressure as it relates to hunting increases, all bets are off to patterning any time period. None-the-less, deer are specifically impacted by sunlight when it comes to their behavior that hunters should understand. “Deer are crepuscular,
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ght’s glow which means they are more active at dawn and dusk,” said Kip Adams, biologist for the Quality Deer Management Association. “Part of it plays into their eyesight in that they’re not color blind, but perceive it differently than we do. They are extremely good at seeing color in the blue wavelength. What that means is they see good in low light conditions, much better than other things out there. So, that’s one of the reasons they prefer to be more active at dawn and then again later at dusk. From an eyesight potential, they have a real unfair advantage, because we don’t see well in either of those situations.” Adams points out that deer, though crepuscular, when “not” pressured will move during the day more than when they are being pressured. Additionally, pressure and “not” behavior forces them to also become nocturnal. Adams said, “Deer are neither diurnal nor nocturnal. When they are not active during the day, it is a learned response. They think, ‘I smell unfamiliar odors in the area,’ or they just know something is different. We also cause them to move during the nocturnal period. We can JOHN FLORES PHOTO make deer be a lot more active during these times because of our actions. They will move more during the night if humans or other predators pressure them, but mostly when pressured by humans. We turn deer nocturnal – so to speak.” Hunters would do well to understand the importance of dawn and dusk crepuscular habits of deer activity by minimizing pressure through changing tactics and limiting their presence. There is no doubt the invention of the combustion engine has helped hunters put venison in the freezer. But, as deer have adapted to modern machinery by going nocturnal leaving their crepuscular norms, hunters might opt to walk or paddle if they’re using a boat the last few hundred yards in the dark to reduce noise. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Biologist, Scott Durham, said, “Deer are early daylight
and evening feeders. Basically, those are they’re normal feeding times. If not pressured – if not stressed by other things – morning and evening is their primary feeding periods. What kind of happens with deer feeding habit change is often more directly because of hunting pressure and just people all of a sudden riding around on four-wheelers. And, that seems to be more of an impact on their behavior.” It’s also important to point out that deer don’t always feed during nocturnal periods just because of hunting pressure. Due to the warm semi-tropical climate we have in Louisiana, deer will often feed at night simply because of heat and the stress of moving around when temperatures are in the high 80s and 90s. During the early part of October it is not uncommon for archery and primitive weapon hunters to not see any movement from deer – not to mention a lack of rubs and scrapes indicting the rut is on. Deer trail cameras might show a nocturnal pattern, but does not necessarily mean it will stay that way once a few cold fronts pass through. In coastal areas deer feeding heavily at night can be a result of hunting pressure, but in some cases it’s simply a reaction to the heat. Night is simply the coolest part of the day. Durham mentions, “They’re not going to be up in the middle of a hot day if they don’t have to be. Area 3 and 7 hunters have to often face extremely warm temperatures as their seasons are the first to open in early October sunny hot days.” 7 p.m. – Deer is quartered and on ice, brother is now a believer, and a glass of merlot is on tap to toast another successful hunt in the twilight’s glow of the Sportsman’s Paradise …
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Outdoor Guide
Plenty of opportunity for specialists 2012-2013 Small game forecast
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By JOHN FLORES very year the most overlooked form of hunting tends to be fur and feathered creatures that typically can be carried in a pouch on your back. Moreover, all of these various small game animals tend to be pursued by specialists, then actively chased by the majority of hunters. Woodcock hunters, once 40,000 strong in the state of Louisiana, now number around a 10th of that number – perhaps around 4,000. Dove hunters tend to hit it hard opening weekend, but seldom ever stretch their season beyond that. And, rabbit hunters tend to field 10 trial their dogs together and hunt together. But, most public land opportunities for rabbit usually are relegated to the end of the more glamorous game animal seasons, such as duck and deer. Essentially, never has there been a better time