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Deep South early season

Dmathews87

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Aug 30, 2022
775
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SE Louisiana
Did 7 miles around the NWR today. Found several oak stands dropping - red oaks mostly, with some willow wand water oaks mixed in- with no discernible deer sign around them. I know they aren’t the preferred acorn, but they are definitely aplenty. I wondered if it’s still so hot and dry that the tracks and movement aren’t preserved well, but I wasn’t finding much feeding sign around those oak stands. Yet.

Since we’re in such an extreme drought, I walked the creeks and sloughs to find any standing water I could. Most of them are dry - still no deer sign.

I kicked up a spotted fawn along a dry creek. That was the only deer I bumped and only sign I found.

There is a river that borders the western part of this area, and I didn’t get over along it, but I’m wondering if the deer may be staying close to it. My thinking is that water is scarce right now so it’s valuable? But I don’t know how much deer really drink.

Hogs are everywhere. I ran into ten or twelve on three separate occasions. A boar came within 8 yards and presented broadside to me. Would’ve been exciting if season was open.

Havent done much scouting on WMAs this year since i got the lease, but i can tell you i too have red oaks dropping without much feed sign. Places where the water oaks are prevalent are good options (like pearl river) they def hit those hard as water oaks can drop a ton of crop. Of course the white oaks are preferred if you can find them....as for water not a bad option to find those right now...water source with some food around it,even better.
 
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mschultz373

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SH Member
May 9, 2023
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SE LA
Does anyone know if deer eat these? My search says it’s a Hardy orange tree, some kind of invasive fruit bearing tree. No sign around them but I wonder.
7dc40ae4e0d024996754109b59b83ada.jpg


318a37554cbec872d542f262068d0658.jpg
 
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The_Fit_Ness_Monster

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Jan 31, 2022
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N. Louisiana
Does anyone know if deer eat these? My search says it’s a Hardy orange tree, some kind of invasive fruit bearing tree. No sign around them but I wonder.
7dc40ae4e0d024996754109b59b83ada.jpg


318a37554cbec872d542f262068d0658.jpg
If that’s the same thing as wild persimmon (we may have been misnaming it) they tear that up. Only time I ever hunt the same tree more than once is when it’s around one of those.
 
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shmelton

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Jan 5, 2020
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Looks like hedge balls to me, but the spiky vine means it’s not hedge balls. I’ve never seen them in GA.


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mschultz373

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May 9, 2023
448
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SE LA
deer resistant? steering clear.

 

mschultz373

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SH Member
May 9, 2023
448
585
93
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SE LA
Just checking in, is anybody else getting their butt kicked so far? This evening will make hunt #6 and I have yet to see a deer while saddled.

The one bottomlane hardwood area I hunt has crazy inconsistent wind which has made those hunts rough. I’m hoping to see if any feed sign is appearing the oaks there. And I can’t figure out the movement in the marsh, if the deer bed closer in amongst the cypress, or further out in the low scrubby marsh. There’s trails and scat but haven’t been able to intercept yet.
 

Dmathews87

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Aug 30, 2022
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its been rough....ive sat a handful of times and only deer was a yearling. I went on a WMA Sunday evening and scouted a good bit and never found a good food source....i setup in an oak flat that did have a ton of white oaks, but no real crop to speak of and i only setup there because it was getting late and its an area ive scouted previously and i know deer travel through there (well except for that day apparently)
 

The_Fit_Ness_Monster

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Jan 31, 2022
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N. Louisiana
I don’t even have tags yet. But hell 2 of my friends have each 3 tags filled and each giant bucks so far here on public land. My buddy in LSWF also saying a lot of good deer been getting killed. Haven’t hunted yet but where I live I see deer every single day of the year. Just a matter of getting in the tree.
 

