PART II - THE FUTURE OF DUCK HUNTING
Who will help the Duck Hunter?

by Bob Bailey

Arrayed against the waterfowler is the practical clutter and noise of modern living, that has somehow obscured our connections to the natural world. The daily hustle leaves less time to hunt, competing priorities, and more hassles than our grand parents ever knew. But in our hunter’s heart we know there is something contrived about modern life’s newest flavors and qualities. It is sometimes said that technology has a way of arranging life so people don’t have to live it. In a stylish, pre- packaged world, perhaps life itself has been channeled into more of a product than an experience.

But also gathered against the hunter are strategic forces, comprised of social engineers and manipulators intent on imposing their new age philosophies for life and human relationships with animals on society. These are the "preserve and protect" organizations that often masquerade as "conservation" groups, but they strive to keep humans and nature apart, by creating parks, protected areas, and eliminating hunting wherever possible. Animal rights ideology has spawned a huge, multi- national protection industry, aimed at bringing all hunting to an end. They have destroyed sealing, whaling and most of the fur industry. Their massive propaganda machinery is now turned to the destruction of hunting and farming. And now they are turning their attention to ending all waterfowl hunting.

Challenge is not new to the hunter, it defines the craft of waterfowling. At the turn of the century, duck hunters sounded the alarm about declining waterfowl populations, and the Migratory Bird Treaty between Canada, the United States and Mexico was born. New legislation eliminated commercial hunting and established Canada’s conservation foundation. The Canadian Wildlife Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service came into being under this agreement.

In spite of conservation successes, waterfowl hunters face a new and difficult challenge. While North America’s waterfowl populations have surpassed the highest levels ever recorded, it is the very survival of duck hunting that is in grave danger. This new challenge calls for a different kind of leadership and skills, but the same resolve and commitment from duck hunters to create a future for duck hunting.

In view of the extreme peril facing waterfowl hunting, I have interviewed the top four national organizations with a mandate, responsibility or traditional role in waterfowl management in Canada. This month, we are presenting the responses from the first of these four organizations; the Canadian Wildlife Service and Wildlife Habitat Canada. As of February 1, 2002, we will post the interviews given by Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Delta Waterfowl Foundation. Click here to read them.

Each organization was asked questions in three categories. The first is their general comments on the waterfowl hunter decline, the second included questions about how the loss of waterfowl hunters impacts their business and interests, and the third is what, if anything, is their organization prepared to do about the situation?

Among all these organizations rests the hope for the future of duck hunting in Canada. I hope that the answers will allow waterfowl hunters to discern what they may expect in terms of support for the future of waterfowl hunting, and what hunters can do to help.

Canadian Wildlife Service http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/

Editor’s comments: the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) is the Canadian equivalent to the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service. CWS is the federal agency in charge of migratory bird management in Canada.

"Hunters are a significant part of the waterfowl manager’s toolbox", says Steve Wendt of the Canadian Wildlife Service. "Hunters are important to conservation because they are the eyes and ears on the landscape, monitoring waterfowl and wetlands, and identifying management problems". Wendt says "hunters allow waterfowl managers to take direct action on issues related to habitat, such as the recent steps taken to control overabundant populations of snow geese. These actions appear to be working and are necessary to save the breeding and migration habitat of these birds".

"Hunters are also willing to cut back waterfowl harvest, where it may be needed to re-build populations", according to Wendt. "The Atlantic population of Canada geese and the black duck are examples of where reductions have helped restore populations".

"CWS is concerned about the decline in waterfowl hunting because hunters have always given strong support for policy and management decisions needed to conserve waterfowl, and are key contributors to conservation. Hunters are concerned about enforcement and regulations, and are often on the leading edge of conservation initiatives".

Wendt says "society should be made aware of the contributions of hunters to conservation, to Canada’s economy, and to providing socio-economic opportunities in many rural areas, that depend upon waterfowl hunters for a large portion of their annual income".

The Canadian Wildlife Service has no position in regard to whether or not there should be more or fewer waterfowl hunters. However, CWS recognizes the importance of waterfowl hunters to management programs and conservation. CWS is also interested in education for young hunters to ensure safe, knowledgeable, and ethical hunters in the field. CWS took steps last year to implement the Youth Waterfowler Heritage Day with waterfowl hunter organizations.

Wildlife Habitat Canada (www.whc.org/)

Editor’s comments: Wildlife Habitat Canada (WHC) is a national organization that receives the funds from the sales of the duck stamp, which is attached to the federal migratory bird hunting permit in Canada. WHC uses these funds to support a wide range of conservation projects and activities.

Jean Cinq Mars, Executive Director, says that "urbanization, anti- hunting sentiment, aging of the Canadian population and competition with other forms of recreation has taken an inevitable toll on the numbers of waterfowl hunters. In addition, there is less time to enjoy outdoor sports and activities today, than in previous decades".

Waterfowl hunter numbers have declined by 50% since WHC was founded in 1985, and the decline has required the organization to review its delivery of conservation programs. WHC receives about 70% of revenues from waterfowl hunters, and needs to broaden support for conservation to include non- hunters and corporations in the future.

Although Cinq Mars says that "many factors beyond our influence are reducing the numbers of hunters, WHC is willing to consider options and work with organizations to encourage participation in waterfowl hunting". The organization supported the Premier’s (the Governor’s Symposium in the US) Symposium on Hunting Heritage and produced a recent report on hunter investments in conservation. Cinq Mars says that "WHC believes that hunting is a valid, legitimate use of natural resources and an activity that contributes to conservation of biodiversity and environmental quality".

"Wildlife Habitat Canada is foremost a habitat conservation organization", according to Cinq Mars. "WHC will continue to work with hunters to develop a solid foundation for wildlife habitat conservation in the future".