to hunt small game than right now, as squirrel and rabbit populations flourish throughout the state. And, with last year’s bumper mast crop and mild winter, rest assured this fall’s small game numbers will be no different. Small game hunting doesn’t take a lot of investment like other types of hunting. Most hunters have a shotgun and a pair of knee boots to stomp around in the uplands or marsh. But, if you happen to know somebody who hunts small game with dogs and they offer you an invitation to join them, don’t pass on the offer. Matthew McCollister, a Wildlife Refuge Specialist for Bayou Teche and Mandalay National Wildlife Refuges, is a dog man. The biologist on his off time enjoys squirrel hunting with his dog Hoke – his Jack Russell terrier. Squirrels spend a great deal of Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • October 2012
time on the ground foraging for the winter. And, nothing can get a squirrel up a tree faster, where you can get a crack at them, than a dog that’s been trained,. What’s more, the chase and sound of a Jack Russell treeing a squirrel can be some of the most fun and exhilarating hunting you’ll ever have the pleasure of doing if you take the opportunity. “When Hoke sees a squirrel his
JOHN FLORES PHOTO
tone will change,” McCollister said. “If he sees a squirrel bail out and go tree to tree he’ll go to squeaking and his bark really intensifies. But, usually I find the empty trees are my fault.” Once a squirrel has been treed, often they hide in a notch or bend along a heavy branch making them nearly invisible. McCollister utilizes a pair of lightweight field glasses to help him spot hiding
squirrels. At the end of the day, there’s nothing like stealthily sneaking through woods quietly doing a little spotting or stalking, or just sitting under an oak tree with acorns and waiting. Rabbit hunting behind a pack of beagles can also be exhilarating. However, most rabbits harvested by hunters shoot them ancillary to other game they are hunting on a given day. But, if there is rabbit sign scattered about in the form of fresh droppings, chances are by implementing a few proven tactics the pouch in your hunting vest will increase in heft. Hunters should work cover such as briar patches slow – real slow – zigzagging it as you go along. If the patch looked promising and nothing jumped out, then back out and start over. Quite often, rabbits will hold and let danger pass. If you work it too quickly they’re sure to hold tight. A partner or two is always helpful, when walking up rabbits. Walking a hedgerow, canal bank, or narrow field alone quite often will push rabbits out in front of you trying to escape. A person standing on the opposite end of the push will sometimes block off an escape route and allow him to get a shot at a fleeing rabbit. Just because the business of deer hunting may have taken some of the luster out of small game hunting it doesn’t mean it’s totally lost. There are plenty of youth hunters out there, who would jump at the chance to go. What’s more, there are also plenty of opportunities on Wildlife Management Areas and National Wildlife Refuges where access is available to pursue small game. Moreover, there may not be a better time than during the 20122013 hunting season.
2012-2013 Resident Small Game Seasons
2011-2012 Schedule Species
Season Dates
Daily Bag Limit
Quail Nov. 19 - Feb. 29 10 Rabbit Oct. 1 - Feb. 29 8 8 Squirrel Oct. 1 - Feb. 29 May 5-27* 3 2012-2013 Schedule Species
Season Dates
Daily Bag Limit
Quail Rabbit
Nov. 17 - Feb. 28 Oct. 6 - Feb. 28 Oct. 6 - Feb. 28 Squirrel May 4-26*
10 8 8 3
Possession Limit 20 16 16 6 Possession Limit 20 16 16 6
Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Consult Wildlife Management Area and Federal Land sections for specific regulations and dates on those areas. *Spring squirrel season is CLOSED on the Kisatchie National Forest, national wildlife refuges, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property and some state WMAs (check WMA season schedule). 11
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Outdoor Guide
Fall into
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Redfish
