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Isaac's flooding could have killed deer, or it could have caused herds to move. That's what Louisiana wildlife agents are trying to find out.
"Were deer forced out of their normal habitat area to the extent that we might need to consider revising harvest guidelines for the upcoming season?" is the question Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesman Bo Boehringer said the department is seeking to answer. Boehringer says wildlife agents are in the midst of investigating how much of an impact the storm could have had on deer population.
Boehringer says they've seen it before: in 2011, when the Morganza spillway opened, it caused changes in the deer population in the Atchafalaya basin.
"There were restrictions on that particular hunting season which reduced the hunter take," Boehringer said.
If Wildlife and Fisheries finds that Isaac killed enough deer or forced the beasts to move, the state could adjust hunting season dates or bag limits to compensate.
(photo from Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries)
