# Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival

The Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival is called "One of the Oldest and Coldest" festival in Louisiana. Takes place in the heart of winter, the second weekend of January. The Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival was chosen as a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society in 1989, 2012 and 2013. This award is a coveted honor among 12 member states.

## Industries honored

The festival honors ten native industries, all vital to Cameron Parish, on a rotating basis.
* Cattle
* Energy
* Shrimp
* Hunting and Wildlife
* Fur and Alligator
* Oyster
* Fishing
* Crabbing
In conjunction with each festival, a queen's pageant is held; an individual is named King Fur to represent the industry being honored; a cookbook is published which contains photographs and winners from the previous festival; a parade is held, and the festival hosts a delegation from its sister festival, the National Outdoor Show from Cambridge MD.
Festival contests include oyster shucking, muskrat and nutria skinning, skeet shooting, trap setting, and duck and goose calling, and a Gumbo Cook-off. A booth located on the fairgrounds showcases the history of the festival. The festival also features carnival rides, exhibits, live music and dancing, and regional food.

## History
### Inaugural festival

The event originated in 1955 when U.S. Congressman Theo Ashton Thompson arranged the first fur and wildlife competition.
The congressman of Cambridge, Maryland challenged Representative Thompson to send a local resident to compete in the National Fur Skinning Contest. Fifty-two-year-old Leon Hebert, a 25-year trapper, from Cameron was sent to the National Outdoor Show where he placed fifth in the nation that year.
A small group of people met during the summer of 1955 in the Cameron Courthouse Building, to make plans for the first festival. Whitney Stine was chairman. Representatives of community organizations included: Whitney Stine - Cameron Lion's Club ((Lions Clubs International)), Edward Swindell, Sr. - Cameron Lion's Club, Hadley Fontenot - County Agent, Alvin Dyson - State Representative, Ray Burleigh - Cameron Lion's Club, Joe O'Donnell -Cameron Lion's Club, Mrs. Iva Free - Home Demonstration Agent, Roberta Rogers - Home Demonstration Club, Geneva Griffith - Home Demonstration Club and Sam Tarlton - Lake Charles Television and Radio Station.
From this group of organizers came the Louisiana Fur & Wildlife Festival. The first festival was funded by the Cameron Parish Police Jury and private donations. This was to become known as "ONE OF THE OLDEST AND COLDEST FESTIVALS IN LOUISIANA" In 1962 and 1973 the festival was postponed for one week due to a severe cold wave.
Jennings B. Jones, Jr. served as master of ceremonies for the program on Dec 2 and 3, 1955. It was presided over by Cameron County Agent Hadley Fontenot, first festival president.
Seventeen-year-old Vida Bess Brown, from Abbeville, was crowned "Miss Outdoor of Louisiana" by Ted O'Neal, Chief of the Fur and Bottoms Division of the Louisiana Wildlife Commission. She was presented with a nutria stole, a bouquet of roses by the Cameron Service Garage, and an expense paid trip to the National Outdoors Show in Cambridge, Maryland. The National Outdoor Show became a "Sister Festival" with the Cameron Festival. The two exchanged fur skinners and festival queens each year and the tradition continues today.
Of 34 contestants, Meredith Giles was named the first "Cameron Parish Queen". Eleven-year-old J. A. Miller captured the Louisiana Junior Duck Calling contest and in years to come he became the World Champion Fur Skinner, following in the footsteps of his father Fletcher, and teaching his daughter Selika the art with her becoming the Women's Champion. His wife, Mary Jane Miller, held the Local and National Women's title many times.

### Second festival

The second annual festival was held on January 11–12, 1957 and $5000.00 in cash and trips were awarded along with fur coats to the Fur Queen contestants. Nancy Precht was crowned Fur Queen by Louisiana House of Representative, Alvin Dyson. She represented the festival at the Mardi Gras Ball in Washington, D.C. where she was presented to Vice-President and Mrs. Nixon. This tradition continues to the present time.
Floats were usually constructed in warehouses of the local menhaden plants, mud houses, garages, or anywhere workers could get out of the cold. Roland "Bolo" Trosclair was in charge of the parade at that time.
A raccoon was chosen as mascot for the festival. A contest of the area school children determined that Sha-oui would be the name of the mascot.
In Dec 1956, festival authorities invited major fur production parishes to attend; St Charles, St Bernard, St John, St. Mary, Jefferson, Plaquemines, Terrebonne, Lafourche, Iberia, Vermilion and Cameron.

