Hunting Strategies
Marsh cowpea
Alligator weed
Once you’ve made it onto one of the islands, it’s time to hunt. The Big Island, as it’s called, has a shorter season than the smaller islands, so make sure you’re up to par with the current year’s regulations before venturing south. Looking for a place to hunt can be overwhelming in this type of environment. A sure bet is to set up along the edges of the islands where the marsh that surrounds them meets the myrtle bushes and the higher, dryer ground . The deer like to bed out in the tall marsh grass, and then at dark, make their way onto the main part of the islands to feed. Set yourself up on trails and cut them off midway. Early in the season, look for spots out in the marsh with marsh cowpeas growing. If you find a spot with these, hang your stand, because you’ve found a main early-season food source, and the local deer love them. There is also a small-blade grass called alligator weed; this is a major food staple for the deer in this area as well. Locating large patches of this type of grass with all of their tops nipped off is a sure path to Delta success. As we all know with deer hunting, there are never any guarantees, but if you apply some of this basic knowledge to your hunting endeavors at The Delta, you’ll greatly increase your odds of coming home with venison in the cooler. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to the unique deer hunting experience that the Atchafalaya Delta WMA has to offer. This place is a true South Louisiana gem.
The author can attest that the Atchafalaya Delta WMA has one of the highest deer densities per acre in Louisiana.
11 Responses to: Atchafalaya Delta: A South Louisiana Gem
Absolutely incredible what you guys go through down there. This has to be the most adverse conditions to hunt whitetail. My hat goes off to you!
Behold he who shoots arrows with white vanes. For he is death, and with him hell shall follow.
That is crazy hunting down there and way off the beaten path. No wonder the deer density is so high. Like deer hunting duck hunter style.
Great article Russ…I can attest to the lack of climbable trees. Ricky Aucoin had me above him in a lock-on on a 4″ willow. Everytime the wind would blow I’d watch the root ball of the tree shift the soft ground below. BUT…I can’t seem to get the place out of my head…or the deer trails. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. I’ll be back with a camera this season, but I’m not leaving until we score. It’s a personal goal for BBII.
Definitely sounds like a challenging place to hunt but I hear the deer hunting is good….
Great article Russell. It takes a special person to go through what you do in the Delta.
A very well written and informative article Russell.That type of hunting is 180 degrees different from my hardwoods in the hills. I can imagine though, how peaceful and quiet it is on stand down there.
Great job Widow, look forward to the next article
Russ you did a very good job good describing the Delta, and gave fair warning to all who venture there. It is definitely not for the “average” hunter and that is not a swipe at any of you guys. It’s just that the type of hardships we endure at the Delta are more than most hunters choose to put themselves through, even for public land standards. But in my opinion the difficulty/reward ratio is fine by me. The fog, sandbars, crew boats, heat and mosquitos are just part of the unique Delta experience, one that is unlike any other place I have ever hunted.
Good article Widow, kinda makes me want to go to the Delta.
Guess i’ll have to stick with the basin though.
I started my career on Atchafalaya Delta WMA back in 1981 and have been hunting ducks down there ever since. It’s everything Widowmaker said and more. You must be prepared when you head down river because that area is unforgiving. You don’t make many foolish mistakes and live to tell about it. There was one guy that worked for us that made his last mistake by trying to swim across the houseboat canal in the winter after his boat quit and drowned. I once saved another guy from swimming after his boat as it was drifting off with the tide. I also knew two guys who did not anchor their new boat (first trip down) with camping gear and lost it when the tide came up while they were duck hunting. Come down prepared and bring along your common sense.