Check this out!!

[Doc & Nash]

If you have not read the artical on "The Future of Waterfowl Hunting" on the DW website, then look at this: www.deltawaterfowl.org

[peewee]

cookmducks, glad you put that post on here. Yall starting to win me over to DW.

[tunica du4u]

As you can tell by my forum name I am DU oriented so I probably am biased in my opinion but I read the DW article and before I posted comment I wanted to check my facts and not put my foot in my mouth. Don Young who is the exec.VP of DU is a personal friend and him being originally from Canada I wanted to hear his side on this area of DU not being "hunter oriented". I called Don and we talked at length about this. He was very familiar with this article and its author. He asked a question "Do you know anyone from DU who isn't a hunter? Myself I had to answer this NO. I personally know around 40-50 employees of DU who all at one time or another have gone hunting with me and all are avid waterfowlers. But to the article at hand DU Canada is a separate organization from DU Inc. Both have independent boards that have the same commitment to waterfowl habitat and conservation. Both have separate unanamous board resolutions that deal with their focus and missions. "But to make no bones about it DU Inc. realizes the importance of waterfowlers and there would be NO DU without hunters as hunters were the founders of DU". To compare what Canada DU says as opposed to DU Inc. is like comparing tangerines and oranges, similiar but different. A lot of people don't realize that even though Canada is our neighbor to the north they do not enjoy the same freedoms and liberal gun rights a lot of us take for granted. Don told me DW was an excellent organization that produces excellent researcher's, trains students, evaluate techniques, communicate the results. That was their mission until recently when they added promote hunting. There again this is in Canada mainly as DW is based in Winnabeg I believe. Again remember the Canuks dont have the same hunting freedoms we do. Ask DW how many projects they have funded in Mississippi. Don said they have only 7 staff members in N. America at this time.What will there mission and vision be next month as they have changed it already in the past months. Don also said he has no hard feeling for the rift DW is creating among DU members as he done his Masters with DW. Also said recently he and the pres. of DW done an interview to rid the misconceptions that are being created by the Canada DU and DW and he should have a copy soon and will forward it to me. NOW THESE POINTS WERE ALL MADE BY DU FOLKS AND I REALIZE THAT AND DW WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN POINTS TO MAKE. IN THE END THE DECISION ON WHETHER TO BE DU OR DW LIES WITH THE INDIVIDIUAL.
In my personal opinion I probably will remain DU but would participate with DW as both are good organizations. The only problem I have it seems like every wildlife and conservation group is singleing out DU and going after their supporters. That is personal problem I have as I have participated in and led a DU Chapter for years that has been the TOP money producer in Mississippi and one of the top in the nation for several years and I can see a decline this year already with the funds.

My $4.02 worth [img]images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]