ST. FRANCISVILLE - Deer hunting season with rifles begins Saturday for many in Southeast Louisiana. From Avoyelles to Plaquemines parishes, it will be still hunting only, which means that hunters must creep and use stealth not to alert a deer while hunting it.

Parishes to the west and north began deer hunting with rifles in October.
Two parishes that are big spots for hunting season are East and West Feliciana.

While state regulations require hunters to move quietly as not to alert the deer, things in the Felicianas will be much louder due to the amount of people coming in.

For the parishes, hunting season is a big part of their identity.

"Hunting season is really huge up here. We see our business usually double or triple this time of year. People are buying tons of bolt actions and tons of scopes and getting ready... to go out and bag that big deer this time of year," Thompson Creek Sporting Goods Owner Tony Linton said.

For St. Francisville, which only has a population of around 1,500 people, it's one of the busiest times of the year.

The deer hunt brings in thousands of people and also allows people from out of town to see the small-town charm these areas have.

"Especially after COVID, people wanted to get out of the city. They wanted to experience nature, kind of reconnect with nature, and that brought a lot of resurgence of visitors here in Saint Francisville and it just continues to grow year after year," Visit Saint Francisville Executive Director Devan Corbello said.

Several St. Francisville citizens told WBRZ that one of the more popular spots hunters go to in town is the Audubon Market, who say they have three seasons in the last two months of the year: deer hunting, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

"We have fresh produce, quality produce here. We have last-minute items whether you need a rice cooker for the camp or some deer corn. We also offer that as well," Audubon Market manager Jessica David said.