Delta Waterfowl Town Hall Meeting - Columbus, MS
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2004 9:02 am
Delta Waterfowl To Host Town Hall Meetings
“Where were the ducks?†is one of the questions Delta Waterfowl’s staff will attempt to answer when it hosts a series of town hall meetings across the South.
The meeting in Columbus, Mississippi is scheduled for 7:00 pm Wednesday the 10th of March at James M. Trotter Convention Center.
“The purpose of these get-togethers is to visit with duck hunters, and to unveil Delta’s vision for the future of waterfowl management,†says Delta President Rob Olson. “We know duck hunters have a lot of questions, and we think it’s time they receive some honest answers.
“Delta believes there are some serious flaws in the way waterfowl populations are being managed, and we are proposing some dramatic changes for the future. We’ll talk about what’s happening and what’s not happening on the breeding grounds, and how that affects hunters in the South.
“Hunters are the backbone of conservation, and they deserve to know where and how their dollars are being spent.â€
Delta Waterfowl has long been a proponent of predator management and artificial nest structures as ways to increase duck production. “Nine out of ever 10 nests on the breeding grounds are being destroyed by predators like fox, raccoon and skunk,†says Olson. “Back in the 1930s, nest success on the prairie breeding grounds averaged 33 percent. By the ‘90s nest success had fallen to 10 percent, and that’s not even enough to sustain the existing population.
“On our predator blocks we’ve consistently increased nest success two and three-fold,†he says, “and our Hen Houses (artificial nest structures) get as high as 80 percent nest success.
“There are two things that determine duck populations—recruitment and mortality,†Olson says. “The only place we can increase recruitment is on the breeding grounds. Delta’s Duck Production Program is proven to increase recruitment dramatically.
“We’re looking forward to sharing what we’ve learned about duck production with hunters across the South,†he says.
All duck hunters are invited to attend. There will be no charge for admission.
“Where were the ducks?†is one of the questions Delta Waterfowl’s staff will attempt to answer when it hosts a series of town hall meetings across the South.
The meeting in Columbus, Mississippi is scheduled for 7:00 pm Wednesday the 10th of March at James M. Trotter Convention Center.
“The purpose of these get-togethers is to visit with duck hunters, and to unveil Delta’s vision for the future of waterfowl management,†says Delta President Rob Olson. “We know duck hunters have a lot of questions, and we think it’s time they receive some honest answers.
“Delta believes there are some serious flaws in the way waterfowl populations are being managed, and we are proposing some dramatic changes for the future. We’ll talk about what’s happening and what’s not happening on the breeding grounds, and how that affects hunters in the South.
“Hunters are the backbone of conservation, and they deserve to know where and how their dollars are being spent.â€
Delta Waterfowl has long been a proponent of predator management and artificial nest structures as ways to increase duck production. “Nine out of ever 10 nests on the breeding grounds are being destroyed by predators like fox, raccoon and skunk,†says Olson. “Back in the 1930s, nest success on the prairie breeding grounds averaged 33 percent. By the ‘90s nest success had fallen to 10 percent, and that’s not even enough to sustain the existing population.
“On our predator blocks we’ve consistently increased nest success two and three-fold,†he says, “and our Hen Houses (artificial nest structures) get as high as 80 percent nest success.
“There are two things that determine duck populations—recruitment and mortality,†Olson says. “The only place we can increase recruitment is on the breeding grounds. Delta’s Duck Production Program is proven to increase recruitment dramatically.
“We’re looking forward to sharing what we’ve learned about duck production with hunters across the South,†he says.
All duck hunters are invited to attend. There will be no charge for admission.
.