OVERTIME OUTDOORS: Cat, a pet, was target of bowhunter; Carret steps in
There is a fearless hunter among us.
A visit to a local veterinarian’s office this past week was an eye-opener. On the counter was a reward offer in black and white on about a 3 3/4×5 3/4-inch piece of paper.
The headline: Family Cat Shot with Bow and Arrow.
Underneath was a subhead, in larger type: $500 Reward Offered.
The text described the situation and urged anyone with information about the case to contact the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office or call the Humane Society of Louisiana at (901) 268-4432.
It reads, in part: “Sox, a friendly 3-year-old black and white feline, was shot with a bow and arrow Saturday night, Nov. 11, between 10 and 10:30 p.m. The cat resides at 4209 Northside Road, New Iberia. Sox survived the attack, but the Humane Society of Louisiana is offering a $500 reward that leads to the arrest and conviction of those individual(s) responsible.”
There were two small black and white photos on the piece of paper, of which there were several copies, of “Sox,” the cat who was shot with an arrow by a “slob” hunter. The photo on the left showed the pet with the arrow imbedded in its body, apparently having entered the back just in front of the buttocks area and exited at an angle in the stomach area just behind the left front leg. The photo on the right showed the cat without the arrow.
It’s enough to make you puke, the thought of a human being doing this to a pet. Hopefully, law enforcement gets its hands on the perpetrator(s).
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There’s a little more to the story of the caring outdoorsman who is taking over our pride and joy, the Top Rod Big Bass Classic.
Neil Carret of Carencro, who was a fishing buddy of the late Elvis Jeanminette of Grand Marais, founder of the Top Rod BBC, already had volunteered to be the weighmaster and to donate a weigh-in trailer and stage replete with an electronic scale and fish tank. Recently, he went the extra mile and accepted the demanding role as interim director of the bass fishing contest. It is scheduled to be held Feb. 25 at Lake Fausse Pointe. (See related story on this page.)
Carret, an Abbeville native whose father’s family hails from New Iberia, is a former U.S. Marine. He became a Marine Bass Angler pro staffer and in 2013 was named the Marine Bass Angler of the Year, a prestigious honor that included an all-expense paid trip to the Bassmaster Classic in 2013 at Grand Lake near Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The proud Louisianian drove the Army Bass Anglers’ boat to lead the field of Classic qualifiers on opening day Feb. 22, 2013.
Carret is all about family and all about community. He fishes the Bass Champs series tournaments with one of his two children, Drake, 12. They fished Saturday in the opener at Lake Sam Rayburn.
There’s a good reason he has a weigh-in trailer and fish tank. He started the Hookin’ Slabs Youth Fishing Club, which has 13 members and a max of 15. The youths fish tournaments around Acadiana.
He helps youngsters in other ways, such as with their livestock and at rodeos.
Thanks for stepping in here in a time of need, Mr. Carret.
DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.