### Subsequent festivals

In 1969 the first King Fur is selected. King Fur I, Jack T. Styron represents the Menhaden (pogy fish) industry for the 14th annual Fur and Wildlife Festival.
In 1972 the first Fur Festival Cookbook is published and continues today.
Parishes with invitations to compete for the Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival Queen Crown: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Natchitoches, Plaquemines, Rapides, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles, Saint James, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Landry, Saint Martin, Saint Mary, Saint Tammany, Sabine, Vermillion, Vernon, Washington, Tangipahoa, and Terrebonne.
Cameron Elementary School was the annual staging ground for the Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival pageants until Hurricane Rita. After the 2005 storm, all that remain of the auditorium were the steel girders. The festival was canceled in 2006 due to the devastation of Hurricane Rita.
Activities for the 2007 50th annual Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival kicked off with pageants at the Lake Charles Civic Center's Rosa Hart Theater. The festival activities returned to the grounds of the old Cameron Elementary School in Cameron.
The Fur queen invited several of her fellow festival queens to see her Parish anyway, both in its devastation and its natural splendor.
In the early months of 2010, the Cameron Parish 4-H Junior Leaders complete a video documentary on the history of the Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival. The Youth Leaders interviewed past festival participants, contestants and queens and compiled the stories into a documentary. Cameron Communications is a Festival $5,000 corporate sponsor now and in the next several years.
The 54th annual Fur and Wildlife Festival held January 13–14, 2012 in downtown Cameron LA featured dog trials, back for the first time since Hurricane Rita.
With the 2020 hurricanes, Laura and Delta, and the COVID-19 pandemic causing 2021 to go on hiatus, the 63rd was deferred to 2022.
The 63rd Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival was held January 8, 2022 at the Burton Complex in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 64th Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival will return January 13-14, 2023 to the Historic Cameron Courthouse fairgrounds in Cameron, Louisiana.

