DELTA verses DU

[mississippi_duc_htr]

I was on the delta waterfowl site and Im sure some of you may have read this and some of you havent.This is what the pres. of delta said and the V.P of canada's DU said about their orgs.
Jonathan Scarth, pres of delta:"without waterfowl hunting there is no reason for Delta to exsist."
Rod Fowler D.U. EX.V.P. in Canada,"D.U. is a habitat conservation organization. D.U. will not serve as a advocate for waterfowl hunting."
Make up your own mind who's on the side of the hunter...... I thought that D.U. was created by waterfowl hunters for waterfowl hunters and waterfowl conservation, if this is so I would say that they have definatly went 180 degrees on the hunters part the other way. You can check out the whole story @ delta's site. Just go to right side of the page go down about 1/4 way and click on the future of duck hunting. Read the whole story and MAKE UP YOUR ON MIND. who's for what and who's for who.

[ February 19, 2002: Message edited by: mississippi_duc_htr ]

[Ringbill]

A couple of things to bear in mind. DU Canada is a very different organization than DU in the USA. Here is their position on waterfowl hunting straight from DU Canada's homepage.
http://www.ducks.ca/aboutdu/hunting.html

DU Canada is VERY concerned about declining waterfowler's in their country and from what I understand it is a priority to them, especially when it comes to encouraging youth hunting.

Ringbill

[Anatidae]

Well, those two quotes obviously represent different agendas, don't they? But as a waterfowler....I appreciate the fact that DU is committed soley TO conservation of that valuable resource.....not putting themselves in a position of having to balance the 'needs' of that resource with the 'will' of sportsmen and special interest groups (which might not necessarily be in the best interest of the resource). They probably realized that they could serve the resource better than they could manage public sentiment.

Frankly, I'm glad DU is focused on habitat. What's good for the resource is, in turn, good for waterfowlers. I have NO problem with DU's mission.....and I rather enjoy reading stories about ducks and efforts to improve their habitat, than reading stories about duck hunters with their chests all puffed-out, wanting all they can get.

To hear some of the gripes on here, one might think DU was anti-hunting......that's definitely not the case so be thankful for that! If we're insistant of drawing comparisons between DW and DU, liken it to comparing apples and oranges......neither one tastes bad.....just different.

[ February 19, 2002: Message edited by: Anatidae ]

[sondance]

That's exactly my gripe with DU. They are a good organization and do good things but, it sure would help dealing with the Anti's if an org. with the marketing might and political connections backed the hunter a little more. Ducks & Geese don't mean much to me other than crap in my yard unless I can hunt them. I know that is shallow and short sighted but that's just how I am. Wonder how it would effect them as an org. if all hunters didn't back them. Not that I would recommend that but I wonder what it would do to their fundraising efforts.

[Judd Irland]

to Anatidae: Amen, and Amen.

DU was, in fact, started by a group of concerned hunters, but their goal from the outset was preservation of wetlands and waterfowl habitat. I like what I hear about DW and I like what DU has been doing for what ...70 years or so? Personally, I send both my contributions. And I'm not ashamed to admit that sponsorship by either of a product helps me choose which to buy. That little symbol means that a percentage of my money goes to something I believe in....I'm gonna spend the money anyway, might as well get a lil something out of it.
I'm looking forward to some joint projects between DW and DU.

[Ringbill]

Judd, you took the words right out of my mouth. This pissing match has gone on long enough, and a joint venture on the common ground of ducks is needed! I hope the two sides can come together. Both have given me so much...I hate to see this bickering over and over and over.........

Ringbill

[swampland]

I too would also like to see these two organizations work together. The thing is, everyone has got to realize that the bickering is something that is needed.

If nobody is bickering, one organization would be in charge and that would not be good for any of us.

We need different views, so they can be discussed or at least thought about.

I know I try harder when I have some competion.

SO SUPPORT BOTH!!!

