http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/ The latest news from Delta Waterfowl Matt Chouinard has been a busy, busy biologist. In the last three years, Chouinard’s job has been to erect and repair countless Hen Houses throughout the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of western and southwestern Minnesota, historically a duck-producing stronghold. The goal: to increase the local mallard breeding population by protecting nesting hens from predators like skunks, raccoons and fox. His work is part of an ongoing Delta Waterfowl-Minnesota Department of Natural Resources partnership. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/deltanews/100720-henhouse.php 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT Remember last summer when a trio of idiots in Saskatchewan videotaped an out-of-season shooting spree including sniping flightless waterfowl with a rifle? Rightfully, there was outrage far and wide and the culprits were nabbed. Justice served. Some months later, I was surfing the internet, looking at duck-hunting videos on You Tube only to realize that the three dimwits were only the beginning. It turns out that video cameras open up a portal into our hunting world through which you might not want to journey. Let's just say, over the course of four hours of looking at home videos, I saw way more of people doing nasty things under the guise of hunting than I ever wished I had. I bet you wouldn't believe it if you saw it all. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/magazine/archive/2010-02/youtube.php 11 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT The 56th edition of the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, released today by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service, revealed wetland conditions and duck populations well above their long-term averages. The headline numbers: The total-duck population across the traditional survey dropped slightly to 40.9 million from last year's 42 million, mallard numbers were steady at 8.4 million, scaup numbers rose slightly to 4.2 million and the northern pintail population bumped up 9 percent to 3.5 million.  http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/pr/2010/100702-BPOP.php 02 Jul 2010 13:00:00 GMT It was Delta's honour to host these dedicated individuals that make up the board of Wildlife Habitat Canada. We were able to tour them on the Delta Marsh, explain Delta's long history there and to thank them for their generous support. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/deltanews/100625-WildlifeHabitat.php 25 Jun 2010 13:00:00 GMT In the following Q and A, Delta Waterfowl's Scientific Director Frank Rohwer discusses how the spill could impact the region’s coastal marshes, wintering ducks, and passionate waterfowling culture. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/deltanews/100624-OilQuestions.php 24 Jun 2010 13:00:00 GMT Delta and MHHC were partners on the signing of the very first permanent wetland easment purchase in Manitoba with landowner Rick Nylen of Minnedosa in the summer of 1999. Since then the MHHC has protected nearly 90,000 acres of wildlife habitat with 7 million dollars, primarily in the southwestern part of Manitoba in the prairie pothole region. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/deltanews/100622-500easement.php 22 Jun 2010 13:00:00 GMT Delta Waterfowl's John Devney is interviewed by KFAN Outdoors Billy Hildebrand about three hot topics; habitat conditions, the oil spill and the ongoing loss of CRP and the impact if will have on duck production. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/radio/100617-KFAN.php 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT Hello from the Breeding Grounds! As the breeding season is in full swing, it provides all of us at Delta time to take stock in our programming and again report to you, our most generous and dedicated supporters, on some of the key activities undertaken by Delta this coming year. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/reports/preseason2010.php 14 Jun 2010 18:00:00 GMT Delta Waterfowl and state waterfowl organizations from across the country sent a joint letter today to Secretary of Interior Salazar and the leadership of British Petroleum to urge the long term monitoring of the consequences of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and resultant spill on coastal habitats and waterfowl. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/deltanews/100604-Oil.php 04 Jun 2010 18:00:00 GMT There's no more rarified setting to hunt—and call—ducks than the flooded timber. But "finishing" birds in the decoys is easier said than done. In the following essay, Rod Haydel of Haydel’s Game Calls offers some time-tested pointers on how to hunt the timber. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/hunting/tips/timber101.php 31 May 2010 18:00:00 GMT Wildlife Habitat Canada just announced the 26th edition of the 'Canadian Duck Stamp' that is required to hunt ducks and geese. The winning image depicts a pair of green-winged teal at the edge of a marsh and was painted by Quebec artist Pierre Girard. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/deltanews/100525-CanStamp.php 25 May 2010 18:00:00 GMT Indeed, the finest duck callers are those who practice their craft the most, and there’s no better time to hone your skills than in the spring and summer months before the hunting season begins. In the following essay, Rod Haydel of Haydel's Game Calls offers up a few calling trade secrets, including why “fancy” duck calling is best left on the contest stage. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/hunting/calling.php 30 Apr 2010 18:00:00 GMT Vote for your favorite photos in Delta Waterfowl's monthly photo contest and submit your own images for a chance to win great Delta prizes. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/pix/index.php 06 Apr 2010 18:00:00 GMT U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the agency will offer a general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup later in 2010, the first since 2006. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/deltanews/100227-CRP.php 27 Feb 2010 22:00:00 GMT The key to success in duck conservation is knowing when and where to apply tools like predator management. We’ve been actively studying predator management since 1993 in North Dakota and it would be an understatement to say we’ve learned a ton. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/magazine/archive/2009-04/predator.php 22 Feb 2010 18:00:00 GMT Harvey Nelson, one of the nation’s most respected wetland and waterfowl managers, died February 21 of heart failures. He was 85. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/deltanews/100222-Nelson.php 22 Feb 2010 12:00:00 GMT U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton died Feb. 20 after complaining of chest pains while skiing at a resort in Colorado. He was 54. