This writer has been blessed over the past four decades of sharing news and views of the great outdoors with readers and listeners across not only Louisiana but on occasion, the nation. During these 40-plus years on the outdoors beat, my paths have crossed and I've become friends with some of the greats in the outdoors media field.

Jim Casada is one of the "heavy hitters" of the profession and I am proud and humbled to claim him as one of my dearest friends in the industry. I have the utmost respect for Jim for the huge body of work that fills several pages on his resume. This retired college history professor with a Ph. D. from Vanderbilt in British Imperial History, can be as down-to-earth as the Duck Dynasty gang (minus the beard), especially when engaged in writing about or participating in his passion, turkey hunting.