ABOUT
Introduction: Born of the Bayous
Hello there! My name is Jimmy "Cajunjim" Toups. I am a carver from a small community called Schriever, Louisiana. Growing up, I spent my days hunting and fishing in the bayous, swamps, marshes, and lakes of South Louisiana. I learned early on to love the incredible wildlife and scenery we are blessed with here—elements that many take for granted.
A Father’s Legacy and a Changed World
As I grew older, my dad, Junius "Red" Toups, started carving decoys with a friend. I fondly remember him sitting at the kitchen table wood-burning and painting. One day, he came home with a bunch of competition ribbons. At the time, I had no clue what he was doing.
Things were different back then. Dad knew my principal at Evergreen Junior High, Mr. Kent Willorby, and arranged for him to take me on my first duck hunt. To show you how much times have changed: I brought my gear, including my shotgun, to school on the bus! It was an absolute thrill.
While I don't hunt ducks today—preferring to watch them fly, swim, and dabble with a camera in hand—I owe everything to the hunting heritage. If it weren't for hunters and organizations like Ducks Unlimited, several species might be extinct today.
Carving Through the Pain
When my dad was 42, he was diagnosed with a brutal form of cancer. He was the toughest man I have ever known. To endure the intense pain and trauma of his surgeries, Daddy used carving as therapy.
Around that time, my English teacher at H.L. Bourgeois High School, Mrs. Pat Perrin, assigned a report on something unique to South Louisiana. Daddy suggested duck decoy carving. He took me to visit legendary old-time carvers like Sam Foret, Ski Roger, and Willie Badaux. I recorded them on my cassette player, wrote my report, and formed a lifelong bond with "Uncle Ski" Roger, who gifted me two of his decoys. That project sparked a lifelong endeavor.
The Road to the Championships
Later on, while playing music, attending college, and raising my two boys, money was tight. Dad suggested I start carving with him to supplement my income. Forty-three years later, I am still at it.
Our first competition was the Gulf South Championships in 1985. Dad did most of the carving, and I did the painting. Our wood duck gunning bird took 1st place and 4th Best in Show.
In 1987, I won the prestigious Gulf South Championship Purchase Award with a Blue-winged Teal Drake, beating 28 other carvers. The judges picked up my piece first, set it aside, and judged others for two and a half hours. I thought I had lost! Suddenly, the officials placed the trophy and championship ribbon right around my teal's neck. I burst into tears. Daddy hugged me and said, "I told you so." Today, that piece sits in the Zigler Art Museum in Jennings, Louisiana.
Two years later, in 1989, I won with a Cinnamon Teal Drake, carved from a pattern drawn for me by my friend & legendary carver, Tan Brunet. I won my second championship at the Cajun Heritage Festival Purchase Award. Sadly, just months before daddy passed away.. It proved my skills weren't a fluke, but a sour interaction with the second-place finisher ruined the spirit of competition for me. I stepped away from the stage for 27 years.
The Ultimate Comeback & Jimily's Carving Essentials
Life has hit me hard. I am 65 now, have survived 12 surgeries, a massive heart attack, a severe rotator cuff tear from a carpentry accident, and 4.5 years of homelessness. But there is absolutely no quit in me. At 63, I fought back to become a record-setting USPA Regional and National Powerlifting Champion, and an IPL World Champion!
This past March, I finally returned to the carving stage at the South Louisiana Carvers Competition and Festival. I fulfilled a lifelong dream by winning Best in Show Overall with my Widgeon Drake, alongside eight 1st-place awards.
Back in 1987, I opened a framing shop called La Maison d’ Canards (The House of Ducks). Today, that dream has evolved into a lifestyle, wood, and carving supply business run by me and my wonderful wife, Emily, whom I met in 2012. Our friends call us "Jimily"—which is how our business, JIMILY'S CARVING ESSENTIALS, got its name.
When people ask about my abilities today, I tell them: "The best part of my life isn't behind me; it is ahead!" Thank you for reading my story and becoming a part of this next great chapter.