By CHRIS BERZAS n the fall of the year, redfish are just simply plentiful all along the Louisiana coastline. On a recent trip, I noted schools of mullet moving through the waters on Big Lake, and some crimson wakes were following them. I turned to my partner Craig Vidrine and said with a little urgency, “There’s redfish moving on these mullet!” We both cast plastics out into the school of fish. Vidrine was throwing electric chicken Bass Assassin plastics, and I was making my casts with glow/ chartreuse Bayou Chubs. It didn’t take long for both of us to hook up. After netting Vidrine’s nice slot keeper, I set the hook on my fish. The reel chugged, rod arched, and braid was metering out. “You still have much line left on that reel?” asked Vidrine with some concern. “About half left,” I replied. The fish finally stopped and showed its entire body 12 on the surface just about at the extreme distance of where I could view it. “Big red,” I told Vidrine who was moving toward me to get the net. As my rod worked the fish to us, the redfish made another run – this time under the boat. I was bending over dropping my rod into the water while reeling, pulling and praying that the fish wouldn’t tie up into the motor or simply snap the rod. Finally the fish neared the boat and Vidrine readied the net. When it was over, the 28 inch red was a beautiful addition to the cooler of several others as well as a few trout. If you haven’t noticed, fishing for redfish in Louisiana has gathered new followers. Youtube.com is ablaze with GoPro videocam movies of anglers finding, battling and catching redfish in our waters. Anglers throughout the nation have taken note, and many wish to join the light tackle adventure toward these feisty, huge crimson brutes. And in similarity to the blackened redfish craze of the 1980s, the relatively new wave of grilling redfish has more and more Louisiana anglers after these fish than ever before. And then there is the phenomenon of what is referred to as a “crimson tide” of redfish referring to hundreds of these red, thick tubular fish churning up the surface in coastal zones and waters just offshore. These reds are hungry and voracious – usually gorging themselves on mullet and shrimp. Fisheries biologists tell us that redfish in such schools are also playing the mating game in the fall of the year. Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • October 2012
Regardless of just what they’re doing when this happens, you can usually catch them on everything you throw. When water temperatures begin cooling a little and the tide starts moving out, conditions are prime for schools of redfish to invade inland lakes and bays in an effort to fatten up. The larger specimens, what anglers refer to as bulls (20 to 40 pounds), also prowl in numbers near barrier islands, passes and beaches in the Gulf. I have fished for these huge specimens with cracked crabs while drifting or trolling between reefs and near passes. Cracked crabs on heavy tackle will certainly get the attention of the bulls. Other baits that work well for these red lunkers include mullet, shrimp and pogies – but the mainstay of anglers looking for bull reds appears to be cracked or whole crab. Although medium to heavy baitcast or spinning tackle will work for keeper reds, anglers are advised
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to take advantage of the usual trout tackle to include small-diameter braided line which can also take fish 40 to 50 pounds on a reel with a good drag system. As for artificials – gold spoons, spinnerbaits and the popular plastic swimbaits will catch redfish in all salt inland waters in the Bayou State. The waters south of Cocodrie are legendary in Louisiana for the huge bulls. In fact, the largest redfish ever taken in Louisiana, a 61-pounder, was taken in waters just south of Cocodrie. Inland waters near Dularge of course will hold concentrations of moderately sized reds with a few bulls to boot. Other points of interest for anglers to find redfish in Bayou Catholic’s readership area include oyster reefs spread west to southwest of the open waters of Terrebonne Bay. Have a safe time on the waters, and read carefully regarding limits and sizes in the 2012 Louisiana Fishing Regulations pamphlet before heading out. 13
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2012-2013 Deer Hunting Schedule
Outdoor Guide Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Consult Wildlife Management Area and Federal Land sections for specific regulations and dates on those areas. Daily Bag Limits: 1 antlered and 1 antlerless (when legal) Possession Limit: 3 antlered and 3 antlerless per season 2012-2013 DEER HUNTING SCHEDULE Primitive Firearms
Area
Archery
1
Oct. 1-Jan. 31
2
Oct. 1-Jan. 31
3
Sept. 15- Jan. 15
Still Hunt
With or Without Dogs
(all either-sex except as noted)
(no dogs allowed)
Nov. 10-16
Nov. 17 -Dec. 7
Jan. 21-31 Oct. 20-26
Jan. 7-20 Oct. 27-Dec. 5
Jan. 14-20 Oct. 13-19
(39 days) Oct. 20-Nov. 25
Nov. 26-30
Dec. 1-Jan. 6
Nov. 10-16
Nov. 23- Dec. 23
Nov. 17- Dec. 7
Dec. 8-Jan. 20
Dec. 8- Jan. 6 Dec. 6- Jan. 13 (39 Days)
See Area 1
4 5
Oct. 1- Jan. 31
Dec. 24-30
Oct. 1-15 Bucks Only
6*
October. 16Feb.15
Nov. 10-16 Jan. 21-31
Either-sex *Except lands within the Morganza Floodway and Atchafalaya Basin
(see description below)
7
Oct 1- Jan 31
8
Sept. 15- Jan. 15
Oct. 13-19
Oct. 20- Nov. 2
Nov. 3-9 Oct. 13-19
Nov. 10-25
Nov. 26- 30
Oct. 20- Nov. 25
Nov. 26-Dec. 30 Dec. 1- Jan. 6
*All lands within the Morganza Floodway from I-10 south within the protection levees of the Atchafalaya Basin shall have the following seasons.