## List of festivals

| Year | Festival President | Fur King | Industry Honored | Fur King | Fur Queen | Parish Represented | Fur Queen | Miss Cameron Parish |
| 1955 | Hadley Fontenot | | | | Vida Bess Brown | Vermillion | I | Meredith Giles |
| 1957 Jan | Hadley Fontenot | | | | Nancy Precht | Cameron | II | Nancy Precht‡ |
| 1958 | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Audrey. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Audrey. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Audrey. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Audrey. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Audrey. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Audrey. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Audrey. |
| 1959 | Hadley Fontenot | | | | Peggy Joyce Seago | Iberia | III | Marilyn Billings |
| 1960 | Hadley Fontenot | | | | June Robicheaux | St. Mary | IV | Barbara Lane Dugas |
| 1961 | Hadley Fontenot | | | | Debbie Ann LaBove | Cameron | V | Debbie Ann LaBove‡ |
| 1962 | Hadley Fontenot | | | | Pat O'Neil | Vermillion | VI | Beverly Sue Rutherford |
| 1963 | Hadley Fontenot | | | | Susan Bienvenue | Terrebonne | VII | Pamela Riggs |
| 1964 | Hadley Fontenot | | | | Gail Catherine Broussard | Iberia | VIII | Judy Hebert |
| 1965 | Hadley Fontenot | | | | Susan Arcement | Vermillion | IX | Elaine Broussard |
| 1966 | Hadley Fontenot | | | | Schere Saia | Terrebonne | X | Susan Kornegay |
| 1967 | Hadley Fontenot | | | | Linda Trappey | Iberia | XI | Charlene LaBove |
| 1968 | Jennings B. Jones, Jr. | | | | Nancy Lea Jordan | Plaquemines | XII | Diane Warren |
| 1969 | Jennings B. Jones, Jr. | Jack T. Styron | Menhaden | I | Jane Weilbaecher | St. Charles | XIII | Sherry Cheramie |
| 1970 | Jennings B. Jones, Jr. | Alvin Dyson | Fur | II | Doylene Lasiter | St. Mary | XIV | Cherie Griffith‡ |
| 1971 | Jennings B. Jones, Jr. | Mark Richard | Cattle | III | Cherie Kay Griffith | Cameron | XV | Janet Gail Riggs‡ |
| 1972 | Jennings B. Jones, Jr. | John Paul Crain | Oil | IV | Janet Gail Riggs | Cameron | XVI | Peggy Ann Kelley |
| 1973 | Jennings B. Jones, Jr. | Tom Steed | Shrimp | V | Gwendolyn Phelps | Lafourche | XVII | Debbie Precht |
| 1974 | Jennings B. Jones, Jr. | Charles W. Hebert | Rice | VI | Ann Elizabeth Guillot | St. John the Baptist | XVIII | Susan Baccigalopi |
| 1975 | Jennings B. Jones, Jr. | Jerry Jones | Hunting | VII | Alexis Alexander | Jefferson | XIX | Susan Woodgett‡ |
| 1976 | Jennings B. Jones, Jr. | J. Burton Daigle | Centennial King | VIII | Susan Woodgett | Cameron | XX | Vickie Nunez |
| 1977 | Jennings B. Jones, Jr. | Ted Joanen | Alligator | IX | Jenny Bird | St Charles | XXI | Nancy Claire Nunez |
| 1978 | Jennings B. Jones, Jr. | Patrick Doody | Menhadden | X | Sharon Laney | St. Charles | XXII | "| Joni Gray‡ |
| 1979 | Jennings B. Jones, Jr. | Fletcher Miller | Fur | XI | Joni Gray | Cameron | XXIII | Mary Diane McCall |
| 1980 | Braxton Blake | Conway LeBleu | Cattle | XII | Cindy Rice | St. John the Baptist | XXIV | Laura Hicks |
| 1981 | Braxton Blake | Hadley A Fontenot & J.B. Jones | 25TH Anniversary | XIII | Donna Harmon | Calcasieu | XXV | Yvonne Marie Savoie‡ |
| 1982 | J. Braxton Blake | Charles "Buster" Rogers | Oil | XIV | Yvonne Savoie | Cameron | XXVI | April Leger |
| 1983 | Braxton Blake | Roland Trosclair Jr. | Shrimp | XV | Andria Marie Bergeron | Terrebonne | XXVII | Wendy Wigley |
| 1984 | Braxton Blake | Charles H. Precht Sr. | Rice | XVI | Elizabeth Primm | Terrebonne | XXVIII | Selika Miller‡ |
| 1985 | Braxton Blake | Lyle "Butch" Crain | Hunting and Wildlife | XVII | Selika Miller | Cameron | XXIX | Stacy Mudd |
| 1986 | Braxton Blake | Benny Welch | Alligator | XVIII | Kelly Foster | Calcasieu | XXX | Shontel Blanchard |
| 1987 | Braxton Blake | Edward Wallace Swindell Jr | Menhaden | XIX | Lisa Roberts† | Iberia | XXXI | Dena Dawn Rutherford |