Much love to all,
Jimmy "Cajunjim" Toups
Introduction: Born of the Bayous
Hello there! My name is Jimmy "Cajunjim" Toups. I am a carver from a small community called Schriever, Louisiana. Growing up, I spent my days hunting and fishing in the bayous, swamps, marshes, and lakes of South Louisiana. I learned early on to love the incredible wildlife and scenery we are blessed with here—elements that many take for granted.
A Father’s Legacy and a Changed World
As I grew older, my dad, Junius "Red" Toups, started carving decoys with a friend. I fondly remember him sitting at the kitchen table wood-burning and painting. One day, he came home with a bunch of competition ribbons. At the time, I had no clue what he was doing.
Things were different back then. Dad knew my principal at Evergreen Junior High, Mr. Kent Willorby, and arranged for him to take me on my first duck hunt. To show you how much times have changed: I brought my gear, including my shotgun, to school on the bus! It was an absolute thrill.
While I don't hunt ducks today—preferring to watch them fly, swim, and dabble with a camera in hand—I owe everything to the hunting heritage. If it weren't for hunters and organizations like Ducks Unlimited, several species might be extinct today.
Carving Through the Pain
When my dad was 42, he was diagnosed with a brutal form of cancer. He was the toughest man I have ever known. To endure the intense pain and trauma of his surgeries, Daddy used carving as therapy.
Around that time, my English teacher at H.L. Bourgeois High School, Mrs. Pat Perrin, assigned a report on something unique to South Louisiana. Daddy suggested duck decoy carving. He took me to visit legendary old-time carvers like Sam Foret, Ski Roger, and Willie Badaux. I recorded them on my cassette player, wrote my report, and formed a lifelong bond with "Uncle Ski" Roger, who gifted me two of his decoys. That project sparked a lifelong endeavor.
The Road to the Championships
Later on, while playing music, attending college, and raising my two boys, money was tight. Dad suggested I start carving with him to supplement my income. Forty-three years later, I am still at it.
Our first competition was the Gulf South Championships in 1985. Dad did most of the carving, and I did the painting. Our wood duck gunning bird took 1st place and 4th Best in Show.
In 1987, I won the prestigious Gulf South Championship Purchase Award with a Blue-winged Teal Drake, beating 28 other carvers. The judges picked up my piece first, set it aside, and judged others for two and a half hours. I thought I had lost! Suddenly, the officials placed the trophy and championship ribbon right around my teal's neck. I burst into tears. Daddy hugged me and said, "I told you so." Today, that piece sits in the Zigler Art Museum in Jennings, Louisiana.
Sadly, two years later in 1989, I won my second championship—the Cajun Heritage Purchase Award—just months after Daddy passed away. It proved my skills weren't a fluke, but a sour interaction with the second-place finisher ruined the spirit of competition for me. I stepped away from the stage for 27 years.
The Ultimate Comeback & Jimily's Carving Essentials
Life has hit me hard. I am 65 now, have survived 12 surgeries, a massive heart attack, a severe rotator cuff tear from a carpentry accident, and 4.5 years of homelessness. But there is absolutely no quit in me. At 63, I fought back to become a record-setting USPA Regional and National Powerlifting Champion, and an IPL World Champion!
This past March, I finally returned to the carving stage at the South Louisiana Carvers Competition and Festival, Lockport, LA. I fulfilled a lifelong dream by winning Best in Show Overall with my Widgeon Drake, alongside eight 1st-place awards.
Back in 1987, I opened a framing shop called La Maison d’ Canards (The House of Ducks). Today, that dream has evolved into a lifestyle, wood, and carving supply business run by me and my wonderful wife, Emily, whom I met in 2012. Our friends call us "Jimily"—which is how our business, JIMILY'S CARVING ESSENTIALS, got its name.
When people ask about my abilities today, I tell them: "The best part of my life isn't behind me; it is ahead!" Thank you for reading my story and becoming a part of this next great chapter.
Much love to all,
Jimmy "Cajunjim" Toups