History

History of Bayou Airgun Club and The Jean Lafitte Airgun Range

BAYOU AIRGUN CLUB WAS FORMED IN 1988 BY JACK AND TERRY KIRKENDOLL. WE PETITIONED BREC IN DECEMBER OF THAT YEAR TO PROVIDE A PLACE WHERE WE COULD SHOOT FIELD TARGET.  WE HAD VISIONS OF A FIELD IN THE BACK OF ONE OF THEIR PARKS.  WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WE WOULD INHERIT THE FOLLOWING MARCH (1989).

WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH BREC  IN JANUARY,  FEBRUARY, AND MARCH OF 1989, AND THE RANGE WAS FINISHED ON A THURSDAY IN APRIL, JUST IN TIME FOR ARRIVING SHOOTERS ON FRIDAY FOR THE FIRST CAJUN SPRING NATIONALS.

THOSE WHO ATTENDED THAT MATCH WERE FT SHOOTERS FROM CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, OHIO, AND A FEW OTHER STATES THAT WERE PRACTICING OUR SPORT.  NONE OF THEM, INCLUDING THOSE OF US  OF BAC, HAD EVER SEEN A FACILITY TOTALLY DEDICATED TO  AIRGUNNING, AND FT SPECIFICALLY.

APRIL  OF 1990 AND 1991 SAW BAC HOSTING THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS OF FIELD TARGET, NOW NAMED THE CAJUN SPRING NATIONALS.   A TOTAL OF SEVEN OR SO YEARS  IN THE ENSUING 21 YEARS WE HOSTED NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES.

TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS STILL NOT A DEDICATED FIELD TARGET  VENUE WITH THE CHARM, HOSPITALITY, ORIGINALITY,  AND THE RECORD OF JEAN LAFITTE AIRGUN RANGE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.

THOSE WHO WALK THE COURSES OF BELLE TERRE AND LAGNIAPPE ARE WALKING WITH THE SPIRITS OF THE  FOUNDERS OF FIELD TARGET, THE EARLY CHAMPIONS, BOTH UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN, AND SOME OF THE MOST INTERESTING, FRIENDLY, AND DEDICATED PEOPLE WHO EVER GRACED OUR EARTH.

WE HAVE NEVER BEEN SO PROUD OF ANYTHING WE HAVE BEEN A PART OF AS WE ARE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE  BAYOU AIRGUN CLUB AND THE BATON ROUGE PARKS AND RECREATION  DEPARTMENT.  WE HOPE YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY.

GOOD SHOOTING,

JACK AND TERRY KIRKENDOLL