Volunteers help make "Hero Hunts' possible

Individuals and companies are stepping up to make Hero Hunts possible.
Hero Hunts is the brainchild of Troy Coleman of Maurice. Through word of mouth and two years later, there are hundreds of individuals stepping up to make hunts and fishing trips possible for veterans from the Acadiana area.
The organization accepts applications from veterans who are interested in hunting or fishing, but do not have the means.
Hero Hunts gives them that chance.
Kaplan’s Murphy Guilbeaux said they look for veterans who have a hard time being able to fish or hunt because of some physical limitation.
The organization has done goose, rabbit, deer and duck hunts.
Travis Trahan, who is the vice president of DeepCor Marine out of Broussard, lives in the north Vermilion area.
His neighbor, Richard Guilbeaux, got him involved in helping Hero Hunts. Richard asked Trahan if his company wanted to help.
On Thursday, Trahan was at the boat launch in Intracoastal City. His company provided the funds for a duck hunt for two veterans.
Trahan also got another company, Doerle Food Service out of Broussard, to provide breakfast for the two veteran hunters, along with the men who made the hunt possible.
“These veterans went and served our country,” said Trahan. “When they come back, sometimes they are wounded and can not get out. This (Hero Hunts) provides a platform for them to get out of the house. We are happy to help and plan to do more.”
Robert “Woody” Woodburn is the senior vice president of Doerle. He had a group of people cooking breakfast for the hunters.
“We have a deep appreciation for veterans,” said Woodburn. “These guys made the sacrifice, so we jumped all over the opportunity.”
Hero Hunts, on Thursday, was able to take an Army veteran who was wounded in Iraq and is now confined to a wheelchair.
The volunteers loaded Christopher Brandon Sullivan in the specially made 24-foot long aluminum boat, and he was buckled into the seat for safety. He remained in the seat during the hunt because the boat fits perfectly in the duck blind.
It was the first time the boat was used for a duck hunt.
Hero Hunts saw the need for a boat that could accommodate veterans who are physically challenged. Some veterans are unable to walk to a duck blind or be placed into a boat for fishing.
Companies such as Pro Drive boat builders out of Loreauville, Data Com. and Quality Companies out of Youngsville got on board and funded to have the boat built.
Pro Drive built the boat.
The bottom of the boat is pressurized, which lets the boat go into shallow water.
In the next two weeks, Hero Hunts are waiting for a company to design a wheelchair lift that will attach to the boat trailer. Once the boat is out of the water and on the trailer, the lift will be able to pick up veterans who are confined to a wheelchair.
“This could not have taken place without everyone’s help,” said Richard Guilbeaux, who drove the boat to the duck blind.
The boat will also be used for saltwater and freshwater fishing trips.