Oct. 1-15
Bucks Only
Oct. 16-Feb. 15 Either -sex
Jan. 21-31 Bucks Only
Nov. 17-25
Dec. 8-9
Either –sex
Either-sex
Nov. 26-Dec. 7
Dec. 10-Jan. 13
Bucks Only
Bucks Only
2012-2013 MODERN FIREARM EITHER-SEX SEASONS
Antlerless deer may be harvested during entire deer season on private lands (all segments included) EXCEPT in the following parish AREA 5 West Carroll Nov. 23-25, 2012
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • October 2012
2012-13 Deer season outlook, preview
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By JOHN FLORES ast deer season could have been considered the “Year of the Big Buck.” In this day and age of social media where word spreads as fast as your fingers can press the buttons on your smart-phone, deer after deer after deer was posted to the airwaves with awesome horns and all kinds of gnarly looking stuff hanging off of them. As good as it was for some, it was bad for others. Many of the other guys did their homework, planted their food plots, set up their trail cameras and even saw a couple of nice ones on their SD cards. However, come deer season, the bucks they were salivating to put their crosshairs on never showed. So what happened? According to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Deer Study Leader, Scott
Durham, a 13-percent decline in statewide harvest numbers could be attributed to the excellent conditions. Durham said, “You’ve got to give some recognition to the fact that we had one of the most incredible mast crop production conditions we’ve ever seen in most of our lives. At least that’s the general consensus. Though it might not have really affected marsh hunters or the guys hunting pure piney woods, there is no doubt that food plots were just used less by deer and people chose to stay sitting in blinds. The guys who hunted permanent stands over bait or something like that – they didn’t do as well across a lot of the state.” In addition to a decline in deer harvest numbers last season, hunter participation declined as well. Durham mentioned the ninepercent drop in hunting efforts
was reflective of the hunter survey numbers that were the lowest the department has seen since the mid 80s. The Department’s harvest numbers have gone from the 200,000 norm to a new norm of 150,000 says the top biologist. But, last season the survey showed a total estimate of 133,000 deer killed. Another anecdotal factor that may have played into last year’s decline in harvest numbers and participation may simply have been hunters couldn’t afford to hunt due to a downturn in the economy and high cost of travel. Durham said, “I was talking to one of the Bayou Bucks guys and he said guys just didn’t go to the lease as much, because of high gas prices last year. They just kind of ratcheted it back a little bit – the economy was so bad. So,
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Outdoor Guide
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Deer season there were fewer hours spent per hunter.” With the average age of deer hunters somewhere around 47, Durham pointed out another reason for the decline could be attributed to an aging hunter population, where some guys are simply getting older and don’t get out as much. Moreover, in spite of some younger guys coming in, there still remains a high number of senior hunters. “There’s a lot of senior hunters out there that may not just be shooting,” Durham said. “We all know guys that just pass on deer all of the time now. Even people on the Wildlife Management Areas seem to be getting more selective and just not necessarily out to kill all of the deer they can kill.” Perhaps one of the biggest
reasons for a declining deer harvest trend is what’s become the business of deer hunting. Organizations and programs such as Quality Deer Management (QDMA), and the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP), as well as television programs on the Hunting Channel, which promote trophy buck hunting to the extreme, all have influenced and caused hunters to be more discrete and selective when it comes to pulling the trigger on younger deer. Previous records were broken last year and a high number of deer shuffled the LDWF’s Big Game Records Program. Durham said, “We had 72 entries this past year and we actually put about another 20 deer on the big bucks list than we did the year prior. If that was the year
a
JOHN FLORES PHOTO
Cow peas are a favorite deer food in the coastal marshes.
