Deer hunter touts Salvador success

Kelly Ford killed this 170-pound, 8-point buck in the Salvador Management Area.

Deer hunters in the Salvador Management Area may seem like a dying breed, but those that venture into the swamp can have success.

Last week, Kelly Ford managed to bag a 170-pound, 8-point in the management area. Last year, Ford killed a 10-point buck in Salvador.

"Hunting the Salvador Management Area is better than the high country of Mississippi," Ford said. "I have always loved hunting the marsh and swamp surrounding the area."

The management area has more than 33,000 acres that are available to hunt. Access to Salvador is mainly by boat from Bayou Gauche or Pier 90.

Ford said that there used to be plenty of hunters in Salvador, but now he sometimes has the entire area to himself. That makes it easy for him to find the ideal hunting spot by following a few simple tips.

"Always have the wind in your favor, find wax myrtle patches, find deer trails and have a light weight tripod to move around," Ford said.

Ford likes shooting a Browning 270 with a 130-grain Remington core-lock.

"Last year the 10 pointer was shot at about 200 yards from my stand and ran another 300 yards deeper into the marsh," Ford said. "I thought I would never get the deer back to the boat. This year the 8-point stepped out on the trail I used to hunt and I shot him 20 yards from the boat."

Ford admits he was pretty lucky to tag the big buck.

"It was a foggy morning around 8 in the morning. He was following a doe and his neck was swollen," Ford said. "Now its sausage time."

 

Deer season dates for the Salvador Management Area

Archery - Nov. 1 – Jan. 31 (either sex)

Firearms – Nov. 26 – Dec. 16 (bucks only)

Primitive firearms – Dec. 17- Dec. 23 (either sex)