By Bruce Urben, President
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s January, 2021 Newsletter edition.
Sound conservation is an applied science based on biology and must reckon with certain fundamental principles, otherwise known to most of us as “laws of nature”.
For waterfowl these include:
- Every Duck has a limited breeding range and a limited wintering range. Less breeding range or less wintering range means less ducks.
- The total number of ducks will be based on whichever above is the LESSER!
- Total numbers of ducks in any given year is also a balance between favorable and unfavorable factors.
- In wilderness settings none of these factors are static; always changing, positive or negative.
WWA’s Valley Chapter works on placing wood duck boxes in Outagamie County to assist in nesting success
This sounds like our current management philosophy used in the United States by our federal and state agencies. Better known to wildlife biologists as “Adaptive Harvest Management” (AHM). These principles could come out of a current wildlife text book used to train our managers, scientists and researchers. Much to my surprise, these principles were in print over 75 years ago! A final chapter in Eugene Connett’s book titled “Duck Shooting”, published in 1947, quotes Mr. Ludlow Griscom (professional orinthologist and the “father of birdwatchers”) as he warns waterfowlers of the importance of sound management and his basic principles noted above.
Griscom’s statements are still true today. We have seen favorable and unfavorable waterfowl numbers over the past 75 years. In hindsight, caused by habitat availability, temperature/climate changes, pressure from predators, food supply, disease, strains from migration, reproductive fertility and unbalanced sex ratios to name a few. Our waterfowl managers are busy each year, identifying population trends and causes, disease tracking, review of band returns and breeding and wintering habitat information. Much of their study has resulted in additional habitat projects, refuge changes and additions and changes in season or harvest structure. All to ensure survival of a vibrant breeding population of waterfowl.
Most of us reading this article have never seen a waterfowl crisis like the 1930’s dust bowl droughts, or the effect of over harvest by market hunters in the early 1900’s. We enjoy robust waterfowl numbers because of the knowledge and collaboration of our waterfowl biologists and researchers. They help us, hunter conservationists, make proper decisions on a yearly basis.
One of the restoration projects WWA completed last year, shown here under construction, now adds invaluable waterfowl habitat to the state’s breeding populations
WWA is a conservation organization committed to sound waterfowl and habitat management practices. Our habitat projects are based on ecological management and pare well with “Adaptive Harvest Management” goals established by state and federal USF&WS and our neighbors north and south of our borders.
We owe a debt of gratitude to our waterfowl managers and should continue to support their work and research!
Remember, hunters are also some of our best conservationists.