Great Game Paradise
A History of Vermilion Corporation
by Jason P. Theriot
Great Game Paradise is an in-depth history of a vast, bountiful marshland under private land management during a century of enormous change along Louisiana’s now threatened coast. As stewards of a 125,000-acre tract of prime marsh habitat, Vermilion Corporation and its predecessors have since the 1920s perpetuated the sport of duck hunting through a relentless pursuit of land conservation, sustainable development, and environmental restoration. As one of the largest privately managed wetlands in the state, this story represents a microcosm of the history of the Louisiana Gulf Coast—its resources, its culture, and its lure and its peril.
"Jason Theriot has done a masterful job of describing how real settlement occurred in southern Louisiana. People of insurmountable tenacity learned quickly from nature how to live with and prosper from her bounty in one of the most challenging environments on earth. Over time, these people of the marsh began to understand that it was not just what nature could give that was critical to survival, but equally their responsibility to be good stewards. It is a must read for anyone who loves the Louisiana marshes."
-H. Dale Hall, CEO, Ducks Unlimited, Inc and Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Retired)
“Big Blue Goose” filmed and narrated by famed wildlife writer Van Campen Heilner in the 1940s. This scene takes place in the great marshlands of lower Vermilion Parish, owned and managed by Louisiana Furs, Inc., predecessor to Vermilion Corporation.
Vermilion Corporation and Its Predecessors Through the Years
Great Game Paradise is an outstanding history of Vermilion Corporation’s efforts to preserve and rebuild our coastal wetlands. Their goal was to ensure that the wetlands would remain for waterfowl, fisheries and human enjoyment, as well as preserving our great state of Louisiana. They correctly engaged other individuals, companies, the courts, and both federal and state governments in their mission.
-Senator John Breaux, father of the Breaux Act to preserve Louisiana’s wetlan
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