Gator Hole Project - a Memorial to Young Waterfowl Hunter
Landon Hays was a duck hunter. At an early age, he came to love hunting the flooded fields and backwaters of his native Louisiana. In 2001, at only 14, Landon was killed in a motorcycle accident.
In his honor, Landon's parents, Belinda Hayes of Homer, LA, and Mike Hays of Arcadia, LA, donated $10,000 to Ducks Unlimited's MARSH program, which funds habitat restoration throughout Louisiana.
On November 26, 2003, the Gator Hole project at Russell Sage Wildlife Management Area (WMA) was dedicated to Landon Hays. Gator Hole provides important wintering habitat for many waterfowl species.
A large sign featuring Hays' name stands near a water control structure connecting Bayou Lafourche to Gator Hole's 600-plus acres of wetlands. DU partnered with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Tensas Levee Board, and USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service to install water control structures that provide water-level management.
Darwin Miller, who serves as Louisiana Ducks Unlimited state chairman, said he hunted Gator Hole as a boy growing up near Monroe. The site is a key public hunting area in north Louisiana and a hotspot for waterfowlers.
The 600-acre Gator Hole project in north Louisiana was dedicated to the late Landon Hays, a teenager who loved to duck hunt. His family made a contribution to the MARSH project in his honor. Pictured at the dedication sign are (left to right) his father, Mike Hays, sister Adrienne Hays; and his mother, Belinda Hays. (Click the photo for a larger version.)
SRO Links
