By Pat Culverhouse

One of the region’s premier wildlife and recreation areas will be featuring a day’s activities for the public when the Bayou Bodcau Dam & Reservoir hosts Louisiana’s National Hunting and Fishing Day at the Tom Merrill Recreation Area.

Activities are scheduled Saturday (Sept. 28) from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

A full slate for the public is planned including a youth duck calling contest, shooting activities, canoeing and a number of outdoor activities. Exhibitors will also be on hand along with presentations on fish identification, frog catching, bee keeping and game skinning. Also, food trucks will be on hand.

During a presentation to the Minden Lions Club, Wildlife & Fisheries Commission biologist Seth Miller said the event is a great chance for the public to celebrate outdoor activities and get a view of the Bodcau management area.

“There’s so much for families to do at this event,” he said. “We encourage everyone to see what Bodcau has to offer for visitors and sportsmen. The exhibits and the presentations are something people will enjoy.”

One unusual activity seems to draw plenty of participants during the event, Miller said.

“The hills along the levy attract attention, especially from young people who love to slide down on make-shift sleds of cardboard,” he said. “We don’t provide the cardboard. It just seems to magically appear.”