J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert Wildlife Management Area

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J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert Wildlife Management Area
J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert WMA
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
USA Louisiana location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Louisiana
Location Catahoula, Parish, Louisiana
Nearest city Sicily Island, Louisiana
Coordinates 31°49′02″N91°45′42″W / 31.81722°N 91.76167°W / 31.81722; -91.76167 :
Area7,524 acres (30.45 km2)
Established1980
Governing body Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries,
www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/jc-sonny-gilbert
J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert Wildlife Management Area
J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert WMA

J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert Wildlife Management Area (formally the Sicily Island Hills WMA; also called Sicily Island Hills State Wildlife Management Area) is a 7,524-acre (3,045 ha) wildlife management area in Catahoula, Parish, Louisiana, owned by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. It is located 6 miles (9.7 km) miles west of Sicily Island. The area contains the 17 ft (5.2 m) high Rock Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in the state.

Contents

History

In 1980, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) purchased 2,021 acres (818 ha), and 4,159 acres (1,683 ha) were donated, to create the Sicily Island Hills Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Between 1984 and 2002, an additional 1,345 acres (544 ha) were purchased. [1]

Location

The WMA is located east of the Ouachita River and Louisiana Highway 559, 6 mi (9.7 km) west of Sicily Island, with Louisiana Highway 8 running along the bottom portion towards Sicily Island. La-913, La-914, and La-915 all provide WMA access. The Boeuf River runs through the northwest corner. [2]

Description

The area in the WMA is rugged rolling hills that range from 35–245 ft (11–75 m) above mean sea level descending to creek bottoms. There are several access roads and ATV trails. The 7-mile (11 km) Big Creek Hiking Trail is on the north end as well as the 1.1-mile (1.8 km) St. Mary's Falls Trail. [3] The .7 miles (1.1 km) Rock Falls Trail [4] is on the southern end. [5] The LDWF marks the trails with paint and there are signs but there is still the danger of getting lost. The two camping areas are very primitive; five of the seven venomous snakes in Louisiana can likely be found in the WMA, and insects will likely be a problem necessitating bug spray. [6]

Waterfalls

There are three prominent waterfalls within the boundaries of the WMA. These include the 17-foot (5.2 m)Rock Falls (31.82589,-91.75358) on Big Creek—one of the tallest waterfalls in the state—the 10-foot (3.0 m)St. Mary's Falls (31.86790,-91.75319) on Sandy Bayou, and the 5-foot (1.5 m)Sandy Bayou Waterfall (31.86776,-91.75278), a cascading waterfall on a tributary of Sandy Bayou. [7] [8]


Game species

Game species in the area include white-tailed deer, squirrel, and turkey. [1] [9] Woodcock, rabbit, and raccoon are also plentiful. Louisiana black bear frequents the area and bald eagles and their nests are found in the WMA. [1]

The LDWF arranges a public lottery hunt for turkey in this WMA each year. It also schedules a youth lottery hunt prior to the beginning of the turkey season. A deer season is also provided for youth. [1]

On April 4, 2019, the LWFC passed an emergency declaration, closing several WMA's just before the turkey season slated to begin on April 6, because of flooding. This included the Dewey W. Wills WMA, also in Catahoula Parish, but not the J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert WMA. [10]

Name change

In 2015 the Louisiana State Senate passed a bill urging and requesting that the WMA be renamed in memory of J.C. "Sonny" Gilbert (1922–2014). Gilbert was a member of the state senate from 1960 to 1972, a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1972, and served on the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) from 1976 to 1982. The last two years he served as chairman. [11] During his career he served on the National Wild Turkey Federation Board of Directors from 1980 to 1987, as president from 1983 to 1985, and chairman of the board from 1985 to 1987. Gilbert was a cotton and rice farmer, cattle rancher, and founding director of the Jonesville Bank and Trust, which is now the Southern Heritage Bank. [12] [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Boeuf Wildlife Management Area is 51,110-acre (20,680 ha) parcel of bottomland hardwoods, cypress-tupelo swamp, and other wetland habitats in northeast Louisiana. It is owned by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Boeuf Wildlife Management Area is located in Caldwell and Catahoula Parishes, near the city of Columbia, Louisiana.

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Loggy Bayou is a 17.3-mile-long (27.8 km) stream in northwestern Louisiana which connects Lake Bistineau with the Red River. Bistineau is the reservoir of Dorcheat Bayou, which flows 115 miles (185 km) southward from Nevada County, Arkansas, into Webster Parish. Loggy Bayou flows through south Bossier Parish, west of Ringgold, in a southerly direction through Bienville Parish, and into Red River Parish, where north of Coushatta it joins the Red River, a tributary of the Mississippi. At East Point, LA, the river has a mean annual discharge of 1,960 cubic feet per second.

