John K. Flores: T-Boog's has taken care of hunters for two decades

Cajun music blares from the radio in Vernis Vincent’s narrow wood framed shop in Gueydan. The music seems appropriate for a town located in this southwestern part of the state. After all, many of the older locals speak both English and a unique French dialect specific to the region. Those that don’t have a distinct accent that was handed down to them.
Out front there are three signs on the shop that all say “T-Boog’s,” a nickname given to Vincent by his grandfather. Moreover, the name he adamantly prefers and goes by.
Inside his building are large chest-type freezers located along one wall, with shelving and duck plucking machines along the other. In the very back are sinks.
Much of the year this sleepy agricultural town goes about its business of growing rice, sugarcane and cattle, along with crawfish, but that all changes come fall. Fall is when T-Boog’s starts to get busy and on a good year stays busy throughout the winter cleaning ducks and geese for hunters.
I watch a steady flow of customers come in one by one dropping off their birds, when suddenly a hunter comes through the door and plops a limit of ducks on top of the closest freezer.
T-Boog looks above his glasses’ bifocal lenses at the hunter, someone he obviously knows, and sternly says, “Put those ducks on that shelf!”
The hunter smiles, knowing his first jab irked T-Boog a little, replies, “I’ll put them where the hell I want. So, what-choo gonna charge me to clean them ducks? A dollar each?” He says.
“For you?” T-Boog questions with a smile. “It’s 12 dollars each!”
Many of his customers are people he’s known for decades, where good-natured bantering is all part of a day’s business.
Originally from Egan, a small town between Crowley and Jennings, the 59-year-old duck cleaner learned his trade from his parents while growing up saying it was something he always enjoyed doing. A lifetime duck hunter, back surgeries eventually took their toll, where T-Boog is no longer able to hunt waterfowl.
It’s the people part of the duck cleaning business he says he likes most and the hunters like him too. T-Boog cleans ducks and geese for 28 camps, plus a steady flow of daily walk ins.
T-Boog said, “Oh yeah, they come bringing me birds they killed in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas — all over. Guys will go on a two- or three-day hunt, ice their birds down, and bring them to me to clean. One time I cleaned over a hundred specks in one day and that’s not including ducks. On days like that I’ve got to shut ’em down at 11 o’clock.”
“It’s a lot,” T-Boog continued. “Sometimes we’ll be here cleaning birds until 12 to 1 o’clock in the morning and we’ll start all over again the next day.”
T-Boog leans against one of the freezers and takes a minute to tell me the story about a man who once drove all the way from Texas and asked him if he would be willing to clean 500 Muscovy ducks. Loyal to the customers that he insists on taking care of and knowing he would be turning down thousands of dollars, he told the man, “I don’t have time for that.”
Randy Fuerst, an attorney from Lake Charles, walks into the little shop. He affably greets everyone while dropping off he and his partner’s birds from their morning hunt south of Gueydan. Seeing me taking pictures of T-Boog and various things, he curiously walks over and strikes up a conversation with me.
I tell him how few people know what it takes to get a duck from the field to plate, or that there’s actually people still around who clean waterfowl for a living during the season — T-Boog being one of them.
“This is the number one — best — cleaning spot in southwest Louisiana,” Fuerst says to me.
I mention, “There’s just not that many places where you can go and get them cleaned.”
To which Fuerst replies, “Well, not as good as he does. They’ve got a couple other ones around, but T-Boog does a fantastic job. People try to make money at it, but it’s a lost skill. T-Boog has a great business and when you come back to pick them up, they’re individually wrapped and frozen ready to put in your freezer. And man, he’s straight up. Don’t come in here without your cards filled out!”
A sign outside on the front porch next to the door reads, “birds must be tagged before entering.”
As hunter after hunter came into his shop with untagged birds during the morning, a finger pointed them back outside with instructions not to come inside until their birds were tagged.
T-Boog’s operation falls under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries who periodically inspect his shop for tagging requirements and cleanliness.
“If one of these guys take one duck over the limit and improperly tags them and I know about it, they’ll shut me down,” T-Boog says emphatically.
Because T-Boog has done such a great job cleaning birds over the years, word gets around. Hunters and clubs have come to him offering their business, but with a stipulation attached. They wanted to move to the head of the line when it comes to getting their birds cleaned.
T-Boog says he told one hunter, “Sorry buddy you’ll have to get someone else, because I’m not like that. It’s first come, first serve no matter who you are.”
While T-Boog processes in Fuerst’s waterfowl, Fuerst shares a story with me how he came about a duck pastrami recipe he tried that turned out fantastic.
Fuerst hands cash to T-Boog, then turns towards the door. While slowly walking out, Fuerst pauses and says, “Keep the change Mr. Boog!”
John Flores is the Morgan City Review’s outdoor writer. He can be contacted at gowiththeflo@cox.net.