Lake Ophelia

Let me tell you this story; back in December 06, I posted some pics of a huge ten pointer my buddy killed. On that hunt, I let him use one of my orange vests and told him what tree to climb, and he kills a huge buck. Two weeks later, I take him with me again. I tell him where to sit, etc.....and he kills a hog!! On this particular Lake Ophelia hunt, he couldn't come with me to scout, so I had to find the places and mark the trees to climb. On Saturday morning, we meet in Marksville and both ride in my truck. As we are pulling up to the check station, he tells me he left his permit in his vehicle back in Marksville!!!! Anyway, we finally make it to our stands and by the time I make it to my tree, I don't need a flashlight. At 0915, I'm trying to locate one of my pop tarts and I hear a shot but it sounds like just the cap went off. I figured that someone is very mad right now. Then as I'm attempting to open my breakfast, I hear something and then see two deer running out of a thicket. I start yelling "hey, hey, hey" for them to stop. I shoot the second one thinking it might be a buck. The CVA powerbelt 295gr hollow point finds its target. When my buddy and I link up, he tells me that those two does ran by him and he shot but had a misfire. I told him if that wouldn't have happened, he would have again killed in a situation where I scouted, I found the tree, and yes he was wearing my extra orange vest. I told him that he has to start scouting his own spots. Anyway, she weighed 120lbs and was 2.5 yrs old.

Hey Rincon did you ever have any trouble with the powerbelt bullets. Not having a exit wound or not finding any blood?

That sure is a nice deer, but maybe you could share some of your scouting techniques with the rest us who are not up to your caliber. Once again nice deer.

I've never had a problem with the CVA powerbelt bullets. This doe was my fifth deer with my muzzle loader while shooting those bullets. Usually the exit wound is the size of a golf ball, and I've never had one run more than 20yds after being hit. Regarding scouting techniques...all I do is put my map and compass in my pocket, mark my entry point with my gps and then start running through the woods like a banshee until I find the deer sign. For the Lake Ophelia hunt, I scouted from 0930 to 1700hrs. I even had the pleasure of seeing a nice 6 pointer actually jump into a slough and swimming across. However, on the following day, only his girlfriend passed by me.

Do you know of any good bucks killed there this weekend? I bow hunt Lake O. pretty hard! Seen alot of nice bucks, just curious? Plan on hunting it hard till Feb. 14!!!!!!!!!!!

On Saturday, I checked my doe out at 1345 and I was told that only a few deer had been killed and the biggest was a 5 pointer. I later found out that one of my buddies had killed it. While scouting, I was amazed at how many scrapes and rubs I found, but all the scrapes were in open woods. I didn't hunt the scrapes because I was fairly sure that the bucks would not take a chance on being sighted in open woods. So I hunted the thickest/nastiest stuff I could find. Not many shots were heard in the area I was hunting. I've been puting if off for quite some time, but this year I will definitely get my bowhunters safety course completed so I can bowhunt at Lake Ophelia. I saw rubs on trees that were big around as my leg. Goose bump city!!!!

Are those tires legal for Lake Ophelia, the tread on those look ENORMOUS!!!. You can bring my backstrap to my office tomorrow i will be there. Why didnt you come to where we were and eat some of saturday record 5 point back strap.

That is the trick! Hunt the open woods. You would be surprised what you will see! That place is not like any other public land in the state. In the early season it's nothing to ride down the road in the truck and count 20- 30 deer out in the fields in broad daylight from the front to the back, try that in Thistlewaite!!!!!LOL I saw 7 on my last hunt in there, but they were just a little too far, deer everywhere! As far as the rubs go, I found a spot in there a couple weeks ago that a deer is rubbing trees bigger than my thigh(21 in.)!!!!! I saw a deer on my last hunt there that would have went easily 150", or better, and that's not where I found those rubs. Really a great place to hunt, it was a little crowded in there opening weekend though. I really wish they would put some type of restrictions in there so people would continue to shoot "mature deer", I say "mature" because a trophy deer is definately in the eyes of the hunter. Wishful thinking!!!! Good luck in there next year, keep in touch, I'll share some of my notes!! I won't give you "MY" spots, but I'll give you some of what I've seen in there! Later

Nice deer dude... I do have to ask you a question.. You finally get drawn for the elusive Lake Ophelia hunt.. A place where you will have the best sucess in the state to kill a trophy buck and shoot a half crippled doe. Priceless.. You can hunt the WMA's and kill a doe easily.. with all the doe days they have... Bowhunters like me thanks you for saving the bucks for us.. I think you were doing it for mamangement purposes or it was your first deer right.. Good luck shootin skillet heads... Oh and if you find me a tree in a good spot, please mark it for me and send me the GPS location.. Sounds like you are a good guide...

