Celebrating her state’s reputation as America’s “Sportsman’s Paradise,” Louisiana Secretary of Wildlife and Fisheries Madison Sheahan energized a packed room of female hunters at the Safari Club International (SCI) Convention’s “Women Go Hunting” (WGH) gathering in Nashville on January 25, 2025. The fellow hunter underscored the contributions of women to conservation as she works alongside Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to promote the incredible access to hunting and fishing opportunities the state provides.
“It’s unbelievable how many women are in the hunting lifestyle,” said Sheahan, as she scanned the crowd. “Congratulations to all of you. You showing up means a lot to my team.”
Sheahan conveyed enthusiasm regarding her goal to promote the state’s sportsmen and women and their role in conservation. It was a message everyone related to hunters, shooters and anglers fund the bulk of conservation initiatives not just in Louisiana but in every state.
As one of us, she said, “I grew up in northwest Ohio enjoying Lake Erie and hunting pheasant, deer and doves and walleye fishing.” When she added, “I had a passion for both agriculture and the outdoors,” we knew she was in the right position as she raised the profile of our shared connection to the natural world.
Prior to serving the state of Louisiana, Sheahan worked as the director of South Dakota’s Republican party. I’d met her years before that when she worked for then-S.D. Gov. Kristi Noem in various leadership positions, focusing on legislation in support of the state’s wildlife, agriculture and natural resources. She also dedicated her time to helping to pass one of the strongest bills in the nation protecting women’s sports. But some might say I saved mentioning her most interesting job for last as her first position after college was working for President Donald Trump during his first term in office.
In addressing conservation issues into the future, Sheahan said the plan is to work with SCI and America’s hunter-backed groups on a daily basis. And while we’re all at it, she added, “Come to Louisiana. We’d love to have you come duck hunting.”
But there is more. As covered by this NRA website in April 2024, she shared how Louisiana conducted its first black bear hunting season since the 1960s last fall. This is a testament to how the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC), private landowners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Louisiana hunters have brought black bear numbers in the Bayou State from approximately 600 to more than 1,200, which many say is a conservative count. There is much to do in a state that offers everything from small, big game and waterfowl hunting to freshwater, inshore and offshore fishing—potentially all in the same weekend for those who are truly ambitious.
Following Sheahan’s remarks, WGH organizer and 2017 SCI Diana Award recipient Denise Welker thanked us all for attending. “Together we’re going to make hunting acceptable again,” she said, enjoying a round of applause as she tapped into the fact that we hunters must remain focused on promoting hunting’s public acceptance. Translation: With that day marking the fifth day of President Trump’s second term, as he himself might have said, we were well on our way to making hunting “great” again.
A final bit of good news for hunters and NRA members who live in or enjoy hunting in Louisiana comes from the fact both Sheahan and Gov. Landry are hunters and conservationists who support the hunting community’s efforts to make a difference for the good of the group. It was no surprise that when the NRA and its millions of members declared November 2024 America’s second annual National Wild Game Meat Donation Month that Gov. Landry signed a proclamation declaring November Louisiana Wild Game Meat Donation Month, hunters’ decades-old commitment to fighting hunger by sharing their wild game harvests with those less fortunate through the state’s Hunters for the Hungry (HFH) program. Signed on Nov. 1, Gov. Landry’s official proclamation supported hunters’ common-sense solution to fighting hunger. It also underscored the fact hunting is enshrined in Louisiana’s state constitution, thanks in part to the efforts of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, “offering opportunities to connect with nature while providing nutrition to hunters, their families and those less fortunate through community-based game meat donation programs.”
About SCI’s Women Go Hunting Initiative
Promoting the hunting community’s fastest-growing hunting demographic—women, SCI held its third annual Women Go Hunting mix-and-mingle event at its convention to offer women the opportunity to network, enhance their knowledge, inspire each other and share their special outdoor memories. The WGH gathering was proposed in 2023 by fellow SCI and NRA member and 2017 SCI Diana Award winner Denise Welker, who has introduced her own children to hunting and encourages other women to enjoy life in the great outdoors.
