Ronald Pellegrln
February 15, 2018
OZ on the BAYOU
February 15, 2018
The deer hunting season in Louisiana is over.
Seasons in Mississippi and Alabama where local hunters often frequent are wrapping up this week or wrapped up last week, as well
By all accou nts. hunters said it was another great time to be out and about in the great outdoors. Local hunters spoke to The Times this week and said that the deer hunting season was fruitful, despite obstacles created with cold weather.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries doesn’t yet have statistics about harvests, but added that interest in hunting remains to be up – as evident with the number of licenses acquired and other measures.
“It was a good season. There were some bigbucks and a lot of people really had some impressive harvests. 1 ‘ said Houma native Reid Caillouet. an avid hunter.
“We battled the elements a little bit. but I think that’s part of the fun of it -the challenge of having a successful hunt”
There were challenges indeed.
Cold weather slows deer grazing patterns because the animals like to lay low and preserve the heat in their bodies when ifs cold.
So for “at least 20 days” this winter, hunting was either completer/off limits or sparse, at best, as hunters opted to stay home, knowing that there would be no grazing activity.
But like anything else in the wild, a deer has to eat. too. so on the warmer days, they became active, which allowed hunters the opportunity to make their harvests.
Caillouet hunts in Mississippi at a camp with friends.
Others, like Wes Young. of Houma. said he spends a lot of time in “the sticks” – an area outside of La layette.
Young said on a recent trip, someone in their party harvested an 8-point buck and another was able to take a 7-pointer with a bow and arrow.
“Its just an awesome adrena line rush, you know?” Young said “You sit out there and you wait on it. then you finally see it and it’s just a great thrilLI enjoy doing it because it’s like two things that 1 don’t get enough of I can sit there all day and relax – have nothing but roe. myself and l in the stand. Then, when it’s time to try and make a harvest, it’s the other thing! lack – competitiveness. I was always an athlete and I love to compete and be trying to achieve a goal This lets me do that”
Young touched on a big part of why hunting is so popular in Louisiana culture- and it has nothing to do with the actual deer, itself
People in Louisiana like to have fun and deer hunting provides a significant outlet for that, according to several of the hunters we spoke to this week.
Some hunters have clubs where they can have a good time with friends during the season. Others own or lease camps or other spaces where they can hunt in the morning, then cook enough food to feed the army in the afternoon. At night, of course, that’s when everyone gathers around for a few adult beverages and stories – some which have become a little exaggerated over the years, of course.
“It’s just a great time.” Raceland native Pete Williams said i have friends who don’t hunt and have never held a gu n in their life, but they like to come to the camp with us. We have another guy who also doesn’t hunt, but who comes because he’s widowed and he just likes to cook for a lot of people, play cards and pass a good ti me. It’s the best of our Cajun culture. It brings people together and we all have fun with it”
Williams said some of his best memories of being a father are taking his kids out to hunt.
Young agreed and said he believes the reason why the sport has continued to grow in popularity is because it’s all-encompassing – anyone can do it “
You just have to be able to get in the stand.” Young said. “You can be 12. You can be 82. You can be a man. You can be a woman. Anyone can do it and I think that’s part of what makes it fun.”
The next prominent hunting season in Louisiana is turkey hunting. In our next outdoors issue, we will give some turkey hunting tips and hot spots.