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/deltanews/100221-Hamilton.php 21 Feb 2010 12:00:00 GMT Today’s launch of the first Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) pilot program in Alberta—a prime duck-producing province—is great news for U.S. hunters. Designed by Delta Waterfowl and backed by several Canadian farm groups, ALUS compensates agricultural producers for providing ecological goods and services, including waterfowl habitat, on their working lands—lands that in time Delta Waterfowl hopes will rival the U.S. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in duck production. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/pr/2010/100120-ALUS.php 20 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT CRP is the Conservation Reserve Program, arguably the most sweepingly beneficial, voluntary private lands conservation initiative ever hatched by the federal government. But the Cadillac of Conservation programs, it seems, is loosing its luster and support. The political class in Washington D.C., among others, is debating its importance and usefulness in this age of bio-fuels and alternative energy. Translation: The scalpel has been unsheathed and cuts are likely on the horizon. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/magazine/archive/columns/crp.php 11 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT Is it a good idea to have a mix of decoy sizes in your spread; i.e. super magnums, magnums, and life-size decoys together? Is it better to have a mix of decoys from various manufacturers in your spread? http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/hunting/questions/041-Decoys.php 07 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT Delta photographer Fred Greenslade went through all the photos submitted by Delta Waterfowl members during 2009 and selected his twenty favorites - check out the best photos of 2009 and submit your best from the field. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/pix/index.php 07 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT Looking for Christmas gift ideas? Send your favorite duck hunter a membership to Delta Waterfowl. All memberships, which include several levels starting at $15 for those aged 17 and under, purchased by Dec. 15th will come with a special Delta Christmas card. A $100 membership comes with a t-shirt, a Buck Gardner duck call, a hat and decal, and our award-winning quarterly magazine. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/support/index.php 07 Dec 2009 12:00:00 GMT A private member’s bill to repeal the federal long-gun registry passed its first hurdle Wednesday as the House of Commons voted to scrap the controversial measure that requires Canadian citizens to register all firearms—including shotguns and rifles used for hunting. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/pr/2009/091105-gunregistry.php 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT If you ask 10 people about waterfowl safety, you will get 10 different answers. The safety equipment and items needed when waterfowl hunting vary depending on the type of hunting that is being done, the location, the time of year, and the weather. These are some ideas to keep you safe and sound and able to return to your loved ones. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/hunting/safety.php 13 Oct 2009 12:00:00 GMT Delta Waterfowl Foundation students took home the majority of the awards from the North American Duck Symposium. Held in Toronto, Ontario the event brought together the leading waterfowl biologists in North America. Students sponsored by Delta Waterfowl were among the presenters. Organizers recognized the best of the presentations with awards recognizing masters, doctorate oral presentations and posters, as well as travel awards. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/deltanews/091001-NADS.php 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 GMT Bismarck, N.D.—The seeds of John Denker’s love of waterfowling were sown when he was a young boy working as his father’s field apprentice in and around his hometown of Quincy, Illinois. “I was affectionately called the bag boy, the kid who picked up the birds, typically a mixed bag of ducks and geese, and hauled them back to the vehicles after the hunt,” said Denker, 28. “I loved to be outside and wouldn’t sleep the night before just knowing we were going. With my Dad, I got to be one of the guys, and those early days spurred my love of waterfowling that has only grown as I’ve gotten older.” http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/pr/2009/090916-MentoredHunts.php 16 Sep 2009 12:00:00 GMT BISMARCK, N.D.—Lost in the euphoria over the 2009 breeding-population survey was the sobering confirmation that prairie Canada is no longer the continent’s leading producer of ducks. This spring, for the first time ever, more total ducks, more puddle ducks, twice as many pintails and even more redheads settled on the U.S. side of the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) than the Canadian side. “Prairie Canada is nolonger King of Continental Duck Production,” wrote President Rob Olson in the fall issue of Delta Waterfowl magazine, adding, “From a Canadian duck guy’s perspective, that stings me more than a little.” http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/pr/2009/090909-PPR.php 09 Sep 2009 12:00:00 GMT Searching for more in-depth information about the world of waterfowl and waterfowl hunting—from how to blow a duck call to preparing mouthwatering duck gumbo to learning about the latest in duck research? Look no further than Delta Waterfowl's newly renovated, increasingly interactive Web site. "Simply put, this new site provides the best information for duck and goose hunters anywhere—from the absolute best in how-to videos to cutting-edge journalism to spin-free commentary," says Delta Waterfowl President Rob Olson. "What we've created is a fun, fresh, edgy, informative and easy-to-navigate site that has something for every waterfowler." http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/index.php 01 Sep 2009 12:00:00 GMT Winnipeg, Manitoba—As the days get shorter and the evenings cooler, Delta Waterfowl President Rob Olson gets that unmistakable itch that the waterfowl-hunting season is right around the bend. "It happens every year," says Olson. "I get that itch." As each provincial season opens in the weeks ahead, tens of thousands of Canadian hunters will go afield to enjoy time with friends and family in this timeless tradition. Delta Waterfowl and its many partners will be heading afield too, mentoring the next generation of hunter-conservationists and, by extension, keeping Canada’s time-honored waterfowling tradition alive. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/pr/2009/090901-MentoredHunts.php 01 Sep 2009 12:00:00 GMT