Dmathews87

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2022
775
1,416
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SE Louisiana
I don’t even have tags yet. But hell 2 of my friends have each 3 tags filled and each giant bucks so far here on public land. My buddy in LSWF also saying a lot of good deer been getting killed. Haven’t hunted yet but where I live I see deer every single day of the year. Just a matter of getting in the tree.
you up north, you dont count lol
 
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The_Fit_Ness_Monster

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Jan 31, 2022
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N. Louisiana
the difference is wild. Theres areas up north where you wouldnt even know you're still in Louisiana. When i go to sicily island, its crazy how many deer i see just around the area on the roadsides....
Yes, which is why even when I lived/grew up down south me and my peoples would deer hunt up north. You should see the picture / hear the stories of my dad and uncles about when tensas opened up to the public back in ‘88-90’ I believe it was, crazy. Little know fact, a lot of people including myself until recently though Louisiana was called sportsman’s paradise bc of the fishing and duck hunting in the south, nope, strictly bc of the whitetail hunting in N. LA. Anyone here ever hunt Jackson Bienville before it became private? That was an epic place to hunt.
 
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mschultz373

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SH Member
May 9, 2023
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SE LA
Yeah you know where else is epic??

South east Louisiana

Epic challenge and disappointment.

I do at least take heart that if I get to be successful down here, I can probably make it happen anywhere
 

The_Fit_Ness_Monster

Well-Known Member
Jan 31, 2022
1,021
1,910
113
N. Louisiana
Yeah you know where else is epic??

South east Louisiana

Epic challenge and disappointment.

I do at least take heart that if I get to be successful down here, I can probably make it happen anywhere
Eh it’s not bad it’s just hard. My boy in Narco does very well on open land private. I used to hunt sherburne a good bit and 3 rivers but now it’s just great hog hunting lol Attakapas only just hunter hogs and while doing so never seen much if any deer.
 

mschultz373

Well-Known Member
SH Member
May 9, 2023
448
585
93
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SE LA
Yeah, I guess I can’t really figure out why it’s so hard, I mean it’s easier for me to chalk it up to pressure, and it does in general seem like the areas I hunt do get a lot of pressure…. So the reality is probably I’m just still a real Narveson being a novice where it’s really hard to hunt makes for a lot of disappointment on the struggle bus.


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Dmathews87

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2022
775
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SE Louisiana
Yeah, I guess I can’t really figure out why it’s so hard, I mean it’s easier for me to chalk it up to pressure, and it does in general seem like the areas I hunt do get a lot of pressure…. So the reality is probably I’m just still a real Narveson being a novice where it’s really hard to hunt makes for a lot of disappointment on the struggle bus.


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dont let the struggle get to you because S la public is gonna be a struggle 24/7 365...gotta embrace the suck lol. enjoy your time out there and know that every sit while not fruitful in venison, is fruitful in knowledge and experience....make you a trip up north around Thanksgiving if possible and you'll understand that S la is just a different animal.
 
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Dmathews87

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2022
775
1,416
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SE Louisiana
Eh it’s not bad it’s just hard. My boy in Narco does very well on open land private. I used to hunt sherburne a good bit and 3 rivers but now it’s just great hog hunting lol Attakapas only just hunter hogs and while doing so never seen much if any deer.
yeah sherburne now is almost as bad as pearl river with hogs and the pressure out there is crazy...everybody and their momma hunts out there but man i can listen to the ol timers talk about sherburne all day long.
 

mschultz373

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SH Member
May 9, 2023
448
585
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SE LA
Do hogs push deer off? The marsh I’ve been hunting is full of hogs, but I still find more deer scat than about any other public so far this season.


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Dmathews87

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2022
775
1,416
93
36
SE Louisiana
Do hogs push deer off? The marsh I’ve been hunting is full of hogs, but I still find more deer scat than about any other public so far this season.


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I believe that they do. its always been my opinion that they dont get along and fight for habitat,especially food. hogs can be real arses. On pearl River, the areas where i do see more deer sign and deer themselves seem to be the areas that have less hog sign