| 1988 | Hayes "Pete" Picou, Jr | Tom Mudd | Fur | XX | Karen Engeron | Terrebonne | XXXII | Kathryn Leigh Wilkerson |
| 1989 | Hayes "Pete" Picou, Jr | J.B. Meaux | Cattle | XXI | Michele Irene Morris | Lafourche | XXXIII | Rhonda Jennifer Perry |
| 1990 | Hayes "Pete" Picou, Jr | Joseph Braxton Blake | Oil | XXII | Lisa Rousse | Terrebonne | XXXVI | Dayna Elaine Willis |
| 1991 | Hayes "Pete" Picou, Jr | Phillip Trosclair | Shrimp | XXIII | Sonia Landry | Iberia | XXXV | Rene Rachelle LaLande |
| 1992 | Hayes "Pete" Picou, Jr | Claude Eagleson | Rice | XXIV | Kelley Marie Becnell | St. John the Baptist | XXXVI | Brandi Brice Soileau |
| 1993 | Hayes "Pete" Picou, Jr | Watkins Miller | Wildlife | XXV | Belinda "Denise" Clemons | St. Tammany | XXXVII | Tracie Marie Trahan |
| 1994 | Hayes "Pete" Picou, Jr | Larry McNeese | Alligator | XXVI | Erika Schwarz | St. Tammany | XXXVIII | Adrienne Larissa Picou‡ |
| 1995 | Hayes "Pete" Picou, Jr | Billy Doxey | Oyster | XXVII | Adrienne Picou | Cameron | XXXIX | Jennifer Leigh Broadus |
| 1996 | Hayes "Pete" Picou, Jr | Robert James Schwak | Menhaden | XXVIII | Marie Elise Des Ormeaux | Vermillion | XL | Adenise Michelle Trosclair |
| 1997 | Hayes "Pete" Picou, Jr | Darryl "Fats" Dupont | Fur | XXIX | Alison Hotard | Iberia | XLI | Melissa Ann Trahan |
| 1998 | Hayes "Pete" Picou, Jr | Charlie Theriot | Cattle | XXX | Summer Leigh Parker† | Jefferson Davis | XLII | Heather Sturlese‡ |
| 1999 | Clifton Hebert | Norman McCall | Oil | XXXI | Heather Sturlese | Cameron | XLIII | Amanda Broussard |
| 2000 | Clifton Hebert | Don Bailey | Shrimp | XXXII | Millie Manning Harris | Jefferson | XLIV | Courtney Nicole Conner |
| 2001 | Clifton Hebert | Mervin "Possum" Chesson | Rice | XXXIII | Courtney Tatman† | St. Charles | XLV | Shannon Suratt |
| 2002 | Clifton Hebert | Enos Joseph "Buster" Sturlese | Hunting | XXXIV | Shannon Hinton | St. John the Baptist | XLVI | Marylyn Alexis LeJeune |
| 2003 | Johnny LeBlanc | Charles Pettiford | Alligator | XXXV | Tiffany Wing | Calcasieu | XLVII | Trista Semien‡ |
| 2004 | Johnny LeBlanc | Jimmie Stutes | Oyster | XXXVI | Trista Zanora Semien | Cameron | XLVIII | Ashley Picou |
| 2005 | Johnny LeBlanc | James "JA"Miller | Menhaden | XXXVII | Cadi Brook Pedigo | Acadia | XLIX | Ashley Kelly |
| 2006 | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Rita. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Rita. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Rita. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Rita. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Rita. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Rita. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Rita. | |
| 2007 | Johnny LeBlanc | Rolland Primeaux | 50TH Anniversary | XXXVIII | Kayla Lavergne | Vermilion | L | Haley Willis |
| 2008 | Johnny LeBlanc | John R. "Nunu" Baccigalopi | Fur | XXXIX | Lauren Naquin | Vermilion | LI | Kami Savoie |
| 2009 | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Ike. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Ike. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Ike. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Ike. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Ike. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Ike. | Festival canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Ike. |
| 2010 | Penelope Richard | Billy Doland | Cattle | XL | Jada O'Blanc† | Vermilion | LII | Mikalee Mooney** |
| 2011 | Penelope Richard | Lee Harrison | Oil | XLI | Sarah Deanna Tinsler | Acadia | LIII | Katelyn Reina |
| 2012 | Penelope Richard | Elmer Peshoff | Shrimp | XLII | Mikalee Mooney | Beauregard | LIV | Kathryn Reina‡ |
| 2013 | Penelope Richard | Clifford Broussard | Farming | XLIII | Kathryn Reina | Cameron | LV | Juliann Lannin |
| 2014 | Penelope Richard | Huey Mhire | Hunting | XLIV | Carly Chaumont | Evangeline | LVI | Katie Little |
