The state of the outdoors in Louisiana, how will it be for our kids/grandkids? Long read

I’ve had a rough last 3-4 years with outdoors related incidents. In my 50s, did not grow up a country boy. New Orleans until I was 14 then Shreveport. Dad only fished and squirrel hunted but some Hs buddies got me into deer hunting at around 16. Learned to hunt public land in NW La, never had money for hunting club, even less so now. Never really had issues my first I’d say 30 years hunting. I also have 100 acres of dad’s land in NW La. He and my uncle bought a long time ago and dad eventually bought my uncle out.

3 years ago in September took my back then around 13 y/o out to scout. We even in September wore orange. Within 30 minutes someone was firing a shotgun our direction, very loud and close and I started hollering, this is public land. They fired several shots until I kept screaming and they stopped. I come to them and it’s a grown man and woman looked to be my age. They apologized and said they were just having fun shooting and didn’t realize we were there.

Fast forward the following spring I have my son and younger son at a pond in public area fishing. We see people on other side of pond go over and sit down to what I assumed was them fishing. Next thing you know we hear a rifle shooting our direction. I scream at my kids to run and I’m yelling at the people. They just waved back. Not even one month later I meet my brother to fish Loutre. We go out in boat and within 5 minutes hear a rifle shooting and hit brush behind us. We are ducking down in boat, again yelling and nothing. Few minutes later several shots. We go back to where he parked and left.

Here’s the big one. That 100 acres is my dad’s. Brother, sister and I have access but I’m the only one that hunts it. A distant elderly cousin gives a random dude permission to hunt it, a cousin that has 0 rights to the land. There is a field about 12-15 acres that dad leases for someone to get hay. 25 plus years ago dad planted about 10 persimmon trees. Last summer while we hadn’t been out there this guy goes, puts up a box stand and cuts down the trees to have a better shooting view. We finally figured out who it was and I called him. I told him to stay away, he apologized for cutting the trees down but was blown away that I was in disbelief with him putting up a box stand out there. I have no box stands fwiw, I don’t mess with the woods, only hunt climbers or fallen tree tops.

Hunting leases are getting high and many friends are getting out of them. Some known public WMAs have shut down, urban sprawl. Am I just getting old and yelling at clouds? Did 50 year olds bitch about this in 1982? Or does future look grim for our kids unless they have good money?


Eta: I no longer follow La hunting pages on FB but even they are depressing to read. Is walking a long ways in the woods now suddenly something to brag about My dad did that until he was in his early 70s. I still do it. Is bashing people for killing a small buck a thing now? Why?