SilencerCo Subsonic Nutria Eradication Tournament & Boat Ride
Stephanie Kimmell
Louisiana’s wetlands are under siege. Nutria, an invasive rodent species, wreaks havoc on the ecosystem, destroying vegetation and accelerating erosion. To fight back, a team of hunters and conservationists joined forces for the SilencerCo Subsonic Nutria Eradication Tournament—a high-tech, adrenaline-fueled event that blends environmental conservation with suppressed shooting.
While the mission is serious, the experience is anything but dull. It’s pest control turned into a full-fledged adventure.
Part 1: The Hunt Begins
The adventure begins with a boat ride that gives off vibes like Pirates of the Caribbean in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate River.
Corey Edmund of Superior Defense has joined the SilencerCo crew on this trip, and he’s on the lookout for two types of critters: nutria and ‘gators. And though nutria are the main focus of this trip, he wants to see some ‘gators, too.
“We’re trying to find gators. There ain’t no ‘gators out here. I will see one ‘gator before I leave this trip.”
He admits he’s never seen a nutria before and doesn’t know what it looks like, “but I’m here to help the cause. We’re on an eradication trip looking for these beaver-looking motherf**ers. That’s what we’re here for.”
The Gear and the Goal
The team is armed with an impressive arsenal of suppressed firearms. Corey is shooting a Honey Badger 300 Blackout with Scythe-Ti. Mike Aland, SilencerCo’s Director of Marketing, has Q Sugar Weasel and Scythe STM in full configuration on an 8-inch .300 blackout barrel.
Here’s the full arsenal:
- Q Sugar weasel – Scythe STM
- DD PCC – Spectre 9
- Staccato P – Spectre 9k
- Q Mini Fix SD- Scythe Ti
- Sig Spear LT – Velos 762
- HK MP5 – Spectre 9
- HK MP5- Omega 9k
- Q Honeybadger – Velos 762
- Triarc – Scythe Ti
- CZ Scorpion – Spectre 9
Each firearm is loaded with Hornady subsonic ammunition, keeping shots quiet while ensuring rapid follow-ups. The mission is simple: eliminate as many nutria as possible without disturbing the surrounding wildlife.
The Hunt Begins
The action kicks off in the late afternoon when nutria are most active. The team jumps a levee — captured on film — before entering a private pond where the shooting begins. Within two hours, they’ve taken down 33 nutria of varying sizes.
Corey finally spots a ‘gator. His verdict? They’re real.
The hunt also provides a firsthand look at the environmental damage caused by nutria. “All of the little mounds? That’s where they’ve chewed up the grass, ripped it out, and piled it up. That’s what destroys the marsh.”
Back at Camp
Back at camp, the team unloads their haul, chopping off 33 nutria tails — a crucial step in Louisiana’s Nutria Control Program, which offers a bounty per tail to incentivize population control. The program aims to remove up to 400,000 nutria each season to curb marshland destruction.
Mike reflects on the hunt: “Super fast action, fun spotting them. Some of the most fun hunting I’ve ever done, for sure.”
With fast-moving targets, water obstacles, and suppressed shooting, the tournament showcases how high-tech gear and skilled hunters can work together to combat an ecological crisis. Suppressors play a key role, reducing gunfire noise and allowing clear communication among the team.
Part 2: Airboats, Thermals, & Night Vision
Part two kicks off with a hog hunt from airboats. The strategy is simple, as Mike explains: “We’ll get about 100 yards apart, charge down the field. If we spot one, we’ll start chasing the pig and run up on ‘em, shooting in close proximity.”
Sounds like a plan!
“Never done this before, so we’ll see how it goes,” said Mike Aland, setting the tone for an action-packed day. What’s the hype level? 10/10.
By the end of the run, they’ve taken down 40-42 hogs.
Back to Nutria Hunting
Before heading out for another round of nutria hunting, Mike shows off his Staccato suppressed with the Scythe STM, adding another layer of excitement to the hunt. He’s hoping for a pistol kill — and from a moving boat, no less. That’d be one for the books.
Mike is also running a Daniel Defense PCC with the Spectre 9.
“Should be a lotta fun. If we don’t pick up over 30 tonight, it’s going to be a big disappointment.”
Navigating through the marsh, the team faces their fair share of challenges—getting stuck more than once—but persistence pays off. Big nutria start falling fast, and Mike finally gets his pistol kill. Not just one, but two.
Even with the boat getting stuck, Mike says it was worth it.
“Sometimes you risk it and you get no biscuit, but we got some biscuits. It was worth coming in here.”
Night Vision & Final Count
Switching to night vision several hours later, the hunt continues. The pile of nutria keeps growing.
Back at camp, the landowner surveys the haul and shakes his head.
“You can’t eradicate all them damn nutrias for me. You left a few out there… Give it about a week, they’ll have babies. It’ll be about 600 of them out here.”
The scale of the problem is clear.
Team Highlights
Mike reflects on his favorite moment: “My favorite kill was my first pistol kill—because it was with a pistol, on a boat that was moving.”
Other team members hit their own milestones. Corey also nailed two pistol kills, and Jon secured the first thermal kill of the trip.
The next morning, after a classic biscuits-and-gravy breakfast, Corey sums up the experience:
“We just went on a river run. We’re back at the dock. Saw a bunch of nutria. Shot a bunch of nutria. We went on an airboat yesterday, which is like the coolest sh** on the planet. Hunted hogs. So I think we need to come back, hunt more nutria, and maybe ‘gators. I saw my first ‘gator on this trip. Nutria was fun. Good trip.”
Will Hutchinson shares a standout moment:
“I think I have the first kill out of an airboat with a fully automatic MP5… I’m sure somebody else has done that before, but that was super neat. Incredible experience. There were way more nutria than expected, and that is a drastic understatement.”
Final Tally & Future Plans
In just six hours, the team eliminated 155 nutria and over 40 pigs — stark proof of the scale of nutria and feral hog infestation in Louisiana.
In short, the first annual SilencerCo Subsonic Nutria Eradication Tournament was a resounding success.
Mike puts it this way: “Wildly successful trip. We’ll see you at the next first annual.”
Stephanie Kimmell
