re: Outdoor Board Demographics and maybe a little sappiness

45 , currently living in Youngsville/Lafayette

grew up in Metairie (David Dr. area) as my Dad was the outdoorsman who taught me about hunting/fishing. He raised Weims that were both AKC show dogs and retrievers. Later he raised beagles strictly for hunting rabbits.

caught my first redfish off the Lake Pontchartrain seawall when I was 4. I begged to get it mounted as the dam fish stayed wrapped in aluminum foil in our freezer for years. Never got it mounted as it was probably a rat red, I thought for sure it was Moby Dick.

At age 6, I recv'd a single shot .410 for Christmas. Dad always duck hunted as I wanted to be like him. One weekend he took me and my brother to the Bonnet Carre Spillway to shoot skeet with my new toy. As Dad was unloading the box of clays, I see this giant white, slow flying pterodactyl bird cruising over the levee and I blasted his arse. . I remember Dad saying "WTF" as I claimed my first bird kill... a cattle egret (ooops). Needless to say I got a stern lecture on what is legal, and not legal to shoot.

My first deer hunting experience was with friends when I was 12-13. We were invited to Van Cleave, MS to deer hunt with dogs and shotguns. Also learned real quick if the dogs don't run deer, they were taken behind the camp and disposed of.

Killed my first deer at 14 with a 30-30 in Camden,AL . I was on cloud 9 and enjoyed every minute of it. Started bowhunting at 16 in Pearl River and got lost a few times.

In my teens, caught lots of sharks and monster gar behind Jefferson Downs in Kenner. Would sit on the backstretch fence watching the race horses and fish the whole night listening to OZZY and drinking whatever we could afford, usually 40 oz. King Cobras

Moved to Lafayette in '88 and have been here ever since. Still enjoy the outdoors ; however it's no longer about the kill. Just spending quality time in the woods with my son and daughter who are young teenagers.

I have several custom rifles and enjoy shooting crows, coyotes, and paper. I also enjoy eating and started a small side business selling Cajun Seasoning (shameless plug Ragin Blaze )

glad to be a part of the OB and had the privilege of meeting KR and Rize

my real job requires me to travel the entire State weekly as I've been everywhere from Transylvania to Vivian to Johnsons Bayou to Bayou Pigeon and all parts in between

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