Aside from a few youth hunts, hunting deer with rifles is banned from the Atchafalaya Delta WMA, making this area a bowhunter's mecca.

There is a place down at the mouth of the Atchafalaya River, just south of Berwick LA, known to many locals as “The Delta.” This is not your average hardwood, highland hunting grounds. This place is totally different. This is South Louisiana and the environment is wet, muddy, and notoriously foggy. Down here, hip boots and knee boots are king, fighting falling tides and the steady flow of offshore work boats are the norm, and prop-snagging sandbars are everywhere. If you’re ready for a different type of deer hunting and are looking for a little excitement in the process, then do yourself a favor and take a trip to the Atchafalaya Delta WMA.
 

Getting There

First and foremost, you are going to need a boat, a map, and a GPS. Anyone venturing to The Delta that hasn’t been should never make the trip without a map and a GPS. The GPS will serve a few purposes, such as helping you find your way down river to the WMA, tracking your path at all times so you know where you can drive the boat and not run aground, and most of all, getting you back to camp when the blinding fog rolls in (hopefully). If you hunt The Delta long enough, this is something you will encounter. This management area lies 25 miles south of Berwick, LA. Local access to the Atchafalaya River which leads to the WMA can be found at the end of River Road in Berwick at the boat launch. Once you leave the landing, head south down the river for 25 miles. When you get down to the mouth of the river, the WMA will be on your right, just before entering Atchafalaya Bay. There is a large primitive campground with an outhouse provided. If you have a floating camp, you can also bring it down to The Delta and moore it there for 6 months a year. Your camp-boat will have to have a sewer disposal system that meets all standards of the state, and must be  approved by the local Health Department. Permits for such camps can be applied for in July by contacting The Atchafalaya Delta office in New Iberia, LA at 337-373-0032.
 

Equipment for Hunting The Delta

6 foot ladder stands like this are common throughout The Delta, as there's only a handful of trees suitable for climbers or lock-ons.

Hunting at The Delta can be somewhat out-of-the-norm when it comes to bowhunting for deer. If you show up with a climber on your back expecting to climb 20 feet up an oak tree overlooking scattered acorns on the ground, you’ll be quiet disappointed. This is marsh country and wax myrtle bushes dominate the landscape. Down here, small tripods and short, light ladder stands are the weapons of choice. Although you can use climbers in certain spots (some people kill deer regularly out of them down there), you are severely limited to where you can set up. Using tripods and ladder stands allow you to set up pretty much anywhere. It only takes a small myrtle bush to set up a 6 foot ladder stand; yes you heard me right—6 feet. When you put a man 6 feet off the ground with a whitetail deer in front of him at 10 yards, things start to get exciting real fast. Thats one thing I’ve always liked about this place; you’re up close when the kill happens.