Pass a Loutre Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a 115,000-acre (47,000 ha) protected wetland in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, United States. The WMA is located due south and bordering the 48,000 acre Delta National Wildlife Refuge, accessible only by air or boat, contains the Pass A L'Outre Lighthouse, and Port Eads is within the boundary.

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Elm Hall Wildlife Management Area is a 2,839-acre (1,149 ha) protected area in Assumption Parish, Louisiana. The WMA is located five miles west of Napoleonville, with Lake Verret on the western border, farmland to the east, and is managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).

Clear Creek Wildlife Management Area is a 52,559-acre (21,270 ha) tract of protected area located in Vernon Parish, Louisiana. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) leases the land from Hancock Timber.

Dewey W. Wills Wildlife Management Area, also just called Dewey Wills Wildlife Management Area and formally known as the Saline Wildlife Management area, is a 63,984-acre (25,893 ha) tract of protected area located in LaSalle Parish, Catahoula Parish, and Rapides Parish, in Central Louisiana. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) owns 63,901 acres, the LaSalle Parish School Board owns 1530 acres, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE) owns 265 acres, managed by the LDWF.

The Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area, formerly the Red River/Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area, is a 70,872-acre (28,681 ha) tract of protected area in lower Concordia Parish, Louisiana. The area is owned by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE). The WMA is located off LA 15 approximately 35 miles (56 km) south of Ferriday between the Red River and the Mississippi River.

Biloxi Wildlife Management Area also referred to as Biloxi WMA, is a 35,644-acre (14,425 ha) privately owned tract of protected marsh land located in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). The land is owned by Biloxi Marsh Lands Corporation, owning approximately 90,000 acres (36,000 ha) of land in St. Bernard Parish, that started leasing land to the LDWF as early as 1957. Access is limited to boats as there are no roads in the WMA. The nearest road access is LA 46 to Shell Beach or LA 624 to Hopedale.

Fort Johnson North Wildlife Management Area, known locally as Peason Ridge WMA, is a 74,309-acre tract of protected area located in the Parishes of Natchitoches, Sabine, and Vernon, in the state of Louisiana. The WMA is managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).

Salvador Wildlife Management Area is a protected area in St. Charles Parish Louisiana covering a combined total of over 36,000 acres (15,000 ha). The WMA is located 11 miles (18 km) south of New Orleans, Louisiana, and provides habitat for many species of animal and plant life with hunting, fishing, and boating as the predominant activities. Commercial fishing or harvesting is not allowed.

Bodcau Wildlife Management Area also referred to as Bodcau WMA, is a 33,766-acre (13,665 ha) tract of protected land located in Bossier and Webster Parish, Louisiana. The land is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and managed under long-term lease by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).

Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area, also referred to as the Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA, is a 33,488 acres (13,552 ha) protected area located in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, that is owned and managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).

Pomme de Terre Wildlife Management Area, also referred to as Pomme de Terre WMA, is a 6,434 acres (2,604 ha) protected area located in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, owned and managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).

Esler Field Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a 12,500 acres (5,100 ha) protected area in parts of Rapides and Grant parishes in the state of Louisiana.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "J.C. "Sonny" Gilbert". LDWF. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  2. ↑ "J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert Wildlife Management Area" (PDF). LDWF. 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  3. ↑ "St. Mary's Falls Trail". LDWF. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Rock Falls Trail". LDWF. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Stunning scenery". Louisiana Conservationist. 2019. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  6. ↑ "The President's Message" (PDF). Louisiana Hiking Club. 2019. p. 4 and 5. Retrieved March 29, 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ "J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert WMA". Hunting Land Rentals by owner (HLRBO). Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Louisiana Waterfalls". Take A Hike. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  9. ↑ "170-class buck downed in December near Sicily Island". Louisiana Sportsman. 2019. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  10. ↑ "LWFC Passes Declaration of Emergency Closing Turkey Hunting Season on Dewey W. Wills, Grassy Lake and Richard K. Yancey WMAs". LWFC. April 4, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. ↑ "Sicily Island Hills WMA renamed for J.C. "Sonny" Gilbert". KNOE 8 News. September 23, 2015. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  12. ↑ "J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert". The Jena Times obituary. Retrieved March 29, 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  13. ↑ "J.c. "Sonny" Gilbert". The Town Talk obituary. November 23, 2014. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
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