Fattenin' the herd: deer hunters learn how in BIG Luling seminar

Missed the class? Read on to find out how to pork up your does & bucks - only in the Herald-Guide

WHAT A RACK. Hunters show off their trophy deer at Luling seminar.

Wow! Over 100 deer hunters and business sponsors gathered at Dougie V's Restaurant in Luling for the Deer Food-Plot Seminar hosted by the LSU AgCenter's St. Charles Parish Office. And if you're thinking, dang, I missed it, relax.

Here, exclusively in the Herald-Guide, are three quick-and-easy tips for setting up your food plot:

1. Use legumes in the soil.

2. Use ammonium nitrate in plots to keep them green.

3. Make sure you test your soil.

"The seminar itself was an excellent opportunity for those who plant food-plots for deer to learn how to do the job properly and save a few dollars in the process," said David Pichon, a St. Charles county agent and organizer of the seminar.

Pichon noted that many hunters who try to set up food plots don't know what they are doing. The result? They spend more money than they have to - and they don't get the results they were hoping for either: fatter game.

Rene Schmit, another St. Charles county agent, pointed out the importance of taking soil samples before planting anything.

And Emile LeBlanc, Deer-Map Coordinator with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department, discussed the new deer harvest regulations in Louisiana. She also informed hunters about two of the diseases presently affecting deer, chronic wasting disease and blue tongue.

Dr. Don Reed, LSU AgCenter wildlife biologist, discussed what to plant, when to plant and how to properly plant the food plots.

For more information on planting food plots for deer, contact David Pichon by phone at 985-785-4473 or e-mail at:dpichon@agctr.lsu.edu.