[mississippi_duc_htr]

Good point swampland, I know if I gotta try to get to a whole before someone else I'm gonna work alot harder on getting things done the night before and get outta bed alot quicker to get there first. If I know Im not gonna have any competition I gonna take my time and kinda laze around the next morning. I too hope that DW and du can work together on alot of projects too. I just feel that somwhere along the way that du has forgotten the little man in the sceme of this and the little men are the backbone of their organization. I do wonder what would happen to all the land that du does protect or have projects on as somone said awhile back on a post. I waas wonering if any of ou that have replied too this post even went to delta site and read the diffrences in their orgs. As far as I could tell they (du)admitted they had notice that waterfowl hunters in canada had a noticble decline, but their membership was not affected by this and that people who didnt hunt and ppl who had stopped hunting, but had nothing against hunting had offset the down numbers of non- hunting waterfowlers. They didnt seem too concerned about the down number of waterfowlers in canada too me.

[ February 20, 2002: Message edited by: mississippi_duc_htr ]

[Delta Duck]

It is my understanding that Ducks Unlimited gives monies to Delta Waterfowl to do some of the research. The 2 org,s already work together.

[CaptnT]

For those that are concerned about DU's distancing from hunters, I understand you feel deceived in some way. After all, they sent you that great magazine and a little duck head to put on your pickup. You bought the Advantage camo, because its the "official" camo of DU.

Get a grip!!

When you are a political lobby, and that is essentially what DU is, you HAVE to ride the fence. I am sure that DU receives donations and assistance, money or otherwise, from people who do so just to promote waterfowl and not waterfowl hunting. If they took a firmer stance on waterfowl hunting, that would probably send those people packing, to other organizations like PETA. If you think about it, they USE some of those same anti's we are fighting against to help our sport. Kinda cool, huh?

I really don't understand the seemingly shock at what DU does, we have all heard the stories. They are essentially polititians.

Just be thankfull there are organizations like Delta. They are there for the hunter. DU is there for the waterfowl. You can believe there are PLENTY of waterfowlers in their organization. Just because they have to "walk the line", doesn't mean they have abandoned waterfowlers.

[mallardchaser]

We had a local Delta meeting in Jackson the other night. One of the regional DU guy's was in attendence. He and the Delta man repeatedly stated they are working together for the ducks, whether it be through habitat enhancement or nesting boxes etc.

Delta trains a good bit of the DU biologists.
I'm supporting both..
We are in the process of starting a local Delta chapter. Anyone interested email me..

[Hambone]

Please please stop these idiotic comments trying to connect DU with PETA! A "habitat" organization does not equate with anti-hunting and it is ridiculous to say that DU has come out against our way of life in any respect. While I am incurably addicted to waterfowling, I don't think that you have to be a hunter to love the ducks, and if DU welcomes nonhunters, I cannot see the harm. I have many nonhunting friends, and although they sometimes question the sanity of duck hunters, they are in no way against hunting. PETA doesn't care about the ducks or other critters. Their mission is to destroy the fun that we enjoy. Look at their track record-they are into headlines, publicity stunts and uninformed public hysteria. To the best of my knowledge, PETA does no biological research, nothing to preserve habitat and if they ever created a wildlife sanctuary, I never heard of it. I suggest that we not be too quick to confuse conservation with antihunting. If PETA or some of these other fanatical nuts start buying up prime Delta bottomland, we WILL have something to fear and fight!

[MSDuckmen]

Attended the meeting to help start a chapter of Delta Waterfowl here in the Jackson area.
The first meeting in my opinion was quiet unorganized and needed a better structure. The information given by the DW representative was interesting and I can see a value in what they are doing.
It is interesting that they claim they have never been a membership organization and just realized that is what it was going to take to move ahead.
I don’t have strong feelings toward either organization, I do however know that many of the DU functions that I have attended are more of a drinking party than an Informational meeting. I see a lot of high bidding on items and wonder just how much of that money goes to the real development of habitat verses an advertisement. I also heard that DW was going to have much of the same type of fund raising meetings with high dollar prizes that will only raise the bidding.
I really don’t know how I feel about the two groups but I know that what they are claiming to do is a value.

