Goin’ like the Devil with Warren Coco, Owner and Founder of Go-Devil Manufacturing and Renowned Delta Conservationist

National Wildlife Federation Outdoors

Aaron and Bill have a chat with renowned entrepreneur, duckman, and conservationist, Warren Coco. "Coco’s" inventing the GO-DEVIL Longtail motor in the 1970s changed duck hunting forever, but he didn’t stop there and continued innovating longtails, surface drives, and boat designs. In the 80s he collaborated with Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty on what many duck hunters believe to still be the best waterfowl hunting video ever produced, The Duckmen of Louisiana. In the 90s he turned his energy, time and resources to conservation, and that focus continues to this day. Not only does he contribute his voice and money to conservation causes, he spends most of his days off on an excavator restoring coastal marsh in southwest Louisiana. We discuss Coco's sporting life, his adventures, and his dedication to conservation.

Links:

Vanishing Paradise film of Delta restoration featuring Coco

https://youtu.be/pS7bwj9pwlw

The Go-Devil Company page

https://www.godevil.com/the-company-about-us/

Coco's personal take on the conservation and restoration issue in the Delta

https://youtu.be/j_bmTxJKph0

The Duckmen of Louisiana with Warren Coco and Phil Robertson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQaq5H8MSDw

Warren Coco bio with his contributions to wetlands restoration

https://www.ducks.org/get-involved/go-devil-founder-works-plays-and-invests-in-wetlands

Show Notes:

:05 – Bill and Aaron provide overview and Intro to the episode

6:10 - What "Coco" has been up to lately

9:05 – “We can’t kill enough ducks to make gravy”

11:30 – the ducks haven’t gotten to Southern LA yet

13:15 – All the ducks came in 83’ and 89’

15:02 – How Coco’s Company Go Devil got started

18:00 – business grows like crazy and the duck limit goes from 3 to 5

19:25 – “we cut a big hog the first year of sales”

21:20 – how the Go Devil motors work and what makes them special in the marsh

22:30 – B.O.A.T – “Break Out Another Thousand”

25:15 – the origin of the “Go-Devil” name

26:55 – the backstory of Coco’s participation the famous video, “The Duckmen of Louisiana” with Phil Robertson of “Duck Dynasty”

30:10 –making the Duckmen of Louisiana over 13 days and two hunting seasons

34:30 - how the invasive species salvinia ruined the Muarepas Swamps for duck hunting and how it outcompetes and kill “duck wheat”

38:40 – more changes in the duck swamps and the need for restoration

43:55 – marsh loss through Coco’s eyes

46:00 – floating islands

48:45 – an old fishing hole that is now 600 yards out in the gulf

52:28 – when the Midwest lost its top soil, a lot of it came down the river

59:52 – these guys are fishing oysters where their grandfathers trapped

1:02:10 – restoring Hackberry

1:06:00 – the difficulties of restoration and management

1:10:30 – supporting DU and Vanishing Paradise

1:14:25 – delta conservation is a nationwide issue

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