LEONARD GRAY

PHOTO: BILL LEE ENJOYS the serenity of the St. Rose Duck Club, where he’s been a member for more than 40 years. No longer hunting, he inspires others with his wood-carving skills and tales of the old days along Airline Highway. (Staff Photo by Leonard Gray) Cruise along U.S. Highway 61 in St. Charles Parish and you’ll see a number of small fishing and hunting camps which appear to have been there since before the highway itself. In some cases, they have been. Take St. Rose Deer Club, for instance. Established in 1938 and located in the shadow of the Interstate 310 interchange, the St. Rose Deer Club is now in its fourth generation of members, usually extended family members of the original founders. Bill Lee of St. Rose is the senior member of the present club, and he only came there in 1960, or 41 years ago. “There was a bunch of old men at that time, in their 60s and 70s,” Lee, now 66, recalled as he leaned far back on a recliner in a room decorated by deer antlers, old photographs and a massive cast-iron, wood-burning stove dating back at least a century. “The original camp was torn down when 310 was built,” Lee added, saying the present camp used some of the lumber of the original, especially the porch which surrounds it on two sides and leads, by way of a newly-added deck, to the pier. Club president A.J. Vicari, 47, a marine surveyor and member for 29 years, as well as Russell Viola were on hand. Viola, 58, is a retired-by-disability sheetmetal worker who joined back in 1965. The three men are the elder members of the club, which now includes several men half their age. “The three of us grabbed the bull by the horns and put this back together,” said Vicari, referring to the time the club was threatened with extinction with the interstate construction. “I don’t hunt anymore,” Lee said, smiling. “I just carve ducks and drink a beer every so often.” Lee’s woodcarving, a hobby dating back 20 years, has already earned him several awards in competitions. Vicari said he has a wall display of some of Lee’s best work at his own home. The camp itself can only be reached by way of a gated bridge, usually locked, and a dirt road which passes alongside the east bank hurricane protection levee. However, from September to the end of January, the camp is jumping with hunters. The older members recall wistfully the old days of the LaBranche Wetlands, when huge cypress trees sheltered muskrats and an endless supply of deer. The deer are still around, though not so plentiful, as well as nutria, alligators and ducks. “It was the I-10 construction, when they dug out all those canals and let in the salt water, that killed the marsh,” he recalled. What helped preserve the hunting clubs was the designation of the LaBranche Wetlands as a scenic waterway, pushed through by former Rep. Ralph Miller of Norco. The club itself has had a few illustrious members, including former parish police juror Steve DiBeneditto and former district judge Ruche Marino. However, few can hold a candle to Bill Lee, himself once a Kenner police officer back in the days when Kenner only had four officers. He’s retired now from T.L. James Construction. The camp rests alongside the old Louque Canal, allegedly built by slaves in antebellum days. The property itself is leased from the St. Charles Land Syndicate, which owns most of the wetlands area. The club boasts everything from a string of boat sheds to air conditioning, and the members usually host a Wednesday night cook night, when wives and children often visit. Indeed, it’s the children who are the future of the club, since practically every present member had a father, cousin, uncle or in-law who “sponsored” their membership. The club has become a major part of the lives of the membership. Viola recalled, “My dad used to take off three months out of the year and trap, making as much as he did the rest of the year,” remembering when mink, raccoon and muskrat abounded in the area. The camp is rarely empty, as the members come in and out at all times of the year, all times of the day and night. The place has 10 bunks, but more can bunk out on the couch or living room floor. It’s a friendly, family-oriented, laid-back place, and a good place to watch the sun rise through the marsh grass. “This is a beautiful area back here,” Vicari said. “I can get out of bed, and in 45 minutes I’m in my duck blind.” Must be a little piece of heaven.