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 peril.

Vermilion Corporation
Great Game Paradise

“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

Club 2006
Flaherty_Production_Shots trapper shack on bayou belle isle camp 1948
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IMG_1162
11256--002 04-05-66
CS hunt photo 3
Belle Isle Rita clean up
Bayou_Oil_Wells Flaherty 1947 Pecan Island Neg 50354
Red 2
Board 1951
ME-4 shoreline protection construction
Paul M and Abshire 2006
table 1951
VC office 2
drag line and weir
furs
trapper shack la furs 37
"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 HallCEO, Ducks Unlimited, Inc and Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Retired)
"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 BreauxFather of the Breaux Act to preserve Louisiana’s wetland
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