It also interested me on the subjects that were being brought up in the meeting this past weekend. I heard topics about how do they know how many ducks we have and how lame the HIP registration is. etc etc etc.

Hunters and not just duck hunters are of the most opinionated people on earth. And each including myself has their ideas on what is wrong with the system. But very few can give you any ideas on how to make the system better or how to fund the changes that you believe will make it better.

Heard the DW guy say that he feels the duck season next year will be as bad or worse than it was this year. Claiming that the drought was the problem with the breeding areas and I have documents talking about how the breeding lands are holding water to the point that it is becoming stagnant. Which is why the birds are not using them for breeding. You get so many conflicting views on things that it is hard to make a valued judgement on how the seasons will be from one year to the next.

Bottom line is that without the weather you will not have the birds, all factors considered it is of my opinion that the Atlantic El nino will be the determining factor of how our next year will be. The conversations of the northern states short stopping the ducks by feeding them are very comical to me. Yet many people on these sites believe it is true.

The meeting the other night would not have had a handful of people in it had it not been for this site. The majority of the people there were MSDUCKS people and that just goes to show you that we can do more with the information acquired from sites like this than all the advertisement avenues available short of TV.

In my opinion you want to make a difference then plant food plots for the ducks, Plant areas you will not hunt as well as those that you will. Give the ducks what they need to survive the southern trip and energy and health they need to return to the breeding grounds. If each duck hunter did that then it would mirror all that DW and DU could do. But that is just my idea, doesn’t make it right or wrong just mine.

[SoftCall]

Duckmen - The need to plant food in anticipation of the fall migration does a couple of things. It does give the nutrients necessary for survival of the round trip migration. It also allows hunters to kill ducks coming to the food by increasing the probability of ducks feeding in an area. I bet 95% of the folks on this site plant food for ducks every year for one primary reason - to hunt over it (Myself included). In other words, the fact that it provides nutrients for the ducks to migrate is a by-product of the main objective. It's a great by-product. I try not to blow smoke up anyone's butt.

DW vs. DU. They both have their place.

DU provides infrastructure for waterfowling impoundments and secures wetlands management projects on large tracts of land. They are neutral in their approach to tough issues, but they lean towards the hunter.

DW saves the pot holes and puts out mallard hen houses. Saving the hatching habitat and providing safe shelter from predators and other elements is one of their primary objectives.

I plan to support both locally so the next event can be more organized. (I think that is why we were there.)

[MSDuckmen]

There is one other thing I would like to add on this subject and it will most likely piss a few off (so be it).

It is my opinion that if you don’t like the way an organization is going stop your whining and just don’t support them. No body and I mean no is making you.

I have always found it interesting that people that don’t like, understand, or follow a organization is usually quick to point out why they feel they are a bad thing but offer nothing better.

DU = PETA what a joke, that is right up there with feeding the ducks in the northern states.
DU = against the hunter, Just cause they are not at your back with their guns raised does not mean they are against you. Don’t think for a minute that the duck hunters don’t matter to DU. Let DW membership drive start-pulling members away from them and you will see that fence walking take a different view.
DU people were at this last gathering for DW in Jackson, Why? only they know. It could have been on invite from someone else or it could have simply been to see what direction DW was going. DU said repeatedly that they are not there spying. That never entered my mind but it is interesting that he felt the need to say that. It is my view that he made that statement simply because of what people are saying on and off of this site and other sites like this.

The either your with us or your not attitude needs to take a hike. IMHO

I don’t always agree with what the Organizations are doing but I don’t have a better plan. Until I do I will either not support them or support them all but it is my choice and who am I to tell you different.

Knowledgeable Debate is good – opinionated criticism is bad
where are you in the mix?