Outdoor events postponed because of hurricane

The approach of Hurricane Isaac has altered the outdoors schedule across the Capital City area and the southern parishes.

Wednesday’s planned second-annual Gun Bash, a major event for the South Louisiana Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association at the 4-H Mini Barn at LSU has been postponed, but will be rescheduled at a later date.

Friday’s weekly nighttime bass tournament at False River and the annual Original Grand Isle Redfish Rodeo — set to run Friday through Sunday — have been canceled.

Late Tuesday, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced it was closing 26 agency-owned or managed wildlife management areas.

The list includes Sandy Hollow WMA in Tangipahoa Parish, which was scheduled for a youth-only dove hunt Saturday on the WMA’s North Tract. Other areas of this WMA were slated for dove hunting Saturday, the opening day of the 2012 season.

Other now-closed WMAs in the Capital City area include Maurepas Swamp and Tunica Hills; Attakapas and Sherburne in the Atchafalaya Basin; Hutchinson Creek, Joyce, Manchac, Lake Ramsey, Tangipahoa Parish School Board and Pearl River WMAs in the Florida Parishes; Elm Hall in Assumption Parish; and, the Acadiana Conservation Corridor, Atchafalaya Delta, Lake Boeuf and Thistlethwaite WMAs in the Acadiana area.

Coastal WMAs closed include Biloxi, Marsh Island, Pass a Loutre, Pointe-aux-Chenes, Salvador-Timken, State WMA and the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area.

Others are Spring Bayou, Grassy Lake and Pomme de Terre WMAs in east-central parishes.

Elmer’s Island near Grand Isle was closed Sunday.

The LDWF’s advisory indicated these WMAs “will remain closed until further notice.”

Late Monday, the LDWF notified wild alligator hunters that Wednesday’s opening of the East Zone season will be delayed until Saturday, but had no plans to move the Sept. 5 opening of the West Zone Wild Alligator season.

As of Tuesday, LDWF managers indicated public dove hunters were planned for Red River WMA in Concordia Parish; West Bay WMA in Allen Parish; Bayou Pierre WMA in the northwest portion of Red River Parish; Big Colewa WMA in West Carroll Parish; Boeuf WMA in Caldwell Parish; Clear Creek and Fort Poll WMAs in Vernon Parish; Elbow Slough WMA in the southeastern portion of Rapides Parish; and, Floy McElroy WMA in Richland Parish.

The LDWF also announced plans for Saturday-only public hunts on leased land in five areas.