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Deer season of the big buck, then last season was too. But, the big deer harvest is just getting better and better. Guys are definitely getting more selective. On our DMAP lands we’ve gone from 50-percent harvest of 1-1/2 year old deer to 50-percent 3-1/2 year old deer.” With the excellent mast production in 2011, a mild winter, and wet spring the outlook for the upcoming season looks promising. When conditions such as drought are persistent it impacts what biologists refer to as recruitment, essentially the 1-1/2 year old age when does mature and produce fawns. Dry weather, flooding, harsh winters, disease and overall stress all are factors that impact recruitment. Durham said, “I think the mast crop we saw last year put the deer into really good shape following
a couple of dry summers. But, I think our deer population came out of the winter in much better shape and went into the spring with good rainfall and our summer hasn’t been too bad this year. We should see a better fawn crop this year,
‘
,
The outlook for the 2012-2013 deer season is a promising one.
which will mean better recruitment going into next year and the following year. It also looks like we have another good mast crop again this year. So, again it doesn’t really effect the marsh and piney plantation hunters, but anywhere
you have an acorn source those deer are going to be using them.” For marsh hunters, the near record flood of 2011 has impacted the region in a positive way. With high water not seen since 1973, the flooding brought a tremendous amount of hydrogen-enriched nutrients that create a lush habitat for wildlife. Couple that aspect with a mild winter and the marsh has become a virtual smorgasbord of deer food this year. Deer hunters who hunt the coastal marshes should be in for another great season as little yellow “cow-pea” flowers blossom on the vine and turn literally into snap beans. The outlook for the 2012-2013 deer season is a promising one and the only challenge to reversing a decline in harvest numbers this season may simply be pulling the trigger. What’s more, if you’re a senior hunter who has become more selective, why not bring a youngster? It just might help reverse some of the decline in harvest numbers.
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Outdoor Guide
Fall and winter look GREAT for specks and reds
O
By CHRIS BERZAS n Sept. 6, Captain Bill Lake was having a heck of a day in some chocolate waters south of Dularge. Lake’s outing occurred the week after Hurricane Isaac plowed through Louisiana’s southeastern coast – the storm’s counterclockwise winds sucking water, crustaceans and finfish out of the marsh and shallow flats and into deeper waters in the area. “The redfishing was incredible as a result,”
a
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Specks and Reds said Lake. “We caught 35 reds in just two hours today, and yesterday we had 67 taken in just 3-1/2 hours. All of the redfish are ranging from 16 to 20 inches.” In the milky-white, muddy waters out of Dularge, the angler also observed that redfish were foraging chiefly on small crabs. “The hurricane evidently pushed the small crabs out into the water column, and we’re seeing hundreds of them at one to two inches even near the boat as we were fishing,” said Lake. “And the redfish are gold . . . their fins are nearly orange,” said the guide. “These redfish are definitely staying deep where there is clear water near the bottom.” The guide however knows that this phenomenon will disappear once the waters start recovering from the storm and the forage moves back into the marsh. And then it will be a return to the
chief species he pursues – speckled trout! “I am expecting a great fall and winter, especially October through January, catching speckled trout here,” predicted Lake. “During the summer, we caught many trout that were larger than we normally see. I expect a lot of these fish will move inside and provide us with some great fishing.” According to Lake, this occurs in late September and much of October when trout will be located under birds in locations such as Lake Mechant and Sister Lake. In mid-October, the angler will find loads of trout taken on doublerigged plastics on reefs in the area. “In mid-November and into January, after three to four cold fronts have passed, we will find trout in six to 10 feet of water in dead-end bayous and the deeper pipeline canals,” said Lake. “We will then change over back to fishing our baits single-rigged.”
