The Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF), along with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), is proud to announce the winners of our 2023 Youth Hunter of the Year competition. This is the first time since 2019 that we are honoring Louisiana’s Youth Hunters of the Year and because of that five-year hiatus, our panel of judges decided to select two boys and two girls who best represented the joy, thrill, camaraderie, and beauty of hunting in the Sportsman’s Paradise.
LWF recently honored the winners at the 58th Conservation Achievement Awards. Each recipient received a plaque in recognition of their achievement and a $100 gift card from Bowie Outfitters.
Female Youth Hunters of the Year
Lizzy Frey, 10
Lizzy Frey is 10 years old and lives in St. Gabriel. She tells the story of a special tradition her dad started a few years ago. Every year her family goes to Eunice for a Thanksgiving morning duck hunt. Lizzy said that 2023 was special for several reasons. For one, it was the first year her little sister, Anna Jane, would get to hunt and secondly, Lizzy was able to kill her first duck. They harvested 12 ducks that morning. But she said the most important thing about that day was that she was able to do it with her family!
Paisleigh Stephenson, 10
Paisleigh Stephenson is 10 years old and she’s from Rayville. Paisleigh had a memorable hunt last Thanksgiving. She spent the week with her family at their hunting camp. On November 21st, Paisleigh asked her dad if they could hunt a special stand they called Chicken Foot. It was a good thing they did because that evening she got a shot at the biggest buck she had ever seen. This 10-year-old hunter took down an 11 point from 220 yards away. She said she was so excited. And all she wanted to do was tell her paw paw about it. Needless to say, he was pretty excited too.
Male Youth Hunters of the Year
Blaize Coco, 14
Blaize Coco is 14 years old and lives in Prairieville. Blaize has often heard his father talk about Goose “tornados” where hundreds of geese sweep the fields on some hunts, but he never thought he would see one himself. But on one fateful hunt in 2023, with his father, Godfather, and family, it happened. He experienced not one but two goose Tornados. Blaize said that hundreds of geese took to the sky, allowing them to down nearly 25 birds. He describes this day as “the most exciting day of his life,” and he is very grateful to have been able to share it with his family.
Drew Dubuc, 13
Drew Dubuc is 13 and from Metairie. Drew’s winning essay told of his four-year endeavor to bag his first trophy turkey. He wasn’t too upset by the long wait for his first shot, though, saying he “enjoyed every second and learned so much” from his dad, Uncle Don, and cousins. Drew describes the excitement of his trophy hunt. He was accompanied by his Uncle Don that day and as three jakes approached their decoy, he was able to take the biggest one. He topped off the day with buttermilk-soaked turkey strips with homemade honey mustard sauce for the whole family.
Special thanks to our Contest sponsors: the Baton Rouge Chapter of Delta Waterfowl, Andrew J. Harrison, Jr. with Harrison Law, LLC, and Bowie Outfitters – Baton Rouge.