Willie Francis
November 7, 2013
Gertrude Frances Norris
November 13, 2013
The people of south Louisiana love to hunt – that’s a given.
But without a shooting range south of the Intracoastal Canal in Lafourche Parish, most residents have historically had to travel out of town to polish their skills before the big harvest.
Not anymore. Practice may now be had in Cut Off at Eymard Shooting Academy, located at 14968 La. Highway 3235.
Just opened in October, the local business boasts hours of shooting at affordable prices for men, women and children (if supervised) who want to work on their technique and hone their accuracy.
“We’ve been open for a few weeks now and everything has been going really good so far,” owner Hugh Eymard said. “We have more things that we’re looking to do in the future to enhance our offerings and the things that we do. So far, it’s all been going fine. We’ve even had people from out of the area come to us looking for a place to shoot.”
Eymard is no stranger to guns. This isn’t even his first business within the industry.
The local businessman also owns Eymard Guns in Galliano – a store widely known around the community because of its vast array of offerings.
“We’re known as little Cabela’s,” Eymard said with a laugh. “People are shocked at the things we have in there when they come by. We have people come from out of the area and even out of the state.”
Through the gun shop, Eymard was given the idea for the shooting academy by his customers. He said countless people told him they wished a range would exist in south Lafourche.
“People told me constantly, ‘Hugh, we need a place to go shoot,’” Eymard said. “They were tired of going to Houma or Thibodaux or New Orleans. So I got the idea, and I decided to run with it.”
Eymard said his original idea was to build an indoor pistol range, but he quickly shifted to an outdoor range for pistols and rifles.
“There’s just a lot involved in getting an indoor range,” Eymard said.
After two and a half years of permitting and some time preparing the property, Eymard finally opened the range’s doors this past October.
“And this is what you see today,” Eymard said, while pointing at his facility.
The first thing hunters will notice about Eymard Shooting Academy is the range’s size. It is 825 yards long – the longest in Louisiana for any facility of its kind.
“The next closest one is 600 yards,” Eymard said. “We’re proud to say that we’ve got the longest one.”
The next thing folks will likely notice is the professionalism and safety on display. The academy is NRA certified, which means that all of that academy’s rules and regulations will be followed at all times to keep people safe.
A giant earthen wall also encompasses the back-end of the range. That wall prevents ricochets and is designed to trap bullets that are fired at targets.
“It’s about to be the beginning of hunting season,” Galliano native and Eymard Shooting Academy customer Opie Griffin said. “We can come here and get ourselves right before the hunt. It’s convenient – close to home. And it’s safe. That’s the most important thing. Everything is safe. If you have land in Louisiana, you can go outside and shoot on your own, but you never know if someone is going to cut across on a 4-wheeler or anything. This just gives you the peace of mind to know that you’re shooting safely.”
Convenience also helps, too.
Eymard said that if anyone forgets earmuffs, safety glasses or any other essentials, they have them for rent at the academy.
The businessman is also a certified instructor. He said that as the business evolves, he plans to offer conceal and carry courses, and also courses for women and children to be introduced to weapon safety.
“We want to introduce people to this and show them how to shoot safely,” Eymard said. “If you learn how to do something the right way the first time, that goes a long way to always doing it the right way in the future.”
Eymard said plans are also in the works to build tree stands on location so hunters can simulate their hunts before the season takes place.
The academy also touts its pricing. A marksman may shoot for three hours at a $20 charge. The academy has capability to service eight shooters at a time.
All of the targets on the grounds may be moved around to provide a customer practice from any depth or distance they choose.
“It’s all just getting going, but I think we’re saving people a lot of time and giving them a safe place to come shoot,” Eymard said. “People here love their guns, so we’re happy to give them the opportunity to come and get some practice.”
An instructor at Eymard Shooting Academy in Galliano teaches young Sebastian Willis how to properly anchor his gun. The local business just opened in October and offers safe shooting alternatives for the people of the Tri-parish area.