Bigjon, I know you wish you would have gotten the mudbugs instead of those little 589's you have. It'll be alright, it's not the end of the world. Maybe I'll bring my bike to work next week and I'll let you look at those big lugs on that big bad Rincon. A game warden told me the other day that those Maxxis Mudbugs are just like a GoDevil. He said if he ever had to chase me, he wouldn't even bother if he knew I had mudbugs.

I don't know if you were being sarcastic or if you didn't fully read my initial post. The doe was not crippled. I agree, there are many huge bucks in Lake Ophelia. But if you are a regular hunter there, you know that a fair amount of the property is either restricted or bow hunt only areas. Surely you know that the big bucks have figured this out. As I said in my initial post, I checked out my deer at 1400hrs and only a few deer had been killed with the biggest being a five pointer. There were hunters everywhere...where were all the big bucks? My buddy and his son hunted for the youth hunt earlier this month. Youth hunts are allowed in the restricted areas. He said that they must have seen 80 deer that day and several huge bucks.......all hanging out in the restricted areas. I will admit that I can not call myself a trophy hunter. If he shows up first, I'll put him down. If she shows up first, she will hit the dirt. Hunting public land doesn't leave a deer hunter much choice. Either sex or bucks only hunting....I try and capitalize. DANGER CLOSE!!!

I don't touch the restricted areas!! There are hundreds of people in there during the month of November when these areas are open!!! Once you figure the place out, you can see all the deer you want, does and bucks, anywhere on the place!! That big deer I saw 1-2-07 was actually 60 yards off one of the main roads!!! They are everywhere in there!!!!!!!!!

I'm getting my bowhunters safety course in August so I can bowhunt there. Since I was chosen this year for the muzzle loader season, I'm sure I won't get picked again next year.

Ricon- you ended one of your comments with Danger Close!!- Am I safe to assume that you are a Redleg??

You hunt like a grandma at a bingo parlor, cant wait to yell bingo. How are you suppost to kill a trophy buck if you dont let the doe go by. You need to adjust fire and wait for the big boy to step out. Oh, i have seen more aggressive tires on a 1979 big wheel.

I am not trying to discourage you or anything but i have several nice deer on the wall.. You know if i would have shot the first deer that walked our every time i would have a wall of ears and no horns.. Oh and if you hunt next year at Lake ophelia for bow mark me a spot like you do for your friend..Sounds like you are good at that.. i always carry my permit with me...and for your tires they are awsome i have some but i don't have them on a 3 wheeled drive fourwheeler like you do i have them on a real bike............SCOUTS OUT !!!!!!!!!

I feel tension in the air........

SS

never hunted there i hunt in west baton rouge parish and kinda looked crowded. i really have heard really great things about lake ophelia over the last few years. anyway regardless of buck of doe nice kill i am sure it was well worth the time you spent.

Just wondering why everybody talks so much trash on here? We all hunt. Sure some people may be better than others, but should you down the other man because of it? I used to like this site, but because all the downing and hounding of anybody that post a pic or report its crazy. Rincon great job on the doe. Some TROPHY HUNTERS would have let her walk, but when the freezer is empty, she's going down.

FX4,
If you are the same guy that i am thinking about, Rincon will jump on you like a banshee for that last comment. No, just kidding, where is all your deer pics at? Lets get them up on here. If i put a pic of that 1st deer that i killed this year it would start WW3. But, I made meat.

First comment goes to Air Assault Artillery, no I'm not a redleg, I'm an Engineer. I do like using the terminology though. I'm glad to know that there are some fellow military guys on here. Second comment; why are some of you bashing my doe? I have a sign at my camp that reads "slick head slaughter house". Does and bucks need an equal amount of love, it just depends on which one appears first. Kajun01, please keep your trophy comments to yourself and by all means, when you kill a trophy, go ahead and post it on here for all of us to see. FX4_Killa, I like to play bingo and I think I know who you are. Don't dis the Rincon/bugs. Shall we lock up our bikes? The last time we did something like that, it wasn't pretty. The mighty FX4 got jerked around by a Tacoma 4wd. In all seriousness, negative commenters are not encouraged to reply. Negative comments only show your fragile state of intelligence. FIRE FOR EFFECT!!

When I look at that picture, all I can think of is meat and rice. In my book, that's a good thing! ha ha... ignore all the negativity...

Looks to me like you were REDCON1. Beautiful doe, wish i would have killed her instead of that old tough buck. I'll trade meat with you.

Well, with all of that being said, I like that Ole Man treestand on your bike. I hunted out of one for 5 yrs., until someone stole it last year. It was a good stand. I have moved on to a Summit 180 now, just wanted to try something different.

HELLUVA Kill, as you know, I also hunted Lake Ophelia this weekend. I checked my 5 pt. out at noon on Saturday and my deer was the 7th one that was checked out. I contacted the Refuge Headquarters yesterday and found out that 31 deer were killed with the 5 pt being the largest.

