A hunting and fishing lodge that is floating off Louisiana’s southernmost tip hit the market on Friday for $5.5 million. The waterfront property in Port Fourchon is aptly named “Fowl Play.”
According to the report, seller Tony Nelson hired architects Tom Adams and Adam Gerndt to create a hunting and fishing property he could use year-round, both with his family and with customers, as he’s the CEO of the Alabama-based commercial explosives manufacturer and distributor Nelson Brothers.
Nelson, 67, said, “[Adams] really took it on as a project. It was different for an architect since it’s on floating barges, so you’ve got a rectangular shape and you’re kind of limited,” Nelson said. “It was quite the challenge, and he really loved it.”
Building the camps—there’s a 2,790-square-foot main lodge and a 1,848-square-foot one for the crew—on barges allows the structures to be towed out into open water for duck‑hunting season, which runs from about mid‑November to the end of January.
Related: Hamptons mansion drops to $35 million
The floating camp is parked in the water for 90 days, about an hour boat ride from home base, with two crew members always present. Being out on the water allows for all‑day activity, Nelson said.
“There are a lot of big, fine duck lodges around the U.S., but very few have great fishing,” Nelson said. “We hunt in the mornings and fish in the afternoons.” Catches typically include speckled trout and redfish.
The property’s proximity to the Gulf also allows for offshore fishing, reaching “the best fishing in the Gulf” in just an hour, a trip that would take boaters from Alabama and Florida two days, said listing agent Tim James Jr. of Jon Kohler and Associates.
“There’s really nice hunting properties, there’s nice fishing properties, but you really don’t find a place like this where you have world‑class offshore fishing, inshore fishing and hunting in one package offered at this price point with this type of amenities,” James said.
Related: Real Estate Buyers Use Escrow Services
Floating lodges aren’t uncommon in Louisiana, but few are built to the level of Fowl Play’s, Nelson and James said. Though they’re referred to as “camps,” the two structures are more akin to a lodge that would be built on‑land.
The main camp features a full commercial‑grade kitchen that’s open to a dining room, a living room, an eight‑bed bunk room, two staterooms—or bedrooms—a primary bedroom with its own bathroom and three other full baths.
Now that Nelson’s kids are grown up and he’s bringing customers to the camp less often, he said it’s time to part with Fowl Play, though it’s a hard decision. He and his wife are also looking to spend more time in New England and South Florida.
“Things change, and at my age, we’re shifting a little bit toward South Florida and the water activities there,” he said. “It’s super sad for our whole family…but I think change is good and it’s just time for it.”
