Published 12:45 pm Tuesday, December 17, 2024 by Don Shoopman A St. Martinville outdoorsman lay on his back on the frozen ground, nearly indistinguishable from above while wearing camo clothing, further concealed from the critical bird’s-eye views of countless Canada geese by decoys practically as far as the eye could see. Fifty-year-old Jason Courville, a lifelong hunter and fisherman, sat up when the time was right, cradled his shotgun and pulled the trigger to shoot goose after goose, just like six other waterfowlers did at each time of reckoning on Dec.
12. The big, beautiful birds passed by so close sometimes it seemed they could stand and swat ‘em with the barrel of their shotgun. Courville was on Longneck Outfitters ground near Lubbock, Texas, where he traveled with his son, Landon Courville, Chad Latiolais, Scott Horton, Tommy Beslin, Ernie Boutte and Brannon Boggs, all of St.
Martinville. Twenty-five to 100 Canada geese often descended at one time to join the decoys. St.
Martinville outdoorsmen, from left, top row, who hunted Canada geese with Longneck Outfitters and limited out Dec. 13 by a lake close to Lubbock, Texas, are Chad Latiolais, Ernie Boutte, Landon Courville and Jason Courville, and, left to right, bottom row, Scott Horton, Brannon Boggs and Tommy Beslin. The retriever that did such a good job was waterfowl hunting guide Kaleb Richeson’s Bazie from North Carolina.
SUBMITTED “You actually have to be there. It’s awesome. I had, like, birds 5 feet.
