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Guest Appearance in Baton Rouge, LA
AUGUST 15, 2008 -- BRANDON WIKMAN
August is a booming month for the hunting and outdoor industry. Several major outdoor retail stores throw down their biggest events and sales of the year. A time when the fall hunting season is just weeks away and everyone’s anticipation escalates with each turning of the clock.
This past weekend I flew into the humid, swampy marshes of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A special place known best for Cajun food, jazz music and deep southern style hunting! I made an appearance at the new Bass Pro Shops, where I had the pleasure meeting hundreds of genuine people, and conduct seminars throughout the day about the next generation of hunters.
I first arrived in Baton Rouge Friday evening, where I became acquainted with the culture and atmosphere quicker than I would have thought. I was invited to a late night Cajun style dinner by one of the Bass Pro employees. The more I thought about creepy-crawly crawdads and flame induced spicy food, the more I wanted to swing into a nearby Pizza Hut for a more traditional meal. As they say, ‘when in Rome,’ I tried holding back any predispositions of the foods look, taste, and texture and dove right into a plate full of sweet Louisiana cooking. I must admit, the food was pretty spectacular. I’d most likely have to experiment with the southern style cooking up in the north woods where I’m from to collaberate a north meets south twist of cuisine.
After an interesting evening out trying different foods, I was about ready to crash my head into the pillow. We began driving back with the radio blaring and I couldn’t believe what I heard! One of the news broadcasters from Baton Rouge described a gator was hit by an oncoming vehicle right on the interstate. This was just a typical incident down here in Louisiana, as I began to find out. He then proceeded by stating last week’s gator confrontation where an alligator snapped off a young man’s arm! Welcome to the bayou...
Saturday was the day of the store event. I arrived before the doors opened at 8am. I was coupled with a gentleman by the name of Sean Mann, who is a waterfowl-calling champion. Mann is from the east coast and I’ve met him at the Bass Pro Shop’s Fall Classic last year in Baltimore, Maryland.
Throughout the day I had the special opportunity of speaking with so many different people from around the Louisiana area. I soon realized what sweet southern hospitality was all about as I was welcomed and greeted with hugs and smiles. I spoke with one gentleman in particular who described how they deer hunt, compared to the rest of the states. He began by saying that he raises dogs for a hobby and uses them to deer hunt. I found it interesting and unique to say the least. It’s basically a dog-deer-drive. This is a way of hunting large chunks of woods or swamps that would be otherwise extremely difficult to walk through. This technique is legal in only some states. Be sure to check your rules and regulations before you let your dogs run loose!
I finished off the day by presenting a speaking engagement about how we as hunters must recruit new and fresh faces into the outdoors. By promoting youth involvement, we can assure that our precious heritage and culture will surely live on. I had a wonderful time learning, experiencing, and trying the southern style this past weekend. I look forward to coming back soon!
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