The baits of choice for Captain Lake include LSU, cajun/pepper, and chicken-on-a-chain Bayou Chubs either singly or doubly rigged depending if he’s fishing dead end bayous/canals or atop the reefs. Other baits he uses are Tsunami swimbaits in blue-back, bone/chartreuse, purple haze and speckled trout colors. The Tsunami swimbaits are especially used in the dead-end bayous and deeper canals in the winter. “All in all, I am expecting a great fall season for specks here,” surmised the angler. For more fishing information and guide service, Captain Bill Lake’s Bayou Guide Service can be reached at (985) 851-6015. He can be reached by e-mail at b.lakejr@ comcast.net. His website address is http://www.captlake.com/. Captain Marty LaCoste of Absolute Fishing Charters is also very optimistic of what’s to come this fall and winter for
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Outdoor Guide
Specks and Reds
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speckled trout fishing out of Dularge and in Houma/Terrebonne waters. “It’s going to be incredible!” said the guide. “I personally have had one of my best seasons yet this summer, and the size and quality of the trout have improved. This experience should just roll over into the fall and winter,” predicted LaCoste. “There is just no reason this pattern can’t continue, and we should see good fish in October, November and December.” According to the guide, he expects initially to see many small trout working under birds in the lakes through September. After the first couple of weeks in October, he then expects trout up to 18 inches to show up in schools and feed on shrimp under birds all through Sister Lake and Lake Mechant. They will also be atop oyster reefs in the same lakes. LaCoste will also throw plastics,
and these include avocado Matrix Shads, cajun/pepper Cocodrie Cocahoes and Texas Tackle Factory (TTF) “East Beast” Killer Flats Minnows. “We will throw some of these double-rigged as long as the trout are in the lakes,” said LaCoste. “Once we’re into November as the water temperatures drop into the 50s, these fish move in the deeper canals in eight to 12 feet of water,” said the angler. “We will then fish the High Life Swimmers (singly rigged) in the blue tiger and purple tiger colors.” For more information, contact Captain Marty LaCoste at (985) 856-4477; e-mail: captainmartyl@ yahoo.com and/or visit his website at www.absolutefishingcharters. com. As for forecasting redfishing success this fall and winter in Bayou Catholic’s readership area, both Lake and LaCoste reported that finding slot reds should be no
problem. Pods of reds always frequent the lakes at this time, and there can be more than just a few pods of these fish. Other patterns to find redfish include focusing on shorelines and the mouths of cuts filtering into the main lakes on a dropping tide. Birds will also work under redfish, and on many occasions good trout will be mixed in. Of course, anglers can use cracked crabs and shrimp for reds, but gold spoons, spinnerbaits and all the plastics used for speckled trout work well. In summary, Bayou Catholic’s readership should enjoy a great fall and winter seeking specks and reds in area waters. Please consult the 2012 Louisiana Fishing Regulations pamphlet on the LDWF website or find it available at retail outlets where tackle is sold before venturing out.
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Outdoor Guide
Traditions Technology to
I
By JOHN FLORES n the 1972 movie Jeremiah Johnson, mountain man “Bear Claw” Chris Lapp (played by Will Greer) says to Johnson (played by Robert Redford), “I know who you are; you’re the same dumb pilgrim I’ve been hearin’ for 20 days and smellin’ for three!” With the 2012-2013 Deer Season upon us, what would Lapp say to hunters today? What’s more, what would Johnson and Lapp think of all the gadgets that include scents, dispensers, trail cameras, automatic deer feeders, GPS, smokeless powders and the list goes on and on? No doubt, there is a certain mystique that surrounds one’s ability to live off the land, surviving 24 under extreme conditions that sort of meshes with hunters bringing home meat to put in the freezer. On one hand, it’s possible the two mountain men would say, “Now that’s livin’ – I wish I’d of had one of these new fangled electromechanical deer feeders back in the day. It sure would’ve made huntin’ a darn-sight easier.” On the other hand, they might consider today’s hunters a bunch of yahoos; moreover, lost without all of their toys. But, as an aging population of hunters decline in numbers, they’re faced with being that link to the past and future. The era, where a man considered a woodsman was held in the highest regard, has given way to the future, full of cyber magic. The individual who can master both wood lore and today’s technology can become almost iconic with the success he is capable of achieving. Successful deer hunters spend time year round observing deer behavior. At one time those observations included noticing feeding habits and types of favorite foods deer eat. It also meant learning their escape routes in a particular patch of cover and also Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • October 2012
JOHN FLORES PHOTO
