This has been a typical deer season where hunters downing trophy bucks have sometimestraveled across the state to hunting leases or tracts of public land in the thousands of acres. Manyhave been successful as well bringing down big bucks with rocking-chair headgear.
Ross Wigginton, Ferriday, has done it entirely differently. The 25 year old doesn’t belongto hunting clubs nor does he travel to nearest public lands to deer hunt. He takes care of businesson his own property near Ferriday in Concordia Parish.
His “own property” consists of his back yard containing less than one acre. Wigginton lives near the banks of the Tensas River with a tract of woods near the river and a levee separating his yard from the river.
“I like to take a doe for the freezer if possible so I put out corn in my yard. I also hung up a trail camera to keep up with any deer that might visit my corn pile,” Wigginton said.
On the morning of November 14, Wigginton got up early, pulled up a chair on his back porch to see if something might show up. His camera had shown the images of a huge buck that had visited the corn a few times and always at night. In the back of his mind, he hoped he would have a chance at the buck but had his doubts in that the buck only showed up at night.
“At first, a doe stepped out and I could make her out even though it wasn’t daylight yet. I watched her eat and then she walked off. I didn’t shoot because it was not legal shooting time yet,” he said.
While it was still dark, Wigginton could hear a deer walking in the woods over the levee and to his surprise, the big buck he had on camera accompanied by two smaller bucks, hopped over the levee and walked up to within 20 yards of where he was sitting. It was just starting to get light enough to shoot as he watched the buck turn and begin walking away. When it got to 40 yards, the buck turned broadside and Wigginton let a bolt fly from his Raven crossbow.
“When I shot, he kicked up real good so I knew I had made a good shot. I gave him a few minutes before walking over to where he was standing when I shot and could only find a couple of pin-sized drops of blood. I was starting to worry that I had made a bad shot and would never see the buck again,” Wigginton recalled.
Wiggonton continued looking around the area and at about 70 yards, excitement welled up when he spotted antlers. The buck was down for good.
“The first thing I did was go wake up my wife, told her what I had done and we celebrated a bit. I dragged the buck to the levee and backed my truck up so I could slide him in. There was no way I would have been able otherwise to load him up because of the size. He weighed 270 pounds,” he said.
The buck sported a massive and gnarled rack containing 17 scorable points with an extra tine growing off the base, a tine that measured over 11 inches. Wigginton took the buck to Simmons Sporting Goods in Bastrop to be measured and entered into that store’s big buck contest. Main beams were over 24 inches each, bases were 5 ½ inches each and inside spread was 19 3/8 inches. The rack was measured at an astounding 189 7/8 inches, placing the buck at the top of the non-typical archery category.
“While I was sitting on the porch watching the buck and waiting for daylight,” Wigginton said, “I’m just glad my wife didn’t come to the door and tell me coffee was ready.”
FISHING REPORT
BLACK BAYOU – Fishing is slow. No report this week. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707 for latest information.
OUACHITA RIVER – Bass are slow, not many reporting. Crappie have been best fishing around sunken brush and stumps in the river in the deeper holes. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – Crappie fishing has slowed down a bit but some are still being caught fishing in the deeper channels 18 feet deep in 20-25 foot water. Jigs and shiners are producing fair catches. Bass are in the deeper holes in the channel and have been fair on soft plastics and jigs. Bream fishing is slow while catfish are still biting cold worms fished off the banks. For latest reports, call Anderson’s Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE – Catfishing has been fair on night crawlers and cold worms. Crappie fishing has been best out from the State Park on jigs and shiners and at night around the lighted docks. Bass fishing has been fair on soft plastics. No report on bream. For latest information, call Misty at Kel’s Cove at 331-2730 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.
CANEY LAKE – Bass fishing has been best fishing deep water with deep diving crank baits and soft plastics picking up a few with the largest being around 7 pounds. Crappie fishing has been best just out from the dam fishing jigs or shiners near the bottom in 35 foot water. Jigging spoons bounced off the bottom in deep water are fair for yellow bass. No report on catfish. For information contact Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE POVERTY POINT – Catfishing has been good on cold worms. Crappie fishing has been best on the south end of the lake on shiner or jigs. No report on bass. For latest reports, call Poverty Point Marina at 318/878-0101.
LAKE ST. JOHN – The water is low; launching boats is a near impossibility. No fishing this week. For information, call Ken Mahoney at 318-201-3821.
LAKE YUCATAN – The water is on a rise. Best fishing this week has been far barfish with lots of them being caught. A few bass were reported and crappie are slow. For information, call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.