| 2015 | Telesha Bertrand | Guthrie Perry | Fur and Alligator | XLV | Haleigh Willis | Evangeline | LVII | Morgan Hardie |
| 2016 | Telesha Bertrand | Adley Leo Dyson Sr. | Oyster | XLVI | Julian Devillier † | Acadia | LVIII | Baylie Duhon |
| 2017 | Telesha Bertrand | Loston McEvers | Fishing | XLVII | Kristal Marie Breaux* | St. Charles | LIX | Savanna Boudreaux |
| 2018 | Telesha Bertrand | "Sugarboy" Miller | Crabbing | XLVIII | Sydney Richardelle | Calcasieu | LX | Maeleigh Conner |
| 2019 | Telesha Bertrand | J.C. Reina | Cattle | XLIX | Hali Westerman | Lafourche | LXI | Alivia Mudd‡ |
| 2020 | Telesha Bertrand | Willard "Yank" Savoie | Energy | L | Alivia Mudd | Cameron | LXII | Maddy Grayce Gordon |
| 2021 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic and devastation of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic and devastation of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic and devastation of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic and devastation of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic and devastation of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic and devastation of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic and devastation of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. |
| 2022 | Telesha Bertrand | Robert “Buster” McKoin | Shrimp | LI | Gabrielle Guilbeau | Vermillion | LXIII | Cesilee Oliver |
| 2023 | Telesha Bertrand | Carol "Zeke" Wainwright | Hunting and Wildlife | LII | Jordyn Kelley † | Calcasieu | LXIV | Hadley Lemons |
| 2024 | Telesha Bertrand | Howard Romero | Fur and Alligator | LIII | Jadyn Devillier | St. Martin | LXV | Makala Snyder |
| 2025 | Telesha Bertrand | Ruben Doxey | Oyster | LIV | Ashley Gorrell | Evangeline | LXVI | Sydney Waters |
| † | LAFF QUEEN OF QUEENS / LAFF QUEEN (Representing The Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival) | LAFF QUEEN OF QUEENS / LAFF QUEEN (Representing The Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival) | LAFF QUEEN OF QUEENS / LAFF QUEEN (Representing The Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival) | LAFF QUEEN OF QUEENS / LAFF QUEEN (Representing The Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival) | LAFF QUEEN OF QUEENS / LAFF QUEEN (Representing The Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival) |
| ‡ | FUR QUEEN (Representing Cameron Parish) | FUR QUEEN (Representing Cameron Parish) | FUR QUEEN (Representing Cameron Parish) | FUR QUEEN (Representing Cameron Parish) | FUR QUEEN (Representing Cameron Parish) |
| * | LAFF QUEEN OF QUEENS / LAFF QUEEN (Representing Another Festival) | LAFF QUEEN OF QUEENS / LAFF QUEEN (Representing Another Festival) | LAFF QUEEN OF QUEENS / LAFF QUEEN (Representing Another Festival) | LAFF QUEEN OF QUEENS / LAFF QUEEN (Representing Another Festival) | LAFF QUEEN OF QUEENS / LAFF QUEEN (Representing Another Festival) |
| ** | FUR QUEEN (Representing Another Parish) | FUR QUEEN (Representing Another Parish) | FUR QUEEN (Representing Another Parish) | FUR QUEEN (Representing Another Parish) | FUR QUEEN (Representing Another Parish) |
| Parish | Winners | Years |
| Cameron | 13 | 1957, 1961, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2013, 2020 |
| Vermillion | 8 | 1956, 1962, 1965, 1996, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2022 |
| Terrebonne | 6 | 1963, 1966, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1990, |
| Calcasieu | 5 | 1981, 1986, 2003, 2018, 2023 |
| Iberia | 5 | 1959, 1964, 1967, 1987, 1991 |
| St. Charles | 5 | 1969, 1977, 1978, 2001, 2017 |
| St. John the Baptist | 5 | 1974, 1980, 1992, 1997, 2002 |
| Acadia | 3 | 2005, 2011, 2016 |
| Evangeline | 3 | 2014, 2015, 2025 |
| Lafourche | 3 | 1973, 1989, 2019 |
| Jefferson | 2 | 1975, 2000 |
| St. Mary | 2 | 1960, 1970 |
| St. Tammany | 2 | 1993, 1994 |
| Beauregard | 1 | 2012 |
| Jefferson Davis | 1 | 1998 |
| Plaquemines | 1 | 1968 |
| St. Martin | 1 | 2024 |