I did my scouting on the Sunday before and also spoke with two Game Wardens out there. They stated that the rut was about over and that the deer probably wouldn't move on our hunt weekend. They were right, the deer didn't move. 180 Hunters checked in on Saturday not sure about Sunday and only 31 killed.

I go into this hunt with the intent of killing a trophy, but sometimes it doesn't work out. With only 31 deer killed, DOE MEAT IS BETTER THAN NO MEAT!!!

Congrats on your kill!! Don't worry about what people have to say on this site because, while your at home eating some fresh backstrap, they will be on this site wishing it was them that killed a deer, while giving people crap about the deer they killed. Sappers lead the way!!!

Good story and nice replies to the negative chumps.
I finished my last weekend with a 140lb spike. That is my trophy this year.

What is a red-leg? I know what a dirty nasty leg is.. In Army terms.. hehe...

See yall next season....

What an awesome HUNTING story. And it came to a wonderful end. You know your in a TARGET RICH environment here. Bullets fly more from the keyboards than from weapons. Yeah, I got horns on the wall. Yeah, I killed a doe this year. Yeah, I got r-3's on my big ole bike. But ya know what really gets my blood pumping?.....POPPIN SILK OVER SICILY DROP ZONE....WITH A SKY DRAGON PATCH OM MY SHOULDER....and a chem light to show me where to do the P.L.F. BOOGY...........XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery for life.........yeah baby....feel the breeze on your kneese......later tater

Just wanted to apologize to everyone on here by starting the Lug topic and making everyone argue. It was a personal joke between myself and Rincon because my Rhino with 589's will crawl on top of that Rincon with mudbugs. And now i realize everyone was right, you shouldnt have killed that doe. It was 2.5 years old. You should have shot a younger one like 1.5 or 0.5 years old. Also, since we are throwing in military sayings i wanted to let everyone know that i think the term "dirt sanchez" is the one most commonly used by pldhunts unit.

101 Patch on my shoul-der
AIR ASSAULT!!

I am glad you got your's Sir.I ain't seen nothing this year.

regulation pamphlet, page 34, under vehicles, ATV.

That's what I like to see......some military people on here!! I have the VII Engineer BDE patch from Desert Storm and both the 82nd and 18th Airborne patch from Afghanistan. Regarding the trophy hunter issue.....I take great pride in my trophies. Every night, I open my freezer and look at my trophies (nice little packs of vaccum sealed back strap). Every deer I kill is a trophy and I still get excited when they hit the ground. The day I don't get excited from killing a male or female deer is the day I need to give up hunting. Regarding the atv tire issue; the big thing is having a tire no larger than 25 inches. They also say the lugs can not exceed 1 inch in length. I've had agents look closely at my tire but when they see 25x12 on the sidewall, they give me the thumbs up.

I am new to the site but it didn’t take me long to figure out there are a lot of people on here that should bite their tongue. Like my dad always said.."It is better to be silent and thought stupid, than to speak and remove all doubts!" I have read where guys are even bashing kids on their kills. Grow up guys. The real trophy is when there is meat in the freezer. No matter how you cook them the horns are never good. Sounds like you had a Great hunt, and good job on your kill. I will take the meat from a young doe over an old buck any day. Congratulations. Oh and BTW can you do a lil scouting for me..lol

There's nothing wrong with killing small deer, does, spikes, or what ever is legal! Some people try to force their beliefs on everyone they come in contact with. Those people get hammered every time. You would think they'd get the hint, but they keep on.

Someone posted earlier saying that you can't make horns tender enough to eat. They hit the nail on the head. Not even a pressure cooker can get them stinking horns tender! If its legal and you want it; kill it!

Army Strong

brought my lil 8 point to the taxidermist today to get a skull mount done,sometime this week i'm going get a kit to put a spike i killed last year on a plaque.Then I will have all the bucks I've killed on the wall in some shape are form,three 8's and a spike,that way everytime I look at them i'll think about that hunt and that time in my life.I wish I had pic. of every doe I killed for the same reason.Not,to mention pic. of deer my brothers are my pop's are other family and club members killed.Memories that's what a trophy should be to people.Some people have no clue what huntin's about.

I too have the 7th Eng Bde patch from Desert Storm (Deployed with the 527th Eng Bn with the Louisiana National Guard (Minden), but it was replaced by the 101st Patch during OIF I. Should know my next assignment for this summer soon, and definately want to stay light. Currently at Leavenworth attending the Command and General Staff College. AASLT!!

Hey grocery,How much they charge for thos scull mounts?

For Desert Storm, I deployed with the 527th EN BN (Marksville unit). Small world.

Kajun01, I am a 21B

possum,$100 for the fake one and $150 for the real one.

So Rincon you decided on a stand yet.... look like the summit is winning the vote on here......... Man you gonna miss the last of the rut in lake ophelia the next two weeks.. it is gonna be awsome the buck are walking around in the woods wishing they had a thumb to crank off ************ Buddy cover me while i move*******

21b here also on this site. Sappers lead the way!!