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Cameron Prairie NWR Offer Youth Hunts
Martin L. Cannon
Introducing a young person to duck and goose hunting has never been so easy thanks to Glenn Harris and his staff at the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge in Southwest Louisiana. Together with the assistance of Ducks Unlimited, Cameron Prairie NWR now hosts hunts geared toward youngsters with one adult guardian on select days throughout the waterfowl season.
Through a lottery system, applicants may apply for the one-day only hunts in one of five blinds on the Cameron Prairie grounds. Selected hunters are then given a blind assignment that is easy to walk to. Each blind comes fully brushed and outfitted with mallard, pintail, and teal decoys as well as full body white-fronted goose shells. There is even a tie down for edgy retrievers. Hunters are only asked to put out the decoys, pull them back in when finished, and keep their area clean. All state waterfowl regulations apply. Most hunts are one day per week, but additional days are offered during school holidays.
Waterfowl hunting for the general public is prohibited except for the youth hunts. One adult may hunt with one or two youths between the ages of 10 and 15. The focus is to introduce new hunters through a positive, enriching experience and offer an opportunity for those with neither the time nor finances to buy into a duck lease or land deal.
So far the smiles on the youngster’s and their guardian’s faces say it all.
Cameron Prairie NWR was founded in 1988 and is a combination of freshwater impoundment’s, agricultural fields and fresh water marshes. The northwest quadrant of Cameron Prairie where the youth hunts take place were developed through the cooperation of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Ducks Unlimited. Levees and water control structures were designed to maintain the moist-soil habitat preferred by ducks and geese alike. Biologists at Cameron Prairie maintain the sites, allowing for the growth of native grasses and aquatic vegetation needed by waterfowl.
Harris, the refuge’s manager, says that Ducks Unlimited, in cooperation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have improved the hunting areas of Cameron Prairie NWR.
“Ducks Unlimited is responsible for many improvements to the hunting areas on Cameron Prairie,” says Harris. “They provided us with the assistance to construct levees and install water control structures that makes a quality hunting experience possible.”
During the 2003-2004 youth waterfowl hunts, Ducks Unlimited’s Westlake Chapter underwrote each participating youth’s membership into DU’s Greenwing program. Eli Haydel of Haydel’s Game Calls also donated to participants a teal whistle and waterfowl identification guide. Ducks Unlimited and Cameron Prairie NWR hope to offer youth the same opportunity during future hunts.
Project planning and work with Ducks Unlimited started back in 1990.
“The first project was in 1990 and then 1998, 2000, and then 2002,” said DU biologist Chad Courville. “All four projects opened additional areas of the refuge to managed youth/adult hunting. Funding was through both Louisiana DU MARSH (Matching Aid to Restore State Habitat) and the Fish and Wildlife Service.”
“This moist-soil habitat is so important for ducks,” says DU’s Chad Manlove. “The native seeds found here do not deteriorate as quickly as some planted crops and can be managed with little costs. In addition, these habitats support an abundance of invertebrates thus providing another source of protein late in winter.”
“This place looks awesome,” he added.
Courville agreed and said that, “This is the finest moist soil habitat I have ever seen.”
“We winter about 40,000 birds a year out here and about 20,000 to 25,000 of those are teal and ringnecks,” added Harris obviously proud of the results he is seeing.
For more information on youth waterfowl hunts and other hunting opportunities at Cameron Prairie NWR, contact them at 337-598-2216. Cameron Prairie NWR is located south of Lake Charles on Highway 27.
Sources:
Glenn Harris, personal interview, 25 November 2003.
Chad Courville, personal interview, 24-25 November 2003, 4 March 2004.
Chad Manlove, personal interview, 24-25 November 2003.
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