studying rub lines and scrapes during the closed season portion of the pre-rut. Today, if a hunter will combine those tactics and analysis with any one of the dozens of models of digital trail cameras available, he dramatically tips the odds of harvesting a deer in his favor. Trail cameras can tell you accurately things like what the deer population is in your area, if you have a particular buck worth going after, certain time pattern they follow, and when they may be frequenting your stand location. Ron Bice, director of communications for Wildlife Research Center, tells how his company uses trail cameras to study deer behavior when they analyze the scents they manufacture. Bice, who is also an avid bow hunter said, “As we research the effect a certain smell has on a deer, we rely on a number of factors. In
the beginning we relied on track counts – the number of tracks that surrounded a scent set up in mud, snow, sand, etc. In the beginning this was critical information. Today we rely on trail cameras to give us insight that wasn’t available years back.” I was able to locate a feeding area in the marsh near Burns Point, west of the Atchafalaya River that allowed me to set up a trail camera on several deer roads that merged together. What I was mostly interested in was a method to determine the accuracy of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries pre-rut period. One sequence of photos showed a doe clearly alerted to something behind her, with the next showing her bolting off, followed by a buck with his nose to the ground in bloodhound-like fashion in a subsequent picture. This took place in late September and fell right
a
in line with the first peak scraping period for Area 7. It was the ability to combine knowledge of what deer like to feed on in my area, with today’s technology that not only provided me information, but also satisfaction and a whole lot of fun. Especially, when rotating out an SD Card and uploading the images to my computer. Many old school hunters – you know the types – the ones that get up long before daylight and cook eggs and bacon prior to going out to their stands, have a knack for scoring their buck every year. With the smell of bacon and eggs all over their clothing, you wonder why you spent so much on your “Scent Lock” suit. The old men don’t seem to care one way or another what they smell like. What these old timers know that seems to be a lost art is how to set up with the wind in their favor. Even the most expensive scent defeating products can betray a hunter to a deer’s nose. Bice says that deer smell at least 1,000 times better than you
and I and that they literally live and die by their sense of smell. Therefore, he suggests using any one of the numerous scent killer and eliminator-type products in combination with scents on the market. Bice said, “It only makes sense that we can take advantage of this knowledge. Eliminating or reducing as much human scent as possible will get us closer to big game animals.” Hunters of the new millennia should learn how to put the wind in their favor, as older deer hunters were taught. Taking advantage of the chemical and clothing technology will no doubt increase their number of efforts to kill ratio this season. There’s nothing worse than being lost in the woods, and depending on where individuals hunt in the bayou state, a GPS has been known to fail. Depleted batteries, the inability to obtain a signal under a thick canopy of trees and lack of the latest firmware are a few of the common failures they’ve been known to have.
KEM
What do you do if you’re tracking a deer after dark and suddenly you realize you’re turned around and the GPS on your cell phone is on the fritz? The ability to map read with a compass in hand can be a lifesaver and comfort. Most hunters with leases know their ground like the back of their hand. But, knowing you have to go north to reach a road or pipeline rightof-way, doesn’t take a GPS just knowing the direction. When Jeremiah Johnson found Hatchet Jack frozen to death following a fight with a bear that broke his legs, in the icy grip of his hands was a .50-caliber Hawkin flintlock rifle – a prize by any standard for the time. Hatchet Jack bequeathed the firearm to the person who found his body. There’s nothing primitive about the muzzleloader rifles used by hunters in the new millennia. Jack’s Hawkin can’t hold a candle to the power and accuracy that modern muzzleloaders like the Remington Genesis, Thompson Center Encore, or CVA Optima have today; muzzleloader
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Outdoor Guide
Traditions Technology to
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ammunition either. Sabot technology, palletized powder and shotgun primers all have made these firearms superior to any of the replicas of old. The technology doesn’t stop there where ammunition is concerned. Who would ever have though a 20-guage shotgun could produce minute-of-angle (MOA) accuracy out to 150-yards and beyond? Lightfield Ammunition has done just that with their premium line up of shotgun slugs. The hybrid, hourglass-shaped slugs are guided by a stabilizing sabot once the keyed discarding sabots drop off in flight creating amazing unmatched downrange accuracy. At the end of Jeremiah Johnson, Lapp meets up with Johnson and says, “You’ve come far pilgrim.” To which Johnson replies, “Feels like far.” No doubt, so has the technology that has fed off the traditions.
JOHN FLORES PHOTO
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Outdoor Guide Tide Chart December 2012 Cocodrie Terrebonne Bay, LA
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